Our Hymns

 We have picked three hymns to be sung during our wedding service!  They are:

• I Vow To Thee, My Country
• Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost
• Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

The first one will probably be familiar to the Brits from Princess Diana's wedding (and funeral), or perhaps from hearing crowds sing it during the rugby!  The latter two may be less familiar to you, but fear not, for we have provided all the lyrics below, along with hyperlinks to midi files recorded by Dave Gordon.  So there's no excuse for not practising ahead of the big day and singing along heartily.  No mumbling at the back ;-)

I Vow To Thee, My Country

I Vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that know her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.

Sir Cecil Spring-Rice

More info [wikipedia.org]
Hear the hymn (Midi format) [cyberhymnal.org]

Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost

Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost
Taught by thee, we covet most
Of thy gifts at Pentecost,
Holy heavenly love.

Love is kind, and suffers long,
Love is meek, and thinks no wrong,
Love than death itself more strong;
Therefore give us love.

Prophecy will fade away,
Melting in the light of day;
Love will ever with us stay;
Therefore give us love.

Faith will vanish into sight;
Hope be emptied in delight;
Love in heaven will shine more bright;
Therefore give us love.

Faith and hope and love we see
Joining hand in hand agree;
But the greatest of the three,
And the best, is love.

From the overshadowing
Of thy gold and silver wing
Shed on us, who to thee sing,
Holy, heavenly love.

Bishop Christopher Wordsworth

Hear the hymn (Midi format) [davegordon.org.uk]

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish; but naught changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render : O help us to see
'Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

W. Chalmers Smith

Hear the hymn (Midi format) [davegordon.org.uk]