This week's programme features resurrection-themed hymns for Eastertide, an atmospheric rendition of Amazing Grace by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, and a benediction from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
Holy Trinity Cathedral Photo: RNZ / Paul Bushnell
SONG: THINE BE THE GLORY
Artist: Choir of Portsmouth Cathedral
Words/Music: Edmund Budry trans Hoyle/Handel
Recording: Herald HAVPCD
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:
SONG: ALLELUIA! SING TO JESUS
Artist: Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh, Dennis Townhill (dir), Peter Backhouse (organ)
Words/Music: William Chatterton Dix/Rowland Prichard
Recording: Priory PRCD 376
Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
his the scepter, his the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
his the victory alone!
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
thunder like a mighty flood:
"Jesus out of every nation
has redeemed us by his blood."
Alleluia! Not as orphans
are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! He is near us;
faith believes nor questions how.
Though the cloud from sight received him,
when the forty days were o'er,
shall our hearts forget his promise:
"I am with you evermore"?
Alleluia! Bread of angels,
here on earth our food, our stay;
Alleluia! Here the sinful
flee to you from day to day.
Intercessor, friend of sinners,
earth's redeemer, hear our plea
where the songs of all the sinless
sweep across the crystal sea.
Alleluia! King eternal,
Lord omnipotent we own;
Alleluia! Born of Mary,
earth your footstool, heaven your throne.
As within the veil you entered,
robed in flesh, our great high priest;
here on earth both priest and victim
in the Eucharistic feast.
SONG: HE CAME SINGING LOVE
Artist: City of Dunedin Choir
Words/Music: Colin Gibson
Recording: Private CD 810
He came singing love
and he lived singing love;
he died singing love.
He arose in silence.
For the love to go on
we must make it our song:
you and I be the singers.
He came singing faith
and he lived singing faith;
he died singing faith.
He arose in silence.
For the faith to go on
we must make it our song:
you and I be the singers.
He came singing hope
and he lived singing hope;
he died singing hope.
He arose in silence.
For the hope to go on
we must make it our song:
you and I be the singers.
He came singing peace
and he lived singing peace;
he died singing peace.
He arose in silence.
For the peace to go on
we must make it our song:
you and I be the singers.
SONG: O CHRIST THE SAME
Artist: Choir of Portsmouth Cathedral
Words/Music: Timothy Dudley-Smith/Trad
Recording: Herald HAVPCD 205
O Christ the same, through all our story's pages,
our loves and hopes, our failures and our fears;
eternal Lord, the King of all the ages,
unchanging still, amid the passing years:
O living Word, the source of all creation,
who spread the skies, and set the stars ablaze;
O Christ the same, who wrought our whole salvation,
we bring our thanks for all our yesterdays.
O Christ the same, the friend of sinners, sharing
our inmost thoughts, the secrets none can hide;
still as of old upon your body bearing
the marks of love, in triumph glorified:
O Son of Man, who stooped for us from heaven,
O Prince of life, in all your saving power,
O Christ the same, to whom our hearts are given,
we bring our thanks for this the present hour.
O Christ the same, secure within whose keeping
our lives and loves, our days and years remain,
our work and rest, our waking and our sleeping,
our calm and storm, our pleasure and our pain:
O Lord of love, for all our joys and sorrows,
for all our hopes, when earth shall fade and flee,
O Christ the same, beyond our brief tomorrows,
we bring our thanks for all that is to be.
SONG: FATHER OF EVERLASTING GRACE
Artist: St Michael’s Singers of Coventry Cathedral
Words/Music: Charles Wesley/Christopher Norton
Recording: Kingsway KMCD 583
Father of everlasting grace,
Thy goodness and Thy truth we praise,
Thy goodness and Thy truth we prove;
Thou hast, in honor of Thy Son,
The gift unspeakable sent down,
The Spirit of life, and power and love.
Send us the Spirit of Thy Son,
To make the depths of Godhead known,
To make us share the life divine;
Send Him the sprinkled blood to apply,
Send Him our souls to sanctify,
And show and seal us ever Thine.
So shall we pray, and never cease;
So shall we thankfully confess
Thy wisdom, truth, and power, and love;
With joy unspeakable adore,
And bless and praise Thee evermore,
And serve Thee as Thy hosts above:
Till, added to that heavenly choir,
We raise our songs of triumph higher,
And praise Thee in a nobler strain,
Out-soar the first-born seraph’s flight,
And sing, with all our friends in light,
Thy everlasting love to man.
SONG: AMAZING GRACE
Artist: Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Words/Music: John Newton/Trad arr Edwin Excell
Recording: Bonneville 519602
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound.
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind but now I see.
Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved:
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun.
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound.
SONG: YE THAT KNOW THE LORD IS GRACIOUS
Artist: Choir of Christ’s College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Cyril Alington/Hubert Parry
Recording: Priory PRCD 721
Ye who know the Lord is gracious,
Ye for whom a Cornerstone
Stands, of God elect and precious,
Laid that you may build thereon,
See that on that sure foundation
Ye a living temple raise,
Towers that may tell forth salvation,
Walls that may re-echo praise.
Living stones, by God appointed
Each to an allotted place,
Kings and priests, by God anointed,
Shall you not declare his grace?
Ye, a royal generation,
Tell the tidings of your birth,
Tidings of a new creation
To an old and weary earth.
Tell the praise of him who called you
Out of darkness into light,
Broke the fetters that enthralled you,
Gave you freedom, peace, and sight;
Tell a tale of sins forgiven,
Strength renewed, and hope restored,
Till the earth, in tune with heaven,
Praise and magnify the Lord.
SONG: THE PEACE OF GOD
Artist: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia, John Rutter (conductor)
Words/Music: Book of Common Prayer/John Rutter
Recording: Collegium CSCD 522
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord:
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
be amongst you and remain with you always.
Amen.
