Lancelot Andrewes was a 16th century English bishop and one of a group of Church of England scholars appointed to compile the King James version of the Bible. You can hear John Rutter’s beautiful setting of his prayer Open thou mine eyes in this week’s programme.
SONG: PRAISE GOD, FOR HE IS KIND
Artist: Scottish Philharmonic Singers, Ian McCrorie (dir), John Langdon (organ)
Words/Music: Psalm 136/William Croft
Recording: Abbey 282830
Praise God, for he is kind:
His mercy lasts for aye.
Give thanks with heart and mind
To God of gods alway:
Refrain:
For certainly
His mercies dure
Most firm and sure
Eternally.
The Lord of lords praise ye,
Whose mercies still endure.
Great wonders only he
Doth work by his great pow’r
Refrain:
Which God omnipotent,
By might and wisdom high,
The heav’n and firmament
Did frame, as we may see:
Refrain:
Who hath remembered
Us in our low estate;
And us delivered
From foes which did us hate:
Refrain:
SONG: AT THE NAME OF JESUS
Artist: Choir of Salisbury Cathedral
Words/Music: Caroline Noel/William Monk
Recording: Priory
At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,
every tongue confess him King of glory now;
'tis the Father's pleasure we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning was the mighty Word.
At his voice creation sprang at once to sight,
all the angel faces, all the hosts of light,
cherubim in heaven, stars upon their way,
all the heav'nly orders in their great array.
Humbled for a season, to receive a name
from the lips of sinners, unto whom he came;
faithfully he bore it spotless to the last,
brought it back victorious when from death he passed.
Bore it up triumphant with its human light,
thro' all ranks of creatures to the central height,
to the throne of Godhead, to the Father's breast,
filled it with the glory of that perfect rest.
In your hearts enthrone him; there let him subdue
all that is not holy, all that is not true;
crown him as your captain in temptation's hour;
let his will enfold you in its light and pow'r.
Name Him, Christians, name Him with love strong as death,
But with awe and wonder, and with bated breath;
He is God the Saviour, He is Christ the Lord,
ever to be worshipped, trusted and adored.
Brothers, this Lord Jesus shall return again,
with his Father's glory and His angel train;
for all wreaths of empire meet upon his brow,
and our hearts confess him King of glory now.
SONG: JERUSALEM THE GOLDEN
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Bernard of Cluny trans Neale/Ewing
Recording: Hyperion 112102
Jerusalem the golden, with milk and honey blest,
Beneath thy contemplation sink heart and voice oppressed.
I know not, O I know not, what joys await us there,
What radiancy of glory, what bliss beyond compare.
They stand, those halls of Zion, all jubilant with song,
and bright with many an angel, and all the martyr throng:
the Prince is ever in them, the daylight is serene;
the pastures of the blessèd are decked in glorious sheen.
There is the throne of David, and there, from care released,
The song of them that triumph, the shout of them that feast;
And they, who with their leader, have conquered in the fight,
Forever and forever are clad in robes of white.
Oh, sweet and blessèd country, the home of God's elect!
Oh, sweet and blessèd country, that eager hearts expect!
Jesus, in mercy bring us to that dear land of rest,
who art, with God the father, and the Spirit, ever blest.
SONG: OPEN THOU MINE EYES
Artist: Cambridge Singers
Words/Music: Lancelot Andrewes/John Rutter
Recording: Collegium 801100
Open thou mine eyes and I shall see,
incline my heart and I shall desire,
order my steps and I shall walk
In the ways of thy commandments.
Open thou mine eyes and I shall see,
incline my heart and I shall desire,
order my steps and I shall walk
In the ways of thy commandments.
O Lord God, be thou to me a God
and beside thee let there be none else,
no other, naught else with thee.
Vouchsafe to me to worship thee and serve thee
according to thy commandments
in truth of spirit,
in reverence of body,
in blessing of lips,
in private and in public.
Open thou mine eyes and I shall see,
incline my heart and I shall desire,
order my steps and I shall walk
in the ways of thy commandments.
SONG: TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS
Artist: Upper Norwood Salvation Army Band
Words/Music: Helen Lemmel
Recording: Word SALCD 002
[instrumental only]
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
SONG: I AM TRUSTING THEE
Artist: Lincoln Cathedral Choir, Aric Prentice (conductor), Charles Harrison (organ)
Words/Music: Frances Ridley Havergal/John Ireland
Recording: Naxos 8.573014
I am trusting thee, Lord, Jesus,
Trusting only thee;
Trusting thee for full salvation,
Great and free.
I am trusting thee for pardon;
At thy feet I bow;
For thy grace and tender mercy,
Trusting now.
I am trusting thee for cleansing
In the crimson flood;
Trusting thee to make me holy
By thy blood.
I am trusting thee to guide me;
Thou alone shalt lead;
Every day and hour supplying
All my need.
I am trusting thee for power,
Thine can never fail;
Words which thou thyself shalt give me
Must prevail.
I am trusting thee, Lord Jesus;
Never let me fall;
I am trusting thee forever,
And for all.
SONG: LIKE A RIVER GLORIOUS
Artist: Scottish Festival Singers
Words/Music: Frances Ridley Havergal/James Mountain
Recording: Whole World Media Group
Like a river glorious is God's perfect peace,
over all victorious in its bright increase:
perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day;
perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.
Refrain:
Stayed upon Jehovah
Hearts are fully blessed
Finding, as He promised,
Perfect peace and rest.
Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.
Refrain:
Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do;
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.
Refrain:
SONG: LIKE A MIGHTY RIVER FLOWING
Artist: Wells Cathedral Choir, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Michael Perry/Noel Tredennick
Recording: Hyperion 112101
Like a mighty river flowing,
like a flower in beauty growing,
far beyond all human knowing
is the perfect peace of God.
Like the hills serene and even,
like the coursing clouds of heaven,
like the heart that's been forgiven
is the perfect peace of God.
Like the summer breezes playing,
like the tall trees softly swaying,
like the lips of silent praying
is the perfect peace of God.
Like the morning sun ascended,
like the scents of evening blended,
like a friendship never ended
is the perfect peace of God.
Like the azure ocean swelling,
like the jewel all-excelling,
far beyond our human telling
is the perfect peace of God.
SONG: O, THE DEEP, DEEP LOVE OF JESUS
Artist: Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, Wellington, Michael Stewart (dir), Richard Apperley (organ)
Words/Music: Trevor Francis/Thomas Williams
Recording: RNZ 2020
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
vast, unmeasured, boundless, free,
rolling as a mighty ocean
in its fullness over me.
Underneath me, all around me,
is the current of Thy love;
leading onward, leading homeward
to my glorious rest above.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth,
changeth never, nevermore!
How He watcheth o'er His loved ones,
died to call them all His own;
how for them He intercedeth,
watcheth o'er them from the throne.
Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Love of every love the best:
vast the ocean of his blessing,
sweet the haven of his rest!
Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus,
very heaven of heavens to me,
and it lifts me up to glory,
evermore his face to see.