15 Feb 2019

Hymns on Sunday, 17 February 2019

From Hymns on Sunday, 5:00 pm on 15 February 2019

This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

Hymns from the 10th to 21st centuries in today's programme, including Stuart Townend's To you we bring our hymn of praise written in collaboration with Matt Maher and Kelly Minter in 2007.

Stained glass designed by Nigel Brown, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland

Stained glass designed by Nigel Brown, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland Photo: RNZ / Paul Bushnell

SONG: LORD OF THE WORLDS ABOVE

Artist: The Handel Quire, Robert Howell (dir), Paul Chan (organ)
Words/Music: Watts/Darwall
Recording: Private

Lord of the worlds above,
how pleasant and how fair
the dwellings of thy love,
thine earthly temples, are:
to thine abode my heart aspires,
with warm desires to see my God.

They go from strength to strength,
through this dark vale of tears,
till each o’ercomes at length,
till each in heav'n appears:
O glorious seat, our God, our King,
shall thither bring our willing feet!

God is our sun and shield,
our light and our defense;
with gifts his hands are filled;
we draw our blessings thence.
He shall bestow upon our race
His saving grace and glory too.

The Lord his people loves,
His hand no good withholds
from those his heart approves
from holy, humble souls:
Thrice happy he, O God of Hosts,
whose spirit trusts alone in Thee.

SONG: PRAISE THE LORD, YE HEAVENS ADORE HIM

Artist: Jubilate Singers, Christchurch
Words/Music: Anon, Osler/Redhead
Recording: RNZ CD 809

Praise the Lord! ye heav'ns, adore Him;
Praise Him, angels, in the height.
Sun and moon, rejoice before Him;
Praise Him, all ye stars of light.
Praise the Lord! for He hath spoken;
Worlds His mighty voice obeyed.
Law which never shall be broken
For their guidance hath He made.

Praise the Lord for He is glorious;
Never shall His promise fail.
God hath made His saints victorious;
Sin and death shall not prevail.
Praise the God of our salvation!
Hosts on high, His power proclaim,
Heav'n and earth and all creation
Laud and magnify His name.

Worship, honour, glory, blessing,
Lord, we offer unto Thee.
Young and old, Thy praise expressing,
In glad homage bend the knee.
All the saints in heav'n adore Thee;
We would bow before Thy throne.
As Thine angels serve before Thee,
So on earth Thy will be done.

SONG: THERE’S A WIDENESS IN GOD’S MERCY

Artist: Choir of Belfast Cathedral
Words/Music: Faber/Stainer
Recording: Priory PRCD 722

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,
Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in his justice,
Which is more than liberty.

There is no place where earth’s sorrows
Are more felt than up in heaven;
There is no place where earth’s failings
Have such kindly judgment given.

For the love of God is broader
Than the measure of man’s mind;
And the heart of the eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.

But we make his love too narrow
By false limits of our own;
And we magnify his strictness
With a zeal he will not own.

There is plentiful redemption
In the blood that has been shed;
There is joy for all the members
In the sorrows of the head.

There is grace enough for thousands
Of new worlds as great as this;
There is room for fresh creations
In that upper home of bliss.

If our love were but more simple,
We should take him at his word;
And our lives would be all goodness
In the joy of Christ our Lord.

SONG: TO YOU WE BRING OUR HYMN OF PRAISE

Artist: St Michael’s Singers, Coventry Cathedral
Words/Music: Stuart Townend, Matt Maher, Kelly Minter
Recording: Integrity Music 2007

To you we bring our hymn of praise; glory be to God.

Hearts and hands together raised; glory be to God.

Who spoke before the dawn of time; glory be to God.
Veil of darkness torn by light; glory be to God.

And with unceasing voice all heaven sings; glory be to God
The anthem of the Lord’s redeemed; glory be to God

You purchased captives for Your saints; glory be to God
And opened wide the kingdom gates; glory be to God

You overcame the sting of death; glory be to God
And clothed us in Christ’s righteousness; glory be to God

And all Your children cry with loud acclaim; glory be to God
Sing O church Your sweet refrain; glory be to God

Glory, glory, glory, glory forever and ever.
Glory, glory, glory, glory forever and ever. (x2)

Father, Spirit, risen Son; glory be to God.
Who was and is and is to come; glory be to God.

And with unceasing voice all heaven sings; glory be to God
The anthem of the Lord’s redeemed; glory be to God.

And all Your children cry with loud acclaim; glory be to God
Sing O church Your sweet refrain; glory be to God.

SONG: FATHER MOST HOLY, MERCIFUL AND TENDER

Artist: Choir of Girton College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Dearmer
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: NUN DANKET (NOW THANK WE ALL, OUR GOD)

Artist: Grimethorpe Colliery Band
Music: Johann Cruger
Recording: Delta

[arrangement for brass band]

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.

SONG: BE THOU MY VISION

Artist: Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Church, Edinburgh
Words/Music: Anon trans Byrne, versified Hull/Trad
Recording: Priory PRCD 376

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word;
be thou ever with me, and I with thee, Lord;
be thou my great Father: and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armour, thou my true might,
be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my high tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
be thou mine inheritance now and always
be thou and thou only, the first in my heart
O Sovereign of Heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of Heaven, thou Heaven’s bright sun!
O grant me its joys after victory is won,
great heart of my own heart whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, O ruler of all.

SONG: GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH

Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Catherine Palmer (dir), Ronald Jordan (organ)
Words/Music: Williams/Hughes
Recording: Marquis

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand;
bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore.

Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream shall flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through;
strong deliverer, strong deliverer,
be thou still my help and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside;
death of death and hell's destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side;
songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee.

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