catherine winkworth

Cry to you

Posted by sara-garrard

Last Catherine Winkworth song from this week. Again with harmonies! (… This is really not such a big deal, but I’ve been recording so many things live with just one instrument and voice lately that it is quite the change for me.)

I’ve realised both this and “Lost in darkness” are from the “penitence” section of her hymn book … slightly different musical moods at least though!

Some of these especially recently I have been adapting the lyrics a little more – usually just to modernise the language, or to give shape like add a chorus or as here a repeated line at the end of verse.

Lord Jesus Christ, in you alone,
My only hope on earth I place,
For other help I have none,
No comfort I but in your grace.
There is no man nor creature here,
No angel in the heav’nly sphere,
Who at my need can rescue me.
I cry to you,
I cry to you.

My sin is sore and very great,
I weep and mourn its load beneath;
O free me from its heavy weight,
My Saviour, through your precious death;
And with the Father for me plead,
You that have suffered in my stead,
And from my burden set me free.
I cry to you,
I cry to you.

Glory to God in highest heaven,
The Father of eternal love;
To His dear Son for sinners given,
Whose watchful grace we daily prove;
To God, the Holy Ghost on high;
Oh, ever be His comfort nigh,
And ever, free from sin and fear,
We cry to you,
We cry to you.

Original words by Johannes Schneesing, English translation by Catherine Winkworth, adapted by Sara Garrard

Lost in darkness and in dangers

Posted by sara-garrard

Did I say I’ve been doing quite a few Catherine Winkworth songs lately? Piano and voice and again harmonies today, yay!

1. Lost in darkness and in dangers,
Round me strangers,
Through an alien land I roam.
Outward trials, bitter losses,
Inward crosses,
I have wandered far from home.

See the fetters that have bound me,
Snares surround me,
Free the captive, hear my call;
I know from sin my soul I never
Can deliver,
I am weak and helpless all.

2. Sin of courage has bereft me,
And has left me
Scarce a spark of faith or hope;
Bitter tears my heart is shedding
I am dreading
I am past Thy mercy’s scope.

Jesus, pitying Saviour, hear me,
Oh draw near me,
Turn, Lord, in grace to me;
For you know of all my sorrow,
Night and morrow
Will my cry go up to Thee.

3. Peace I cannot find, oh take me,
Lord, and make me
From the yoke of evil free;
Calm this longing never-sleeping,
Still my weeping,
Grant me hope once more to see.

You, my God and King, have known me,
Yet have shown me
True and loving is your will;
Though my heart, it often ranges,
Through its changes,
Lord, your love is faithful still.

4. In the patience that you lend me,
All you send me,
I embrace, I will be still;
Bend this stubborn heart I pray you
To obey you,
Calmly waiting on your will,

Here I bring my life, oh take it,
Yours, Lord, make it,
Calm this troubled heart of mine;
In your strength I too may conquer,
Wait no longer,
Show in me your grace Divine.

Original words by Gerhard Tersteegen, English translation by Catherine Winkworth, adapted by Sara Garrard

Light of light, enlighten me / With us abide

Posted by sara-garrard

Two more Catherine Winkworth songs, one with simple voice and ukulele, the other a very short one but with two actual vocal lines.

Light of light, enlighten me,
Now anew the day is dawning;
Sun of grace, the shadows flee;
Brighten thou my Sabbath morning;
With thy joyous sunshine blest,
Happy is my day of rest.

Fount of all our joy and peace,
To thy living waters lead me;
Thou from earth my soul release,
And with grace and mercy feed me;
Bless thy Word, that it may prove
Rich in fruits that thou dost love.

Let me with my heart today,
“Holy, Holy, Holy,” singing,
Rapt awhile from earth away,
All my soul to thee upspringing,
Have a foretaste inly given
How they worship thee in heaven.

Hence all care, all vanity,
For the day to God is holy;
Come, thou glorious Majesty,
Deign to fill this temple lowly;
Naught today my soul shall move,
Simply resting in thy love.

Words by Benjamin Schmolck, English translation by Catherine Winkworth

Lord Jesu Christ, with us abide,
For round us falls the ev’ning tide;
Nor let Thy Word, our glorious light,
For us be ever veil’d in night.

In these dark days that yet remain,
May we Thy Sacraments maintain,
And keep Thy Word still free and pure,
And steadfast in the faith endure.

Words by Selnecker, English translation by Catherine Winkworth

In our Lord we all are one (Heart and heart together

Posted by sara-garrard

Here is another Catherine Winkworth song! I decided to record some voca harmonies for this one… — also drums, bass and that’s actually my on ukulele doing the electric guitar noodling hehe.

