#133 "Father in Heaven"

I like the lowered key (compared to the old hymnal) in the 1985 edition of the LDS Hymnbook for this hymn.  As an alto, it is much easier to sing the melody.  I have a note in my personal hymnbook about conducting this hymn.  It came from a class I took at the Church Music Workshop at BYU.  My notes say to use "little or no ictus on beat 2".  I also have notes written above the beginning of measures 1, 2, 4, and 8 to use a "melded gesture" with the right hand.  Another note reads, "Conduct the music, not just the beat!"  I think these are all good suggestions!  This new edition changes wording on verse 2 and adds the word "and" before the word "joy" on measures 6 and 7.  This allows the word "joy" to come on the down beat.
Karen Lynn Davidson's book "Our Latter-day Hymns" states that this hymn was originally written in 1811 for men's voices.  I would love to have access to that arrangement.