People of Faith: Song Text
Great hymns have an enduring appeal. They are, of course, timeless expressions of faith, combining high-minded religious poetry with noble melodies. For many of us they spur devotional thoughts and worship, raising our awareness out of prosaic daily life up to spiritual heights.
In an era when it seems that diverse individual musical interests leave little common cultural ground, hymns are a shared heritage for millions, even billions, of a huge variety of Christian people. They resonate as familiar landmarks in our lives and memories, with a nostalgic power all their own.
People of Faith features a varied selection of favorite Protestant hymns, a classic Bach chorale (“Sheep May Safely Graze”), an African-American spiritual often found in hymnals (“Jacob’s Ladder”), and one new hymn, the title track (“People of Faith”). Brass, choir and organ in combination have long been a highlight of church services. These fresh arrangements both honour that tradition and bring new life to it.
We felt inspired making the recordings. We hope that you feel the same inspiration in listening.
Track
1: Come, Thou Almighty King
Felice de Giardini / anon., c. 1757 / arr. Peter Tiefenbach
Come Thou Almighty King,
Help us thy Name to sing, Help us to praise!
Father all glorious, O’er all victorious,
Come and reign over us, Ancient of Days
Come Thou Incarnate Word,
Gird on thy mighty sword, Our prayer attend
Come and thy people bless, And give thy word success;
Spirit of holiness on us descend.
Come holy Comforter
Thy sacred witness bear, In this glad hour.
Thou who almighty art, Now rule in every heart
And ne’er from us depart Spirit of power
To thee, great One in Three, Eternal praises be,
Hence, ever more!
Thy sovereign majesty May we in glory see,
And to eternity Love and adore. Amen.
Track
2: O God, Our Help in Ages Past
William Croft / Isaac Watts / arr. Peter Tiefenbach
O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home:
Under the shadow of they throne Thy saints have dwelt secure:
Sufficient is thine arm alone And our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood, Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting thou art God, To endless years the same.
A thousand ages in thy sight Are like an evening gone,
Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever rolling stream, Bears all its sons away;
They fly forgotten as a dream Dies at the opening day.
O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guide while troubles last, And our eternal home!
Track
3: Come, Thy Fount of Every Blessing
from John Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, Part Second,
1813 / Robert Robinson / arr. Richard Walters; Giles Tomkins, baritone
solo
Come, thou fount of ev’ry blessing, Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy never ceasing. Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, Mount of thy redeeming love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by thy help I’m come;
And I hope by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wand’ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger interposed his precious blood.
Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness like a fetter Bind my wandering heart to thee;
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for thy courts above.
Track
4: We Gather Together
Instrumental Track
Track
5: People of Faith
Richard Walters / arr. RW; Mary Lou Fallis, soprano solo
Let all of us here of the past ages sing, of millions of those now gone,
Of people of faith, from the slave to the king, the named and un-named
in hist’ry’s throng.
One great voice unites us all, the song of God on earth.
For centuries ever we each hear the call, from each death to each new
birth.
From Abraham’s time and to Moses and Ruth, to Mary and John and
Paul,
Refrains of the goodness and beauty and truth ring now and forever for
us all.
Our own folk did hear the strain, they joined the millions strong,
From Europe and Asia and Africa came to bring the new world the song.
In pondering then our path yet ahead and looking for what’s to
come,
Recall all of those whose example has led us each to become what we’ve
become.
By the Spirit we unite to sing with ages gone.
As people of faith we continue the light and pass to the future God’s
song.
We’re all here together
In this ever timeless moment
In the eternity of God.
Track 6: Beautiful Saviour
Silesian folk tune / Munsterisch Gesangbuch, 1677 /
arr. Peter Tiefenbach
Beautiful Saviour, King of Creation, Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love thee, truly I’d serve thee, light of my soul,
my joy, my crown.
Fair are the meadows, fair are the woodlands, robed in flowers of blooming
spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, He makes our sorrowing spirit sing.
Fair is the sunshine, Fair is the moonlight, Bright the sparkling stars
on high;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer, Than all the angels in the
sky.
Beautiful Saviour, Lord of the nations, Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honour, Praise, adoration, Now and forevermore be thine,
Now and forevermore be thine!
Track
7: Sheep May Safely Graze
Instrumental Track
Track 8: Jacob's Ladder
African-American spiritual / arr. Richard Walters; Giles Tomkins,
baritone solo
We are climbing Jacob’s ladder, Soldiers of the cross.
Do you think I’ll make a good soldier, Soldier of the cross?
Rise, shine, give God your glory, Soldiers of the cross.
Keep on climbing, we will make it, Soldiers of the cross.
Track
9: Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart
Frederick Cook Atkinson / George Croly / arr. Peter Tiefenbach
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart, Wean it from earth, through all
its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as thou art, And make me love thee as I ought
to love.
I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies, No sudden rending of the veil of
clay,
No angel visitant, no opening skies; But take the dimness of my soul away.
Hast thou not bid me love thee, God and King? All, all thine own, soul
and heart and strength and mind?
I see thy Cross; there teach my heart to cling; O let me seek thee, and
O let me find!
Teach me to love thee as thine angels love, One holy passion filling
all my fame;
The baptism of the heav’n –descended Dove, My heart an altar
and thy love the flame.
Track 10: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Instrumental Track
Track
11: How Firm a Foundation
Early American melody / John Rippon / arr. Richard Walters; Giles Tomkins,
baritone solo
How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say, than to you he hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee, oh be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes,
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no, never forsake.
Track
12: All Creatures of Our God & King
from Geistliche Kirchengesang, 1623 / Francis of Assisi
/ arr. Peter Tiefenbach
All creatures of our God and King, Lift up your voice and with us sing;
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam, Thou silver moon with softer beam;
O praise him, O praise him, Alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong, Ye clouds that sail in heaven along;
Thou rising morn in praise rejoice, Ye lights of evening, find a voice;
Thou flowing water, pure and clear, Make music for our Lord to hear;
Thou fire so masterful and bright That givest man both warmth and light;
And all ye men of tender heart, Forgiving others, take your part;
O sing ye, alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear, Praise God and on him cast your care
And thou, most kind and gentle death, Waiting to hush our latest breath;
Thou leadest home the child of God, And Christ our Lord the way hath trod;
Let all things their creator bless, And worship him in humbleness;
Praise the Father, praise the Son, and the Spirit,
Three in One: O praise him, O praise him, Alleluia!
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada
through the Canada Music Fund for this project.
