Autumn harvest Photo: R Jaquiery
In today's programme a Jewish cantor and a Methodist minister join forces, we've settings of Psalms 34 and 148, and there are hymns by New Zealand hymn writers Shirley Murray and David Burt.
SONG: PRAISE THE LORD OF HEAVEN
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Rupert Gough (dir), Malcolm Archer (organ)
Words/Music: Dudley-Smith/Archer
Recording: Hyperion 112101
Praise the Lord of heaven!
praise him in the height;
praise him, all his angels;
praise him, hosts of light;!
Sun and moon together,
shining stars aflame,
planets in their courses,
magnify his name!
Earth and ocean, praise him;
mountains, hills and trees;
fire and hail and tempest,
wind and storm and seas.
Praise him, field and forests,
birds on flashing wings,
praise him, beasts and cattle,
all created things.
Now by prince and people,
let his praise be told;
praise him, men and maidens,
praise him, young and old.
He, the Lord of glory!
We, his praise proclaim!
High above all heavens
magnify his name!
SONG: THE GOD OF ABRAHAM PRAISE
Artist: Cantus Choro
Words/Music: Anon adapted Olivers/Lyon, Olivers
Recording: Move MD 3032
The God of Abraham praise,
who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of Everlasting Days,
and God of Love;
Jehovah, great I AM!
by earth and heaven confessed;
I bow and bless the sacred name
forever blest.
The God who reigns on high
the great archangels sing,
and "Holy, holy, holy!" cry
"Almighty King!
Who was, and is, the same,
and evermore shall be:
Jehovah, Lord, the great I AM,
we worship thee!"
The whole triumphant host
give thanks to God on high;
‘Hail! Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,’
they ever cry:
Hail! Abraham’s God, and mine!
(I join the heavenly lays)
all might and majesty are thine,
and endless praise.
SONG: THROUGH ALL THE CHANGING SCENES OF LIFE
Artist: Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral Edinburgh
Words/Music: Anon/Smart
Recording: Priory PRCD 376
Through all the changing scenes of life,
in trouble and in joy,
the praises of my God shall still
my heart and tongue employ.
O magnify the Lord with me,
with me exalt his name;
when in distress to him I called,
he to my rescue came.
The hosts of God encamp around
the dwellings of the just;
deliverance he affords to all
who on his succour trust.
O make but trial of his love;
experience will decide
how blest are they, and only they
who in his truth confide.
Fear him, ye saints, and you will then
have nothing else to fear;
make you his service your delight;
your wants shall be his care.
To father, son and Holy Ghost
The God whom we adore
Be glory, as it was, is now
And shall be evermore.
SONG: LOOK IN WONDER
Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (dir), Michael Bell (piano)
Words/Music: Murray/Strathdee
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941300
Look in wonder, hold in honour
all the beauty of the earth!
World, surrender to her splendor:
God's own blessing for her birth;
sense and savour every color,
every season, sun to star,
see the measure of this treasure,
all we nurture, all we mar.
Every creature by its nature
shares the cycle, life's design,
every human, man and woman
joins the circle, moves the line;
look in horror, look in anger--
these are lifestreams we destroy!
Tree and river gone forever,
bird and flower dead to joy.
In this garden, Eve and Adam
still are given time and place,
ours to cherish, our to nourish,
ocean, water, land and space;
God, unnerve us, God, forgive us:
how we plunder, waste and war!
Give new meaning to earth's greening,
that the beauty thrives once more.
SONG: SAVIOUR, I HEARD YOUR VOICE GENTLY SAY
Artist: Colla Voce (Havelock North High School)
Words/Music: David Burt
Recording: RNZ
Refrain:
Saviour, I heard your voice gently say:
Seek you my face, come, walk, child, with me;
Lord Jesus Christ, thy face will I seek,
My heart replies in worship to thee.
Hear, O my Lord, when I call with my voice,
have mercy upon me and answer my cry
In your sweet presence my heart will rejoice,
to our tender call my heart will reply.
Refrain:
Hide not thy face from me, oh Lord
and turn not thy servant in anger away;
My constant help thou hast been till today
so do not forsake me or leave me, oh God.
Refrain:
In your great mercy teach me your way
and out of your paths let me never depart.
Wait on the Lord, be of courage, I say,
and his loving kindness shall strengthen your heart.
Refrain:
SONG: O CHRIST THE SAME
Artist: Choir of Portsmouth Cathedral, David Price (dir), David Thorne (organ)
Words/Music: Dudley-Smith/Trad
Recording: Herald HAVPCD 205
O Christ the same, through all our story's pages,
our loves and hopes, our failures and our fears;
eternal Lord, the King of all the ages,
unchanging still, amid the passing years:
O living Word, the source of all creation,
who spread the skies, and set the stars ablaze;
O Christ the same, who wrought our whole salvation,
we bring our thanks for all our yesterdays.
O Christ the same, the friend of sinners, sharing
our inmost thoughts, the secrets none can hide;
still as of old upon your body bearing
the marks of love, in triumph glorified:
O Son of Man, who stooped for us from heaven,
O Prince of life, in all your saving power,
O Christ the same, to whom our hearts are given,
we bring our thanks for this the present hour.
O Christ the same, secure within whose keeping
our lives and loves, our days and years remain,
our work and rest, our waking and our sleeping,
our calm and storm, our pleasure and our pain:
O Lord of love, for all our joys and sorrows,
for all our hopes, when earth shall fade and flee,
O Christ the same, beyond our brief tomorrows,
we bring our thanks for all that is to be.
SONG: GLORIOUS THINGS OF THEE ARE SPOKEN
Artist: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Newton/Taylor
Recording: EMI 948306
Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God;
he whose word cannot be broken
formed thee for his own abode;
on the rock of ages founded,
what can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
thou may'st smile at all thy foes.
See! the streams of living waters,
springing form eternal love,
well supply thy sons and daughters
and all fear of want remove.
Who can faint, when such a river
ever flows their thirst to assuage?
Grace which, like the Lord, the giver,
never fails from age to age.
Saviour, if of Zion's city,
I through grace a member am,
let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in thy name.
Fading is the worldling's pleasure,
all his boasted pomp and show;
solid joys and lasting treasure
none but Zion's children know.
SONG: THINE BE THE GLORY
Artist: Choir of Portsmouth Cathedral, David Price (dir), David Thorne (organ)
Words/Music: Budry trans Hoyle/Handel
Recording: Herald HAVPCD 205
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory, thou o'er death hast won;
angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay.
Refrain:
Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son,
Endless is the vict'ry, thou o'er death hast won.
Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.
Refrain:
No more we doubt thee, glorious prince of life;
life is naught without thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conquerors, through thy deathless love:
bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above.
Refrain:
