Sunday, 7 June 2015

SONG: GOD BLESS OUR LAND

Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (dir)
Words/Music: Murray/Brinson
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust

God bless our land, in every generation,
God bless our people, growing as one nation,
God bless our islands, home and whenua,
Aotearoa,
Aotearoa

God give us hope in common cause and caring,
each bringing treasures, baskets for the sharing,
grieving the wrongs of history no more –
Aotearoa,
Aotearoa

God bless our land, its beauty and its blending
into communities of warm befriending,
proud in the cultures settled on our shore –
Aotearoa,
Aotearoa

God bless the child whose feet are firmly planted
here in our place of freedoms daily granted,
seedbed and soil for peace and aroha –
Aotearoa,
Aotearoa

SONG: THE GOD OF LOVE MY SHEPHERD IS

Artist: Choir of Truro Cathedral, Andrew Nethsingha (dir), Christopher Gray (organ)
Words/Music: Herbert/Anon
Recording: Priory PRCD 710

The God of love my Shepherd is,
And He that doth me feed;
While He is mine and I am His,
What can I want or need?

He leads me to the tender grass,
Where I both feed and rest;
Then to the streams that gently pass:
In both I have the best.

Or if I stray, He doth convert,
And bring my mind in frame,
And all this not for my desert,
But for His holy name.

Yea, in death’s shady black abode
Well may I walk, not fear;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
To guard, Thy staff to bear.

Surely Thy sweet and wondrous love
Shall measure all my days;
And as it never shall remove
So neither shall my praise.

SONG: COME, YE THANKFUL PEOPLE, COME

Artist: Choir of Girton College, Cambridge/Martin Ennis (dir), William Ings (organ)
Words/Music: Alford/Elvey
Recording: Priory PRCD 717

Come, ye thankful people, come,
raise the song of harvest home;
All be safely gathered in,
ere the winter storms begin.
God our maker doth provide
for our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come,
raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field,
fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown
unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear,
then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we
wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come,
and shall take his harvest home;
from his field shall purge away
all that doth offend, that day;
give his angels charge at last
in the fire the tares to cast,
but the fruitful ears to store
in his garner evermore.

Then, thou Church triumphant come,
raise the song of harvest home;
all be safely gathered in,
free from sorrow, free from sin,
there, forever purified
in God’s garner to abide;
come, ten thousand angels, come,
raise the glorious harvest home.

SONG: GOD OF MERCY, GOD OF GRACE

Artist: Choir of Norwich Cathedral, David Dunnett (dir), Katherine Dienes (organ)
Words/Music: Lyte/Smart
Recording: Priory PRCD 705

God of mercy, God of grace,
show the brightness of thy face;
shine upon us, Saviour, shine;
fill thy church with light divine;
and thy saving health extend
unto earth's remotest end.

Let the people praise thee, Lord;
be by all that live adored;
let the nations shout and sing
glory to their Saviour King;
at your feet their tribute pay,
and thy holy will obey.

Let the people praise thee, Lord;
earth shall then its fruits afford,
God to man all blessings give,
man to God devoted live;
all below and all above
one in joy and light and love.

SONG: WE PLOUGH THE FIELDS AND SCATTER

Artist: Scottish Festival Singers
Words/Music: Claudius trans Campbell/attrib Schultz
Recording: Whole World Media Group

We plough the fields and scatter
the good seed on the land,
but it is fed and watered
by God's almighty hand,
He sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain,
the breezes and the sunshine,
and soft refreshing rain.

Refrain:
All good gifts around us
are sent from heaven above
then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
for all His love.

He is the maker
of all things near and far.
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star.
The wind and waves obey Him,
by Him the birds are fed;
much more to us, His children,
He gives our daily bread.
Refrain:

We thank Thee, then, O Father,
for all things bright and good,
the seed-time and the harvest,
our life, our health, our food.
No gifts have we to offer
for all Thy love imparts,
but that which Thou desirest,
our humble, thankful hearts.
Refrain:

SONG: FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH

Artist: Gondwana Voices, Lyn Williams (dir)
Words/Music: Folliatt/ Rutter
Recording: ABC 472822

For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies;
over and around us lies:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale,
and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light:
Sun and moon and stars of light:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth,
and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise.

For each perfect gift of thine
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flow'rs of earth and buds of heav'n:
flow'rs of earth and buds of heav'n:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise,
our hymn of praise.

SONG: SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER

Artist: Anonymous 4
Words/Music: Lowry/Hauser
Recording: Harmonia Mundi 467400

Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright angel feet have trod;
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?
On the margin of the river,
Washing up its silver spray,
We will walk and worship ever,
All the happy, golden day.

Ere we reach the shining river,
Lay we every burden down;
Grace our spirits will deliver,
And provide a robe and crown.
At the smiling of the river,
Mirror of the Saviour’s face,
Saints whom death will never sever,
Lift their songs of saving grace.

On the bosom of the river,
Where the Saviour-King we own,
We shall meet and sorrow never,
‘Neath the glory of the throne.
Soon we'll reach the shining river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.

AMAZING GRACE

Artist: St Michael’s Singers,
Words/Music: Newton/Anon
Recording: Kingsway KMCD 599

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.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil
A life of joy and peace.

When I've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
I've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when I first begun.

HARK, I HEAR THE HARPS ETERNAL

Artist: Kansas City Chorale, Charles Bruffy (dir)
Words/Music: Warren/Trad arr Parker
Recording: Nimbus NI 5568

Hark, I hear the harps eternal
Ringing on the farther shore,
As I near those swollen waters
With their deep and solemn roar.

Refrain:
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah, praise the lamb!
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Glory to the great I AM!

And my soul, tho’ stain’d with sorrow,
Fading as the light of day,
Passes swiftly o’er those waters,
To the city far away.
Refrain:

Souls have cross’d before me, saintly,
To that land of perfect rest;
And I hear them singing faintly
In the mansions of the blest.
Refrain: