Postlude recordings

Improvisation and Hymn for the Fourth Sunday of Easter (AHB 283)

AHB 283 –  Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands

 

Improvisation  (cantus firmus in double pedal)

1 Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands,
for our offences given;
but now at God’s right hand he stands
and brings us life from heaven;
wherefore let us joyful be
and sing to God right thankfully
loud songs of hallelujah.
Hallelujah!

2 It was a strange and awesome strife
when life and death contended;
the victory was gained by life,
the reign of death was ended;
stripped of power, no more he reigns,
an empty form alone remains;
his sting is lost forever.
Hallelujah!

3 So let us keep the festival
our Lord himself invites us;
Christ is the Lamb the Joy of all,
the sun that warms and lights us.
Through the glory of his grace
all darkness must today give place,
the night of sin is ended.
Hallelujah!

4 Then let us feast this holy day
on the true bread of heaven;
the word of grace hath purged away
the old and wicked leaven.
Christ alone our souls will feed,
he is our meat and drink indeed;
faith lives upon no other.
Hallelujah!

Martin Luther 1483-1546

 

Notes on the Evensong commemorating Charles Dickens previously planned for April 26th

Click here to read the detailed notes on this service

And music from a contemporary of Dickens – Samuel Sebastian Wesley is

here (AHB 385 – words are posted separately on this site)

and here (Choral Song)

 

Hymn for the Third Sunday of Easter – Morning

 

1 Jesus lives! thy terrors now
Can, O Death, no more appall us;
Jesus lives! by this we know
now the grave cannot enthrall us.
Hallelujah!

2  Jesus lives! for us He died;
Then may we, for Jesus living,
Pure in heart in him abide,
Glory to our Savior giving.
Hallelujah!

3 Jesus lives! our hearts know well
Naught from us His love shall sever;
fame, or hurt, or powers of hell
Tear us from His keeping never.
Hallelujah!

4 Jesus lives! henceforth is death
not for us a gloomy portal
when we take our final breath,
but the gate to life immortal,
Hallelujah!

5 Jesus lives! to Him the Throne
Over all the world is given;
may we go where he has gone
Rest and reign with Him in heaven.
Hallelujah!

Hymn for the Third Sunday of Easter – Evening

 

1 The church’s one foundation
is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
she is his new creation
by water and the Word:
from heav’n he came and sought her
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.

2 Elect from ev’ry nation,
yet one o’er all the earth,
her charter of salvation
one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy name she blesses,
partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses,
with ev’ry grace endued.

3 Though with a scornful wonder
men see her sore oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder,
by heresies distressed,
yet saints their watch are keeping,
their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.

4 ‘Mid toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation
of peace forevermore;
till with the vision glorious
her longing eyes are blest,
and the great church victorious
shall be the church at rest.

5 Yet she on earth hath union
with the God the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion
with those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with thee.

Hymn for the Second Sunday of Easter (Low Sunday)

[Short improvisation]

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

1 O sons and daughters let us sing
the king of heaven, the glorious king,
o’er death today rose triumphing
Alleluia!

2 That night the apostles met in fear;
among them came their Lord most dear
and said, “My peace be on all here.”
Alleluia!

3 When Thomas first the tidings heard
he doubted if it were the Lord,
until he came and spoke the word.
Alleluia!

4 “My pierced side, O Thomas, see,
behold my hands, my feet” said he;
“not faithless but believing be.”
Alleluia!

5 No longer Thomas then denied;
he saw the feet, the hands, the side.
“You are my Lord and God!” he cried.
Alleluia!

6 How blest are they who have not seen
and yet whose faith has constant been,
for they eternal life shall win.
Alleluia!

7 On this most holy day of days
to God your hearts and voices raise
in laud and jubilee and praise.
Alleluia

Fanfare and Hymn for Easter Day

 

 

 

[Short improvised fanfare – Roger Brown]

1 Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

2 Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O Death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Dying once He all doth save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O Grave? Alleluia!

3 Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

4 Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
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