"Holy Holy Holy Lord" is a wonderful song which believers have actually been singing for over 1,900 years! (Clement of Rome wrote a letter to the Corinthians in AD96 mentioning it.)

The first part of the song is from Isaiah 6:3 where Isaiah sees the seraphim cry, "Holy! Holy! Holy! (Hebrew קָדוֹשׁ qadosh! qadosh! qadosh!)

The song's second part ("Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!") is from Mark 11:9-10 where Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday before he was crucified.

These two scripture passages were translated in the early Church into Latin (the language of the Roman Empire) and used during the celebration of the Lord's Supper (the holy Eucharist). This song of acclamation became known as "Sanctus Benedictus" (from Sanctus (holy) and Benedictus (blessed, from Ps. 118:26)) and has continued to be an integral part of the Catholic Mass throughout church history to this day. Protestant churches have also sung various versions of the acclamation in both hymns and contemporary choruses (eg. Holy Holy Holy, Lord God Almighty)

In 1966 Father Peter Scholtes, a parish priest at St. Brendan's Church on the South Side of Chicago adapted a contemporary version of the Sanctus Benedictus for Church use as part of his "Missa Bossa Nova Folk Mass". Bossa nova was becoming a popular musical style at the time and Father Peter wanted to invoke a more contemporary musical style which would have an appeal to the modern generation. (see youtu.be/323PL6pi1bI)

The melody and chords Fr. Scholtes introduced in 1966 were gradually adapted for wider use in worship services, and when in 1984 it was used as the final song on a new worship cassette series by Hosanna Music (on HM-3 "All Hail King Jesus" led by Kent Henry) the song became well-known in both Catholic and Protestant circles.

In 1984 I included "Holy Holy Holy Lord" on a live worship recording I led and produced at Northwest Bible College in Edmonton (where I was a theology student and music professor), entitled "We Shall See Him As He Is". The Lord's presence showed up mightily during this service!

It is my joy to include on this compilation album this wonderful, timeless expression of adoration to our God, loved by Protestants and Catholics around the world, and sung eternally by seraphim around the Lord's throne! "Holy! Holy! Holy!"