Spring is coming to the Northern Hemisphere!
- Online Resource As the winter days grow longer
(Mary Louise Bringle, USA) A joyful song of the exuberance of spring. Set to the old tune PLEADING SAVIOUR. Sheet music sample, lyrics, and purchasing options. New words to old tunes.
- NCH34 / Iona (SL) / CH138 / SgTJ1065
Nourished by the rainfall the earth can come alive / Flowers of every
colour now raise their heads in pride / As the rain is falling /
Alabanza (Pablo Fernández-Badillo, Puerto Rico) Complex words, but a simple repetitive tune.
Inclusive, earthy. Great for a temperate Springtime. There are quite a
few different English translations of this Puerto Rican song. I
particularly like the translation in Church Hymnary / Hymns of Glory Songs
of Praise. Downloadable sound sample.
- VU632 / StS100 / WoV695 / ELW447 / SFFS 2076 / StF617 O blessed Spring where word and sign (Susan Palo Cherwien, USA) Imagery of Christ the vine and the changes that the seasons bring, this song speaks of all four seasons. Hymnals vary in the tune selected. I like it best to O WALY WALY. Lyrics. Video telling the story of the hymn with sound sample.
- Online Resource / FFS59 Spirit of springtime in creation's garden (Shirley Murray, New Zealand) Good tune and words, and very Antipodean. "Beauty will break through rotted leaves and ashes, joy will erupt and life will leap free!". Lyrics and sheet music.
- NCH005 / VU243 Praise to God praise to God for the greenness (Nobuaki Hanaoka, Japan / USA) Earth's beauty; sung to a simple Japanese tune (SAKURA). A good hymn for kids who can read. Lyrics (downloads a PDF). Good for kids.
- NCH402 Sing of colours (De Colores) (Unknown, Mexico) I love this traditional Mexican song. Not too hard in Spanish, really easy and catchy in English. Partial lyrics and sheet music. Lyrics and midi. Slightly silly version on youtube.
- NCH433 / CH727 / UMH707 / VU703 / HPP474 / GtG250 / W&R515 / Cha638 In the bulb there is a flower
(Natalie Sleeth, USA) A simple song of hope symbolised in nature. Lyrics. Youtube sound sample with lyrics.
- FFS51 O spring in the desert (David Adam, New Zealand) Christ's presence in water and light; Christ as guide. Excellent imagery, good tune. Lyrics.
- Online Resource / CH224 / VU187 / AA140 The spring has come (Shirley Murray, New Zealand) Joyful tune and words. Fun rhythms. Lyrics & sheet music.
- UMH508 / VU644 / Cha535 Faith while trees are still in blossom (Anders Frostenson, Sweden) Excellent words of faith when things seem a bit hopeless. Sings of Noah and Moses. Lyrics.
- STB288 May the Lord bless you with joy / Mar ba zey (Unknown, Karen, Burma / Myanmar) A blessing from the Karen people of Burma. Would not be too hard to sing in Karen, but there is also a lovely English translation. Would be particularly nice in Spring time when the flowers are all in bloom. Sheet music sample.
- Online Resource / Tune In Making things new (Sheree Anderson, Australia / Canada). A groovy one. Great for kids, and lots of fun. Free downloadable sheet music, reference recording. Good for kids.
- Online Resource The glory of the spring how sweet! (Thomas Hornblower Gill, England / Janet Reus-Smit, Australia) Excellent traditional words of renewal, sung to KING'S LANGLEY, an old English May Day carol. Updated lyrics. Tune sheet music. Good for kids.
- Online Resource For brightly greening spring
(Adam Tice, USA) Excellent words welcoming the greening of the earth, and the nurturing of God. Sung to the familiar tune TERRA BEATA. Lyrics, sheet music sample and purchasing options. New words to old tunes.
Songs with a focus on all seasons
- Unknown Source We'll weave a love / Song of Community (Carolyn McDade, Canada) A song of all seasons. It's a little bit tricky to learn, but once learned, you will not forget it "We'll weave a love that greens sure as spring, then deepens in summer to the fall autumn brings". Youtube with lyrics.
- Not Online Resource Flow'ring in the summer / Faithful Seasons (Helen Wiltshire, Australia) Australian imagery for all the seasons, and how it's worth celebrating them! This resource is not available online anymore, but if you have a copy, you may like to use this song.
- CH141 / A&M548 / SP250 / URW077 / StF114 Oh the life of the world is a joy and a treasure
(Kathy Galloway, Scotland) Good inclusive words about God's presence in "the life of
the world" (nature, seasons, childbirth, justice). The tune is a simple
Celtic-style melody. Lyrics. Tune sample.
