I've recently acquired an old hymn book and am delighted to find I know about 80 hymns. Words I've forgotten for over 40 years just needed prompting. Looking through that index of first lines has made me remember a couple of hymns that are missing. I guess we had a different hymn book when I was at school. I'm sure it would be readily available if I knew what I was looking for. I know I can easily google the lyrics - but I'd like to get a copy of the book so I can see what else I remember.

The missing hymns - first verse -

God has given us a book full of stories,
Which was made for His people of old,
It begins with the tale of a garden,
And ends with the city of gold.

and

When God made creation,
In true adoration
The stars of the morning all shouted his praise;
The sun in his splendor,
The moon, young and tender,
Sang: 'Praise to the Lord, the Ancient of Days'

Does anyone know which book these are in? Thanks.

We regularly sang God hasgiven us a bookful of stories at Methodist Sunday School.

Who remembers 'Glad that I live am I '?

Glad that I live am I - That the sky is blue.

yes - I know that one.

..... And Jesus bids us shine ?

I remember 'When God made creation ' from a book we used at a school in the 70s. I have memories of a blue and mauve cover, built not the name of the book, sorry.

Another one I remember from the same book was 'I love to hear the robin sing'. Or was that perhaps not the first verse? Hmmm.

Yes, I remember 'Glad that I live ' too.

(edit) All things which live below the sky. The robin line is the second verse.

"Glad that I live am I" - ah, yes, I remember it. And who could forget the lines "All that we have to do/Be we low or high/Is to see that we grow/Nearer the sky"?

Anyone remember "Daisies are our silver/Buttercups our gold"?

P4

"This is all the treasure we can have or hold."

Which I think might be the origin of my little obsession with collecting trinkets and small items of treasure - the being told from an early age that I was only allowed daisies and buttercups.

I remember it too! So does no one sing it any more?

The hymn I most associate with my childhood is "When a knight won his spurs".

We are but little children weak....... Anyone?

I don't remember that one, I'm afraid. How about "In our dear Lord's garden, planted here below"?

No, sorry, but yes to Daisies and When a knight.

Loving shepherd
Christ who once amongst us
There's a friend for little children
Do no sinful action.

Yes I remember ' In our Dear Lords garden' and ' When a Knight'

One I mentioned earlier was:-

Jesus bids us shine with a pure clear light,
Like a little candle burning in the night
In this world of darkness, so we must shine,
You in your small corner and I in mine



Then there was 'When Zacchues was a vey little man

And 'only a boy called David' about the Goliath story

and the terrible...

Little things that run and quail
And die in silence and despair

Little things that fight and fail
And fall on sea and earth and air

All trapped and frightened little things
The mouse, the coney, hear our prayer


(possible what drove me to become a vegetarian years later)

Both of those, and I do not recall singing either of these recently.

'Jesus friend of little children be a friend to me',

was another one we had at school.

I was also pleased that our school version of 'Who would true valour see' was Bunyan's original complete with 'Hobgoblins nor foul fiend' rather than the Percy Dearmer version that rather looses its punch.

Unfortunately it was at that time I was equated with Camberwell and Hatherop Castle, however they sounded somewhat better on the school piano then they ever do on an Organ.

On the subject of 'Happy Clappy Hymns' my friend who works for Kevin Mayhew is not enjoying type-setting a bunch of them. He has no editorial control so just has to make them look pretty. He finds it fiddly and musically uninspiring.

We always seemed to sing

When a knight won his spurs, in the stories of old,
He was gentle and brave, he was gallant and bold;
With a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand
For God and for valour he rode through the land.

What a great tune. Well I thought so when I was 7, and still do - a few years later

Do you know, we sang it in church sometime last year! It really took me back.

Thanks for reminding me about "When a knight". I had forgotten about that one, but the mere mention of it was enough to bring it back.


There's another hymn from my primary school days which I have forgotten all but two lines of. The two lines I remember are "Sweeter lesson cannot be,/ Loving Him who first loved me". Anybody remember the rest of it?

P4

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/t/steachme.htm

This song is really my first memory of a hymn. At primary school, we listened to an 'assembly' on the radio, which you sang along to, and this song has stuck in my memory doggedly ever since.

The images of dragons and knights, together with the ideas of courage and goodness, always caught my imagination. Likewise "He who would true valour see".

I can't remember ever singing it in church, though. I may have to have it sung at my funeral!!

We often had 'I am not worthy Holy Lord' 323 (I think) in the Ancient and Modern Standard (the blue one) - used as a communion hymn sung only by the boys with the middle verses as solos.

