This page is provided so that you can hear the tunes of items which we use in church. Mostly they are written by the vicar. Please note that they are copyright - we are very happy to give permission to you to use them, but we would like to hear about it. Please include any use on your Christian Copyright Licence returns.
Down this page:
- the words,
- the story,
- the sheet music,
- media player.
Easter Vigil Songs
This page is to explain the origin of the next few songs displayed on this web site. They arise from a member of the COIN (Christians on the Internet) Music e-mail discussion list asking for "metrical canticles" which could be used at the Easter Vigil service. The Church of England's "Lent - Holy Week - Easter" book (authorised by the House of Bishops as one of the follow-up volumes to the Alternative Services Book 1980) lists the psalms / canticles below to follow the readings in the Vigil (page 242 and following). There are some obvious metrical versions, and I have had a lot of fun setting others of them to well-known tunes.
I am presuming these are the ones which are meant:
1. Psalm 33:1-9.
2. Psalm 130.
3. Psalm 46.
4. Psalm 16:8-end
5. "Let us sing to the Lord" from Exodus 15
6. "Listen O heavens" from Deut 32
7. Psalm 30
8. "I will praise you Lord" from Isaiah 12
9. Psalm 23
10. Psalm 19:7-end
11. Psalm 42:1-7
12. Psalm 126
(13 & 14 have no psalm or canticle set.)
So here are some metrical versions of them, both traditional ones and new suggestions:
| 1. Psalm 33:1-9 |
105. Rejoice in the Lord, all you righteous ones
Original tune by John Hartley. |
| 2. Psalm 130 |
108. Out of the depths I call (in two versions)
Tune: "Little Cornard" (Martin Shaw) ("Hills of the north, rejoice"). |
| 3. Psalm 46 | "God is our strength and refuge" by Richard Bewes (MP 188)
Tune: Dambusters March. |
| 4. Psalm 16:8-end | 106. I have set the Lord always before me,
Tune by C B Jutson 1870-1930, Methodist Hymn Book (1933) No. 857 & Baptist Praise & Worship (1991) No. 200. ("God has given a book full of stories"). |
| 5. "Let us sing to the Lord"
from Exodus 15. | 107. Let's sing to God our maker
Tune: The British Grenadiers. Rev'd Ally Barrett has also set this canticle to music: you can find her words at http://allybarrett.blogspot.com/2007/02/song-of-moses-and-miriam.html |
| 6. "Listen O heavens"
from Deuteronomy 32. | 112. Listen O heavens (Dt 32:1-4)
Tune: Bunessan. ("Morning has broken") 113. Attend, O heavens! (precis of the whole chapter) Original tune by John Hartley. |
| 7. Psalm 30 | 109. God, the LORD, I bring my worship
Tune: Stenka Razin. |
| 8. "I will praise you Lord"
from Isaiah 12. | 111. I will praise you Lord
Tune: Noel. ("It came upon a midnight clear") |
| 9. Psalm 23 | "The Lord's my shepherd" or
"The King of Love my shepherd is" or a number of more modern settings. |
| 10. Psalm 19:7-end | "The Law of the Lord is perfect" (Songs & Hymns of Fellowship 514 - Kingsway) arranged by Margaret Evans but original author unknown.
|
| 11. Psalm 42:1-7 | "As the deer" (MP 37) by Martin Nystrom, or
"As pants the hart for cooling streams" Tate & Brady (A&MR 314). |
| 12. Psalm 126 | 110. When the fortunes of Jerusalem. Tune: "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (with a section in the minor mode). |