Worlds of song

Worlds of song are called to life,

Joined in prayer and praise.

Grace is sung around the world,

Sung in many ways.

Yet some lift up cries of pain,

Canticles of need; 

For such longing, may our song

Plant a holy seed. 

 

Songs of praise are known to all

Churches everywhere,

Praise and glory on our lips

In the songs we share.

Yet for those with broken hearts,

Who will sing their song?

Dare we lift our voice for

Sufferers of wrong?

 

As our voices, lifted high,

Loud hosannas raise,

Singing glory to our God

And to Jesus praise, 

What of those whose hearts are lost,

Broken by our greed?

Is there space to sing of grief

With the ones in need?

 

Midst our adulation singing,

Midst our songs of joy,

Can we see that how we live 

Has power to destroy?

Will we change our wasteful lives

And destructive speech?

May we finally, in our song,

Let the suffering teach.

 

 

TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, July 2022

MUSIC: Tune TOKYO, Japanese gagaku mode, Isao Koizumi, 1958.

 

Inspired by experiences at the centennial anniversary conference of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, which I attended July 17-21, 2022. In particular hearing the words of a cohort of hymn writers and scholars from Japan reflecting on the challenges of creating hymns for their church stood out, and also likely set off this tune in my head. (Their work was encapsulated in the collection pictured below. Full disclosure: I had the extreme pleasure and privilege to develop three of the translations/paraphrases included in this collection for the conference, so maybe the seed has been in my brain longer than I know.)

NOTE: since the copyright status of this tune isn't entirely clear - it seems to be copyrighted? - it is not included here; it can be found in Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal (#311 and #813) and twenty-something other hymnals as well.