Category Archives: Music

Thursday Thirteen #16: Favorite lesser-known Christmas carols

Posted on by

596618_music_sheets_1.jpg

Click on the title to see the lyrics.

1. Of the Father’s Love Begotten

2. Infant Holy, Infant Lowly

3. Gentle Mary Laid Her Child

4. Wexford Carol

5. Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella

6. Who Is He in Yonder Stall?

7. Lo! How a Rose E’re Blooming

8. In the Bleak Mid-Winter

9. Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head

10. CandleLight Carol (John Rutter)

11, Once in Royal David’s City

12. All My Heart This Night Rejoices

13. Still, Still, Still

14. Sweet Little Jesus Boy
You got a bonus one there. 🙂 And here’s another, but I can’t find the lyrics: it is on a CD called A Little Christmas Music by the King’s Singers, called “The Gift,” based on the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts.” You can hear a snippet of it at that link. It’s one of my most favorites, but that CD is the only place I have ever heard it.

You can visit other Thursday Thirteeners here.

(Photo courtesy of the stock.xchng)

To Behold Thee

Posted on by

This song stopped in my my tracks the first time I heard it. Thankfully the CD insert had the words, and I replayed this track over and over. The words are written by Elieen Berry, music by Dan Forrest. I’ve never heard it as a choir number or special music — I’ve only heard it on the More Like You, Lord CD by Soundforth. I can’t remember, I may have been going through Jim Berg’s book Changed Into His Image about that time, but I do remember that this song illustrated beautifully the theme of that book, taken from II Corinthians 3:18: But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. May the words of this song bless you in “beholding Him” as much as it did me.

To Behold Thee

From weariness of sin I turn at last, O Lord, to Thee
My eyes and heart grown dim from looking long on vanity.
I venture toward thy radiance then, compelled to come by grace
And in the pages of Thy word behold Thy lovely face.

(Refrain)
Face of glory, turned upon me
I cannot but Thee adore.
To behold Thee, O my Saviour,
Is to love Thee more and more.

Each grace in all its fullness on Thy countenance I see.
Great tenderness of mercy, blazing light of purity.
Thine eyes are wells and love and wisdom, settled peace Thy brow,
Before the whole of perfect beauty I in worship bow.

(Refrain)

When someday I before Thee stand, a debtor to Thy grace,
And gaze with heaven’s eyes upon the brightness of Thy face,
Transformed into Thy likeness, all my sin thrust far away,
With millions of redeemed ones I will lift my voice and say:

Face of glory turned upon me
I cannot but Thee adore.
To behold Thee, O my Savior,
Is to love Thee more and more.
To behold Thee, O my Savior,
Is to love Thee more and more.

“Thanks to God”

Posted on by

This hymn was on my heart this morning, but unfortunately it wasn’t in our hymnals. I found it at the Cyberhymnal site. It is a lot older than I thought it was! It was written by August L. Storm in Swedish in 1891, translated into English by Carl E. Backstrom in 1931. The tune by Johannes A. Hultman is the one I am familiar with. While searching for this hymn, I found a little bit of background information here. Hope the words are a blessing to you.

Thanks to God

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a memory,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity!

As the Bridegroom to His Chosen

Posted on by

This hymn has been on my heart for the last few days:

As the Bridegroom to His Chosen

As the bridegroom to his chosen, as the king unto his realm,
As the keeper to the castle, as the pilot to the helm.
As the captain to his soldiers, as the shepherd to his lambs,
So, Lord, art thou to me.

As the fountain in the garden, as the candle in the dark,
As the treasure in the coffer, as the manna in the ark,
As the firelight in the winter, as the sunlight in the spring
So Lord art thou to me.

As the music at the banquet, as the stamp unto the seal,
As refreshment to the fainting, as the winecup at the meal,
As the singing on the feast day, as the amen to the prayer,
So Lord art thou to me.

As the ruby in the setting, as the honey in the comb
As the light within the lantern, as the father in the home,
As the eagle in the mountains, as the sparrow in the nest,
So Lord art thou to me.

As the sunshine in the heavens, as the image in the glass,
As the fruit unto the fig tree, as the dew unto the grass,
As the rainbow on the hilltop, as the river in the plain,
So Lord art thou to me.

— Jo­han­nes Tau­ler

You can hear a snippet of it here. I first heard it on a CD titled “His way Is Perfect” by Sherry Oliver Trainer. Though I found that CD here, I couldn’t find a source that had music clips from it. But it inspires my heart to worship every time I hear it or think through the words.

I Want a Principle Within

Posted on by

I want a principle within of watchful, godly fear,
A sensibility of sin, a pain to feel it near.
I want the first approach to feel of pride or wrong desire,
To catch the wandering of my will, and quench the kindling fire.

