The Hymn "I Will Rejoice And Be Glad" — What It Actually Is
I found myself looking this one up again last week because a church musician asked me to help arrange it for their small choir. The full title is "I Will Rejoice And Be Glad" and it comes from Psalm 118. People sometimes misattribute it to other psalms or just assume it is a traditional folk hymn, but the text is straightforward scripture with a modern musical setting that caught on in contemporary worship circles. The song is a direct musical setting of Psalm 118:24 — "This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." That single verse became the chorus, and most arrangements build additional verses from surrounding psalm text. It is not a complex piece liturgically. The harmony is mostly diatonic. The rhythm sits in common time, usually at a moderate tempo around 72 to 88 beats per minute depending on the arrangement. The melody is singable by an average congregation without much rehearsal. I worked through three different published arrangements last year for a wedding and a couple of Sunday services. The piano-vocal versions from major church music publishers like Hope Publishing and GIA are the standard references. The GIA version by Mark Hayes is probably the most widely sung one. It transposes easily, stays in a comfortable key for most voices, and does not require any special liturgical training to implement.
How to Arrange and Use It in a Service
Start with the GIA organ or piano arrangement if you need something reliable on short notice. It gives you clear verse-chorus structure and marks where the congregation can participate without a lot of practice. If you want to extend it for a longer liturgical moment like communion or a wedding processional, you can loop the chorus and add a brief instrumental bridge. I usually write in a two-measure organ fill between the second and third verse. It keeps momentum without drawing attention away from the text. The common pitfall is rushing the tempo. When the organist or pianist picks up the beat during the chorus, the congregation drags on the downbeats and the whole thing sounds rushed. I keep a metronome marking on the score now. I write BPM right at the top of the first page instead of relying on the conductor to communicate it verbally. That one habit cut our rehearsal time from about twenty minutes to roughly eight. Another edge case that trips people up is the final cadence. Many arrangements end on a straightforward authentic cadence in the home key. If the congregation is singing loudly and the instrument swells too hard on that last chord, voices tend to sharpen on the third of the chord. I lower the dynamic marking to mezzo-piano on the final chorus and ask the instrumentalist to hold the chord without re-articulating it. It sounds more resolved and keeps everyone on pitch.
Publishing and Download Information
You can find the sheet music through standard church music retailers. The GIA publication G-8610 is the organ solo version. The piano-vocal score is G-8611. Both are available through Hope Publishing as well under slightly different catalog numbers. You do not need to hunt for unofficial PDFs. The official scores list the full psalm text, performance notes, and copyright information. Using unauthorized arrangements creates problems with licensing if the congregation records the service or posts it online. If you need a quick reference while you wait for a physical copy, some church music websites provide preview pages. I usually print the chorus and first verse first. The rest can follow once you confirm the key works for your vocal range. Most adult congregations sit comfortably in F major or G major. If your choir includes younger singers or voices that struggle with high notes, drop it to E major or D major instead.
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Why It Works and Where It Falls Short
The reason this hymn sticks in worship is the text itself. Psalm 118 is a celebration psalm, and the chorus line is short enough that people remember it after one hearing. That simplicity is also its weakness. It lacks harmonic tension, which means it cannot carry a long liturgical section by itself. If you plan to use it for a prolonged moment like a prayer service or an extended communion, you will need to pair it with another piece or add an improvisatory section. I ran into this exact problem during a service last spring when the pastor wanted a longer reflection period. The congregation sang through the chorus four times and then sat in silence for about a minute. It felt awkward. The fix was to introduce a slow instrumental interlude using a chorale prelude approach, keeping the organ playing sustained chords underneath while the pastor spoke. The music did not stop completely, but it also did not dominate the moment. That balanced the flow much better than repeating the same chord progression over and over. There is also the matter of lyrical emphasis. Some choirs and leaders want to highlight the second half of the verse, "we will rejoice and be glad," as a call to action rather than a statement of fact. That is a legitimate interpretive choice, but it shifts the stress pattern of the melody slightly. I have seen vocalists stretch the word "rejoice" into a long note while keeping the same rhythmic structure. It sounds fine in a solo but can sound dragged when the whole congregation sings it. If you make that choice, practice it with a conductor who can shape the tempo in real time instead of relying on a fixed score.
Practical Notes for First-Time Use
Send the music to your team at least one week before the service. Two days is cutting it too close. Give them the chorus lyrics in print so they can memorize it without tracking the full score. If you are using an organist who is not familiar with this piece, send them the GIA organ solo version a few days early and suggest they practice the chord changes between verses. The transitions are simple, but a busy hand part can get tangled if the player is reading cold. For keyboard players, I recommend learning the left-hand patterns separately first. The right hand carries the melody and the chorus harmonies, while the left hand handles the bass movement. Trying to synchronize both at full tempo on the first read-through usually leads to missed beats and a rushed feel. Split the work, then put it together once each hand is independent. If your church uses a projection screen, display the chorus lyrics only. The psalm text changes across verses, but the congregation needs the repeated phrase visible to stay on tempo. I usually project the key signature and tempo marking as well. It reduces the number of questions during the service and lets the team focus on performance instead of scrambling for information.
This piece works well for weddings, baptisms, and regular Sunday services. It does not work as a standalone funeral hymn unless you pair it with a more reflective accompaniment. The text celebrates life and gratitude, which is appropriate for many occasions, but a funeral service often calls for a different tonal balance. I have seen it used effectively there when the organ plays a slow, sustained introduction before the singing begins. That frames the moment without asking the congregation to sing joyfully over a grief-centered service. The bottom line is that "I Will Rejoice And Be Glad" is a straightforward, well-structured hymn that rewards clear preparation and sensible tempo choices. It is not a technically difficult piece, but it is easy to mess up if you treat it as background music rather than a sung statement. Keep the dynamics controlled, practice the transitions, and make sure everyone knows the chorus before the service starts. That is what makes it sound clean instead of crowded.
