Psalm 23 The Lord's My Shepherd has been set to many different tunes. John Campbell, a 19th century Scottish merchant and amateur musician, wrote the very cheerful setting you can hear in today's programme.
Aokautere Community Church, Palmerston North Photo: Robyn Jaquiery
SONG: PSALM 23 (ORLINGTON)
Artist: The Scottish Philharmonic Singers, Ian McCrorie (dir)
Words/Music: Psalm 23/John Campbell
Recording: Abbey 282830
The Lord's my shepherd; I'll not want.
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
My soul He doth restore again;
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
Within the paths of righteousness,
E'en for His own name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through death's dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
My table Thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God's house forevermore
And in God's house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
SONG: ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA! HEARTS TO HEAV’N
Artist: Wells Cathedral Choir
Words/Music: Christopher Wordsworth/Arthur Sullivan
Recording: Hyperion 112102
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Hearts to heaven and voices raise:
Sing to God a hymn of gladness,
Sing to God a hymn of praise:
He, who on the cross a victim,
For the world's salvation bled,
Jesus Christ, the King of glory,
Now is risen from the dead.
Christ is risen, Christ the first-fruits
Of the holy harvest-field,
Which will all its full abundance
At His second coming yield:
Then the golden ears of harvest
Will their heads before Him wave,
Ripened by His glorious sunshine
From the furrows of the grave.
Christ is risen, we are risen!
Shed upon us heavenly grace,
Rain and dew and gleams of glory
From the brightness of Thy face:
That we, with our hearts in heaven,
Here on earth may fruitful be,
And by angel-hands be gathered,
And be ever, Lord, with Thee.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glory be to God on high;
Alleluia to the Saviour
Who has gained the victory;
Alleluia to the Spirit,
Fount of love and sanctity;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
To the Triune Majesty.
SONG: LET ALL MORTAL FLESH KEEP SILENCE
Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey, James O’Donnell (dir), Robert Quinney (organ)
Words/Music: Anon paraphrased Gerald 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: LET US BREAK BREAD TOGETHER
Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church
Words/Music: Trad arr Dett
Recording: Marquis
Let us break bread together on our knees.
Let us break bread together on our knees.
Refrain:
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.
Let us drink wine together on our knees.
Let us drink wine together on our knees.
Refrain
Let us praise God together on our knees.
Let us praise God together on our knees.
Refrain
SONG: I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE
Artist: Choir of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills
Words/Music: Sister Suzanne Toolan
Recording: Gothic 349074
I am the bread of life.
they who come to me shall not hunger;
they who believe in me shall not thirst.
No one can come to me
unless the Father draw him.
Refrain:
And I will raise them up,
and I will raise them up,
and I will raise them up on the last day.
The bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world,
and they who eat of this bread,
they shall live for ever,
they shall live for ever.
Refrain:
I am the resurrection,
I am the life.
They who believe in me
even if they die,
they shall live for ever.
Refrain:
Yes, Lord, we believe
that you are the Christ,
the Son of God,
who has come
into the world.
Refrain: (x2)
SONG: O LOVE OF GOD, HOW STRONG AND TRUE
Artist: Choir of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills
Words/Music: Horatius Bonar/Calvin Hampton
Recording: Gothic 349074
O love of God, how strong and true!
Eternal, and yet ever new;
Uncomprehended and unbought,
Beyond all knowledge and all thought.
O wide-embracing, wondrous love!
We read thee in the sky above,
We read thee in the earth below,
In seas that swell, and streams that flow.
We read thee best in Him who came
To bear for us the cross of shame;
Sent by the Father from on high,
Our life to live, our death to die.
We read thy power to bless and save,
E'en in the darkness of the grave;
Still more in resurrection light
We read the fullness of thy might.
SONG: BREAD FOR THE WORLD
Artist: St Thomas More Group
Words/Music: Bernadette Farrell
Recording: OCP 1991
Refrain:
Bread for the world
A world of hunger
Wine for all peoples
People who thirst
May we who eat
Be bread for others
May we who drink
Pour out our love
Lord Jesus Christ
You are the bread of life
Broken to reach
And heal the wounds
Of human pain
Where we divide your people
You are waiting there
On bended knee
To wash our feet with endless care
Refrain:
Lord Jesus Christ
You are the wine of peace
Poured into hearts once broken
And where dryness sleeps
Where we are tired and weary
You are waiting there
To be the way which beckons us
Beyond despair
Refrain:
Lord Jesus Christ
You call us to your feast
At which the rich and pow'rful
Have become the least
Where we survive on others
In our human greed
You walk among us
Begging for your ev'ry need
Refrain:
SONG: WHEN IN OUR MUSIC GOD IS GLORIFIED
Artist: Choir of Winchester College Chapel
Words/Music: Fred Pratt Green/Charles Stanford
Recording: Convivium Records 2015
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!
