'Abide with Me' by Military bands : Beating Retreat ceremony at Vijay Chowk, Delhi

Military bands play 'Abide with Me' during Beating Retreat ceremony at Vijay Chowk, Delhi.

"Abide with Me" is a Christian hymn by Scottish Anglican Henry Francis Lyte most often sung to English composer William Henry Monk's tune entitled "Eventide".

Lyte wrote the poem in 1847 and set it to music while he lay dying from tuberculosis; he survived only a further three weeks after its completion.

The hymn is a prayer for God to remain present with the speaker throughout life, through trials, and through death. The opening line alludes to Luke 24:29, "Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent", and the penultimate verse draws on text from 1 Corinthians 15:55, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?":

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word,
But as Thou dwell'st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile,
And though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee.
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Wikipedia

The Beating the Retreat Ceremony is held in the capital city of Delhi in India. The Republic Day celebrations in Delhi initiate with a multihued parade on the 26th of January along the Rajpath. The parade comes to a close with the ‘Beating the Retreat Ceremony’, which happens on the 29th of January. The location of the Beating the Retreat Ceremony in Delhi is at Vijay Chowk or the victory square, with the stately Rashtrapati Bhawan at the background.

The Festival of Beating the Retreat Ceremony in Delhi is observed keeping in mind the age old tradition, according to which, soldiers called a close down to the war at sunset. This call was the sound of the bugles vibrated across the battlefield calling a halt to the fighting.

The Beating the Retreat Ceremony in Delhi officially marks the finale of the Republic day celebrations. The ceremony starts with definite units of the armed forces performing lively executions. During the Delhi Beating the Retreat Ceremony, after the live performances, a hymn is played by the bands collectively called ‘Abide with me’. On the day of the Beating the Retreat Ceremony in Delhi, at 6 o’clock in the evening the bugles call the retreat sound and the National flag is lowered and the National anthem is sung in musical harmony. The silhouetted riders move away from the background which sets the conclusion of the Republic Day celebrations.

The Beating the Retreat Ceremony of Delhi takes place on the 29th of January. This ceremony is conducted after 3 days of the beginning of the Republic day celebrations, on 26th January. The Delhi Beating the Retreat Ceremony brings a close to the Republic Day celebrations.

Source : indianholiday.com

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