As a lusty singing member of the Methodist church Sunday School I have sung most of the hymns mentioned above. In those days not only did we have the 900 plus hymns of the MHB but there was also a separate Sunday School Hymn Book. Others that come to mind are:
Children of Jerusalem with a much enjoyed refrain "Hark,hark, hark while infant voices sing Loud hosannas to our king."
I also remember:

Lord, make my life a little light

Hushed was the evening hymn

God has given us a book full of stories

Tell me the stories of Jesus

When mothers of Salem

Onward Christian soldiers

and many others including from the "Beginners Class" - I must have been four or five at the time -
"Hear the pennies dropping, Listen while they fall, Every one for Jesus, He shall have them all." which we sang as we dropped a penny in the collection box.

Awww - I'd forgotten about that one.

'Mothers of Salem was the first hymn I ever played on a church organ for a service !! (I was 13)
I also remember 'Hear the Pennies dropping ' when at infant Sunday School.
Most of the songs we sang at age 4 - 7 were in two books, one red and one blue, by Carey Bonner. Not sure if they are still available.

Two from that book which I mentioned earlier:- (Actions are required aslo)

Only a boy called David, only a rippling brook,
Only a boy called David, five little stones he took.
One little stone went in the sling, and the sling went round and round
One little stone went up up up , and the giant came tumbling down


Now Zaccheus was a very little man, and a very little man was he,
He climbed into a Sycamore tree, for the Saviour he wanted to see,
Now when the Saviour passed that way, he looked into the tree,
And said 'Now Zaccheus you come down, I'm coming to your house for tea'

Oh and

'Jesus bids us shine with a pure clear light'......... (as posted earlier)

Yes, I remember the David and Goliath one and another Carey Bonner - I think - "Praise Him, Praise Him, all ye little children, He is love, He is love." I had actually forgotten about the Carey Bonner books but now that you mention them, fsharpminor, it rings a bell

Later, as a member ofthe Girl Crusaders we sang choruses and they too, if I remember were published in a couple of red, cloth covered books. One I particularly remember is:

"Wide, wide as the ocean,
High as the heavens above,
Deep, deep as the depest sea,
Is my Saviour's love.
I though so unworthy,
Still am a child of his care,
For His Book teaches me
That his love reaches me
Everywhere!"

My goodness doesn't all this bring back memories!

We sang that at Sunday school. I remember the actions too.

Replied to this thread yesterday but 'puter said no...
YES to:
Glad that I live am I;
when a Knight won his spurs;
Jesus bids us shine;
and "My faith it is a trusty sword."

(incidentally my Jewish best friend told me that it always made her day when she got to sing "when a knight" in assembly... but she couldn't tell her dad...)

Ooh yes, Wide, Wide as the ocean, we did that one too. Definitely better than "Creator God, we celebrate You!"

I love the Zaccheus song and was v cross that we had this reading and a sermon on it twice in a month last year and not once did we sing the song! Similarly how can you have a service including the reading on Jacob's Ladder and not sing "alleluia to Jesus who died on the tree and has raised up a ladder of mercy for me"???

Does the one about daisies and silver also include something about summer suns are glowing over land and sea?

Possibly the most memorable of these childhood hymns (or worship songs ) was one specially written for the link with an Africa in our diocese.

There are people making music in the village
And the people are all dancing to the sound of the drums
there is something something something something something (this was nearly 40 years ago, sorry!)
And there are pygmies in the forest where nobody comes.

Boga, Zaire! We want to share all the truth we have found
The love of Jesus is spreading around
In Boga, Zaire.

The next verse went on to finish

"We will buy a Range Rover for the Bishop,
And a Volkswagen Beetle for the Archdeacon too"

Perhaps we should just resurrect Glad that I live am I?

I can also remember the percussion we used in school to Hatherop Castle and the other one (which is At the name of Jesus and which is O Jesus I have promised?) and am itching to revive it in our church...

I think Daisies and Summer Suns are two separate hymns -


Summer suns are glowing over land and sea;
Happy light is flowing, bountiful and free;
Everything rejoices in the mellow rays;
Earth?s ten thousand voices swell the psalm of praise.

God?s free mercy streameth over all the world,
And His banner gleameth, by His church unfurled;
Broad and deep and glorious, as the heaven above,
Shines in might victorious His eternal love.

Lord, upon our blindness Thy pure radiance pour;
For Thy lovingkindness we would love Thee more;
And when clouds are drifting dark across the sky,
Then, the veil uplifting, Father, be Thou nigh.

We will never doubt Thee, though Thou veil Thy light;
Life is dark without Thee, death with Thee is bright;
Light of light, shine o?er us on our pilgrim way;
Go Thou still before us to the endless day.

My favourite childhood hymn of all -
We didn't sing verse 2 so I don't recognise that bit so I go straight to verse three and enjoy references to Oceans...


