Sunday, 22 May 2016

TRINITY SUNDAY

SONG: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY

Artist: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Heber/Dykes
Recording: Argo 414609

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
who wert and art and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

SONG: THOU WHOSE ALMIGHTY WORD

Artist: Scottish Festival Singers
Words/Music: Marriott/Giardini
Recording: Whole World Media Group

Thou, whose almighty word
Chaos and darkness heard,
And took their flight;
Hear us, we humbly pray,
And, where the gospel’s day
Sheds not its glorious ray,
Let there be light!

Thou, who didst come to bring
On thy redeeming wing
Healing and sight,
Health to the sick in mind,
Sight to the inly blind,
O now, to all mankind,
Let there be light!

Spirit of truth and love,
Life giving, holy dove,
Speed forth thy flight;
Move on the water’s face
Bearing the lamp of grace,
And, in earth’s darkest place,
Let there be light!

Blessèd and holy three,
Glorious trinity,
Wisdom, love, might!
Boundless as ocean’s tide,
Rolling in fullest pride,
Through the world far and wide,
Let there be light!

SONG: FATHER MOST HOLY

Artist: Choir of Girton College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Dreamer
Recording: Priory PRCD 717

Father most holy, merciful, and tender;
Jesus, our Savior, with the Father reigning;
Spirit of comfort, advocate, defender,
Light never waning:

Trinity blessed, unity unshaken,
Goodness unbounded, very God of heaven,
Light of the angels, joy of those forsaken,
Hope of all living,

Maker of all things, all Thy creatures praise Thee;
All for Thy worship were and are created;
Now, as we also worship Thee devoutly,
Hear Thou our voices.

Lord God Almighty, unto Thee be glory,
One in three persons, over all exalted!
Glory we offer, praise Thee and adore Thee,
Now and forever,
Amen.

SONG: FIRMLY I BELIEVE AND TRULY

Artist: Choir of St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham, David Saint (dir), Nigel Morris (organ)
Words/Music: Newman/Trad arr Vaughan Williams
Recording: Priory 723

Firmly I believe and truly
God is three, and God is one;
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the son.

And I trust and hope most fully
In that manhood crucified;
And each thought and deed unruly
Do to death, as he has died.

Simply to his grace and wholly
Light and life and strength belong,
And I love supremely, solely,
Him the holy, him the strong.

And I hold in veneration,
For the love of him alone,
Holy church as his creation,
And her teachings are his own.

Adoration aye be given,
With and through the angelic host,
To the God of earth and heaven,
Father, son and Holy Ghost.

SONG: HOLY GOD, WE PRAISE THY NAME

Artist: The Kolbe Singers, Ken Joblin (dir), Zachary Ashley (trumpet), Grant Bartley (organ)
Words/Music: Franz trans Walworth/Anon
Recording: Private recording

Holy God, we praise your name;
Lord of all, we bow before you.
All on earth your scepter claim;
all in heaven above adore you.
Infinite your vast domain,
everlasting is your reign.

Hark! The glad celestial hymn
angel choirs above are raising;
cherubim and seraphim,
in unceasing chorus praising,
fill the heavens with sweet accord:
“Holy, holy, holy Lord!”

Holy Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit: three we name you,
while in essence only one;
undivided God we claim you,
and adoring, bend the knee
while we own the mystery.

Spare Thy people, Lord, we pray,
by a thousand snares surrounded:
keep us without sin today,
never let us be confounded.
Lo, I put my trust in Thee;
never, Lord, abandon me.

LET US WITH A GLADSOME MIND

Artist: Choir of Wakefield Cathedral, Jonathan Bielby (dir), Louise Marsh (organ)
Words/Music: Milton/Antes adapted Wilkes
Recording: Priory PRCD 711

Let us, with a gladsome mind,
praise the Lord, for he is kind:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.

Let us blaze his name abroad,
for of gods he is the God:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.

He with all commanding might
filled the new-made world with light:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.

He the golden-tressèd sun
caused all day his course to run:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.

And the hornèd moon by night,
mid her spangled sisters bright:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.

All things living he doth feed,
his full hand supplies their need:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.

Let us, with a gladsome mind,
praise the Lord, for he is kind:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.

SONG: GOD IS LOVE, LET HEAV’N ADORE HIM

Artist: Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Church, Edinburgh, Dennis Townhill (dir), Peter Backhouse (organ)
Words/Music: Rees/Parry
Recording: Priory PRCD 376

God is love: let heaven adore him;
God is love: let earth rejoice;
let creation sing before him,
and exalt him with one voice.
He who laid the earth's foundation,
he who spread the heavens above,
he who breathes through all creation,
he is love, eternal love.

God is love, and he enfoldeth
all the world in one embrace;
with unfailing grasp he holdeth
every child of every race;
and when human hearts are breaking
under sorrow's iron rod,
then they find the self-same aching
deep within the heart of God,

God is love: and though with blindness
sin afflicts the souls of man,
God's eternal loving-kindness
holds and guides them even then.
Sin and death and hell shall never
o'er us final triumph gain;
God is love, so Love for ever
o'er the universe must reign.

SONG: LOVE DIVINE, ALL LOVES EXCELLING

Artist: Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, London Musici, Howard Goodall
Words/Music: C Wesley/Goodall
Recording: EMI 215047

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion;
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
into every troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit;
let us find the promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty, to deliver;
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.