17 Oct 2021

Hymns on Sunday 17 October 2021

From Hymns on Sunday, 4:15 am on 17 October 2021

Lawyer, politician, church minister, teacher, opera singer: just some of the many and varied occupations of the hymn writers in this week's episode of Hymns on Sunday.

Kowhai flowers

Kowhai flowers Photo: Wikimedia Commons

SONG: O WORSHIP THE KING

Artist: Choir of Norwich Cathedral/David Dunnett (dir), Katherine Dienes (organ)
Words/Music: Grant/Croft
Recording: QED 276

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.

The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, thy power hath founded of old;
hath stablished it fast by a changeless decree,
and round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

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 47 – O CLAP YOUR HANDS TOGETHER

Artist: Choir of St John’s, Elora
Words/Music: Psalm 147/
Recording: Naxos 8.572540

O clap your hands together, all ye peoples:
O sing unto God with the voice of melody.
For the Lord most high is to be feared:
he is the great King over all the earth.
He subdued the peoples under us,
and the nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us,
even the glorious land of Jacob whom he loved.
God is gone up with a merry noise,
and the Lord with the sound of the trumpet.
O sing praises, sing praises unto our God:
O sing praises, sing praises unto our King.
For God is the King of all the earth:
sing ye praises with understanding.
God reigneth over the nations:
God sitteth upon his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples are gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham:
For the rulers of the earth belong unto God;
he is the very highly exalted.

SONG: GIVE TO OUR GOD IMMORTAL PRAISE

Artist: Coventry Singers
Words/Music: Watts/Harrison
Recording: Mission Praise 2013

Give to our God immortal praise:
mercy and truth are all his ways;
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.

Give to the Lord of lords renown;
the King of kings with glory crown:
his mercies ever shall endure,
when lords and kings are known no more.

He built the earth, he spread the sky,
and fixed the starry lights on high:
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.

He sent His Son with power to save
from guilt and darkness and the grave;
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.

SONG: IN THE LORD IS OUR JOY AND SALVATION

Artist: St Thomas Music Group, Margaret Rizza (dir)
Words/Music: Margaret Rizza
Recording: Alliance Music 190892

In the Lord is my joy and salvation
He gives light to all his creation.
In the Lord is my joy and salvation,
He gives peace and true consolation.

SONG: THROUGH ALL THE CHANGING SCENES OF LIFE

Artist: Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh
Words/Music: Tate/Smart
Recording: Priory PRCD 376

Through all the changing scenes of life,
in trouble and in joy,
the praises of my God shall still
my heart and tongue employ.

O magnify the Lord with me,
with me exalt his name;
when in distress to him I called,
he to my rescue came.

The hosts of God encamp around
the dwellings of the just;
deliverance he affords to all
who on his succour trust.

O make but trial of his love;
experience will decide
how blest are they, and only they
who in his truth confide.

Fear him, ye saints, and you will then
have nothing else to fear;
make you his service your delight;
your wants shall be his care.

To Father, Son and Holy Ghost
The God whom we adore
Be glory, as it was, is now
And shall be evermore.

SONG: JESU, THE VERY THOUGHT OF THEE

Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Bernard of Clairvaux trans Caswall/Slater
Label: Hyperion 112105

Jesus, the very thought of thee
with sweetness fills the breast;
but sweeter far thy face to see,
and in thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus' Name,
The Saviour of mankind.

But what to those who find? Ah, this
nor tongue nor pen can show;
the love of Jesus, what it is,
none but his loved ones know.

Jesus, our only joy be thou,
as thou our prize wilt be;
Jesus, be thou our glory now,
and through eternity.

SONG: LORD OF ALL HOPEFULNESS

Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Jan Struther/Trad
Label: Hyperion 112105

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, At the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labours and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, At the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, Your arms to embrace.
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, At the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, At the end of the day.

SONG: ALL MY HOPE ON GOD IS FOUNDED

Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey
Composer: Neander trans Bridges/Howells
Label: Hyperion 712801

All my hope on God is founded;
he doth still my trust renew,
me through change and chance he guideth,
only good and only true.
God unknown,
he alone
calls my heart to be his own.

Pride of man and earthly glory,
sword and crown betray his trust;
what with care and toil he buildeth,
tower and temple fall to dust.
But God's power,
hour by hour,
is my temple and my tower.

God's great goodness aye endureth,
deep his wisdom, passing thought:
splendour, light and life attend him,
beauty springeth out of naught.
Evermore
from his store
newborn worlds rise and adore.

Daily doth th’almighty giver
bounteous gifts on us bestow;
his desire our soul delighteth,
pleasure leads us where we go.
Love doth stand
at his hand;
joy doth wait on his command.

Still from man to God eternal
sacrifice of praise be done,
high above all praises praising
for the gift of Christ, his son.
Christ doth call
one and all:
ye who follow shall not fall.

SONG: FILL THOU MY LIFE

Artist: Scottish Festival Singers
Composer: Bonar/Haweis
Label: EMI CMG

Fill thou my life, O Lord my God,
In ev'ry part with praise,
That my whole being may proclaim
Thy being and thy ways.

Not for the lip of praise alone,
Nor e'en the praising heart,
I ask, but for a life made up
Of praise in ev'ry part;

Praise in the common things of life,
Its goings out and in,
Praise in each duty and each deed,
However small and mean.

Fill ev'ry part of me with praise;
Let all my being speak
Of thee and of they love, O Lord,
Poor though I be, and weak.

So shalt thou, Lord, from me, e'en me,
Receive the glory due,
And so shall I begin on earth
The song for ever new.

So shall no part of day or night
From sacredness be free:
But all my life, in ev'ry step,
Be fellowship with thee.

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