‘How Great Thou Art’ — Lester Holt talks song leading on ‘Today’

No, your ears aren’t playing tricks on you. You did hear “How Great Thou Art” on the “Today” show this morning.

Lester Holt, anchor of NBC Nightly News, favored Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and others on his network’s “Today” show with a line from the classic hymn as he discussed a recent interview in Us Weekly magazine.

One item in the feature, “25 things you didn’t know about me,” was “I used to be the lead singer at church,” Lauer said, quoting the feature.

“Well, they got that wrong,” Holt said. “I think the way I wrote it … I used to lead the singing in church.”

This should come as no surprise to Christian Chronicle readers, as we have reported many times on the newsman’s faith. Even when he hosted “Today” on Sundays, he would rush from 30 Rock after the show to worship with the Manhattan Church of Christ.

Asked for his favorite hymns, Holt named “How Great Thou Art” and “Precious Memories,” prompting Hoda Kotb to plea for a song snippet. Holt obliged … briefly.