There's nothing like a good singalong to warm you up on these cold winter mornings! Join in with this week's selection of favourite hymns, spirituals and psalm settings.
Snow in Christchurch, New Zealand Photo: CC-BY-SA-2.0 / Bob Hall
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 104 (PRAISE THE LORD)
Artist: Choir of Christ’s College, Cambridge, David Rowland (dir), Alexander Miller (tenor), Simon Jacobs (organ)
Words/Music: Psalm 104/Dom Gregory Murray
Recording: Priory PRCD 721
Response:
Send forth your spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.
Praise the Lord O my soul,
O Lord God, your glory is great:
how manifold are your works,
in wisdom you have made them all.
Response:
All creatures look to you
to give them their food to eat:
when you open your hands, they are filled with good,
when you hide your face, they pine away.
Response:
When you take away their breath, they die,
and return to the earth whence they came:
when you send forth your spirit, all things spring to life,
and the face of the earth is renewed.
Response:
The glory of the Lord shall never cease,
the Lord shall rejoice in all his works:
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live,
I will praise my God while my breath remains.
Response:
SONG: THERE IS A BALM IN GILEAD
Artist: New Zealand Youth Choir 1984
Words/Music: Trad
Recording: RNZ 811
Refrain:
There is a balm in Gilead
to make the wounded whole,
there is a balm in Gilead
to heal the sin-sick soul.
Sometimes I feel discouraged
and think my work's in vain,
but then the Holy Spirit
revives my soul again.
Refrain:
If you cannot preach like Peter,
if you cannot pray like Paul,
you can tell the love of Jesus
and say, "He died for all."
Refrain:
SONG: FAIREST LORD JESUS
Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Catherine Palmer (dir), Ronald Jordan (organ)
Words/Music: Anon/Trad
Recording: Marquis 181175
Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature,
O thou of God and man the Son,
thee will I cherish, thee will I honour,
thou, my soul's glory, joy and crown.
Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
who makes the woeful heart to sing.
Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight,
and fair the twinkling, starry host;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer,
than all the angels heaven can boast.
All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
wondrously, Jesus, is found in thee;
none can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
than thou, my Saviour, art to me.
SONG: I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS SAY
Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey
Words/Music: Horatius Bonar/Trad arr Vaughan Williams
Recording: Hyperion 712810
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto me and rest;
lay down, O weary one, lay down
your head upon my breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
so weary, worn, and sad;
I found him in a resting place,
and he has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
the living water, thirsty one;
stoop down and drink and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s light;
look unto me, your morn shall rise,
and all your day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in him my star, my sun;
and in that light of life I’ll walk
till traveling days are done.
SONG: LET JUSTICE ROLL DOWN LIKE A RIVER
Artist: Choir from Otago Girls’ High School
Words/Music: Colin Gibson
Recording: RNZ CD 816
Refrain:
Let justice roll down like a river,
let justice flow down to the sea;
let justice roll down like a river
let justice begin through me.
Justice for all who go hungry,
crying to God to be fed,
left in a world of abundance
to beg for a morsel of bread.
Refrain:
Justice for those who are homeless,
victims of war or of need,
trapped on the borders of nowhere,
lost in the canyons of greed.
Refrain:
Justice for all who are powerless,
yearning for freedom in vain,
plundered and robbed of their birth-right,
silently bearing their pain.
Refrain:
SONG: DEEP IN THE HUMAN HEART
Artist: Jubilate Singers
Words/Music: Bill Wallace/Ellor
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.
SONG: LOVE DIVINE, ALL LOVES EXCELLING
Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey
Words/Music: C Wesley/Rowlands
Recording: Hyperion 712801
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion;
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.
Come, Almighty, to deliver;
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.
SONG: LET US GO IN YOUR PEACE (PAUATAHANUI BLESSING)
Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (director)
Words/Music: Shirley Murray/Jillian Bray
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941300
Let us go in your peace,
let us know what is peace
by the power of your love,
by the Spirit's release,
and in all we must face
that can hurt or destroy
let us work for your peace:
kindness, justice and joy.
