You can hear Shirley Murray’s hymn Give thanks to life in this week’s selection of listener requests. And Ludwig van Beethoven’s tune ‘Ode to Joy’ is set to a hymn by Henry van Dyke: Joyful, joyful we adore thee.
Lupins at Lake Tekapo Photo: Khootkheng, Creative Commons
SONG: MORNING HAS BROKEN
Artist: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Eleanor Farjeon/Trad
Recording: EMI 948306
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the word
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day.
SONG: JOYFUL, JOYFUL, WE ADORE THEE
Artist: Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, Utah
Words/Music: Van Dyke/Beethoven
Recording: Bonneville 519602
Joyful, joyful, we adore You,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow'rs before You,
Op'ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!
All Your works with joy surround You,
Earth and heav'n reflect Your rays,
Stars and angels sing around You,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain
Praising You eternally!
Always giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Loving Father, Christ our Brother,
Let Your light upon us shine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.
SONG: GIVE THANKS FOR LIFE
Artist: Choir of St Peter’s Church, Takapuna
Words/Musi: Shirley Murray/Douglas Mews
Recording: Private CD815
Give thanks for life, the measure of our days,
Mortal, we pass through beauty that decays,
Yet sing to God our hope, our love, our praise,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Give thanks for those who made their life a light
Caught from the Christ flame, bursting through the night,
Who touched the truth, who burned for what is right,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
And for our own, our living and our dead,
Thanks for the love by which our life is fed,
A love not changed by time or death or dread,
Alleluia! Alleluia
Give thanks for hope, that like the wheat, the grain
That lies in darkness does its life retain
In resurrection to grow green again,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
SONG: GODHEAD HERE IN HIDING
Artist: Choirs of the Church of Our Lady and The English Martyrs, Cambridge
Words/Music: Thomas Aquinas trans Garald Manley Hopkins/ Benedictine plainsong
Recording: Opera Omnia OP4918
Godhead here in hiding whom I do adore
Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more.
See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.
Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived;
How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed;
What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do;
Truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true.
On the cross thy godhead made no sign to men;
Here thy very manhood steals from human ken:
Both are my confession, both are my belief,
And I pray the prayer of the dying thief.
Jesus whom I look at shrouded here below,
I beseech thee, send me what I thirst for so,
Some day to gaze on thee face to face in light
And be blest forever with thy glory's sight.
SONG: PSALM 23 (THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD)
Artist: Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, London, John Scott (dir)
Words/Music: Psalm 23/Charles Hylton Stewart
Recording: Hyperion CDP 11002
The Lord is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall feed me in a green pasture, and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
He shall convert my soul, and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness for his Name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me; thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Amen.
SONG: WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS
Artist: Cantus Choro
Words/Music: John Monsell/Anon
Recording: Move 743142
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
bow down before Him, His glory proclaim;
gold of obedience and incense of lowliness
bring, and adore him; the Lord is his Name!
Low at his feet lay thy burden of carefulness,
high on his heart he will bear it for thee,
comfort thy sorrows, and answer thy prayerfulness,
guiding thy steps as may best for thee be.
Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
of the poor wealth thou wouldst reckon as thine;
truth in its beauty, and love in its tenderness,
these are the offerings to lay on His shrine.
These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
he will accept for the Name that is dear;
mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
trust for our trembling, and hope for our fear.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
bow down before Him, His glory proclaim;
gold of obedience and incense of lowliness
bring, and adore him; the Lord is his name!
YE HOLY ANGELS BRIGHT
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Richard Baxter/John Darwall
Recording: Hyperion 112105
Ye holy angels bright,
who wait at God's right hand,
or through the realms of light
fly at your Lord's command,
assist our song,
for else the theme
too high doth seem
for mortal tongue.
You blessed souls at rest,
who ran this earthly race
and now, from sin released,
behold your saviour's face,
his praises sound,
as in his sight
with sweet delight
you do abound.
You saints, who toil below,
adore your heavenly King,
and onward as ye go
some joyful anthem sing;
take what he gives
and praise him still,
through good or ill,
who ever lives.
My soul, bear thou thy part,
triumph in God above:
and with a well-tuned heart
sing thou the songs of love!
Let all thy days
till life shall end,
whate'er he send,
be filled with praise!
SONG: ABIDE WITH ME
Artist: Libera Boys’ Choir
Words/Music: Henry Lyte/William Monk
Recording: EMI 339862
Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see.
O Lord who changes not, abide with me.
I fear no foe with you at hand to bless,
though ills have weight, and tears their bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
SONG: GOD IS WORKING HIS PURPOSE OUT
Artist: Choir of Manchester Cathedral
Words/Music: Arthur Ainger/Kingham
Recording: Priory PRCD 718
God is working his purpose out as year succeeds to year:
God is working his purpose out, and the time is drawing near;
nearer and nearer draws the time the time that shall surely be,
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
From farthest east to farthest west, where human feet have trod,
by the voice of many messengers goes forth the voice of God:
'Give ear to me, you continents, you islands give ear to me,
that earth may be filled with the glory of God,
as the waters cover the sea.'
Let us go forth in the strength of God, with the banner of Christ unfurled,
that the light of the glorious gospel of truth may shine throughout the world:
let us all fight with sorrow and sin, to set their captives free,
that earth may be filled with the glory of God,
as the waters cover the sea.
All that we do can have no worth, unless God bless the deed;
vainly we hope for the harvest-tide, till God gives life to the seed;
yet nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be,
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
