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.
Lord, pour your Holy Spirit
Lord, pour your Holy Spirit
Lord, pour your Holy Spirit here today
as we baptize those who walk your way.
Lord, keep them faithful
to the promise they make to you
that they may find your
faithfulness in all they go through.
With Christ as their friend,
they're safe to the end!
Lord, pour your Holy Spirit on them now,
as we baptize those who take this vow.
As water washes
over them, equip with your power:
that they will know you,
Father, Son and Spirit this hour;
that they will be true
forever to you:
Lord, pour your Holy Spirit on them all,
as we baptize those who hear your call.
We thank you for
the water that refreshes and cleans,
that drowns the sinful
nature and makes us kings and queens
arrayed at your throne
through Jesus your own
Lord, pour your Holy Spirit, send your flame
as we baptize those who call your name.
Words copyright © John Hartley 2005.
NB: These words are still being critiqued, and they may be changed in the future.
Story behind the song
This song is supposed to go in place of the "prayer over the water" at a baptism service, which (in the Church of England) is quite long, has a lot of complicated imagery, and can be difficult to manage. There have been calls for this prayer to be omitted, or at least replaced with something more accessible. However, I recently heard someone - I think he was a bishop - say that the complaints were usually from lively charismatics who had music groups which sang long praise songs! So he responded by challenging such people to write a song which would do the same job. At that point the complainers usually shut up.
So I'm one who has taken the challenge on board. The song aims to have a little imagery, but not so much as in the traditional prayer. It is supposed to be long enough to cover the pouring of water into the font and testing its temperature, and maybe also to cover a procession by the minister and candidates to the font (which may be in a distant part of the building). It's my hope that the tune is easy enough for a congregation to pick up without difficulty.
The tune is by Smetana - part of his Ma Vlast suite - Vltava, which is a portrait of the river which flows through his homeland. So for those who know classical music, the music of a river will make a connection with the theology of baptism.
The song majors on the profession of faith by the candidates themselves. In that sense it is more directed at an adult baptism service than at infant baptism. In the Church of England, adult baptism is usually combined with confirmation.
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.