From Thee that I no more may stray, no more Thy goodness grieve,
Grant me the filial awe, I pray, the tender conscience give.
Quick as the apple of an eye, O God, my conscience make;
Awake my soul when sin is nigh, and keep it still awake.

Almighty God of truth and love, to me Thy power impart;
The mountain from my soul remove, the hardness from my heart.
O may the least omission pain my reawakened soul,
And drive me to that blood again, which makes the wounded whole.

— Charles Wesley, 1749

Before the Throne of God Above

Posted on by

This is another old hymn that is fairly new to me. I first heard it on the Soundforth CD Freedom Through Christ, then later on the CD A Quiet Heart. I wish it were still in our hymnbooks. I looked up and printed out the words soon after I heard it and listened to it over and over again. I can’t tell you how it has ministered to my heart.

 

Before the Throne of God Above

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

— Charitie L. Bancroft, 1863

 

I am not skilled to understand

Posted on by

I am not skilled to understand
What God hath willed, what God hath planned;
I only know that at His right hand
Is One Who is my Savior!

I take Him at His word indeed;
“Christ died for sinners”—this I read;
For in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my Savior!

That He should leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die,
You count it strange? So once did I,
Before I knew my Savior!

And oh, that He fulfilled may see
The travail of His soul in me,
And with His work contented be,
As I with my dear Savior!

Yea, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this Spring;
That He Who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior!

— Dorothy Greenwell, 1873

He Is Seeking You

Posted on by

I’ve been reading through several of the stories listed at the Bloggy Tour of Testimonies, and I have to tell you, my heart is warmed to read of all the different ways God “broke through” to different people. Some were rebellious, some made false professions at first, some were “good kids” who found they were still sinners who needed the Lord, some were confused, some had a general believe that there was a God and that Jesus died for sinners without realizing, at first, that they needed to believe on Him for their own sin.

There are many on my heart who don’t know the Lord, and these testimonies have encouraged me that God is persistent in seeking out people and leading them to Himself.

These thoughts reminded me of a song I was listening to this morning from the A Quiet Heart CD:

He Is Seeking You

by Eileen Berry

Through the loveless dark this lonely night,
To your empty heart there shines a light.
Glorious light of love for all to see,
Jesus, Son of God in truth must be.

He is seeking you with a tender voice,
He is calling you to make a choice;
Tune your ear to hear this quiet sound,
He is seeking you, will you be found?

God has sent His Son through Israel
To all people who in darkness dwell.
Giver of the light to all is He;
In the face of Christ His Glory see.

He is seeking you with a tender voice,
He is calling you to make a choice;
Tune your ear to hear this quiet sound,
He is seeking you,
Will you be found?

Do Not I Love Thee?

Posted on by

This song has been ministering to my heart since I first heard it, but it has been on my mind a lot this past week.

Do not I love Thee, O my Lord?
Behold my heart and see;
And turn each cursèd idol out,
That dares to rival Thee.

Do not I love Thee, O my Lord?
Then let me nothing love;
Dead be my heart to every joy,
When Jesus cannot move.

Within the darkness of this heart,
Other gods would vie for my affections.
But Thou art exalted far above all gods.
Let nothing keep me from Thy love.

Thou know’st I love Thee, dearest Lord,
But O, I long to soar
Far from the sphere of mortal joys,
And learn to love Thee more!

I don’t know about you, but for me, the other gods vying for my affection seems almost constant. I do pray that the Lord will “turn each cursed idol out that dares to rival” Him and help me “learn to love [Him] more.”

This is the version as sung by the Soundforth Choir on the CD “More Like You, Lord.” The hymn was written by Philp Doddridge, published in 1755 after his death. More of the verses to the original hymn can be found on Cyberhymnal. The tune there by Elizabeth Cuthbert is not one I am familar with. The interlude in stanza 3 above, the music, and the orchestration were written by Craig Curry.

By Grace I’m Saved

Posted on by

This song has been on my heart throughout the day. I had only heard this version on Stephen Eagar’s CD Breath of Life, but in searching for the lyrics, I found a slightly different (and fuller) version on Cyberhymnal. The music on Eager’s CD is from a traditional Gaelic melody which was also used for the song Morning Has Broken.

By Grace I’m Saved

by Christ­ian L. Scheidt

By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless:
My soul, believe, and doubt it not.
Why should we stagger at God’s promise?
Hath Scripture ever falsehood taught?

By grace I’m saved, not by my own merit:
Our works, our conduct have no worth.
God in His love sent our Redeemer.
Christ Jesus came to sinful earth.

By grace I’m saved, O, wonderful promise
When thou art by thy sins oppressed.
When Satan plagues thy troubled conscience,
And when thy heart is seeking rest.
All of man’s reason never will comprehend
All that God’s grace alone doth send.