It's the first of our Hymns on Sunday Summer Requests programmes today - you can hear Shirley Murray's Sing a carol for summer, a hymn by Colin Gibson, and Handel Parker's Deep Harmony arranged for brass band.
Journey of the Magi mosaic in the Basilica Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna. 6th century Photo: Creative Commons
SONG: SING A CAROL FOR SUMMER
Artist: Wellington Youth Choir, Stuart Douglas (dir)
Words/Music: Shirley Murray/Jillian Bray
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941001
Sing a carol for summer,
sing in Aotearoa,
island waters and mountain snow!
Feel the kiss of the sun on skin
you know that summer's a-coming in
Refrain:
Everything's getting ready for Christmas,
everyone's in a holiday mood!
Time for ripening berries,
time for picking of cherries,
shearing, mustering, making hay,
time for camping, for hoisting pack,
it's time for tramping the bush and track,
Refrain:
Time for ending of year, it's
time for sending good cheer, for
fam'ly gatherings, friends to greet,
time for swimming and time to laze
through golden light of the length'ning days,
Refrain:
Time for shepherds and kings! It's
time for angels with wings, it's
time to practice the Christmas play:
time to carol the baby's birth
who came to change everyone on earth
Refrain:
SONG: ON JORDAN’S BANK THE BAPTIST’S CRY
Artist: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Coffin trans Chandler/Anon
Recording: Emi 1987
On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Come, then, and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of kings!
For thou art our salvation, Lord,
our refuge and our great reward;
without thy grace our souls must fade,
and wither like a flower decayed.
Stretch forth your hand, our health restore,
and make us rise to fall no more.
O let your face upon us shine
and fill the world with love divine.
All praise, eternal Son, to thee
whose advent sets thy people free,
whom, with the Father, we adore,
and Holy Ghost, for evermore.
SONG: LO! HE COMES WITH CLOUDS DESCENDING
Artist: Choir of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills, Thomas Foster (dir), Craig Phillips (organ)
Words/Music: Charles Wesley/Trad adapted Thomas Olivers
Recording: Gothic 349074
Lo, he comes, with clouds descending,
once for our salvation slain;
thousand thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Christ the Lord returns to reign.
Ev'ry eye shall now behold him
robed in glorious majesty;
those who set at nought and sold him,
pierced and nailed him to the tree,
deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing
shall their true Messiah see.
Yea, amen, let all adore thee,
High on thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the pow'r and glory,
Claim the kingdom for thine own.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou shalt reign, and thou alone!
SONG: AWAY IN A MANGER
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Anon/Kirkpatrick
Recording: Hyperion 711210
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes;
I love thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with thee there.
SONG: DEEP HARMONY
Artist: Black Dyke Mills Band, John Foster (dir)
Music: Handel Parker
Recording: Chandos 828558
SONG: HAIL, QUEEN OF HEAVEN
Artist: Choirs of the Diocese of Leeds
Words/Music: Lingard/Trad
Recording: Herald AV 2016
Hail, Queen of Heav'n, the ocean Star,
Guide of the wand'rer here below!
Thrown on life's surge we claim thy care,
Save us from peril and from woe.
Mother of Christ, Star of the sea,
Pray for the wanderer, pray for me
Sojourners in this vale of tears,
O thee, blest Advocate, we cry,
Pity our sorrows, calm our fears,
And soothe with hope our misery.
Refuge in grief, Star of the sea,
Pray for the mourner, pray for me.
And while to Him who reigns above,
In Godhead One, in Persons Three,
The source of life, of grace, of love,
Homage we pay on bended knee;
Do thou, bright Queen, Star of the sea.
Pray for thy children, pray for me.
SONG: FAIREST LORD JESUS
Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Catherine Palmer (dir), Ronald Jordan (organ)
Words/Music: Anon/Trad
Recording: Marquis 181175
Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature,
O thou of God and man the Son,
thee will I cherish, thee will I honour,
thou, my soul's glory, joy and crown.
Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
who makes the woeful heart to sing.
Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight,
and fair the twinkling, starry host;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer,
than all the angels heaven can boast.
All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
wondrously, Jesus, is found in thee;
none can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
than thou, my Saviour, art to me.
SONG: THESE HILLS
Artist: The Festival Singers
Words/Music: Colin Gibson
Recording: Festivity Productions 2007
These hills where the hawk flies lonely,
beaches where the long surf rolls,
mountains where the snows reach heaven,
these are our care.
Pastures where the sheep graze calmly,
orchards where the apples grow,
gardens where the roses cluster,
these are our prayer.
Forests where the tree ferns tower,
rivers running strong and clear,
oceans where the great whales wander,
these are our care.
Race meeting race as equals,
justice for age-old wrong,
worth for every man and woman,
these are our prayer.
Cities where the young roam restless,
lives brought to deep despair,
homeless and powerless people,
these are our care.
Places where the Word is spoken,
hands held in serving love,
faiths of our many cultures,
these are our prayer
All that the old world gave us,
all that the new world brings,
language, ideas and customs,
these are our care.
Life finding joy and value,
faith seeking truth and light,
God heard and seen in all things,
this be our prayer.
SONG: WHEN IN OUR MUSIC GOD IS GLORIFIED
Artist: Winchester College Chapel Choir, Malcolm Archer (dir), Jamal Sutton (organ)
Words/Music: Green/Stanford
Recording: Convivium Records 2015
When in our music God is glorified,
and adoration leaves no room for pride,
it is as though the whole creation cried:
Alleluia!
How often, making music, we have found
a new dimension in the world of sound,
as worship moved us to a more profound
Alleluia!
So has the church, in spoken word and song,
in faith and love, through centuries of wrong,
borne witness to the truth in every tongue:
Alleluia!
And did not Jesus sing a psalm that night
when utmost evil strove against the light?
Then let us sing, for whom he won the fight:
Alleluia!
Let every instrument be tuned for praise!
Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise!
And may God give us faith to sing always:
Alleluia!
