Hymns

In this week’s programme for the Second Sunday of Advent, we look towards Christmas with a carol by Shirley Murray and Jillian Bray; there’s an atmospheric recording in Westminster Abbey of Let all… Audio

This traditional hymn was recorded by the congregation of the Cook Islands Christian Church, Porirua, in December 2023. Audio

We're celebrating the First Sunday of Advent today with some favourite Advent hymns including O Come Emmanuel, and Of the Father's Heart Begotten. Audio

It's Christ the King Sunday, and we're also marking feast days for Saints Clement and Cecilia, and hymn writer Isaac Watts. Audio

In 2017, Pope Francis established the World Day of the Poor. It's a Sunday set aside in the Catholic liturgical calendar to reflect on how poverty is at the very heart of the Gospel. This year's theme… Audio

Hymns of reassurance, comfort and hope in this week's programme, including Christ is made the sure foundation, Shirley Murray's Hope is our song and the Boys' Brigade favourite Will your anchor hold.

Celebrating the Feast of All Saints this week, with hymns including For all the saints and Let saints on earth in concert sing. Audio

Margaret Rizza’s Prayer for Peace features in this week’s programme: Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace, let peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe: peace, peace, peace. Audio

It's World Mission Sunday. This special day in the Catholic liturgical calendar was created by Pope Pius XI in the mid-1920s as a day of prayer for missions. This year’s theme, chosen by the current… Audio

In the days when bills came in envelopes through the letterbox, a young musician from Northern Ireland used the back of an electricity bill to write down some melody ideas. In this week’s programme… Audio

Charles Wesley’s well-loved hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling has been set to many different tunes over the years. In this week’s programme, you can hear a setting by English composer Howard… Video, Audio

It's 'hymns by her' this week - we're featuring hymns written or translated by women. Audio

We're celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Maori this week and feature recordings by Haatea Kapa Haka from Himene Maori - a project to document, record, and publish Maori hymns and waiata. The project is led… Audio

It’s thanks to the New Zealand Hymnbook Trust for the recording of our opening hymn this week, Shirley Murray’s God bless our land. The Trust was set up to encourage the writing, publication and… Audio

Hymns to mark the start of the Season of Creation include For the beauty of the earth and Shirley Murray’s Touch the earth lightly. Audio

Hubert Parry's familiar tune 'Jerusalem' begins this week's programme, paired with words by choir director and artist, Arthur Grimshaw: Sing to the Lord a new song. Audio

Hymns by 'Tims’ feature in this week’s programme: English hymn writer Timothy Dudley-Smith and Timothy Rees, who was Bishop of Llandaff in the 1930s. Audio

Hymns to mark the Feast of the Transfiguration today, including Christ whose glory fills the skies and Be still, for the presence of the Lord. Audio

It's all about descants today - those soaring vocal lines above the melody that are often sung on the final verse of hymns. Audio

We're celebrating the birthday of Isaac Watts (17 July 1674) this week. He's often described as 'the father of English hymnody'. Audio