Songs of thankfulness

                                                       A thanksgiving harvest in South Florida

Our God we thank thee for the night

Voices Found #28

Our God we thank thee for the night,

 and for the blessed morning light,

for rest and food and loving care,

and all that makes the day so fair.

Help us, to do the things we should, 

to be to others kind and good,

may all we do in work or play 

be done with love and rest this day.

Rebecca J. Weston, 1885

Music: The Eighth Tune, Thomas Tallis (1505?-1585)

In 1885 Rebecca Weston wrote "Father, we thank thee for the night." The current text is from Worship in Song: A Friends hymnal, published in 1996 by the Friends General Conference in Philadelphia with the Tallis tune, often called the "Tallis Canon," because it is easily sung in two parts as a round.  

Katharine K. Davis (1892-1980) wrote "Let all things now living" as a choral anthem for girls chorus at a time when there was little music written for girls.  A composer, arranger, and pianist, she graduated from Wellesley College and studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris.  She served on the faculty  at Wellesley, and  later directed music at the Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts,  and at the Shady Hill School for Girls in Philadelphia.  Voices Found presents her  song of thanksgiving arranged for congregations to enjoy. 

 Let all things now living

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 Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving to God the creator triumphantly raise,

who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us, who still guides us on to the end of our days.

God's banners are o'er us, his light goes before us, a pillar of fire shining forth in the night,

till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished, as forward we travel from light into light.

His law he enforces, the stars in their courses and sun in its orbit obediently shine;

the hills and the mountains the rivers and fountains, the deeps of the ocean proclaim him divine.  

We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing; with glad adoration a song let us raise 

till all things now living unite in thanksgiving:"to God in the highest, hosanna and praise.”

Katharine K. Davis (1892-1980)

Music:The Ash Grove, Welsh folk tune; harm. 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship

Sr. Elise, Community of the Holy Spirit, (1922-2020) wrote liturgical music  for the CHS sisters.   She composed this beautiful setting of "Light of the world," a contemporary translation of the traditional Phos Hilaron often  sung as part of Vespers and Evensong worship.  The ancient (3rd or 4th century) hymn, sung in early Christian lamp-lighting traditions, is a brilliant celebration of the living light of Christ.

Reflection

Light of the world

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Light of the world in grace and beauty,

Mirror of God’s eternal face;

Transparent flame of love’s free duty

You bring salvation to our race.

Now as we see the lights of evening,

We raise our voice in hymns of praise,

Worthy are you of endless blessing,

Sun of our night, lamp of our days

Words: Phos hilaron, Enriching our worship 1, 1998 The Church Pension Fund

Music: Sister Elise, CHS (1922-2020)

                                          The Bryn Mawr College Lantern shines forth the light of truth

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