Among today's selection of listener requests are old hymns that have be given new tunes, and a popular American gospel song from the 1960s, Because He lives.
New Zealand seascape Photo: Donna O'Donoghue, Creative Commons
SONG: CHRIST TRIUMPHANT, EVER REIGNING
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Sayward/Barnard
Recording: Hyperion CDP 12101
Christ triumphant, ever reigning,
Saviour, master, king,
Lord of heav'n, our lives sustaining,
Hear us as we sing:
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Yours the glory and the crown,
the high renown,
the eternal name.
Word incarnate, truth revealing,
Son of man on earth!
Power and majesty concealing
By your humble birth:
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Priestly king, enthroned for ever
High in heaven above!
Sin and death and hell shall never
Stifle hymns of love:
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So, our hearts and voices raising
Through the ages long,
Ceaselessly upon you gazing,
This shall be our song:
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SONG: FATHER OF EVERLASTING GRACE
Artist: St Michael’s Singers, Coventry Cathedral
Words/Music: C Wesley/Christopher Norton
Label: Kingsway KMCD 583
Father of everlasting grace,
Thy goodness and Thy truth we praise,
Thy goodness and Thy truth we prove;
Thou hast, in honour of Thy Son,
The gift unspeakable sent down,
The Spirit of life, and power and love.
Send us the Spirit of Thy Son,
To make the depths of Godhead known,
To make us share the life divine;
Send Him the sprinkled blood to apply,
Send Him our souls to sanctify,
And show and seal us ever Thine.
So shall we pray, and never cease;
So shall we thankfully confess
Thy wisdom, truth, and power, and love;
With joy unspeakable adore,
And bless and praise Thee evermore,
And serve Thee as Thy hosts above:
Till, added to that heavenly choir,
We raise our songs of triumph higher,
And praise Thee in a nobler strain,
Out-soar the first-born seraph’s flight,
And sing, with all our friends in light,
Thy everlasting love to man.
SONG: O JESUS I HAVE PROMISED
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Bode/Elliott
Recording: Hyperion 112102
O Jesus, I have promised to serve thee to the end;
be thou forever near me, my Master and my friend;
I shall not fear the battle if thou art by my side,
nor wander from the pathway if thou wilt be my guide.
O let me hear thee speaking in accents clear and still,
above the storms of passion, the murmurs of self-will;
O speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen, thou guardian of my soul.
O let me see thy footmarks, and in them plant mine own:
my hope to follow duly is in thy strength alone:
O guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;
and then in heav’n receive me, my Saviour and my friend.
SONG: THE OLD RUGGED CROSS
Artist: Upper Norwood Salvation Army Band and Songsters
Words/Music: George Bennard
Recording: Word SALCD 002
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.
O the old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary.
Refrain:
SONG: BY HIS HAND
Artist: International Songsters of the Salvation Army
Words/Music: Gilmore/Mack
Recording: Salvationist Publishing & Supplies SPS 321
He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where'er I be,
still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.
Refrain:
He leadeth me, he leadeth me;
by his own hand he leadeth me:
his faithful follower I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.
Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
sometimes where Eden's flowers bloom,
by waters calm, o'er troubled sea,
still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.
Refrain
Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since 'tis my God that leadeth me.
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SONG: BECAUSE HE LIVES
Artist: Victory Voices and Orchestra
Words/Music: Gloria and Bill Gaither
Recording: Brentwood 615401
God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal and forgive
He lived and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove my Saviour lives
Refrain:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living, just because He lives
How sweet to hold a newborn baby
And feel the pride and joy He gives
But greater still the calm assurance
This child can face uncertain day, because He lives
And then one day, I'll cross the river
I'll fight life's final war with pain
And then, as death gives way to victory
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He reigns
Refrain:
SONG: BE STILL, MY SOUL
Artist: Choir of Trinity College, University of Melbourne, Michael Leighton Jones (dir)
Words/Music: Von Schlegel trans Borthwick/Sibelius
Recording: ABC 476509
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
SONG: HOW GREAT THOU ART
Artist: Huddesfield Choral Society
Words/Music: Boberg trans Hine/Trad
Recording: Signum 2006
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works thy hand hath made.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my saviour God, to thee;
How great thou art, how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my saviour God, to thee;
How great thou art, how great thou art!
And when I think that God, his son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:
Refrain:
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then shall I bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God, how great thou art!
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