The
Stream
Ever Flowing
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The |
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Charles
Wesley and his brother John set the country alight with their desire to let
everyone know that the invitation of the God of love is open to all. Charles’s
passionate and powerful words still speak to us today, a reason why Wesley hymns
continue to be used in the 21st century.
The
Stream Ever Flowing is a collection of Charles Wesley’s lesser-known
hymns – 100 that are not included in the current Methodist hymn book Hymns and
Psalms. Although Charles was born 300 years ago, his creative stream of 9,000
poems has left an influence that still flows on.
Some of the hymns will be found in previous, or non-British editions, of Methodist hymn books; some will be found in none. All of them are set to music so that you can, in the words of John Wesley, “sing lustily and with a good courage”.
51
Help us to help each other, Lord
WEDNESBURY
D.C.M. (extended) Melody
and bass as in John Wesley’s Sacred Harmony (1780)
1.
Help us to help each other, Lord,
each other’s cross to bear,
let each his friendly aid afford,
and feel his brother’s care.
Help us to build each other up,
our little stock improve;
increase our faith, confirm our hope,
and perfect us in love,
and perfect us in love.
2.
Up into thee, our living head,
let us in all things grow,
till thou hast made us free indeed,
and spotless here below;
then, when the mighty work is wrought,
receive thy ready bride:
give us in heaven a happy lot
with all the sanctified,
with all the sanctified.
John Wesley once sang this tune after a service at a school in Whitehaven; finding they could join in, he said
“I am glad to find you can sing my favourite tune”. He set this tune to these words in his 1786 collection.
Alternative
tune: LADYWELL
(Hymns and Psalms no. 787), omitting the repeated line at the end of each verse.
A
Book of Folk Carols
is
a collection of the carols sung at the annual Folk Carol Service at New Road
Methodist Church, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, over more than 25 years.
It
contains over 50 “traditional carols”, in the true sense of both words –
composed by the common folk of the time and passed on from one generation to
another by hearing, learning and changing over the years, and based upon dance
music played by the local band.
Paul McDowell and Professor Kenneth MacKinnon have researched manuscripts, tunes and many other old items over a long period. You will find several carols which have probably never been sung outside Leigh-on-Sea for hundreds of years, along with some old favourites. The carols come complete with tunes and freshly written accompaniments for you to sing and play on piano, guitar or with your own dance band!
It is illustrated by Kate Baxter and was published by Writersworld in December 2004 at £7.99 via all bookshops - or from Amazon.co.uk or direct from Paul McDowell Musical Services.
A sample carol - and the illustration that goes with it - is shown below.
A Book of Folk Carols
1
King Herod and the cock
1.
There was a star in David’s land,
so
bright it did appear
into King Herod’s chamber,
and
brightly it shined there.
2.
The wise men soon espied it,
and told the king on high
a princely babe was born that night
no king could e’er destroy.
3.
“If this be true”, King Herod said,
“as thou hast told to me,
this roasted cock that lies in the dish
shall crow full fences three.”
4.
The cock soon thrustened and feathered well
by the work of God’s own hand,
and he did crow full fences three
in the dish where he did stand.
This
is the version found in the Oxford Book of Carols, as collected from the
singing of Mrs Plumb of Armscote, Worcestershire. There are much longer versions
and it was reported of John Kirkpatrick that he was “familiar with all 30
verses”!
A modern performing edition of John Wesley's 1780 collection "Sacred Harmony" is also in the pipeline.
Contact: paul.mcdowell@easynet.co.uk or telephone 01702 474255.