24 Jan 2021

Hymns on Sunday, 24 January 2021

From Hymns on Sunday, 4:20 am on 24 January 2021

Hear hymns sung in some great acoustics, including St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London, Washington National Cathedral, and the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul right here in New Zealand. ‘Amens’ have never sounded so good!

Wellington Cathedral of St Paul

Wellington Cathedral of St Paul Photo: Wikimedia Commons

SONG: O WORSHIP THE KING

Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey
Words/Music: Robert Grant/William Croft
Recording: Griffin 224018

O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendour and girded with praise.

O tell of his might and sing of his grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in thee do we trust, not find thee to fail.
Thy mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend!

O measureless might! Ineffable love!
While angels delight to hymn thee above,
Thy humbler creation, though feeble their lays,
with true adoration shall all sing thy praise.

SONG: PSALM 98 (O SING UNTO THE LORD A NEW SONG)

Artist: Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, London, John Scott (dir), Huw Williams (organ)
Words/Music: Psalm 98/John Randall
Sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvellous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known
    and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love
    and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp,
    with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn –
    shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
    let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples with equity.

SONG: ROCK OF AGES

Artist: Choir of Keble College, Oxford
Words/Music: Augustus Toplady/Richard Redhead
Recording: Priory PRCD 708

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labours of my hands
can fulfil thy law's demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Saviour, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.

SONG: IN THE SWEET BY AND BY

Artist: Anonymous 4
Words/Music: S Fillmore Bennett/Joseph 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: PRAISE HIM, PRAISE HIM, JESUS OUR BLESSED REDEEMER

Artist: The Celebration Choir of Sheffield, Salvation Army Citadel Band, Jackie Williams (dir)
Words/Music: Fanny Crosby/Chester Allen
Recording: Kingsway KMCD 676

Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, ye saints! His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! hail Him! mightiest angels in glory;
Strength and honour give to His holy name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will feed His people
In His arms He carries them all day long;
O ye saints that live in the light of His presence,
Praise Him! praise Him! ever in joyful song!

Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer,
For our sins He suffered and bled and died;
He, our Rock, our Hope of eternal salvation,
Hail Him! hail Him! Jesus, the Crucified;
Loving Saviour, meekly enduring sorrow,
Crowned with thorns that cruelly pierced His brow;
Once for us rejected, despised, and forsaken,
Prince of Glory, ever triumphant now.

Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer,
Heavenly portals, loud with hosannahs ring!
Jesus, Saviour, reigneth for ever and ever;
Crown Him! crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King!
Death is vanquished! Tell it with joy, ye faithful,
Where is now thy victory, boasting grave?
Jesus lives! No longer thy portals are cheerless;
Jesus lives, the mighty and strong to save.

SONG: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE

Artist: Cathedral Choral Society, Washington National Cathedral
Words/Music: Sarah Flower Adams/Lowell Mason
Recording: Gothic G49112

Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
still all my song shall be,
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
yet in my dreams I'd be
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

There let the way appear, steps unto heaven;
all that thou sendest me, in mercy given;
angels to beckon me
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

SONG: GREAT AND DEEP THE SPIRIT’S PURPOSE

Artist: City of Dunedin Choir
Words/Music: Marnie Barrell/Colin Gibson
Recording: Private CD810

Great and deep the Spirit's purpose,
hidden now in mystery;
Nature bursts with joyful promise,
ripe with what is yet to be.
In a wealth of rich invention,
still the work of art unfolds -
barely have we seen, and faintly,
what God's great salvation holds.

Great and deep the Spirit's purpose
making Jesus seen and heard.
Every age of God's creation
grasps new meanings from the Word.
Show us, Holy Spirit, show us
your new work begun today;
eyes and ears and hearts are open,
teach us what to do and say.

Great and deep the Spirit's purpose
all God's children brought to birth,
freed from hunger, fear and evil
every corner of the earth.
And a million million voices
speak with joy the Saviour's name;
every face reflects his image,
never any two the same.

Great and deep the Spirit's purpose
nothing shall be left to chance.
All that lives will be united
in the everlasting dance.
All fulfilled and all perfected,
each uniquely loved and known,
Christ in glory unimagined
once for all receives his own.

SONG: FOR ALL THE SAINTS

Artist: Combined choirs and congregation, Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, Karen Grylls (conductor), Richard Apperley (organ)
Music: How/Vaughan Williams
Recording: RNZ 2017

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!

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
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!

[recorded by RNZ at Professor Peter Godfrey's memorial service in Wellington, November 2017.

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