This edition was prepared by Barry Johnston — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Complaint
Staff Notation • Sacred, Hymns
Preview
0
0
2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
STB|TrTB · Barry Johnston
Preview
Subscribed as
Want Sunday picks sent to another address too?
Free weekly email
Your choir should not be left out in what's trending
Sunday mass selections, psalms, and trending songs in your area — straight to your inbox.
Complaint by James P. Carrell — Lyrics
Charles Wesley, 1742
1. Ah! Whither should I go
Burdened, and sick, and faint?
To whom should I my trouble show,
Or pour out my complaint?
The Savior bids me come;
Ah! Why do I delay!
He calls the weary sinner home,
And yet from him I stay.
2. What is it keeps me back,
From which I cannot part,
Which will not let my Savior take
Possession of my heart?
Some cursed thing unknown
Must surely lurk within,
Some idol which I will not own,
Some secret bosom sin.
Read full lyrics
About Complaint
This sacred hymn, set for STB voices, draws on the words of Charles Wesley, penned in 1742. The text expresses a profound spiritual struggle, a soul burdened and seeking solace but held back by an unknown impediment. The singer questions what unseen sin or cherished idol prevents them from fully surrendering to the Savior. The hymn becomes a prayer for divine intervention, asking to be shown the hidden hindrance and for inner darkness to be illuminated. Carrell's setting offers a musical setting for this deeply personal and relatable plea for spiritual clarity and release. It is a devotional piece exploring the common human experience of wrestling with inner conflict on the path to faith.
