A morning hymn, an evening hymn and a hymn from the Scottish Psalter – just some of the listener requests in this week’s Hymns on Sunday.
Spinifex on Ngarunui Beach, Raglan Photo: Robyn Jaquiery
SONG: CHRIST IS MADE THE SURE FOUNDATION
Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey
Words/Music: Anon trans John Neale/Henry Purcell
Recording: Griffin 224018
Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the Head and Corner-stone,
Chosen of the Lord, and precious,
Binding all the Church in one,
Holy Sion's help for ever,
And her confidence alone.
All that dedicated city,
Dearly loved of God on high,
In exultant jubilation
Pours perpetual melody;
God the One in Three adoring
In glad hymns eternally.
To this temple, where we call Thee,
Come, O Lord of Hosts, to-day;
With Thy wonted loving-kindness,
Hear Thy servants as they pray;
And Thy fullest benediction
Shed within its walls alway.
Here vouchsafe to all Thy servants
What they ask of Thee to gain,
What they gain from Thee, for ever
With the blessèd to retain,
And hereafter in Thy glory
Evermore with Thee to reign.
Praise and honour to the Father,
Praise and honour to the Son,
Praise and honour to the Spirit,
Ever Three, and ever One,
One in might, and one in glory,
While unending ages run.
SONG: WHEN MORNING GILDS THE SKIES
Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Catherine Palmer (dir), Ronald Jordan (organ)
Words/Music: Anon trans Caswall/Barnby
Recording: Marquis MAR 175
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!
Whene’er the sweet church bell peals over hill and dell,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
O hark to what it sings, as joyously it rings,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
In Heav’n’s eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let earth, and sea and sky from depth to height reply,
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: LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, YE GATES OF BRASS
Artist: Coventry Singers
Words/Music: James Montgomery/attrib Jeremiah Clark
Recording: Mission Worship
Lift up your heads, ye gates of brass,
Ye bars of iron, yield,
And let the King of Glory pass;
The cross is in the field:
That banner, brighter than the star
That leads the train of night,
Shines on their march, and guides from far
His servants to the fight.
A holy war those servants wage;
Mysteriously at strife,
The pow'rs of heav'n and hell engage
For more than death of life.
Ye armies of the living God,
His sacramental host,
Where hallowed footsteps never trod
Take your appointed post:
Though few and small and weak your bands,
Strong in your Captain's strength
Go to the conquest of all lands;
All must be his at length.
Those spoils at his victorious feet
You shall rejoice to lay,
And lay yourselves, as trophies meet,
In his great judgment-day.
O fear not, faint nor, halt not now;
In Jesus' Name be strong;
To him shall all the nations bow,
And sing with you this song:
"Uplifted are the gates of brass,
The bars of iron yield;
Behold the King of Glory pass;
The cross has won the field."
SONG: COME, LET US TO THE LORD OUR GOD
Artist: Scottish Philharmonic Singers
Words/Music: Morrison/Anon arr James Roberton
Recording: Abbey 282830
Come, let us to the Lord our God
With contrite hearts return;
Our God is gracious, nor will leave
The desolate to mourn.
His voice commands the tempest forth
And stills the stormy wave;
And though His arm be strong to smite,
’Tis also strong to save.
As dew upon the tender herb,
diffusing fragrance round;
As show’rs that usher in the spring,
and cheer the thirsty ground:
So shall His presence bless our souls,
And shed a joyful light;
That hallowed morn shall chase away
The sorrows of the night.
SONG: O GOD, YOU SEARCH ME AND YOU KNOW ME
Artist: Choirs of the Diocese of Leeds
Words/Music: Bernadette Farrell
Recording: Herald HAVPCD 397
O God, you search me and you know me
All my thoughts lie open to your gaze
When I walk or lie down you are before me:
Ever the maker and keeper of my days.
You know my resting and my rising
You discern my purpose from afar
And with love everlasting you besiege me:
In ev'ry moment of life or death, you are.
Before a word is on my tongue, Lord,
You have known its meaning through and through.
You are with me beyond my understanding:
God of my present, my past and future, too.
Although your Spirit is upon me,
Still I search for shelter from your light.
There is nowhere on earth I can escape you:
Even the darkness is radiant in your sight.
For you created me and shaped me,
Gave me life within my mother's womb.
For the wonder of who I am, I praise you:
Safe in your hands, all creation is made new.
SONG: ROUND ME FALLS THE NIGHT
Artist: Choir of the Abbey School, Tewkesbury
Words/Music: William Romanis/Adam Drese
Recording: Priory PRCD 709
Round me falls the night;
Saviour, be my light;
through the hours in darkness shrouded
let me see thy face unclouded;
let thy glory shine
in this heart of mine.
Earthly work is done,
earthly sounds are none;
rest in sleep and silence seeking,
let me hear thee softly speaking;
in my spirit's ear
whisper, 'I am near'.
Blessèd, heavenly Light,
shining through earth's night;
voice, that oft of love hast told me;
arms, so strong to clasp and hold me;
thou thy watch wilt keep,
Saviour, o'er my sleep.
SONG: WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS
Artist: Cantus Choro
Words/Music: John Monsell/Anon
Recording: Move
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
bow down before Him, His glory proclaim;
gold of obedience and incense of lowliness
bring, and adore him; the Lord is his Name!
Low at his feet lay thy burden of carefulness,
high on his heart he will bear it for thee,
comfort thy sorrows, and answer thy prayerfulness,
guiding thy steps as may best for thee be.
Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
of the poor wealth thou wouldst reckon as thine;
truth in its beauty, and love in its tenderness,
these are the offerings to lay on His shrine.
These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
he will accept for the Name that is dear;
mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
trust for our trembling, and hope for our fear.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
bow down before Him, His glory proclaim;
gold of obedience and incense of lowliness
bring, and adore him; the Lord is his Name!
SONG: HOW SHALL I SING THAT MAJESTY
Artist: Choir of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland
Words/Music: John Mason/Ken Naylor
Recording: Private CD 805
How shall I sing that Majesty
which angels do admire?
Let dust in dust and silence lie;
sing, sing, ye heavenly choir.
Thousands of thousands stand around
thy throne, O God most high;
ten thousand times ten thousand sound
thy praise; but who am I?
Enlighten with faith's light my heart,
inflame it with love's fire;
then shall I sing and bear a part
with that celestial choir.
I shall, I fear, be dark and cold,
with all my fire and light;
yet when thou dost accept their gold,
Lord, treasure up my mite.
How great a being Lord, is thine,
which doth all beings keep!
Thy knowledge is the only line
to sound so vast a deep.
Thou art a sea without a shore,
a sun without a sphere;
thy time is now and evermore,
thy place is everywhere.
SONG: THINE BE THE GLORY
Artist: Choir of Portsmouth Cathedral, David Price (dir), David Thorne (organ)
Words/Music: Edmund Budry trans Hoyle/George Frederic Handel
Recording: Herald HAVPCD 205
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory, thou o'er death hast won;
angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay.
Refrain:
Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son,
Endless is the vict'ry, thou o'er death hast won.
Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.
Refrain:
No more we doubt thee, glorious prince of life;
life is naught without thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conquerors, through thy deathless love:
bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above.
Refrain:
