hymn

Catherine Winkworth (et al) musical hymns 2022

Posted by sara-garrard

Flicking through the Lyra Eucharistica to sketch out things for the Catherine Winkworth songbook… actually most of the texts there aren’t Winkworth translations, but by a happy coincidence I ended up with one by her and two by another poet who I’ve actually set before as part of Between in God’s eternity.

Sketches below:

  1. Daily Bread (Adelaide Anne Procter)
  2. Oh how could I forget him (translation by Catherine Winkworth)
  3. I do not ask O Lord (Adelaide Anne Procter)

We had La La Bar – open mic musical theatre – the other night, where I played piano, and I think you might be able to hear a bit of influence of that style here. Not that “musical theatre” is a style exactly, but … styles, and the third one is very specifically wanting a full-on Sondheim accompaniment if I could sing and play it at the same time. So they’re actually pretty much not super-congregational-friendly in this case.

1.

Daily Bread

Give us our daily Bread,
O God, the Bread of Strength
For we have learnt to know
How weak we are at length :
As children we are weak,
As children must be fed ;
Give us Thy Grace, O Lord,
To be our daily Bread.

Continue reading →

Long did I toil (ukulele version)

Posted by sara-garrard

Been doing a bunch new little folk songs and hymn rewrites — but here’s one from a bit ago that I wrote on piano, that also works perfectly well on ukulele.

“Long did I toil”   
By Henry Francis Lyte

LONG did I toil, and knew no earthly rest,   
Far did I rove, and find no certain home;
At last I sought them in His sheltering breast,   
Who spreads His arms and bids the weary come:
With Him I found a home, a rest Divine,
And I since them am His, and He is mine.
Yes I since them am His, and He is mine.  

Yes, He is mine—and nought of earthly things   
Nor all the charms of pleasure, wealth, or power,
The fame of heroes or the pomp of kings,   
Could tempt me to forget His love one hour.
Go, worthless world, I cry, with all that’s thine:
I my Saviour’s am, and He is mine.
I my Saviour’s am, and He is mine.

Whate’er may change, in Him no change is seen;   
A glorious sun that wanes not nor declines;
Above the clouds and storms He walks serene,   
And sweetly on His people’s darkness shines:
Changes may come; I take or I resign,
Content while I am His and He is mine,
while I am His and He is mine.

Couple more hymns

Posted by sara-garrard

A few more hymns, not by Winkworth —

“God of mercy, God of grace”
By Henry Francis Lyte
GOD of mercy, God of grace,
Show the brightness of Thy face:
Shine upon us, Saviour, shine;
Fill Thy Church with light divine;
And Thy saving health extend,
Unto earth’s remotest end.

Let the people praise Thee, Lord;
Be by all that live adored;
Let the nations shout and sing
Glory to their Saviour King;
At Thy feet their tributes pay,
And Thy holy will obey.
 
Let the people praise Thee, Lord,
Earth shall then her fruits afford;
God to man His blessing give;
Man to God devoted live;
All below, and all above,
One in joy and light and love.
Continue reading →

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

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)

Another for the Winkworth songbook

Posted by sara-garrard

This is the first Catherine Winkworth hymn that I actually wrote on ukulele, and it’s got a nice chill feel I think. I also had a go at modernising the language slightly here, and a few line rewrites of my own for rhymes that I broke on the way.

God, you are my rock of strength

God, you are my rock of strength,
And my home is in your arms,
You will send me help at length,
And I will feel no wild alarms.
Sin nor Death can pierce the shield
Your defence has o’er me thrown,
Up to you myself I yield,
And my sorrows are your own.

When my trials are too long,
Unto you I look and wait,
Knowing none, though keen and strong,
Can my faith in you abate,
And this faith I long have nursed,
Comes from you, a gift so free;
You my heart did open first,
You have set this hope in me.

‘Neath the shadow of your wings
Keep me ever close to you,
In the peace your mercy brings,
Keep me all my journey through;
Be my All, in all I do,
Let me ever seek your will.
Where the heart to God is true,
All is peaceful, calm, and still.

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.