This is by far my favorite version of the classic hymn by one of my favorite artists, Sufjan Stevens. (Not sure who did the video but it’s the only one I can find)
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
There is a sign at the sight of thee, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, perfect in power, in love and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
There is a sign at the sight of thee, there is none beside Thee;
God in three Persons, God in three Persons, God in three Persons,
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
The End Of All Things 
Greetings from Wordwise Hymns. Thanks for sharing a version of Reginald Heber’s superb hymn of worship. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. But I feel it lacks the power and majesty required. Too soft, and the lyrics are mumbled here and there. Full choir (and perhaps congregation too) accompanied by an orchestra, or thundering pipe organ–that might do it.
Though there are problems with the following (lyrics obscured somewhat by instrumentation) I feel it’s closer to what the hymn deserves.
Again, I realize hymns can be sung many different ways. Thanks for sharing. God bless, and Merry Christmas.
Hi Robert. Thanks for sharing. I guess the problem is the subjectivity of art. To say that a certain version of a song is “too soft” or would be better with an organ is not to say something objectively true, but rather expresses a matter of personal preference.
I also think that to say a particular version is closer to what the hymn deserves misses the mark. The hymn itself doesn’t “deserve” anything, it’s the object of the hymn that does, namely, the triune God. And what God deserves is our deepest worship. For me, the soft little mumbled version I shared actually stirs me into deeper, more thoughtful worship than the version you shared (and I’m sure it’s the opposite for you). That’s not to say that one is better than the other, it’s just a matter of taste (and perhaps a generational gap).
Our external forms of worship are quite secondary to the condition of our hearts. Our lip service to God means nothing if our hearts are far from him. As Jesus taught, true worshipers worship God in spirit and truth and it matters not which mountain they are standing on.
Grace and peace to you brother.