Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne

This page includes a lyric video, a brief history, and other resources for the Christmas carol “Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne.” Enjoy!

Enjoy this You Tube video with lyrics of “Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne”:

History of “Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne”:

The hymn “Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne” was written by Emily E. Elliott. It was first used in 1864 at St. Mark’s Church in Bright­on, Eng­land where El­li­ott’s fa­ther was the rec­tor (similar to a pastor). For six years, Elliott served as the editor of “The Church Missionary Juvenile Instructor,” and in 1870, she published her hymn. She wrote several more hymns for her father’s church – many of which were published over the following decade. Interestingly, Elliott’s translation of “Silent Night” (which began “Stilly Night, Holy Night”) was quite popular throughout England. And Elliott was not the only hymnist in her family. Her aunt Charlotte Elliott authored the hymn “Just and I Am,” and her uncle Rev. Henry Venn Elliott wrote “Sun of My Soul.”

Elliott’s family was associated with the Evangelical Party of the Anglican Church, and she spent much of her time working with rescue missions and children in their Sunday Schools. Furthermore, a number of Elliott’s hymns were published in a book “titled “Under the Pillow” specifically for use in hospitals.

Timothy R. Matthews composed the tune for “Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne” in 1876. Matthews was the son of a pastor, and he served as a pastor himself in England for most of his life. Having been trained in music, he composed the services for his church and wrote over 100 hymns. He earned a reputation for writing simple but effective tunes. His sons, Norton and Arthur Percy, also came to be known as composers of hymn tunes.

For more intriguing history on 20 other classic Christmas songs, you can purchase our Christmas Songs eBook (only $2.99; use code “celebrate20” for 20% off).

For additional resources (like original sheet music), visit Hymns and Carols of Christmas or Net Hymnal.

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