14 Aug 2016

Hymns on Sunday, 14 August 2016

From Hymns on Sunday, 7:30 am on 14 August 2016

This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

Detail from the great apse mosaic of St Paul's within the Walls in Rome.

Detail from the great apse mosaic of St Paul's within the Walls in Rome. Photo: Lawrence OP, Creative Commons

A selection of traditional and modern hymns. We're featuring women hymn writers and translators in this week's programme. Contemporary writers include New Zealanders Shirley Murray and Jocelyn Marshall, and there's also a selection of Victorian-era hymn writers such as Cecil Frances Alexander and Frances Ridley Havergal

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SONG: WHO IS ON THE LORD’S SIDE

Artist: St Michael’s Singers, Coventry
Words/Music: Frances Ridley Havergal/Reichardt
Recording: Kingsway KMCD 851

Who is on the Lord's side? Who will serve the King?
Who will be His helpers, other lives to bring?
Who will leave the world's side? Who will face the foe?
Who is on the Lord's side? Who for Him will go?
By Thy call of mercy, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord's side – Saviour, we are Thine!

Not for weight of glory, nor for crown and palm,
Enter we the army, raise the warrior psalm;
But for love that claimeth lives for whom He died:
He whom Jesus nameth must be on His side.
By Thy love constraining, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord's side – Saviour, we are Thine!

Jesus, Thou hast bought us, not with gold or gem,
But with Thine own life blood, for Thy diadem;
With Thy blessing filling each who comes to Thee,
Thou hast made us willing, Thou hast made us free.
By Thy grand redemption, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord's side – Saviour, we are Thine!

Fierce may be the conflict, strong may be the foe,
But the King's own army none can overthrow;
'Round His standard ranging, victory is secure,
For His truth unchanging makes the triumph sure.
Joyfully enlisting, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord's side – Saviour, we are Thine!

Chosen to be soldiers, in an alien land,
Chosen, called, and faithful, for our Captain's band,
In the service royal, let us not grow cold;
Let us be right loyal, noble, true and bold.
Master, Thou wilt keep us, by Thy grace divine,
Always on the Lord's side – Savior, always Thine!

SONG: GOD OF AGES

Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (dir), Michael Bell (organ)
Words/Music: Mason/Naylor
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941300

God of ages, times and seasons,
light that shines through all that lives,
yours the spirit which empowers,
yours the caring heart that gives
confidence to face the future,
strengthens faith when courage wanes,
challenges to new endeavours,
when we doubt, our hope sustains.

God of galaxies and planets
far beyond all human thought,
centuries, like pages turning,
are within your keeping brought.
You, the past that makes our present,
you the future still concealed,
yours the sacrificial giving,
boundless love through Christ revealed.

God, Creator, Holy Spirit,
Word made flesh in Christ, your Son
whose example we would follow
so that all might be as one –
ever loving, ever hopeful
of a world redeemed, restored;
people, by their faith united,
dedicated to their Lord.

God, the Alpha and Omega,
source of wisdom, life and breath,
you our highest motivation,
you the love that conquers death.
In past ages people sought you;
you are with us now as then.
In your hands we leave the future,
God, our ultimate Amen.

SONG: THERE IS A GREEN HILL FAR AWAY

Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Cecil Frances Alexander/
Recording: Hyperion 112104

There is a green hill far away,
outside a city wall,
where the dear Lord was crucified
who died to save us all.

We may not know, we cannot tell,
what pains he had to bear,
but we believe it was for us
he hung and suffered there.

He died that we might be forgiven,
he died to make us good,
that we might go at last to heaven,
saved by his precious blood.

There was no other good enough
to pay the price of sin,
he only could unlock the gate
of heaven, and let us in.

Oh, dearly, dearly has he loved,
and we must love him too,
and trust in his redeeming blood,
and try his works to do.

SONG: GOD BEYOND ALL NAMES

Artist: St Thomas More Group
Words/Music: Bernadette Farrell
Recording: OCP 1991

God, beyond our dreams, you have stirred in us a memory,
you have placed your powerful spirit in the hearts of humankind.

Refrain:
All around us, we have known you;
all creation lives to hold you,
In our living and our dying
we are bringing you to birth.


God, beyond all names, you have made us in your image,
we are like you, we reflect you, we are woman, we are man.
Refrain:

God, beyond all words, all creation tells your story,
you have shaken with our laughter, you have trembled with our tears.
Refrain:

God, beyond all time, you are laboring within us;
we are moving, we are changing, in your spirit ever new.
Refrain:

God of tender care, you have cradled us in goodness,
you have mothered us in wholeness, you have loved us into birth.
Refrain:

SONG: LOOK IN WONDER

Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (dir), Michael Bell (piano)
Composer: Shirley Murray/Strathdee
Label: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941300

Look in wonder, hold in honour
all the beauty of the earth!
World, surrender to her splendor:
God's own blessing for her birth;
   sense and savour every color,
   every season, sun to star,
   see the measure of this treasure,
   all we nurture, all we mar.

Every creature by its nature
shares the cycle, life's design,
every human, man and woman
joins the circle, moves the line;
   look in horror, look in anger--
   these are lifestreams we destroy!
   Tree and river gone forever,
   bird and flower dead to joy.

In this garden, Eve and Adam
still are given time and place,
ours to cherish, our to nourish,
ocean, water, land and space;
   God, unnerve us, God, forgive us:
   how we plunder, waste and war!
   Give new meaning to earth's greening,
   that the beauty thrives once more.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

Artist: Jubilate Singers
Composer: Fanny Crosby/Doane
Label: Music World MWCH 6019

To God be the glory, great things he has done;
so loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
and opened the lifegate that we may go in.

Refrain:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord; let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord; let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
and give him the glory; great things he has done.


Great things he has taught us, great things he has done,
and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
but purer and higher and greater will be
our wonder, our rapture, when Jesus we see.
Refrain:

SONG: JUST AS I AM

Artist: Jubilate Singers
Composer: Charlotte Elliott/Smart
Label: Music World MWCH 6019

Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidd'st me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come.

Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
the breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come.

SONG: NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD

Artist: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Stephen Cleobury (dir), Richard Farnes (organ)
Words/Music: trans Catherine Winkworth/Cruger
Recording: Argo 414609

Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mothers' arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
to keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
of this world in the next.

All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son and Spirit blest,
who reign in highest heaven
the one eternal God,
whom heaven and earth adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.
Amen

SONG: LET US GO IN YOUR PEACE

Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (dir)
Words/Music: Murray/Bray
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941300

Let us go in your peace,
let us know what is peace
by the power of your love,
by the Spirit's release,
and in all we must face
that can hurt or destroy
let us work for your peace:
kindness, justice and joy.

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