Sing along this week to hymns marking the Feast of the Transfiguration (6 August).
Photo: Joe Porter
SONG: WHEN MORNING GILDS THE SKIES
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Anon trans Edward Caswall/Joseph Barnby
Recording: Griffin GCCD 410
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!
My tongue shall never tire
Of chanting in the choir
May Jesus Christ be praised!
This song of sacred joy
That never seems to cloy,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Does sadness fill my mind?
A solace here I find,
May Jesus Christ be praised;
Or fades my earthly bliss?
My comfort still is this,
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: IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE
Artist: Choir of Truro Cathedral
Words/Music: Walter Smith/Trad
Recording: Priory PRCD 710
Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might:
thy justice, like mountains high soaring above;
thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all, life thou givest, to both great and small.
In all life thou livest, the true life of all.
We blossom and flourish like leaves on the tree,
then wither and perish; but naught changeth thee.
Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light,
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render: O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.
SONG: CHRIST WHOSE GLORY FILLS THE SKIES
Artist: St Michael’s Singers
Words/Music: Charles Wesley/Henry Smart
Recording: Kingsway KMCD 891
Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only light,
Sun of righteousness, arise,
Triumph o’er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Day star, in my heart appear.
Dark and cheerless is the morn
Unaccompanied by thee;
Joyless is the day’s return
Till thy mercy’s beams I see;
Till they inward light impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.
Visit then this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, radiancy divine,
Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.
SONG: BE STILL, FOR THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD
Artist: London Fox Singers
Words/Music: David Evans
Recording: Elevation 2014
Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
the holy one, is here;
Come bow before him now
with reverence and fear:
In him no sin is found
we stand on holy ground.
Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
the holy one, is here.
Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around;
He burns with holy fire,
with splendour he is crowned:
How awesome is the sight
our radiant king of light!
Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around.
Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place;
He comes to cleanse and heal,
to minister his grace
No work too hard for him
In faith receive from him
Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place.
SONG: LET ALL MORTAL FLESH KEEP SILENCE
Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey, James O’Donnell (dir), Robert Quinney (organ)
Words/Music: Anon paraphrased Moultrie/Trad
Recording: Hyperion 712801
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary,
as of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
in the body and the blood,
he will give to all the faithful
his own self for heavenly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.
At his feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia, Lord most high!
SONG: PSALM 96 (O SING UNTO THE LORD A NEW SONG)
Artist: Choir of St John’s Elora
Words/Music: Psalm 96/Atkins
Recording: Naxos 8.573421
O sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the whole earth.
Sing unto the Lord, and praise his name; be telling of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his honour unto the heathen, and his wonders unto all peoples.
For the Lord is great, and cannot worthily be praised; he is more to be feared than all gods.
As for all the gods of the heathen, they are but idols; but it is the Lord that made the heavens.
Glory and worship are before him; power and honour are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the peoples, ascribe unto the Lord worship and power.
Ascribe unto the Lord the honour due unto his name; bring presents, and come into his courts.
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth stand in awe of him.
Tell it out among the heathen, that the Lord is King, and that it is he who hath made the round world so fast that it cannot be moved; and how that he shall judge the peoples righteously.
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea make a noise, and all that therein is.
Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it; then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord.
For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; and with righteousness to judge the world, and the peoples with his truth.
Amen.
SONG: WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS
Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Catherine Palmer (dir), Ronald Jordan (organ)
Words/Music: John Monsell/J Rheinhardt
Recording: Marquis 181175
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
bow down before Him, His glory proclaim;
gold of obedience and incense of lowliness
bring, and adore him; the Lord is his Name!
Low at his feet lay thy burden of carefulness,
high on his heart he will bear it for thee,
comfort thy sorrows, and answer thy prayerfulness,
guiding thy steps as may best for thee be.
Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
of the poor wealth thou wouldst reckon as thine;
truth in its beauty, and love in its tenderness,
these are the offerings to lay on His shrine.
These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
he will accept for the Name that is dear;
mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
trust for our trembling, and hope for our fear.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
bow down before Him, His glory proclaim;
gold of obedience and incense of lowliness
bring, and adore him; the Lord is his Name!
SONG: CHRIST IS THE WORLD’S LIGHT
Artist: Napier Civic Choir
Words/Music: Fred Pratt Green/Anon
Recording: Private CD 814
Christ is the world's light, Christ and none other;
born in our darkness, he became our brother.
If we have seen him, we have seen the Father:
Glory to God on high!
Christ is the world's peace, Christ and none other;
no one can serve him and despise another.
Who else unites us, one with God the Father?
Glory to God on high!
Christ is the world's life, Christ and none other;
sold once for silver, murdered here, our brother.
He who redeemed us, reigns with God the Father:
Glory to God on high!
Give God the glory, God and none other;
give God the glory, Spirit, Son and Father;
give God the glory, God with us, our brother:
Glory to God on high!
SONG: LOVE DIVINE, ALL LOVES EXCELLING
Artist: Cambridge Singers, John Rutter (dir), John Scott (organ)
Words/Music: Charles Wesley/Rowland Prichard
Recording: Collegium 880126
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.
