Celebrate the official start of Spring with hymns on Nature, including Shirley Murray's The Spring has come and For the beauty of the earth by Folliott Pierpoint.
Kowhai flowers Photo: Wikimedia Commons
SONG: WHEN IN OUR MUSIC GOD IS GLORIFIED
Artist: Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Words/Music: Green/Stanford
Recording: Bonneville 519602
When in our music God is glorified,
and adoration leaves no room for pride,
it is as though the whole creation cried:
Alleluia!
How often, making music, we have found
a new dimension in the world of sound,
as worship moved us to a more profound
Alleluia!
So has the church, in spoken word and song,
in faith and love, through centuries of wrong,
borne witness to the truth in every tongue:
Alleluia!
And did not Jesus sing a psalm that night
when utmost evil strove against the light?
Then let us sing, for whom he won the fight:
Alleluia!
Let every instrument be tuned for praise!
Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise!
And may God give us faith to sing always:
Alleluia!
SONG: PSALM 96 (O SING UNTO THE LORD A NEW SONG)
Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey, Martin Neary (dir), Andrew Lumsden (organ)
Words/Music: Psalm 96/Peasgood
Recording: Virgin 545036
O sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the whole earth.
Sing unto the Lord, and praise his name; be telling of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his honour unto the heathen, and his wonders unto all peoples.
For the Lord is great, and cannot worthily be praised; he is more to be feared than all gods.
As for all the gods of the heathen, they are but idols; but it is the Lord that made the heavens.
Glory and worship are before him; power and honour are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the peoples, ascribe unto the Lord worship and power.
Ascribe unto the Lord the honour due unto his name; bring presents, and come into his courts.
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth stand in awe of him.
Tell it out among the heathen, that the Lord is King, and that it is he who hath made the round world so fast that it cannot be moved; and how that he shall judge the peoples righteously.
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea make a noise, and all that therein is.
Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it; then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord.
For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; and with righteousness to judge the world, and the peoples with his truth.
SONG: GIVE TO OUR GOD IMMORTAL PRAISE
Artist: Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, Dunedin, Raymond White (dir)
Words/Music: Watts/Griffiths
Recording: Ely 105
Give to our God immortal praise:
mercy and truth are all his ways;
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.
Give to the Lord of lords renown;
the King of kings with glory crown:
his mercies ever shall endure,
when lords and kings are known no more.
He sent His Son with power to save
from guilt and darkness and the grave;
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.
Through this vain world he guides our feet,
and leads us to his heavenly seat:
his mercies ever shall endure,
when this our world shall be no more.
SONG: THE SPRING HAS COME
Artist: Choir of St John’s Cathedral, Napier
Words/Music: Murray/Gibson
Recording: Private CD 814
The spring has come, let all the church be part of it!
The world has changed, and God is at the heart of it!
New light, new day, new colour after winter grey,
new light, new day, the spring has come,
let all the church be part of it!
The sun is warm, let all God's children play in it!
The world expands, let's spread the gospel way in it!
New leaf, new thrust, new greening for the love of Christ,
new leaf, new thrust, the sun is warm,
let all God's children play in it!
The spring has come, new people are the flowers of it!
Through wind and rain, new life is in the showers of it!
New bud, new shoot, new hope will bear the Spirit's fruit,
new bud, new shoot, the spring has come,
new people are the flowers of it!
SONG: FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Pierpoint/Evans
Recording: Hyperion 711210
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 each perfect gift of thine
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
flow'rs of earth and buds of heav'n:
Refrain:
SONG: THE KING OF LOVE MY SHEPHERD IS
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Baker/Dykes
Recording: Griffin GGCD 4010
The King of love my shepherd is,
whose goodness faileth never.
I nothing lack if I am his,
and he is mine forever.
Where streams of living water flow,
my ransomed soul he leadeth;
and where the verdant pastures grow,
with food celestial feedeth.
Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed,
but yet in love he sought me;
and on his shoulder gently laid,
and home, rejoicing, brought me.
In death's dark vale I fear no ill,
with thee, dear Lord, beside me;
thy rod and staff my comfort still,
thy cross before to guide me.
Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
thy unction grace bestoweth;
and oh, what transport of delight
from thy pure chalice floweth!
And so through all the length of days,
thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
within thy house forever.
SONG: HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING
Artist: The Birralee Blokes, Paul Holley (dir), Ashreya Ward (oboe), Justine Favell (piano)
Words/Music: Lowry
Recording: ABC 476509
My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?
What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?
I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am His
How can I keep from singing?
SONG: O FOR A THOUSAND TONGUES TO SING
Artist: St Michael’s Singers, Coventry Cathedral, Paul Leddington-Wright (dir)
Words/Music: C Wesley/Jarman arr Leddington-Wright
Recording: Kingsway KMCD 583
O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace! [last line x 4]
Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease,
that bids our sorrows cease,
'tis music in the sinner's ears,
'tis life and health and peace. [last line x 4]
See all your sins on Jesus laid
the Lamb of God was slain
the Lamb of God was slain
His soul was once an offering made
For every soul of man. [last line x 4]
He breaks the power of cancell'd sin,
He sets the prisoner free
He sets the prisoner free
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood avail'd for me. [last line x 4]
He speaks, - and, listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive
new life the dead receive
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice
The humble poor believe. [last line x 4]
Hear Him, ye deaf, His praise, ye dumb
your loosened tongues employ,
your loosened tongues employ
ye blind, behold your Saviour come,
and leap ye lame for joy! [last line x 4]
My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim
assist me to proclaim
To spread through all the world abroad
The honours of Thy name. [last line x 4]