Far round the world Thy children sing their song:
From East and West their voices sweetly blend,
Praising the Lord in whom young lives are strong,
Jesus our Guide, our Hero, and our Friend.

Guide of the pilgrim clambering to the height,
Hero on whom our fearful hearts depend,
Friend of the wanderer yearning for the light,
Jesus, our guide, our hero, and our friend.

Where Thy wide ocean, wave on rolling wave,
Beats through the ages, on each island shore,
They praise their Lord, whose hand alone can save,
Whose sea of love surrounds them evermore.

Thy sun-kissed children on earth's spreading plain,
Where Asia's rivers water all the land,
Sing, as they watch Thy fields of glowing grain,
Praise to the Lord who feeds them with His hand.

Still there are lands where none have seen Thy face,
Children whose hearts have never shared Thy joy;
Yet Thou wouldst pour on these Thy radiant grace,
Give Thy glad strength to every girl and boy.

All round the world let children sing Thy song:
From East and West their voices sweetly blend,
Praising the Lord in whom young lives are strong,
Jesus our Guide, our Hero, and our Friend.

Yes that one we sang to the well known tune 'Woodlands' (like Tell out my Soul and others)

'Summer Suns are glowing' (Tune 'Ruth') is still in many hymn books.

Another infant hymn (possibly another Carey Bonner) was:-

Down came the raindrops on a cloudy day.
Wetting all the pavement , washing dirt away,
Waking little brown buds, thirsty seeds as well,
All over God's lovely earth the tiny raindrops fell. (or something like that)

I am still in possesion of 'The Methodist Sunday School Hymn Book', which we used at 'post infant' Sunday School (say age 8-16) I was actually the pianist at Sunday School from about age 11, before having a full paid organists post at 13/14. Im still at it (voluntarily unpaid) 50 yrs later.
Of course after that book it was the old red MHB, itself replaced about 20-25 yrs ago. I believe another New Methodist Hymn Book has just been published.

These certainly reawake many early childhood musical memories! Another one that has stayed with me over the years ( decades) is 'So here has been dawning another bue day/Think, wilt thou let it slip useless away?'
The second verse was something like ' Out of eternity each new day is born/Into eternity at night will reurn' - which strikes me now as being a rather profound thought for a bunch of 7 year olds. And I still like Summer suns are glowing (Ruth).

Carey Bonner stuff still available here:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/2...p;x=11&y=18

Note the Primary Red book was from 1951 (I was 4) but now unavailable

I think it was "Down into the blades of grass the tiny raindrops fell"

There is indeed a new Methodist Hymnbook, called "Singing the Faith", published in Sept 2011. It's a strange mixture of older hymns suitable for organ, children's songs and newer material suitable for worship bands. I'm not sure who is going to buy it, as it seems to be trying to be all things to all men and ending up suiting nobody.

I have found my old Methodist Sunday School Hymn Book, which I guess I used from about age 8 to becoming a proper organist at 13.
I havent time to have a good look at it tonight , and Im off to Yorks for two days, but will have a good scan later in the week,to see if I can wheedle out any more gems we used to sing. Watch this space.

Interesting you said this Berkshiremum. I was looking at a copy of the new book and thought great as I like a mixture. Don't think our churches will be buying it as the super. thinks it would be a waste of money anyway... but your point got me thinking. I am forever saying to people at my church how the great hymns should be played well on the organ and the newer worship band stuff should be played well on the piano / band. as that is how they work best! Anyway, I suppose having it all in one book just reinforces exactly the opposite to what I've been trying to get through to them.

Anyhow back on topic... I liked O lord all the world belongs to you... as I liked the idea of 'turning the world upside down' (what a rebel I am.) Anyone remember that?!
I was quite suprised recently to find that When a knight was requested by one of my young piano students as she'd sung it at school. Didn't realise it would still be popular!

I remember singing all of the songs, except one or two, in the last 10 or so posts!

Another one I remember, which was in our primary school hymnbook, began

"Can you count the stars that brightly
twinkle in the midnight sky?"

And a huge tear-jerker (for me) was:

"Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing" (always sung at the end of term when people were moving on!)

Oh yes - clearly remember both of those. And 'Lord dismiss us' used to get me feeling emotional even at infant level ( Yr 2 in new money). 'Time that's lost may all retrieve' - but I remember thinking that you never really can, can you. And then finally, aged 18, when I was no longer one of 'those returning' but of 'those who here shall meet no more'.,,, arrgh, find me a tissue, someone.

For some reason our school orchestra always finished that last assembly with the Dambusters' March, played straight after "Lord dismiss us". To this day (and it's over 40 years since I left school!) I feel tearful the minute I hear Dambusters!

We quite often do that one!




We used to do "God be with you till we meet again" at our valedictory service... snif...