Charles Wesley Photo: Creative Commons
A selection of traditional and modern hymns. The great hymn writer Charles Wesley features in this week's programme, with hymns including Father of Everlasting Grace, And can it be, and O For a Heart to Praise My God. There's also a recent setting by English choral director Malcolm Archer of Christopher Wordsworth's hymn Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost.
SONG: PSALM 121
Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Catherine Palmer (dir), Ronald Jordan (organ)
Words/Music: Psalm 121/Walford-Davies
Recording: Marquis MAR 175
I will lift up my eyes unto the hills : from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord : who hath made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved : he that keepeth thee will not sleep.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel : shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper : the Lord is thy defense upon thy right hand.
So that the sun shall not burn thee by day : neither the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil : yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in : from this time forth forevermore.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.
SONG: WHEN MORNING GILDS THE SKIES
Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Catherine Palmer (dir), Ronald Jordan (organ)
Words/Music: Psalm 46/Luther
Recording: Marquis MAR 175
When morning gilds the skies my heart awaking cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Whene’er the sweet church bell peals over hill and dell,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
O hark to what it sings, as joyously it rings,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
In Heav’n’s eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let earth, and sea and sky from depth to height reply,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this, while life is mine, my canticle divine:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Sing this eternal song through all the ages long:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
SONG: HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING
Artist: Con Anima (St Patrick’s College, Wellington), Roger Powdrell (dir), Nick Field (oboe), Lance Mundy (piano)
Words/Music: Anon/Lowry
Recording: Private
My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul –
How can I keep from singing?
What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?
I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am His –
How can I keep from singing?
SONG: GRACIOUS SPIRIT, HOLY GHOST
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Wordsworth/Archer
Recording: Hyperion 112105
Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost,
taught by thee, we covet most
of thy gifts at Pentecost,
holy, heavenly love.
Love is kind, and suffers long,
love is meek, and thinks no wrong,
love than death itself more strong;
therefore give us love.
Prophecy will fade away,
melting in the light of day;
love will ever with us stay;
therefore give us love.
Faith will vanish into sight;
hope be emptied in delight;
love in heaven will shine more bright;
therefore give us love.
Faith and hope and love we see
joining hand in hand agree;
but the greatest of the three,
and the best, is love.
SONG: O FOR A HEART TO PRAISE MY GOD
Artist: St Michael Singers of Coventry Cathedral
Words/Music: C Wesley/I Smith arr Norton
Recording: Kingsway KMCD 891
O for a heart to praise my God,
A heart from sin set free,
A heart that always feels Thy blood
So freely shed for me.
A heart resigned, submissive, meek,
My great Redeemer’s throne,
Where only Christ is heard to speak,
Where Jesus reigns alone.
A humble, lowly, contrite, heart,
Believing, true and clean,
Which neither life nor death can part
From Christ who dwells within.
A heart in every thought renewed
And full of love divine,
Perfect and right and pure and good,
A copy, Lord, of Thine.
Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart;
Come quickly from above;
Write Thy new name upon my heart,
Thy new, best name of Love.
SONG: O THOU WHO CAMEST FROM ABOVE
Artist: Cantus Choro, Peter Chapman (dir), Geoffrey Cox (organ)
Words/Music: C Wesley/SS Wesley
Label: Move 743142
O Thou who camest from above,
the pure celestial fire to impart
kindle a flame of sacred love
upon the mean altar of my heart.
There let it for thy glory burn
with inextinguishable blaze,
and trembling to its source return,
in humble prayer and fervent praise.
Jesus, confirm my heart's desire
to work and speak and think for thee;
still let me guard the holy fire,
and still stir up thy gift in me.
Ready for all thy perfect will,
my acts of faith and love repeat,
till death thy endless mercies seal,
and make my sacrifice complete.
SONG: FATHER OF EVERLASTING GRACE
Artist: Choir of Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, John Chapman (dir), Keith Beniston (organ)
Words/Music: C Wesley/Reay
Recording: Abbey 280828
Father of everlasting grace,
Thy goodness and Thy truth we praise,
Thy goodness and Thy truth we prove;
Thou hast, in honor 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: AND CAN IT BE
Artist: Choir of Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, John Chapman (dir), Keith Beniston (organ)
Words/Music: C Wesley/Campbell
Label: Abbey 280828
And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? [Repeat last two lines]
'Tis mystery all! Th'Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine!
'Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more. [Repeat last two lines]
He left His Father's throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam's helpless race;
'Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me. [Repeat last two lines]
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee. [Repeat last two lines]
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own. [Repeat last two lines]
