17 Jan 2019

Hymns on Sunday, 20 January 2019

From Hymns on Sunday, 12:00 pm on 17 January 2019

This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

Our listener requests continue this week, and include the always-popular Brother James' Air, and William How's For all the saints.

Tui on flax bush

Tui on flax bush Photo: Matt Binns, Wikimedia Commons

SONG: THE GOD OF ABRAHAM PRAISE

Artist: Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, Dunedin
Words/Music: Anon adapted Olivers/Lyon, Olivers
Recording: Ely 105

The God of Abraham praise,
who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of Everlasting Days,
and God of Love;
Jehovah, great I AM!
by earth and heaven confessed;
We bow and bless the sacred name
forever blest.

There dwells the Lord our king,
The Lord our righteousness,
Triumphant over the world and sin,
The Prince of Peace.
On Zion’s sacred height
His kingdom he maintains
And glorious with his saints in light
Forever reigns.

The God who reigns on high
The great archangels sing,
And "Holy, holy, holy!" cry,
"Almighty King!
Who was and is the same.
And evermore shall be:
Jehovah, Father, Great I Am!
We worship thee!"

The whole triumphant host
Give thanks to God on high.
"Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!"
They ever cry.
Hail, Abraham’s God and mine!
I join the heavenly lays:
All might and majesty are thine
And endless praise!

SONG: HOW SHALL I SING THAT MAJESTY

Artist: Choir of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland
Words/Music: Mason/Naylor
Recording: Private CD 805

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: BROTHER JAMES’ AIR

Artist: Choir of Clare College Chapel, Timothy Brown (dir)
Words/Music: Psalm 23 (Rous)/Bain arr Jacob
Recording: Guild GMCD 7109

The Lord's my Shepherd; I'll not want.
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again;
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of blessedness,
E'en for His own name's sake.

Yea, though I pass through shadowed vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.

My table Thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head with oil Thou dost anoint,
And my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my days
Will surely follow me;
And in my heart Forevermore
Thy dwelling place shall be.

SONG: BY HIS HAND (HE LEADETH ME)

Artist: International Staff Songsters of the Salvation Army
Words/Music: Gilmore/Mack
Recording: Salvationist Publishing & Supplies SPS 321

He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where'er I be,
still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

Refrain:
He leadeth me, he leadeth me;
by his own hand he leadeth me:
his faithful follower I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
sometimes where Eden's flowers bloom,
by waters calm, o'er troubled sea,
still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.
Refrain

Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since 'tis my God that leadeth me.
Refrain

SONG: I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS SAY

Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey
Words/Music: Bonar/Trad arr Vaughan Williams
Recording: Hyperion 712801

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 travelling days are done.

SONG: COME, LABOUR ON

Artist: St Thomas Choir of Men & Boys, New York
Words/Music: Borthwick/Noble
Recording: Koch International

Come, labour on.
Who dares stand idle on the harvest plain
while all around us waves the golden grain?
And to each servant does the Master say,
"Go work today."

Come, labour on.
Claim the high calling angels cannot share;
to young and old the gospel gladness bear.
Redeem the time; its hours too swiftly fly.
The night draws nigh.

Come, labour on.
No time for rest, till glows the western sky,
till the long shadows o'er our pathway lie,
and a glad sound comes with the setting sun,
"Well done, well done!"

SONG: FOR ALL THE SAINTS

Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: How/Vaughan Williams
Recording: Hyperion CDP 12103

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!

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!

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