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A hymn for and/or about baptism.

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This goes to a fine, but difficult and obscure tune - I wanted to use the tune because I like it, but perhaps underestimated its difficulty for a congregation! Might work for baptism or for the Easter Vigil, or maybe to accompany sprinkling of a congregation - written in celebration of the dedication of a new font bowl. In the stillness before God spoke words of creation over water the Spirit was brooding in love; and the water thus hallowed is hope of salvation to a world where dry hearts wait for rain from above. As God brought them from Egypt, the people of Israel went safe through the sea where their captors were drowned. Through the river they came to the land that was promised and they drank from the rock in the desert’s dry ground. In the Jordan all righteousness found its fulfilment and Jesus was known as the Father’s dear Son; in the promise thus given is life for all people washed, watered and welcomed, with Jesus made one. Praise God who gives water to feed and sustain us, p...
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Patronal Festival - hymn for Frideswide

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Frideswide is an obscure saint and very strongly located not just in Oxford, but in Christ Church. I wrote this hymn for her feast day (and our patronal festival) in 2022. It's dedicated to Richard Peers, then our Sub Dean, a priest of huge integrity, wisdom and gentleness from whom I learnt a lot. The tune is Highwood, because I love it. This is the house which holy Frideswide founded strong in God’s peace, unshaken, unafraid, choosing a life of prayer, of love and service, she taught God’s truth and brought God’s gracious aid. Once in this place, she healed God’s hurting people; here from her faith she built a house of grace; now in her presence we her light remember as she beholds our God with glowing face. Here stands the shrine, its fragments found and mended – marble and stone once carved with faithful care – craft that remade it after years of absence; her silent presence and her steadfast prayer. And here we come, to ask again for healing, kneeling in worship at the broken ...
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Oils for the ministry of the Church

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 One of the pieces of liturgy specific to cathedrals is the annual Chrism Mass (or Eucharist with renewal of ministerial vows and blessing of the oils for the ministry of the Church). It's a huge joy and a huge privilege, even though when it happens on the traditional Maundy Thursday, it is also a logistical nightmare. The renewal of ministerial vows is relatively new; the blessing of oils for the three anointings of priestly ministry (oil of exorcism for baptism, oil of healing, oil of chrism for the invocation of the Holy Spirit) very old, and the symbolism of those oils being blessed on Maundy Thursday by the bishop in their cathedral and then taken to the people of the diocese by the clergy carries a lot of theological depth about the ministry of the church flowing from the self-giving love of Jesus and through those ordained to service. There is one published hymn about the oils for ministry, and after several years as precentor I'd got quite tired of it. So I wrote anothe...
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A master list of hymns

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Having put up my hymn for the anniversary of the ordination of women to the priesthood, I'm going to put all my hymns on the blog over the next couple of weeks. Anyone is welcome to use them - they are, after all, written to be sung! I've suggested a tune for each - mostly, I wrote the text with that particular tune in mind. Please could you attribute them to me (Revd Philippa White) and I'd love to know if you did use them.  For the diocesan celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the ordination of women https://harkthegladsound.blogspot.com/2024/05/a-hymn-about-priesthood.html For the Chrism Mass https://harkthegladsound.blogspot.com/2024/05/oils-for-ministry-of-church.html For our Patronal Festival https://harkthegladsound.blogspot.com/2024/05/patronal-festival-hymn-for-frideswide.html Metrical Advent O antiphons https://harkthegladsound.blogspot.com/2024/05/metrical-o-antiphons.html For St Birinus https://harkthegladsound.blogspot.com/2024/05/birinus-hymn-for-very-o...
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Metrical O antiphons

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I love, love, love the Advent O antiphons. But the traditional chants are not suitable for congregational use and the texts are quite long for unison speech, especially if you're saying them either side of a spoken Magnificat.  Solution: write a metrical version (yes, I know O come O come Emmanuel exists, but it doesn't have all the antiphons and it's a metrical translation of the Latin texts. This is a metrical version of the Common Worship texts.) Suitable, I hope, to sing one verse either side of a spoken Magnificat at Evening Prayer in a parish church or similar. Tune: Come thou redeemer of the earth (or any LM tune you know) O holy Wisdom from the height Whom God first spoke, who rules in might O sweetly order every land O teach us prudence at thy hand. O Adonai, the Holy Name, Revealed to Moses in the flame O Law-giver, O Israel's Balm, O save us, Lord, stretch out thine arm. O Root of Jesse, standing proud, A sign to make kings weep aloud To whom the nations humb...
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Hymn for the communion of saints

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A hymn for the beginning of new ministry, in a place where prayer has been valid. (Hebrews 11:32-12:2) (Written to celebrate the installation of Sarah Foot as Dean of Christ Church in 2023.) With saints of all the ages we praise our holy Lord, whose death has opened heaven, whose life was once outpoured, who lives and reigns forever, who makes his people one: one with the saints in glory, with hope of life to come. Our kindred are the saints who worked wonders with each breath  and we like them are called by the God who conquered death. So strengthened and befriended by those who went before, may we like them bring healing, and like them hope restore. *Here Frideswide sang God's praises, here prayer was daily heard, a House on firm foundations and trusting in the Word, and at this new beginning our prayers and praise arise: O bless our priests and people, God merciful and wise. We pray for all who worship, we pray for all who lead; our loving God will give us the daily strength we ...
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Birinus: a hymn for a very obscure saint

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Birinus, a seventh-century Continental churchman, is by tradition the missionary who converted the kingdom of Wessex. As such he is a patron saint of the diocese of Oxford.  A hymn commissioned by the Bishop of Dorchester (Birinus's original see, now an abbey church as the minster centre of an episcopal area in the diocese of Oxford.) The tune for this is Engleberg, and I can't think of any other that will fit it... but do try! With heart aflame, with courage undeterred  Birinus sowed the seed of God's True Word And faith sprang up to life in all who heard: alleluia! Where none had preached before, Birinus went  In faithful service to the God who sent  His only Son to call us to repent: Alleluia! With kindly teaching he showed forth God's grace  And all who listened saw in him Christ's face And knew the Love transcending time and space: Alleluia! And as we celebrate the truth he brought  We join with him to share the faith he taught And praise the God who o...
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