Hymns for Palm Sunday today, celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and marking the beginning of Holy Week in the Christian liturgical calendar.
Palm frond. Photo: Felix Burton, Creative Commons
SONG: ALL GLORY, LAUD AND HONOUR
Artist: Cathedral Choral Society, Washington National Cathedral
Words/Music: Theodulph trans John Mason Neale/Melchior Teschner
Recording: Gothic G49112
Refrain:
All glory, laud and honour,
To thee, redeemer, king,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
Thou art the king of Israel,
Thou David’s royal son,
Who in the Lord’s name comest,
The king and blessèd one.
Refrain:
The people of the Hebrews
With palms before thee went;
Our praise and prayers and anthems
Before thee we present.
Refrain:
Thou didst accept their praises;
Accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
Thou good and gracious king.
Refrain:
SONG: GIVE TO OUR GOD IMMORTAL PRAISE
Artist: Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, Dunedin, Raymond White (dir)
Words/Music: Isaac Watts/Vernon Griffiths
Recording: Ely 105
Give to our God immortal praise:
mercy and truth are all his ways;
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.
Give to the Lord of lords renown;
the King of kings with glory crown:
his mercies ever shall endure,
when lords and kings are known no more.
He sent His Son with power to save
from guilt and darkness and the grave;
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.
Through this vain world he guides our feet,
and leads us to his heavenly seat:
his mercies ever shall endure,
when this our world shall be no more.
SONG: REJOICE! THE LORD IS KING
Artist: Choral Arts Society of Washington Chamber Singers
Words/Music: Charles Wesley/John Darwall
Recording: Sono Luminus 2015
Rejoice, the Lord is king!
Your Lord and king adore;
Mortals give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore;
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Jesus, the Saviour, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When he had purged our stains,
He took his seat above;
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
His kingdom cannot fail,
He rules o’er earth and heav’n;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus giv’n;
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
He sits at God’s right hand
Till all his foes submit,
And bow to his command,
And fall beneath his feet:
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
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: BEAUTIFUL PRESENCE
Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (dir), Michael Bell (piano)
Words/Music: Joy Cowley/Barry Brinson
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941300
Beautiful presence, how can we name you?
Words are too small for the one who is all.
How can we speak of your gentleness in us,
the warmth of our hearts in response to your call?
Refrain:
Beautiful presence, ocean of love,
strong as forever, soft as a dove.
Words often fail us, but this we know true,
you live within us as we live in you.
There have been times of spiritual blindness,
when error and pain have distorted our sight.
Beautiful presence, you were there with us,
to show us how darkness can turn into light.
Refrain:
Nothing that happens to us will be wasted,
all of our living is grounded in grace.
Gently you take down the walls of division,
leading us on to a larger place.
Refrain:
SONG: FILL US WITH YOUR LOVE (KNEELS AT THE FEET OF HIS FRIENDS)
Artist: Pro Musica Youth Chorus
Words/Music: Tom Colvin/Trad Ghanaian folk tune
Recording: YPM 2011
Refrain:
Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love,
show us how to serve
the neighbours we have from you.
Kneels at the feet of his friends,
Silently washes their feet,
Master who pours out himself for them.
Neighbours are rich and poor,
Neighbours are black and white,
Neighbours are near and far away.
Refrain:
These are the ones we should serve,
These are the ones we should love.
All are neighbours to us and you.
Kneel at the feet of our friends,
Silently washing their feet,
This is the way we should live with you.
This is the way we should live with you.
Refrain:
SONG: RIDE ON, KING JESUS!
Artist: Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Words/Music: Trad
Recording: Bonneville 510097
Ride on King Jesus!
No man can hinder me
Ride on King Jesus, ride on!
No man can hinder me.
For he is King of Kings
he is Lord of Lords
O Jesus Christ, the first and last
No man works like him.
For he is King of Kings
and he is Lord of Lords
O Jesus Christ, the first and last
No man works like him.
King Jesus rides a milk white horse
no man works like him.
The river Jordan he did cross
No man works like him
He is King of Kings
he is Lord of Lords
O Jesus Christ, the first and last
No man works like him.
King Jesus rides in the middle of the air
no man works like him.
O won’t you ride on, King Jesus
No man can hinder me.
Ride on, King Jesus, ride on!
No man can hinder me.
For he is King of Kings
he is Lord of Lords
O Jesus Christ, the first and last
No man works like him.
For he is King of Kings
he is Lord of Lords
O Jesus Christ, the first and last
No man works like him
SONG: RIDE ON, RIDE ON IN MAJESTY
Artist: Choir of All Saints, Margaret St, London
Words/Music: Henry Milman/John Dykes
Recording: Priory PRCD 707
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
Hark! all the tribes hosanna cry;
O Saviour meek, pursue your road
With palms and scattered garments strowed.
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die!
O Christ! Your triumph now begin
O’er captive death and conquered sin.
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
Your last and fiercest strife is nigh;
The father, on his sapphire throne,
Awaits his own anointed son.
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
Bow your meek head to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, your power, and reign.
SONG: MY SONG IS LOVE UNKNOWN
Artist: Choir of St John’s, Elora, Paul Halley (organ)
Words/Music: Samuel Crossman/John Ireland
Recording: Naxos 8.572540
My song is love unknown,
My saviour’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take frail flesh and die?
He came from his blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know:
But O! my friend, my friend indeed,
Who at my need his life did spend.
Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the way
Hosannas to their King:
Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,
And for His death they thirst and cry.
They rise and needs will have
my dear Lord made away;
a murderer they save;
the Prince of Life they slay.
yet cheerful he to suffering goes
that he his foes from thence might free.
Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King!
Never was grief like thine.
This is my friend, in whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend.
