The King Shall Rejoice (Bob Chilcott)

The King shall rejoice in thy strength, O Lord:
exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation.

Thou hast given him his heart's desire:
and hast not denied him the request of his lips.

For thou shalt prevent him with the blessings of goodness:
and shalt set a crown of pure gold upon his head.

He asked life of thee, and thou gavest him a long life:
even for ever and ever.

His honour is great in thy salvation:
glory and great worship shalt thou lay upon him.

For thou shalt give him everlasting felicity:
and make him glad with the joy of thy countenance.

"The King shall rejoice" is a new anthem setting by Bob Chilcott for mixed choir and organ, composed for the service at Westminster Abbey on 4th June 2013 to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II. The work was commissioned by The Dean and Chapter of Westminster and sponsored by many of the choristers who sang in the Coronation Service in 1953. The anthem combines two texts. The first takes the opening six verses of Psalm 21, "The King shall rejoice in thy strength, O Lord". Four verses of the same text were set famously by George Frederick Handel in his Coronation Anthem "The King shall rejoice", written in 1727 for the Coronation of George II. The second text uses an adapted version of the same six Psalm verses set by William Byrd in his anthem "O Lord, make thy servant Elizabeth our Queen" in honour of Queen Elizabeth I.

Text: Paraphrase of Psalm 21: 1-6
Music: Bob Chilcott (b 1955)

Heralds of Christ (NATIONAL HYMN)

1. Heralds of Christ, who bear the King's commands,
immortal tidings in your mortal hands,
pass on and carry swift the news you bring;
make straight, make straight the highway of the King.

2. Through desert ways, dark fen, and deep morass,
through jungles, sluggish seas, and mountain pass,
build now the road, and falter not, nor stay;
prepare across the earth the King's highway.

3. Lord, give us faith and strength the road to build,
to see the promise of the day fulfilled,
when war shall be no more, and strife shall cease
upon the highway of the Prince of Peace.

Text: Laura S. Copenhaver (1868-1941)
Tune: NATIONAL HYMN, 10 10.10 10

When we are called to sing your praise (KINGSFOLD)

1. When we are called to sing your praise with hearts so filled with pain
That we would rather sit and weep or stand up to complain,
Remind us, God, you understand the burdens that we bear;
You, too, have walked the shadowed way and known our deep despair.

2. When we are called to sing your praise and cannot find our voice,
Because our losses leaves us now no reason to rejoice.
Remind us, God, that you accept our sad laments in prayer;
You, too, have walked the shadowed way and known our deep despair.

3. When we are called to sing your praise and life ahead looks grim,
Still give us faith and hope enough to break forth in a hymn,
A thankful hymn, great God of Love, that you are everywhere;
You walk the shadowed way with us and keep us in your care.

Text: Mary Nelson Keithahn (b. 1934)
Tune: KINGSFOLD, CMD

When we all get to heaven

Refrain:

When we all get to heaven,
what a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
we'll sing and shout the victory!

1. Sing the wondrous love of Jesus;
sing his mercy and his grace.
In the mansions bright and blessed
he'll prepare for us a place. (Refrain)

2. While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
clouds will overspread the sky;
but when traveling days are over,
not a shadow, not a sigh. (Refrain)

3. Let us then be true and faithful,
trusting, serving every day;
just one glimpse of him in glory
will the toils of life repay. (Refrain)

4. Onward to the prize before us!
Soon his beauty we'll behold;
soon the pearly gates will open;
we shall tread the streets of gold. (Refrain)

Text: Eliza E. Hewitt
Tune: HEAVEN, 87.87 with Refrain. By Emily D. Wilson

Children of the Heavenly Father

1. Children of the heavenly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

2. God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish;
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.

3. Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

4. Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.

5. Lo, their very hairs He numbers,
And no daily care encumbers
Them that share His ev’ry blessing
And His help in woes distressing.

6. Praise the Lord in joyful numbers:
Your Protector never slumbers.
At the will of your Defender
Ev’ry foeman must surrender.

Text: Caroline V. Sandell-Berg (1832-1903), tr. Ernst W. Olson (1870-1958)
Tune: TRYGGARE KAN INGEN VARA, LM (Swedish melody)

His eye is on the sparrow

1. Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shaddows come?
Why should my heart be lonely
and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant friend is he:
His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know he watches me.

Refrain:

I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
for his eye is on the sparrow,
and I know he watches me.

2. "Let not your heart be troubled,"
his tender word I hear,
and resting on his goodness,
I lose my doubts and fears;
though by the path he leadeth
but one step I may see:
His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know he watches me. (Refrain)

3. Whenever I am tempted,
whenever clouds arise,
when song gives place to sighing,
when hope within me dies;
I draw the closer to him,
from care he sets me free:
His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know he watches me. (Refrain)

Historical Background 

Text: Civilia D. Martin (1866-1948)
Tune: Charles H. Gabriel (1856-1932)

Here at the Table of Love (Dana Mangel)

See my other blog postings in the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) series.