This hymn is a celebration of God’s creation and the beauty of nature, and it has become a popular choice for services that focus on gratitude and thanksgiving.
Hymn written by Folliott S. Pierpoint, an English poet and hymnist; published in 1864 and sung to the tune “Dix”, which was composed by Conrad Kocher in 1838.
For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies,
Refrain: Lord of all, to thee we raise This our joyful hymn of praise.
For the beauty of each hour Of the day and of the night, Hill and vale, and tree and flower, Sun and moon, and stars of light,
(Refrain)
For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child, Friends on earth and friends above, For all gentle thoughts and mild,
(Refrain)
For thy church that evermore Lifteth holy hands above, Offering up on every shore Her pure sacrifice of love,
(Refrain)
For thyself, best Gift Divine, To the world so freely given, For that great, great love of thine, Peace on earth, and joy in heaven. (Refrain)
The Akademicki Chór Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego is a mixed choir consisting of students and alumni of the University of Warsaw. Founded in 1913, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious choirs in Poland, with a reputation for high-quality performances and a diverse repertoire that includes both traditional and contemporary choral music.
There is an American way for drinking tea, a British way of drinking tea, a Japanese way of drinking tea and so forth and so on. However, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) section ISO 3103 concludes upon an “international way” of drinking tea. The ISO even created a standard on how to run a standard organization. Their goal for this standard, no matter where you are in the world, is to have one way to play it safe in terms of making tea. To maintain consistent results, the following are recommendations given by the standard:
The pot should be white porcelain or glazed earthenware and have a partly serrated edge. It should have a lid that fits loosely inside the pot.
If a large pot is used, it should hold a maximum of 310 ml (±8 ml) and must weigh 200 g (±10 g).
If a small pot is used, it should hold a maximum of 150 ml (±4 ml) and must weigh 118 g (±10 g).
2 grams of tea (measured to ±2% accuracy) per 100 ml boiling water is placed into the pot.
Freshly boiling water is poured into the pot to within 4-6 mm of the brim.
The water should be similar to the drinking water where the tea will be consumed
Brewing time is six minutes.
The brewed tea is then poured into a white porcelain or glazed earthenware bowl.
If a large bowl is used, it must have a capacity of 380 ml and weigh 200 g (±20 g)
If a small bowl is used, it must have a capacity of 200 ml and weigh 105 g (±20 g)
If the test involves milk, then it can be added before or after pouring the infused tea.
Milk added after the pouring of tea is best tasted when the liquid is between 65 – 80 °C.
5 ml of milk for the large bowl, or 2.5 ml for the small bowl, is used.
If you travel out of the country and are not informed on the countries traditions and practices for drinking tea, according to the ISO, you can’t go wrong by using the above standards. Their standards does not make your way of making tea wrong. It just sets a default and reproducible cup for everyone to make.
There are several universities around the world that specialize in tea research. Some of the most well-known include:
University of North Carolina at Greensboro (USA): The UNCG has a Center for Applied Research in Tea and is dedicated to tea research in the areas of health, culture, and sustainability.
Huazhong Agricultural University (China): Huazhong Agricultural University has a Tea Science Institute that conducts research in the areas of tea breeding, tea processing, tea quality, and tea culture.
University of Shizuoka (Japan): The University of Shizuoka has a Faculty of Agriculture that includes a Department of Tea Science, which conducts research in the areas of tea production, processing, and quality.
University of Darjeeling (India): The University of Darjeeling has a Department of Tea Science and Technology that offers courses in tea science and conducts research in the areas of tea cultivation, processing, and marketing.
University of Colombo (Sri Lanka): The University of Colombo has a Department of Plant Sciences that conducts research in the areas of tea breeding, cultivation, and processing.
Anhui Agricultural University (China): Anhui Agricultural University has a Tea Research Institute that conducts research in the areas of tea breeding, cultivation, processing, and marketing.
