A favorite hymn of the St. Mary's Liturgical Choir is "O God Beyond All Praising!" It is based on a melody called Thaxted, which is a patriotic song in Britain. The melody first appeared as part of an orchestral suite called, The Planets, by British composer Gustav Holst. The song was sung at the funerals of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, as well as the wedding and funeral of Princess Diana. It was the processional hymn at the wedding of Kate and William.
The version sung by the choir was arranged by the well-known Roman Catholic composer Richard Proulx. The words were composed by Michael Perry. This version is often used at weddings and funerals. In the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and in many other archdioceses and dioceses it is the recessional hymn at ordinations.
This is a song designed to be sung by the congregation as a whole. Its energy and inspiration comes from having everyone join in rather than to have it performed.