Henry Lyte’s hymn Praise, my soul, the king of heaven is one of the most popular hymns in English-speaking Christian denominations. In today’s programme we take a look at John Goss, who composed its tune.
Photo: RNZ / Robyn Jaquiery
SONG: PRAISE, MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVEN
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Henry Lyte/John Goss
Recording: Hyperion 112102
Praise, my soul, the king of heaven!
to his feet thy tribute bring,
ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
evermore his praises sing:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting king.
Praise him for his grace and favour
to our fathers in distress;
praise him still the same as ever,
slow to chide and swift to bless:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness.
Father-like, he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows;
in his hand he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Widely as his mercy flows.
Angels in the height adore him,
ye behold him face to face;
Saints triumphant, bow before him,
gathered in from ev’ry race.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace.
SONG: PSALM 23
Artist: St Thomas Choir of Men & Boys
Words/Music: Psalm 23/John Goss
Recording: Koch International 1992
The Lord is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall feed me in a green pasture, and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
He shall convert my soul, and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness for his Name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
Thou shalt prepare a table before me in the presence of them that trouble me;
thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
Surely thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
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: LO! HE COMES WITH CLOUDS DESCENDING
Artist: St Thomas Choir of Men & Boys
Words/Music: Charles Wesley/Trad adapted Thomas Olivers
Recording: Koch International 1992
Lo, he comes, with clouds descending,
once for our salvation slain;
thousand thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Christ the Lord returns to reign.
Ev'ry eye shall now behold him
robed in glorious majesty;
those who set at nought and sold him,
pierced and nailed him to the tree,
deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing
shall their true Messiah see.
Yea, amen, let all adore thee,
High on thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the pow'r and glory,
Claim the kingdom for thine own.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou shalt reign, and thou alone!
SONG: THE GOD OF ABRAHAM PRAISE
Artist: Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, Dunedin
Words/Music: Anon adapted Olivers/Lyon, Olivers
Recording: Ely 105
The God of Abraham praise,
who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of Everlasting Days,
and God of Love;
Jehovah, great I AM!
by earth and heaven confessed;
We bow and bless the sacred name
forever blest.
There dwells the Lord our king,
The Lord our righteousness,
Triumphant over the world and sin,
The Prince of Peace.
On Zion’s sacred height
His kingdom he maintains
And glorious with his saints in light
Forever reigns.
The God who reigns on high
The great archangels sing,
And "Holy, holy, holy!" cry,
"Almighty King!
Who was and is the same.
And evermore shall be:
Jehovah, Father, Great I Am!
We worship thee!"
The whole triumphant host
Give thanks to God on high.
"Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!"
They ever cry.
Hail, Abraham’s God and mine!
I join the heavenly lays:
All might and majesty are thine
And endless praise!
SONG: FAIREST LORD JESUS
Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Catherine Palmer (dir), Ronald Jordan (organ)
Words/Music: Anon/Trad
Recording: Marquis 181175
Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature,
O thou of God and man the Son,
thee will I cherish, thee will I honour,
thou, my soul's glory, joy and crown.
Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
who makes the woeful heart to sing.
Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight,
and fair the twinkling, starry host;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer,
than all the angels heaven can boast.
All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
wondrously, Jesus, is found in thee;
none can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
than thou, my Saviour, art to me.
SONG: BY HIS HAND
Artist: International Songsters of the Salvation Army
Words/Music: Gilmore/Mack
Recording: Salvationist Publishing & Supplies SPS 321
He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where'er I be,
still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.
Refrain:
He leadeth me, he leadeth me;
by his own hand he leadeth me:
his faithful follower I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.
Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
sometimes where Eden's flowers bloom,
by waters calm, o'er troubled sea,
still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.
Refrain
Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since 'tis my God that leadeth me.
Refrain
SONG: SAINTS BOUND FOR HEAVEN
Artist: Kansas City Chorale
Words/Music: Trad
Recording: Nimbus NI5568
Our bondage it shall end, by and by, by and by,
Our bondage it shall end, by and by;
From Egypt's yoke set free;
Hail the glorious jubilee,
And to Canaan we'll return, by and by, by and by,
And to Canaan we'll return, by and by.
Our deliverer he shall come, by and by, by and by,
Our deliverer he shall come, by and by;
And our sorrows have an end,
With our threescore years and ten,
And vast glory crown the day, by and by, by and by,
And vast glory crown the day, by and by.
And when to Jordan's floods, we are come, we are come,
And when to Jordan's floods, we are come;
Jehovah rules the tide,
And the waters he'll divide,
And the ransomed host shall shout, we are come, we are come,
And the ransomed host shall shout, we are come.
Then with all the happy throng, we'll rejoice, we'll rejoice,
Then with all the happy throng, we'll rejoice;
Shouting glory to our King,
Till the vaults of heaven ring,
And through all eternity we'll rejoice, we'll rejoice,
And through all eternity we'll rejoice.
SONG: BE THOU MY VISION
Artist: Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Church, Edinburgh
Words/Music: Anon trans Byrne, versified Hull/Trad
Recording: Priory PRCD 376
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word;
be thou ever with me, and I with thee, Lord;
be thou my great Father: and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armour, thou my true might,
be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my high tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
be thou mine inheritance now and always
be thou and thou only, the first in my heart
O Sovereign of Heaven, my treasure thou art.
High King of Heaven, thou Heaven’s bright sun!
O grant me its joys after victory is won,
great heart of my own heart whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, O ruler of all.