- STB026 Seasons Come Seasons Go / Ella kaladollu
(Bhajan, India) I think this song would not be too hard to learn,
but it will need to be taught because the melody (THANDHEYU) will not be
familiar. The words are really quite lovely, including the English
translation. Sheet music sample.
- VU632 / StS100 / WoV695 / ELW447 / SFFS 2076 / StF617 / LUYH794 O blessed Spring where word and sign
(Susan Palo Cherwien, USA) Imagery of Christ the vine and the changes that the seasons
bring, this song speaks of all four seasons. Hymnals vary in the tune
selected. I like it best to O WALY WALY. Lyrics.
Any other songs about Springtime or the seasons that you'd like to suggest? Please add a comment below.
- HiOS008 Autumn comes in all its fullness (Bill Wallace, New Zealand) Lovely hopeful words sung to a fairly standard sounding hymn tune, which will be pretty easy to sing. Lyrics.
- ATN38 One by one you call us home / Like autumn leaves upon the ground (Robin Mann, Australia) Lovely words of comfort to a folk tune; includes imagery of Jesus washing our feet. Lyrics.
- UMH086 Mountains are all aglow (Ok In Lim, Korea) Good lyrics of harvest. The tune is unusual and will need to be taught. Lyrics.
- Online Resource The earth has yielded its harvest
(Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan, USA) Lovely words for a modern approach to harvest thanksgiving. Lyrics, sound sample, and purchasing options.
- Online Resource / STB268 The grain is ripe (Shirley Murray, New Zealand) Good words about harvest and peace sung to a simple hymnlike tune. Lyrics and sheet music.
- Online Resource / CH230 / VU517 / StF126 Praise God for the harvest of orchard and field (Brian Wren, USA) A
thoroughly modern harvest thanksgiving hymn, which would work for any
service, not just a harvest thanksgiving. I would actually sing this to
BONNIE GEORGE CAMPBELL (TiS 624), by just adding a single note anacrusis
at the start of each line. Lyrics. New words to old tunes.
- BUC Song Project Harvest our love
(Dave Brown, Australia) Let's not just talk about harvesting food, but offer God our
lives as well. This song was written after Tune In was published, so
only available at Brunswick Uniting so far. Gosh, it's ages since we've sung this, and it's really good.
- MV125 When a grain of wheat / Hitotsubu no
(Toyohiko Kagawa, Japan) This is a lovely chant. It will need to be taught as it's a
Japanese melody and the timing is unfamiliar to Western ears, but once
known it should be quite straightforward to sing. Choral video, in Japanese.
- VU306 God of the farmlands hear our prayer
(Thomas Charles Hunter-Clare, Scotland) Good words about harvest, waters, mining
(!), city and industry, guidance for politicians, nation-hood. It's
pretty good. Lyrics and sheet music sample.
- VU242 / LBW557 / ELW881 / GtG037 / PH554 / GC567 / GC(II)551 / G(3)635 / CP403 / W&R22 / Cha717 Let All Things Now Living
(Katherine Kennicott Davis, USA) Lovely lyrics to the well known and quite
jolly Welsh folk tune ASH GROVE. Not all sources are inclusive. Lyrics (older version). New words to old tunes.
- TiS
627 / AHB 569 / ATN 8 / LBW409 / ELW689 / GC764 / GC(II)754
/ G(3)861 / CP(E) 272 / W&R722 / URW188 / StF125 Praise and thanksgiving Father we offer / Praise and thanksgiving now we would offer
(Albert Bayly, England) Most versions of this are not inclusive, as it is based
on quite old words. However, the imagery of a parent makes sense, so
even though it is masculine, it doesn't need to be avoided. URW has an
inclusive version. Sung to the familiar tune BUNESSAN. Lyrics (pdf) Old words to old tunes.
- Online Resource / GWA165 We till the earth we tend the ground (Curtis
Stephan, USA) This song is both about our role as labourers in the
harvest, including both caring for creation, but also caring for each
other, and bringing peace. It has an anthemic feel to it, and you may
wish to focus on just a few verses at a time, rather than all 7 and the
chorus. This song is based, in part, on Laudate Si. Sound sample, sheet music samples, and purchasing options. Full song lyric video.
- Online Resource / TiS
569
/ AHB 478 / NCH18/19 / CH167 / UMH127 / VU651 / LBW343 / ELW618 /
StF465 / A&M652 / HPP432 / GtG065 / PH281 / CP565 / CP(E) 455 /
W&R501 / Cha622 / 82Hml690 / StF465 / Lau960 / MP201 Guide me O thou great Jehovah / Redeemer
(William Williams, Wales) A rousing hymn of God’s presence and strength
and making it to the other side. "Bread of heaven, feed me now and
evermore." Lyrics & sheet music. Oldy-but-a-goody.
