Hymns

Celebrating the beginning of the Season of Creation today with hymns including How great thou art, For the beauty of the earth, and Shirley Murray’s Touch the earth lightly. Audio

Hymns from across the centuries this week, from Bernard of Clairvaux's 12th century poetry to NZ hymn writer Jocelyn Marshall's God of Ages written for a Millennium hymn competition. Audio

Church musician William Shrubsole is best known for the hymn tune ‘Miles Lane’. He was a “one tune man”, wrote composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, but what a “superb” tune it was. You can hear it set to… Audio

It's a 21^st century classic to begin this week’s programme: In Christ Alone, written by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty in 2001. Audio

It's straight in with the big tunes today - Arthur Grimshaw's hymn Sing to the Lord a joyful song, to the tune 'Jerusalem' by Hubert Parry. Audio

You can hear hymns based on the psalms in this week’s programme, including All people that on earth do dwell (Psalm 100), O God, our help in ages past (Psalm 90), and I to the hills will lift mine… Audio

19th-century lawyer and politician Robert Grant only wrote a few hymns, but there's one you'll still find in many hymnbooks today: O worship the king. Sing along in this week's programme. Audio

It's Sea Sunday today, remembering and celebrating those whose workplace is the sea with hymns including Eternal Father (the 'Navy Hymn') and Will your anchor hold. Audio

You might think the life of a 19^th century hymn translator was pretty uneventful. Not so for John Mason Neale, who translated our first hymn in this week’s programme, Christ is made the sure… Audio

Celebrating the season of Matariki this week, with hymns in te reo Māori and hymns of remembrance. And we mark the Feast of St Paul. Audio

Two hymns inspired by Psalm 23 ‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’ in this week’s programme. Both from the 1800s, one is by a British professor of music, John Goss, the other is by Joseph Gilmore, an American… Audio

Methodist leader John Wesley had some good tips for singing hymns, including this one: "Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your… Audio

The New Zealand Youth Choir features in this week’s programme, singing Wairua tapu (a hymn to the Holy Spirit by Ngapo Wehi) and the African-American spiritual Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen. Audio

Psalm 23 The Lord's My Shepherd has been set to many different tunes. John Campbell, a 19th century Scottish merchant and amateur musician, wrote the very cheerful setting you can hear in today's… Audio

Celebrating Trinity Sunday this week with a selection of hymns including Holy, Holy, Holy and Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us. And we mark the start of Samoan Language Week with a hymn of praise and… Audio

Hymns for the Feast of Pentecost today, including contemporary hymns by NZ hymn writer Bill Wallace (Wild wind of the Holy Spirit) and the UK's Bernadette Farrell (Spirit of God, rest on your people).

Hymns with the theme of mercy feature in this week's programme, and there are some hymns to Mary to mark Mother's Day. Audio

Hymns from the 12th century to the 20th this week, including Jesu, the very thought of thee (based on a poem by Bernard of Clairvaux) and NZ hymn writer Colin Gibson’s He came singing love. Audio

A great rendition of William Kethe's hymn All people that on earth do dwell begins this week's programme. You can also hear harvest hymns, and hymns of thanksgiving. Audio

Looking ahead to ANZAC Day this week, with hymns including Abide with me and Shirley Murray’s Honour the dead. Audio