Karl Jenkins is arguably the most successful living composer working today. Born in the Gower Valley, Jenkins studied composition at Cardiff University and then at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Hymn comes from the composer's first album Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary which was released in 1995. Songs of Sanctuary is an album of song-length works scored for orchestra and harmonised voices. The vocalists are used purely as melodic sound with words replaced with syllables, a concept which features in all of the Adiemus series.