"Stars of the Morning, So Gloriously Bright"

A couple years ago, I found some features in "Stars of the Morning, So Gloriously Bright."  I had to wait a while until it was seasonally appropriate to write about, though; the hymn is for the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, which is 29 September.

The hymn is sung to the tune "O quanta qualia."  Here's the second musical phrase:

In the second verse, the text here is "Lord God of Sabaoth, nearest Your throne," continuing the sense from the previous line:  "These are Your ministers, these are Your own" ("Lord God of Sabaoth" is a vocative).  "Nearest" is sung with a melisma (A G A), giving a sense of the superlative nature of the adjective (more notes for a higher degree).

The third musical phrase:

In the fourth verse, the text here is "Till, where their anthems they ceaselessly pour."  "Pour" is sung with a descending melisma (A G), giving something of a sense of its meaning, although it's used metaphorically.

The fourth musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "Praise the Thrice Holy One, serving but Him."  "Holy" is sung to three notes (A G G), matching the modifying adverb "Thrice."

In the third verse, the text is "Then all the sons of God shouted for joy" (from Job 38:7).  "Sons" is sung with a melisma (A G), providing a sense of the entirety of "all," and "joy" is sung with a melisma (G F), giving a sense of ebullience.