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.
When the fortunes
When the fortunes
When the fortunes of Jerusalem were turned around by God,
like the dead restored to life who start to dance instead of plod,
all our tongues were filled with singing, and the heathen thought it odd
that we should praise his name:
Glory be to God the Father,
Glory be to Christ the Saviour,
Glory to the Holy Spirit;
for evermore the same.
Then they said among the heathen: "God the Lord has done this thing!
It is he who did great things for them and that is why they sing,
and throughout the land of Judah we will hear their praises ring,
as they proclaim his name!"
Glory be ...
Come and turn again our fortunes: that was then, but this is now,
and although you saved in history we sometimes wonder how,
and we need to feel your presence when we're sad, to make us bow
and recognise your name:
Glory be ...
For the ones who sow in weeping, yet who bear your precious seeds,
and in tears commit to working, never mind pernicious weeds:
they shall come again in gladness knowing you have met their needs,
for glorious is your name!
Glory be ...
Words copyright © John Hartley 2007.
Suggested tune as below - please help me identify it!
Story behind the song
This song arose from a request on the COIN (Christians on the Internet) music e-mail discussion list, for metrical canticles suitable for singing as part of the Easter Vigil. Psalm 126 is one of them. You can find the full scheme by following this link.
The psalm naturally falls into two halves - the first looking back to the great acts of God in the past, the second praying that God would act similarly in our day. The "Battle Hymn" is the right note of victory for verses 1, 2 and 4 ... but perhaps it should be muted somehow in verse 3 (hence the minor variation).
Please note that this version of the "Battle Hymn", if compared to Noel Tredinnick's version (Hymns for Today's Church No 208) has an extra dotted quaver at the beginning of the first line of each verse.
John Hartley.
Windows Media Player. When you click the left-hand "play" button your computer should have started to play the tune. If it didn't, you might be able to get the tune by clicking here, or by right-clicking the link, choosing "save target as", saving it onto your computer, and then opening it with a music-playing program.
Please remember that a midi file of a tune isn't supposed to be a state-of-the-art musical arrangement - it is only supposed to give a basic idea of how the tune goes. Any reasonable organist / keyboard player / music group could make it sound far better.