8 Mar 2019

Hymns on Sunday for 10 March 2019

From Hymns on Sunday, 6:00 pm on 8 March 2019

This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

We're marking the beginning of Lent, there's a chant from the Taizé tradition and we get an insight into how American minister Robert Lowry wrote his hymns.

Stained glass window, St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland

Stained glass window, St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland Photo: RNZ / Paul Bushnell

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

Artist: Choir of Christ’s College, Cambridge, David Rowland (dir), Simon Jacobs (organ)
Words/Music: Rees/Caesar
Recording: Priory PRCD 721

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 is enfolding
all the world in one embrace;
with unfailing grasp is holding
every child of every race;
and when human hearts are breaking
under sorrow's iron rod,
that same sorrow, that same aching
wrings with pain the heart of God,

God is love: and though with blindness
sin afflicts and clouds the will,
God's eternal loving-kindness
holds us fast and guides us still.
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: FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS

Artist: Choir of Gloucester Cathedral, David Briggs (dir), Ian Ball (organ)
Words/Music: Smyttan adapted Potts/Herbst
Recording: Priory PRCD 704

Forty days and forty nights
Thou wast fasting in the wild;
Forty days and forty nights
Tempted, and yet undefiled.

Sunbeams scorching all the day,
Chilly dewdrops nightly shed,
Prowling beasts about thy way,
Stones thy pillow, earth thy bed.

Let us thine endurance share,
And awhile from joys abstain,
With thee watching unto prayer,
Strong with thee to suffer pain.

And if Satan, vexing sore,
Flesh or spirit should assail,
Thou, his vanquisher before,
Grant we may not faint or fail.

So shall we have peace divine,
Holier gladness ours shall be;
Round us too shall angels shine,
Such as ministered to thee.

Keep, O keep us, Saviour dear,
Ever constant by thy side;
That with thee we may appear
At the eternal Eastertide.

SONG: LORD, FOR THY TENDER MERCY’S SAKE

Artist: Voices of Ascension, Denis Keene (dir)
Words/Music: Blow/Farrant
Recording: Delos DE 3227

Lord, for thy tender mercy's sake,
lay not our sins to our charge,
but forgive that is past
and give us grace to amend our sinful lives;
to decline from sin and incline to virtue,
that we may walk in a perfect heart
before thee now and evermore.
Amen.

SONG: HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING

Artist: Con Anima (St Patrick’s College, Wellington), Nick Field (oboe), Lance Mundy (piano), Roger Powdrell (dir)
Words/Music: Anon/Lowry
Recording: Private 1469

My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul –
How can I keep from singing?

What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am His –
How can I keep from singing?

SONG: SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER

Artist: OCP Session Choir
Words/Music: Lowry
Recording: OCP

Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright angel feet have trod;
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?

Refrain:
Yes, we’ll gather at the river,
the beautiful, the beautiful river
gathered with the saints at the river
that flows by the throne of God
.

Soon we'll reach the shining river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.
Refrain:

SONG: FOR THE HEALING OF THE NATIONS

Artist: Choir of St John’s Cathedral, Napier
Words/Music: Kaan/attrib M Haydn
Recording: RNZ 807

For the healing of the nations,
Lord, we pray with one accord;
for a just and equal sharing
of the things that earth affords;
To a life of love in action
help us rise and pledge our word.

All that kills abundant living,
let it from the earth be banned;
pride of status, race, or schooling,
dogmas that obscure your plan.
In our common quest for justice
may we hallow life's brief span.

You, Creator God, have written
your great name on humankind;
for our growing in your likeness
bring the life of Christ to mind,
that by our response and service
earth its destiny may find.

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: HOPE IS OUR SONG

Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (dir), Michael Bell (piano)
Music: Murray/Brinson
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941300

Refrain:
Nothing, nothing in all creation
can separate us from the love of God.
Nothing, nothing in all creation
can separate us from the love of God.

This is our faith: trouble may break us,
grief overtake us, sickness and death,
this is our creed: no place so distant
God is not present, knowing our need,
Refrain:

Powers of our day, angel and devil,
danger and evil make their own play;
God's love is sure, unseen but seeing
heart of our being, comfort and cure,
Refrain:

Never alone, though human error,
turmoil or terror shake every bone,
hope is our song: hope that is joyous,
born with Christ Jesus, where we belong,
Refrain:

SONG: HE WHO WOULD VALIANT BE

Artist: Choir of Christ’s College, Cambridge, David Rowland (dir), Simon Jacobs (organ)
Words/Music: Bunyan adapted Dearmer/Trad arr Vaughan Williams
Recording: Priory PRCD 721

He who would valiant be
'Gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy
Follow the Master.
There's no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent
To be a pilgrim.

Who so beset him round
With dismal stories,
Do but themselves confound--
His strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might,
Though he with giants fight;
He will make good his right
To be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord, thou dost defend
Us with thy Spirit
We know we at the end
Shall life inherit.
Then, fancies, flee away!
I'll fear not what men say,
I'll labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.

Get the RNZ app

for easy access to all your favourite programmes

Subscribe to Hymns on Sunday

Podcast (MP3) Oggcast (Vorbis)