Ride On! Ride On in Majesty! is a hymn written by Henry Hart Milman in 1820. Composer Stanley L. Osbourne said “It possesses that peculiar combination of tragedy and victory which draws the singer into the very centre of the drama.”
There is no greater drama than that of this week. Ride On! Ride On in Majesty! is a hymn traditionally sung on Palm Sunday that leads worshippers confidently into Holy Week. The hymn is full of dramatic irony.
It is typically sung in four voices with marvelous contrasts of tone and texture. The first line of each verse is “Ride on, ride on in majesty”, but then the scene transitions to a different one.
In this verse, the throng, most of whom are soon to abandon Jesus, are crying hosanna to the new King of the Jews as he enters Jerusalem! But the humble beast pursues the path appointed (foreshadowing Christ pursuing his own).
What is lowly pomp? The pomp of dying is the height of irony. The lowly king will gain victory over the masters of mankind: sin and death – by dying. This king is riding into the city to set its captives free.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo5pfl6z6lA
Ride on in majesty, even though your own army in the heavens watches with sadness and wonder. The angels see the difficult sacrifice Christ is about to undergo. They are in awe as well since they are not of flesh and blood.
His last and fiercest strife is the test of obedience, a test involving suffering and death.
Ride on, ride on in majesty! The song crescendos, and then switches back to a less jubilant tone: In lowly pomp ride on to die. And bowing his head, he dies.
The final line of the song and how it is sung is pure majesty. It builds and crescendos: then take, O God, Thy pow’r, and reign!
Mike Shaughnessy is the Founder of Grandly.
