Lyrics: Robert Bridges, 1899, based on a German hymn by Joachim Neander.

Music: MICHAEL by Herbert Howells, 1935.

Theme: Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
Psalm 127:1.

Robert Bridges: “And if we consider and ask ourselves what sort of music we should wish to hear on entering a church, we should surely, in describing our ideal, say first of all that it must be something different from what is heard elsewhere; that it should be a sacred music, devote to its purpose, a music whose peace should still passion, whose dignity should strengthen our faith, whose unquestion’d beauty should find a home in our hearts, to cheer us in life and in death.”

All my hope on God is founded;
he doth still my trust renew,
me through change and chance he guideth,
only good and only true.
God unknown,
he alone
calls my heart to be his own.

Pride of man and earthly glory,
sword and crown betray his trust;
what with care and toil he buildeth,
tower and temple fall to dust.
But God’s power,
hour by hour,
is my temple and my tower.

God’s great goodness aye endureth,
deep his wisdom, passing thought:
splendor, light and life attend him,
beauty springeth out of naught.
Evermore
from his store
newborn worlds rise and adore.

Daily doth the almighty Giver
bounteous gifts on us bestow;
his desire our soul delighteth,
pleasure leads us where we go.
Love doth stand
at his hand;
joy doth wait on his command.

Still from man to God eternal
sacrifice of praise be done,
high above all praises praising
for the gift of Christ, his Son.
Christ doth call
one and all:
ye who follow shall not fall.

I had never heard of this hymn, but the name Robert Bridges did ring a bell: he was Poet Laureate of England from 1913 to 1930. From Wikipedia:

Bridges made an important contribution to hymnody with the publication in 1899 of his Yattendon Hymnal, which he created specifically for musical reasons. This collection of hymns, although not a financial success, became a bridge between the Victorian hymnody of the last half of the 19th century and the modern hymnody of the early 20th century.
Bridges translated important historic hymns, and many of these were included in Songs of Syon (1904) and the later English Hymnal (1906). Several of Bridges’ translations are still in use today

Here’s a sample of one of his poems, simple, sweet, not terribly profound, certainly not in a “modern” (T.S. Eliot) style, but I rather like it.

Absence

WHEN my love was away,
Full three days were not sped,
I caught my fancy astray
Thinking if she were dead,

And I alone, alone:
It seem’d in my misery
In all the world was none
Ever so lone as I.

I wept; but it did not shame
Nor comfort my heart: away
I rode as I might, and came
To my love at close of day.

The sight of her still’d my fears,
My fairest-hearted love:
And yet in her eyes were tears:
Which when I question’d of,

‘O now thou art come,’ she cried,
”Tis fled: but I thought to-day
I never could here abide,
If thou wert longer away.’

Mr. Bridges considered entering the ministry in the Church of England, but he decided to become a doctor instead. He met poet Gerard Manley Hopkins at Corpus Christi College, and the two poets became lifelong friends and correspondents.

Herbert Howells was an organist and musician, and the particular tune paired here with Bridges’ lyrics was written in honor and memory of Howells’ son Michael who died of polio at the age of nine. Howells was a friend of the famous English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Sources:
Poetry Foundation: Robert Bridges.

Finally, while researching this hymn online, I found this list of “The Top 20 Desert Island Hymns of Anglicans Online Readers.” I must not have had enough Anglican voters because only twelve of the twenty are on my list.