The Auckland-based Handel Quire gets this week’s programme off to a great start with Isaac Watts’ hymn Lord of the worlds above.
Ocean Beach, Hawkes Bay Photo: Robyn Jaquiery
SONG: LORD OF THE WORLDS ABOVE
Artist: The Handel Quire, Robert Howell (dir), Paul Chan (organ)
Words/Music: Isaac Watts/John Darwall
Recording: Private
Lord of the worlds above,
how pleasant and how fair
the dwellings of thy love,
thine earthly temples, are:
to thine abode my heart aspires,
with warm desires to see my God.
They go from strength to strength,
through this dark vale of tears,
till each o’ercomes at length,
till each in heav'n appears:
O glorious seat, our God, our King,
shall thither bring our willing feet!
God is our sun and shield,
our light and our defense;
with gifts his hands are filled;
we draw our blessings thence.
He shall bestow upon our race
His saving grace and glory too.
The Lord his people loves,
His hand no good withholds
from those his heart approves
from holy, humble souls:
Thrice happy he, O God of Hosts,
whose spirit trusts alone in Thee.
SONG: CHRIST, WHOSE GLORY FILLS THE SKIES
Artist: St Michael’s Singers, Coventry Cathedral
Words/Music: Charles Wesley/Anon
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: IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE
Artist: Choirs of the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Toronto
Words/Music: Walter Smith/Healy 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: CAST THY BURDEN UPON THE LORD
Artist: The Celebration Singers, Christchurch, Francis Dennis (dir)
Words/Music: Psalm 55/Felix Mendelssohn
Recording: Private 3030
Cast your burden upon the Lord,
and he shall sustain you;
he never will suffer the righteous to fall:
he is at your right hand.
Your mercy, Lord, is great
and far above the heavens:
let none by made ashamed
that wait upon you.
SONG: I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS SAY
Artist: Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, Richard Marlow (dir), Christopher Allsop (organ)
Words/Music: Horatius Bonar/Trad arr Ralph Vaughan Williams
Recording: Conifer 75605 51249
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto me and rest;
lay down, O weary one, lay down
your head upon my breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
so weary, worn, and sad;
I found him in a resting place,
and he has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
the living water, thirsty one;
stoop down and drink and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s light;
look unto me, your morn shall rise,
and all your day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in him my star, my sun;
and in that light of life I’ll walk
till traveling days are done.
SONG: THE KING OF LOVE MY SHEPHERD IS
Artist: Choir of St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham
Words/Music: Psalm 23 paraphrased Henry Baker/John Dykes
Recording: Priory 723
The King of love my shepherd is,
whose goodness faileth never.
I nothing lack if I am his,
and he is mine forever.
Where streams of living water flow,
my ransomed soul he leadeth;
and where the verdant pastures grow,
with food celestial feedeth.
Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed,
but yet in love he sought me;
and on his shoulder gently laid,
and home, rejoicing, brought me.
In death's dark vale I fear no ill,
with thee, dear Lord, beside me;
thy rod and staff my comfort still,
thy cross before to guide me.
Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
thy unction grace bestoweth;
and oh, what transport of delight
from thy pure chalice floweth!
And so through all the length of days,
thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
within thy house forever.
SONG: CHRIST IS OUR CORNERSTONE
Artist: Cantus Choro
Words/Music: Anon trans John Chandler/Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Recording: Move 743142
Christ is our cornerstone,
On Him alone we build;
With His true saints above
The courts of heaven are filled,
On His great love our hopes we place
Of present grace and joys above.
O then with hymns of praise
These hallowed courts shall ring;
Our voices we will raise
The Three in One to sing;
And thus proclaim in joyful song,
Both loud and long that glorious Name.
Here, gracious God, do Thou
For evermore draw nigh;
Accept each faithful vow,
And mark each suppliant sigh;
In copious shower on all who pray,
Each holy day, Thy blessings pour.
Here may we gain from heaven
The grace which we implore;
And may that grace, once given,
Be with us evermore,
Until that day when all the blest
To endless rest are called away.
SONG: HOPE IS OUR SONG
Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (dir), Michael Bell (piano)
Words/Music: Shirley Murray/Barry Brinson
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941300
Refrain:
Nothing, nothing in all creation
can separate us from the love of God.
Nothing, nothing in all creation
can separate us from the love of God.
This is our faith: trouble may break us,
grief overtake us, sickness and death,
this is our creed: no place so distant
God is not present, knowing our need,
Refrain:
Powers of our day, angel and devil,
danger and evil make their own play;
God's love is sure, unseen but seeing
heart of our being, comfort and cure,
Refrain:
Never alone, though human error,
turmoil or terror shake every bone,
hope is our song: hope that is joyous,
born with Christ Jesus, where we belong,
Refrain:
SONG: FOR ALL THE SAINTS
Artist: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Chorus & Brass, Simon Halsey (dir)
Words/Music: William Walsham How/Ralph Vaughan Williams
Recording: Conifer 500521
For all the saints, who from their labours rest;
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou wast their rock, their fortress and their might;
thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight;
thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Oh, may thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
and win, with them, the victor's crown of gold.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
and hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
The golden evening brightens in the west;
soon, soon to faithful warriors cometh rest;
sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
the saints triumphant rise in bright array;
the King of glory passes on his way.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast,
through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
