It's Trinity Sunday, and this week's selection begins with Reginald Heber's great Trinitarian hymn Holy, holy, holy. There's also a hymn by New Zealand composer Jenny McLeod, and a contemporary setting by Howard Goodall of Charles Wesley's Love divine all love's excelling.
Holy Trinity Icon (Andrej Rublëv)'s riza Photo: CC-BY-SA-3.0 / Shakko
SONG: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
Artist: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Heber/Dykes
Recording: Argo 414609
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
who wert and art and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in power, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
SONG: THOU WHOSE ALMIGHTY WORD
Artist: Scottish Festival Singers
Words/Music: Marriott/Giardini
Recording: Whole World Media Group
Thou, whose almighty word
Chaos and darkness heard,
And took their flight;
Hear us, we humbly pray,
And, where the gospel’s day
Sheds not its glorious ray,
Let there be light!
Thou, who didst come to bring
On thy redeeming wing
Healing and sight,
Health to the sick in mind,
Sight to the inly blind,
O now, to all mankind,
Let there be light!
Spirit of truth and love,
Life giving, holy dove,
Speed forth thy flight;
Move on the water’s face
Bearing the lamp of grace,
And, in earth’s darkest place,
Let there be light!
Blessèd and holy three,
Glorious trinity,
Wisdom, love, might!
Boundless as ocean’s tide,
Rolling in fullest pride,
Through the world far and wide,
Let there be light!
SONG: FATHER MOST HOLY
Artist: Choir of Girton College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Dreamer
Recording: Priory PRCD 717
Father most holy, merciful, and tender;
Jesus, our Savior, with the Father reigning;
Spirit of comfort, advocate, defender,
Light never waning:
Trinity blessed, unity unshaken,
Goodness unbounded, very God of heaven,
Light of the angels, joy of those forsaken,
Hope of all living,
Maker of all things, all Thy creatures praise Thee;
All for Thy worship were and are created;
Now, as we also worship Thee devoutly,
Hear Thou our voices.
Lord God Almighty, unto Thee be glory,
One in three persons, over all exalted!
Glory we offer, praise Thee and adore Thee,
Now and forever,
Amen.
SONG: FIRMLY I BELIEVE AND TRULY
Artist: Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, Richard Marlow (dir), Christopher Allsop (organ)
Words/Music: Newman/Trad arr Vaughan Williams
Recording: Priory 723
Firmly I believe and truly
God is three, and God is one;
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the son.
And I trust and hope most fully
In that manhood crucified;
And each thought and deed unruly
Do to death, as he has died.
Simply to his grace and wholly
Light and life and strength belong,
And I love supremely, solely,
Him the holy, him the strong.
And I hold in veneration,
For the love of him alone,
Holy church as his creation,
And her teachings are his own.
Adoration aye be given,
With and through the angelic host,
To the God of earth and heaven,
Father, son and Holy Ghost.
SONG: THANK YOU FOR THE NIGHT
Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (dir), Michael Bell (piano)
Words/Music: Jenny McLeod
Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941300
Thank you for the night
that will bring us the dawn,
Alleluia, bright is our Redeemer.
Thank you for the light
that reveals where we are,
Alleluia, kindly is our Comforter.
Thank you for the wind
when we open the door,
Alleluia, cleansing breath of God from afar.
Thank you for the sea
that surrounds and enfolds,
Alleluia, God our refuge and mother.
Thank you for the sky
when we lift up our heads,
Alleluia, high and free our Saviour.
Thank you for the earth
giving sweetness to all,
Alleluia, God our life, our sustainer.
SONG: YE WATCHERS AND YE HOLY ONES
Artist: Elora Festival Singers, Noel Edison (dir), Matthew Larkin (organ)
Words/Music: Riley/Anon arr Willan
Recording: Naxos 8.557734
Ye watchers and ye holy ones,
Bright seraphs, cherubim and thrones,
Raise the glad strain, Alleluia!
Cry out, dominions, princedoms, powers,
Virtues, archangels, angels’ choirs:
Refrain:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!
O higher than the cherubim,
More glorious than the seraphim,
Lead their praises, Alleluia!
Thou bearer of th’eternal Word,
Most gracious, magnify the Lord.
Refrain:
Respond, ye souls in endless rest,
Ye patriarchs and prophets blest,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Ye holy twelve, ye martyrs strong,
All saints triumphant, raise the song.
Refrain:
O friends, in gladness let us sing,
Supernal anthems echoing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
To God the father, God the son,
And God the spirit, three in one.
Refrain:
LET US WITH A GLADSOME MIND
Artist: Choir of Wakefield Cathedral, Jonathan Bielby, Louise Marsh (organ)
Words/Music: Milton/Antes adapted Wilkes
Recording: Priory PRCD 711
Let us, with a gladsome mind,
praise the Lord, for he is kind:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
Let us blaze his name abroad,
for of gods he is the God:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
He with all commanding might
filled the new-made world with light:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
He the golden-tressèd sun
caused all day his course to run:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
And the hornèd moon by night,
mid her spangled sisters bright:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
All things living he doth feed,
his full hand supplies their need:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
Let us, with a gladsome mind,
praise the Lord, for he is kind:
for his mercies aye endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
SONG: LOVE DIVINE, ALL LOVES EXCELLING
Artist: Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, London Musici, Howard Goodall
Words/Music: C Wesley/Goodall
Recording: EMI 215047
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion;
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
into every troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit;
let us find the promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.
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.
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