I sometimes do sound desk at church (you know, back when we went to a building for church!) … putting this together felt quite like that; I did a bunch of live play throughs and tried to balance things out.

I really enjoy this one … it is a little strange and melancholy going solo on a song about church unity and togetherness for sure though!

Heart and heart together bound,
Seek in God your true repose,
In your love the price be found
Of your Saviour’s love and woes;

We the body, He the Head,
We the rays and He the Sun,
Brethren, by our Master led,
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.

Children of His realm, draw near,
Make your covenant stronger still,
From your hearts allegiance swear
Unto Him who conquer’d ill.

We the body, He the Head,
We the rays and He the Sun,
Brethren, by our Master led,
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.

Only such love will suffice,
As the love that dwells in Him,
Love that from the cross ne’er flies,
Love that spares not life or limb:

We the body, He the Head,
We the rays and He the Sun,
Brethren, by our Master led,
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.

Let us live, O Lord, at one,
As you with the Father are,
That through all the world be none
Of your members left apart.

We the body, He the Head,
We the rays and He the Sun,
Brethren, by our Master led,
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.

O Love

Posted by sara-garrard

Speaking of #CatherineWinkworthSongbook, I don’t seem to have put this one up on the blog, so I better, to add it to the list:

O LOVE WHO MADE ME

O Love, who made me for to wear
The image of Thy Godhead here;
Who sought me out with tender care
Through all my wand’rings wild and drear–
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be

O Love, who ere life’s earliest dawn
On me Thy choice hast gently laid;
O Love, who here as man wast born,
And like to us in all things made–
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

O Love, who once in Time wast slain,
Pierced through and through with bitter woe;
O Love, who, wrestling thus didst gain
That we eternal joy might know–
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

O Love, in whom is truth and light,
And Word and Spirit, life and power,        
Whose heart was bared to them that smite,
  To shield us in our trial hour;
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

O Love, who thus hast bound me fast
Beneath that easy/gentle yoke of Thine;
Love, who hast conquered me at last,
And rapt away this heart of mine–
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

Angelus Silesius (1657), English translation by Catherine Winkworth (slightly adapted)

Abide among us

Posted by sara-garrard

Since I posted a throwback that must mean I have NEW music, yes?

Yes!  Sort of.  I sketched out another four Catherine Winkworth hymns on the piano yesterday, and here is one of them, the most coherent recording~  I might try and cut together the others or re record sometime.  This has a nice pretty tune and some lovely unnecessary doodles!

I’ve branched out!  We’re now doing general purpose hymns not just Christmas 😛  I found the entire Chorale book for England with hundreds of these so I AM UNSTOPPABLE…..  what shall I do with all these??

Abide among us with Thy grace,
Lord Jesus, evermore,
Nor let us e’er to sin give place,
Nor grieve Him we adore.
Abide among us with Thy word,
Redeemer, whom we love,
Thy help and mercy here afford,
And life with Thee above.

Abide among us with Thy ray,
O Light that lightens all,
And let Thy truth preserve our way,
Nor suffer us to fall.
Abide with us to bless us still,
O bounteous Lord of peace;
With grace and power our souls fulfill,
Our faith and love increase.

Abide among us as our shield,
O Captain of Thy host;
That to the world we may not yield,
Nor e’er forsake our post.
Abide with us in faithful love,
Our God and Saviour be,
Thy help at need, oh, let us prove,
And keep us true to Thee.

In Peace and Joy

Posted by sara-garrard

Catherine Winkworth was a hymn writer/translator/poet who lived in Bristol in the 1800s. I’ve been going to her words/translations for a lot of inspiration for hymn tunes of various kinds.

This is… between doodle and more… an upgraded doodle!  Well—a composed tune last week, a fairly quick recording, then edited and sketched in a couple more lines.  The singing and piano I recorded live in church yesterday, which unfortunately means I can’t do anything about the balance there or anything else, but it’s a lovely piano sound 🙂

lyrics

In peace and joy I now depart,
According to God’s will,
For full of comfort is my heart,
So calm and sweet and still;
So doth God His promise keep,
And death for me is but a sleep.

’T is Christ hath wrought this work for me,
Thy dear and only son,
Whom Thou hast suffer’d me to see,
And made Him surely known
As my Help when trouble’s rife,
And even in death itself my Life.

For Thou In mercy unto all
Hast set this Saviour forth;
And to His kingdom Thou dost call
The nations of the earth
Through His blessed wholesome Word,
That now in every place is heard.

He is the heathens’ saving Light,
And He will gently lead
Those who now know Thee not aright,
And in His pastures feed;
While His people’s joy He is,
Their Sun, their glory, and their bliss.