Today's episode includes hymns with a William Blake connection, psalm settings, a Taize chant and the story behind Sanford Fillmore Bennett's gospel song In the Sweet By and By.
Lake Wakatipu, South Island, New Zealand Photo: Michal Klajban, Wikimedia Commons
SONG: CHRIST TRIUMPHANT, EVER REIGNING
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Saward/Barnard
Recording: Hyperion 711210
Christ triumphant ever reigning,
Saviour, master, king,
Lord of heav'n, our lives sustaining,
Hear us as we sing:
Refrain
Yours the glory and the crown,
the high renown,
the eternal name.
Word incarnate, truth revealing,
Son of man on earth!
Power and majesty concealing
By your humble birth:
Refrain
Suffering servant, scorned, ill-treated,
Victim crucified!
Death is through the Cross defeated,
Sinners justified:
Refrain
Priestly king, enthroned for ever
High in heaven above!
Sin and death and hell shall never
Stifle hymns of love:
Refrain
So, our hearts and voices raising
Through the ages long,
Ceaselessly upon you gazing,
This shall be our song:
Refrain
SONG: HOW SHALL I SING THAT MAJESTY
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Mason/Naylor
Recording: Hyperion 711210
How shall I sing that Majesty
which angels do admire?
Let dust in dust and silence lie;
sing, sing, ye heavenly choir.
Thousands of thousands stand around
thy throne, O God most high;
ten thousand times ten thousand sound
thy praise; but who am I?
Enlighten with faith's light my heart,
inflame it with love's fire;
then shall I sing and bear a part
with that celestial choir.
I shall, I fear, be dark and cold,
with all my fire and light;
yet when thou dost accept their gold,
Lord, treasure up my mite.
How great a being Lord, is thine,
which doth all beings keep!
Thy knowledge is the only line
to sound so vast a deep.
Thou art a sea without a shore,
a sun without a sphere;
thy time is now and evermore,
thy place is everywhere.
SONG: IN THE SWEET BY AND BY
Artist: Anonymous 4
Words/Music: Bennet/Webster
Recording: Harmonia Mundi HMU 907326
There's a land that is fairer than day,
and by faith we may see it afar;
for the Father waits over the way
to prepare us a dwelling place there.
Refrain:
In the sweet by and by,
we shall meet on that beautiful shore;
in the sweet by and by,
we shall meet on that beautiful shore.
We shall sing on that beautiful shore
the melodious songs of the blest,
and our spirits shall sorrow no more,
not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
Refrain:
To our bountiful Father above,
we will offer our tribute of praise
for the glorious gift of His love,
and the blessings that hallow our days.
Refrain:
SONG: O LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER
Artist: Taize Community Choir
Words/Music: Berthier
Recording: Integrity Music
O Lord, hear my prayer,
O Lord, hear my prayer;
when I call answer me.
O Lord, hear my prayer,
O Lord, hear my prayer;
come and listen to me.
SONG: OUT OF THE DEEP I HAVE CALLED TO THEE, O LORD
Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey, Martin Neary (dir)
Words/Music: Psalm 130/Purcell adapted Turle
Recording: Virgin 545036
Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice.
O let thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint.
If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it?
For there is mercy with thee; therefore shalt thou be feared.
I look for the Lord; my soul doth wait for him; in his word is my trust.
My soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch; I say, before the morning watch.
O Israel, trust in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
And he shall redeem Israel from all his sins.
SONG: I TO THE HILLS WILL LIFT MINE EYES
Artist: Scottish Philharmonic Singers
Words/Music: Psalm 121/Ravenscroft
Recording: Abbey 28230
I to the hills will lift mine eyes,
from whence doth come mine aid.
My safety cometh from the Lord,
who heav'n and earth hath made.
Thy foot he'll not let slide, nor will
he slumber that thee keeps.
Behold, he that keeps Israel,
he slumbers not, nor sleeps.
The Lord thee keeps, the Lord thy shade
on thy right hand doth stay:
The moon by night thee shall not smite,
nor yet the sun by day.
The Lord shall keep thy soul; he shall
preserve thee from all ill.
Henceforth thy going out and in
God keep for ever will.
SONG: TO MERCY, PITY, PEACE AND LOVE
Artist: Choir of Girton College, Cambridge, Martin Ennis (dir), William Ings (organ)
Words/Music: Blake/Anon
Recording: Priory 717
To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
all pray in their distress,
and to these virtues of delight
return their thankfulness.
For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
is God our Father dear;
and Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
is Man, his child and care.
For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity, a human face,
and Love, the human form divine.
and Peace, the human dress.
Then every man, of every clime,
that prays in his distress,
prays to the human form divine,
Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.
SONG: O DAY OF PEACE
Artist: Choir of All Saints Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills, Thomas Forster (dir), Craig Phillips (organ)
Words/Music: Daw/Parry
Recording: Gothic 349074
O day of peace that dimly shines
through all our hopes and prayers and dreams,
guide us to justice, truth, and love,
delivered from our selfish schemes.
May swords of hate fall from our hands,
our hearts from envy find release,
till by God’s grace our warring world
shall see Christ’s promised reign of peace.
Then shall the wolf dwell with the lamb,
nor shall the fierce devour the small;
as beasts and cattle calmly graze,
a little child shall lead them all.
Then enemies shall learn to love,
all creatures find their true accord;
the hope of peace shall be fulfilled,
for all the earth shall know the Lord.