- CH230 / VU517 / StF126 Praise God for the harvest of orchard and field (Brian Wren, USA) A
thoroughly modern harvest thanksgiving hymn, which would work for any
service, not just a harvest thanksgiving. I would rather sing this to
BONNIE GEORGE CAMPBELL (TiS 624), by just adding a single note anacrusis
at the start of each line. Lyrics. New words to old tunes.
- NCH424 / SFFS 2061 / PH480 Praise Our God Above source of boundless love (Chao Tzu-chen) Lovely words; traditional Chinese tune will need some practice, but is worth it. Lyrics and sound sample.
- TiS 159 / AHB 94 / CH226 / VU300 /A&M285 / ELW734 / CP261 / CP(E) 271 / Lau733 God whose farm is all creation (John Arlott, England) Simple words of caring for the crops and harvest as well as the rest of creation. Youtube pianist with lyrics (but no singing).
- TiS
130 / AHB 59 / CH229 / VU520 / LBW362 / ELW681 / HPP284 /
HPSS560 / CP258 / CP(E) 275 / 82Hml-291 / StF130 / MP732 We plow the fields and scatter
(Matthias Claudius / translated Jane Montgomery Campbell) I still like this old hymn, even if it brings to mind people
sowing seed and then running away... Sources vary for how inclusive the
language is. Oldy-but-a-goody.Lyrics and sheet music.
- StJ / R233 / ELW695 / PH414 / CP260 / W&R570 / VU518 / GtG712 / 82Hml-705 As saints of old their first fruits brought / As Those of Old Their Firstfruits Brought (Frank von Christierson) A fairly traditional and standard Harvest thanksgiving hymn to the tune FOREST GREEN. Lyrics and sheet music.New words to old tunes.
- Cha719 Come Sing a Song of Harvest
(Fred Pratt Green) A hymn that tries to bring the idea of harvest
thanksgiving into the modern era. Lyrics and sheet music.
- NCH783 / WoV705 / ELW465 / GA194 / G(II)594 / GC825 / RS921 As the Grains of Wheat
(Marty Haugen) Quite simple flowing tune and nice words about grains becoming
our communion bread. Good communion song for a Harvest Thanksgiving
Service. Lyrics & Sheet music samples.
- TiS 168 / NCH425 / CH231 / UMH97 / A&M284 / ELW679 / GA426
/ HPP287 / GtG036 / PH553 / RS704 / CP259 / CP(E) 254 / W&R723 /
Cha714 / Lau731 / StF124 / URW193 / VU227 / WoV760 For the Fruit of All Creation / For the fruits of this creation
(Fred Pratt Green) Some sources are quite masculine (TiS), but some OK (NCH, GtG). Very easy
and well known tune (AR HYD Y NOS) and pretty standard words of harvest thanksgiving.
The phrase "in the just reward of labour" would be an interesting
discussion point for this passage. Lyrics and tune sample. New words to old tunes.
Songs with a focus on all seasons
- Unknown Source We'll weave a love / Song of Community (Carolyn
McDade, Canada) A song of all seasons. It's a little bit tricky to learn, but
once learned, you will not forget it "We'll weave a love that greens
sure as spring, then deepens in summer to the fall autumn brings". Youtube with lyrics.
- Not Online Resource Flow'ring in the summer / Faithful Seasons (Helen Wiltshire, Australia) Australian imagery for all the seasons, and how it's worth celebrating them! If you have a copy of this, it's worth digging out. Unfortunately, it's not available online anymore.
- CH141 / A&M548 / SP250 / URW077 / StF114 Oh the life of the world is a joy and a treasure
(Kathy Galloway, Scotland) Good inclusive words about God's presence in "the life of
the world" (nature, seasons, childbirth, justice). The tune is a simple
Celtic-style melody. Lyrics. Tune sample.
- STB026 Seasons Come Seasons Go / Ella kaladollu
(Bhajan, India) I think this song would not be too hard to learn,
but it will need to be taught because the melody (THANDHEYU) will not be
familiar. The words are really quite lovely, including the English
translation. Sheet music sample.
- VU632 / StS100 / WoV695 / ELW447 / SFFS 2076 / StF617 / LUYH794 O blessed Spring where word and sign
(Susan Palo Cherwien, USA) Imagery of Christ the vine and the changes that the seasons
bring, this song speaks of all four seasons. Hymnals vary in the tune
selected. I like it best to O WALY WALY. Lyrics.
Does your congregation have a favourite seasonal song? Add a comment below!
