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.
He will come
He will come
Hear the words the prophets sing
of the coming of their King:
'He will come! He will come!
Lift your voices higher!
He will come, Messiah!
Bringing peace, bringing light,
banishing darkest night,
come, O come, Messiah!
Hear the Baptist's lonely cry:
'See, the Saviour passes by!
He has come! He has come!'
John in words of fire
baptizes Messiah!
Hear the words, see the dove
God has sent from above.
'Hear my Son, Messiah!'
Hear the Lord's compelling voice:
'Come to me and make your choice!
I have come! I have come!
Born in humble byre,
I have come, Messiah!'
Son of God, from the grave
he will rise, strong to save.
Worship him, Messiah!
In the future we will hear
angels singing, sweet and clear:
'He returns! He returns!'
See your heart's desire
come again, Messiah!
Where he is we will be,
live with him endlessly,
Spirit, God, Messiah!
Words copyright © Pam Gidney 2005.
Music copyright © John Hartley 2006.
All rights reserved.
Story behind the song
Pam Gidney published these words in "Worship Live", the magazine for creative writers which is published by Stainer & Bell. There was a footnote inviting readers to submit possible tunes for the hymn, so I did so. And that's how Pam and I originally met by correspondence.
(Note to musicians: the tune works best with a 2-bar interlude between verses, as on the midi file.)
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.