We’re marking Waitangi Day with a selection of hymns featuring New Zealand hymn writers and New Zealand choirs.
St Anne's Catholic Church, Newtown, Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Robyn Jaquiery
SONG: GOD BLESS OUR LAND
Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (dir), Michael Bell (organ)
Words/Music: Shirley Murray/Barry Brinson
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941300
God bless our land, in every generation,
God bless our people, growing as one nation,
God bless our islands, home and whenua,
Aotearoa, Aotearoa
God give us hope in common cause and caring,
each bringing treasures, baskets for the sharing,
grieving the wrongs of history no more –
Aotearoa, Aotearoa
God bless our land, its beauty and its blending
into communities of warm befriending,
proud in the cultures settled on our shore –
Aotearoa, Aotearoa
God bless the child whose feet are firmly planted
here in our place of freedoms daily granted,
seedbed and soil for peace and aroha –
Aotearoa, Aotearoa
SONG: KA WAIATA
Artist: New Zealand Youth Choir 1993
Words/Music: Richard Puanaki
Recording: Manu CD 1471
Maria
Ka waiata ki a Maria
Hine i whakaae
Whakameatia mai
Te whare tangata.
Hine pūrotu
Hine ngākau
Hine rangimārie
Ko te whaea
Ko te whaea
O te ao
SONG: IF I TAKE THE WINGS OF THE MORNING
Artist: Choir of Durham Street Methodist Church, Wallace Woodley (director and organist)
Words/Music: Nigel Eastgate
Recording: Private CD817
[Lyrics unavailable]
SONG: LORD OF ALL BEING, THRONED AFAR
Artist: Choir of Norwich Cathedral
Words/Music: Oliver Wendell Holmes/Henry Percy Smith
Recording: Music World MWCH 6019
Lord of all being, throned afar,
thy glory flames from sun and star;
centre and soul of every sphere,
yet to each loving heart how near!
Our midnight is thy smile withdrawn,
our noontide is thy gracious dawn,
our rainbow arch thy mercy's sign;
all, save the clouds of sin, are thine.
Grant us thy truth to make us free,
and kindling hearts that burn for thee,
till all thy living altars claim
one holy light, one heavenly flame.
SONG: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE
Artist: Peter Baillie (tenor), Peter Averi (organ)
Words/Music: Frances Ridley Havergal/William Herbert Jude
Recording: Kiwi SLC 141
Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.
SONG: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
Artist: The Celebration Singers, Christchurch, Guy Jansen (dir)
Words/Music: Psalm 23/Don Wyrtzen
Recording: Private 3030
[Lyrics not available due to copyright restrictions]
SONG: HE CAME SINGING LOVE
Artist: Auckland Branch of the NZ Choral Federation
Words/Music: Colin Gibson
Recording: Praise Be 2006
He came singing love
and he lived singing love;
he died singing love.
He arose in silence.
For the love to go on
we must make it our song:
you and I be the singers.
He came singing faith
and he lived singing faith;
he died singing faith.
He arose in silence.
For the faith to go on
we must make it our song:
you and I be the singers.
He came singing hope
and he lived singing hope;
he died singing hope.
He arose in silence.
For the hope to go on
we must make it our song:
you and I be the singers.
He came singing peace
and he lived singing peace;
he died singing peace.
He arose in silence.
For the peace to go on
we must make it our song:
you and I be the singers.
SONG: MAY THE MIND OF CHRIST MY SAVIOUR
Artist: Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, Wellington, Michael Stewart (dir), Richard Apperley (organ)
Words/Music: Kate Wilkinson/Cyril Barham-Gould
Recording: RNZ 2020
May the mind of Christ, my Saviour,
live in me from day to day,
by His love and pow'r controlling
all I do and say.
May the Word of God dwell richly
in my heart from hour to hour,
so that all may see I triumph
only through His pow'r.
May the peace of God, my Father,
rule my life in ev'rything,
that I may be calm to comfort
sick and sorrowing.
May the love of Jesus fill me
as the waters fill the sea.
Him exalting, self abasing:
this is victory.
May I run the race before me,
strong and brave to face the foe,
looking only unto Jesus
as I onward go.
SONG: DEEP IN THE HUMAN HEART
Artist: Jubilate Singers
Words/Music: Bill Wallace/George Elvey
Recording: Private
Deep in the human heart
The fires of justice burn;
With visions of a world renewed
Through radical concern.
As Christians we are called
To set the captives free,
To overthrow the evil powers
And end hypocrisy.
This is our task today,
To build a world of peace;
A world of justice, freedom, truth,
Where kindness will increase;
A world from hunger freed,
A world where people share,
Where every person is of worth
And no-one lives in fear.
Taking the step of faith,
We leave the past behind
And move into the future’s world
With open heart and mind.
By grace we work with Christ,
As one community,
To bring new hope and fuller life
To all humanity.
