Hymns to mark the Feast of the Transfiguration (6th August) this week, and a selection of morning hymns including Morning has broken, and When morning gilds the skies.
Cloudy sunrise on Eastern Beach, Auckland New Zealand Photo: CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International / AmPartnership
SONG: MORNING HAS BROKEN
Artist: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Eleanor Farjeon/Trad
Recording: EMI 948306
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the word
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day.
SONG: WHEN MORNING GILDS THE SKIES
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Anon trans Caswall/Barnby
Recording: Griffin GCCD 410
When morning gilds the skies
my heart awaking cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer,
to Jesus I repair:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
My tongue shall never tire
Of chanting in the choir
May Jesus Christ be praised!
This song of sacred joy
That never seems to cloy,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Does sadness fill my mind?
A solace here I find,
May Jesus Christ be praised;
Or fades my earthly bliss?
My comfort still is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this, while life is mine,
my canticle divine:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Sing this eternal song
through all the ages long:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
SONG: IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE
Artist: Choirs of the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Toronto
Words/Music: Smith/Willan
Recording: Virgin VC 545109
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might:
thy justice, like mountains high soaring above;
thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all, life thou givest, to both great and small.
In all life thou livest, the true life of all.
We blossom and flourish like leaves on the tree,
then wither and perish; but naught changeth thee.
Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light,
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render: O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.
SONG: CHRIST WHOSE GLORY FILLS THE SKIES
Artist: St Michael’s Singers
Words/Music: C Wesley/Smart
Recording: Kingsway KMCD 891
Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only light,
Sun of righteousness, arise,
Triumph o’er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Day star, in my heart appear.
Dark and cheerless is the morn
Unaccompanied by thee;
Joyless is the day’s return
Till thy mercy’s beams I see;
Till they inward light impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.
Visit then this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, radiancy divine,
Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.
SONG: BE STILL, FOR THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD
Artist: London Fox Singers
Words/Music: David Evans
Recording: Elevation 2014
Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
the holy one, is here;
Come bow before him now
with reverence and fear:
In him no sin is found
we stand on holy ground.
Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
the holy one, is here.
Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around;
He burns with holy fire,
with splendour he is crowned:
How awesome is the sight
our radiant king of light!
Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around.
Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place;
He comes to cleanse and heal,
to minister his grace
No work too hard for him
In faith receive from him
Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place.
SONG: LET ALL MORTAL FLESH KEEP SILENCE
Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey, James O’Donnell (dir), Robert Quinney (organ)
Words/Music: Anon paraphrased Moultrie/Trad
Recording: Hyperion 712801
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary,
as of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
in the body and the blood,
he will give to all the faithful
his own self for heavenly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.
At his feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia, Lord most high!
SONG: GOD IS OUR HOPE AND STRENGTH
Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Catherine Palmer (dir), Bill Ives (organ)
Words/Music: Psalm 46/Luther
Recording: Marquis
God is our hope and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be moved,
And though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea.
Though the waters thereof rage and swell,
And though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same.
The rivers of the flood thereof shall make glad the city of God:
The holy place of the tabernacle of the most highest.
God is in the midst of her therefore shall she not be removed:
God shall help her and that right early.
The heathen make much ado and the kingdoms are moved:
But God hath shewed his voice, and the earth shall melt away.
The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our refuge.
O come hither and behold the works of the Lord:
What destruction he hath brought upon the earth.
He maketh wars to cease in all the world:
He breaketh the bow, and knappeth the spear in sunder,
And burneth the chariots in the fire.
Be still then and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the heathen, and I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be:
World without end. Amen.
SONG: I WANT TO WALK AS A CHILD OF THE LIGHT
Artist: Choir of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills
Words/Music: Thomerson
Recording: Gothic 349074
I want to walk as a child of the light;
I want to follow Jesus.
God set the stars to give light to the world;
The star of my life is Jesus.
Refrain:
In him there is no darkness at all;
The night and the day are both alike.
The Lamb is the light of the city of God.
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.
I want to see the brightness of God;
I want to look at Jesus.
Clear Sun of Righteousness, shine on my path
And show me the way to the Father.
Refrain:
I’m looking for the coming of Christ;
I want to be with Jesus.
When we have run with patience the race,
We shall know the joy of Jesus.
Refrain:
SONG: ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESU’S NAME
Artist: Kansas City Chorale/Charles Bruffy (dir), James Higdon (organ)
Words/Music: Perronet/Holden arr Mulholland
Recording: Nimbus NI 5568
All hail the pow'r of Jesu's name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall;
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Let ev'ry kindred, ev'ry tribe,
On this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.
Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at his feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.
We'll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.
