From the Organist & Choirmaster
Few hymns are as inseparably bound to a particular liturgical moment as “All glory, laud, and honor” is to Palm Sunday. Sung during the procession of palms, it is not merely a musical adornment to the rite - it is the voice of the crowd welcoming Christ into Jerusalem.
The text of the hymn comes from the Latin hymn Gloria, laus et honor, written in the early 9th century by Theodulf Orléans, a bishop, theologian, and poet in the court of Charlemagne. According to tradition, Theodulf composed the hymn while imprisoned, possibly under suspicion during political turmoil. On Palm Sunday, as a procession passed by his place of confinement, he is said to have sung this hymn from his window. The emperor, moved by its beauty, ordered his release.
Whether or not this story is strictly historical, it captures something essential: the hymn is a proclamation of Christ’s kingship that transcends circumstance, joyful, triumphant, and deeply rooted in the liturgy of the Church.
The English translation most commonly sung today was made in the 19th century by John Mason Neale, whose work helped reintroduce many ancient Latin hymns into the Anglican and wider English-speaking worship.
Why it “belongs” to Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday commemorates Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, as described in all four Gospels. The people spread cloaks before him and cry out: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!”
Theodulf’s text paraphrases and expands upon this scene. Each stanza places us within that procession:
· Christ is hailed as “Redeemer King.”
· The crowds of Jerusalem are joined by angels, creation, and the Church across time.
· The repeated refrain “All glory, laud, and honor” becomes the Church’s own from of Hosanna.
Because of this vivid connection, the hymn became closely associated with the Palm Sunday liturgy in the medieval Western Church. It was traditionally sung antiphonally during the procession, often with alternating verses between choir and congregation - mirroring the call-and-response character of a jubilant crowd.