A terrific text by Congregational minister, poet and hymn writer Brian Wren with traditional music adapted by Carlton Young.
The sheet music is at Hope Publishing.
This interview gives some background to Brian Wren’s work and his comments on removing the veil of archiac language sound oddly relevant. Its unconventional view of God appears to have been embraced by the Unitarians in particular and to have upset others. I suspect it is lyrically just too challenging for the current Catholic church, but this episcopal church gives it a go.
Bring many names, beautiful and good,
celebrate, in parable and story,
holiness in glory, living, loving God.
Hail and hosanna! Bring many names!Strong mother God, working night and day,
planning all the wonders of creation,
setting each equation, genius at play:
Hail and hosanna, strong mother God!Warm father God, hugging every child,
feeling all the strains of human living,
caring and forgiving till we’re reconciled:
Hail and hosanna, warm father God!Old, aching God, grey with endless care,
calmly piercing evil’s new disguises,
glad of good surprises, wiser than despair:
Hail and hosanna, old aching God!Young, growing God, eager, on the move,
saying no to falsehood and unkindness,
crying out for justice, giving all you have:
Hail and hosanna, young, growing God!Great, living God, never fully known,
joyful darkness far beyond our seeing,
closer yet than breathing, everlasting home:
Hail and hosanna, great, living God!
The second last verse was altered by Wren (read about it here) from this:
Young, growing God, eager still to know,
willing to be changed by what you’ve started
quick to be delighted, singing as you go,
Hail and Hosanna,
young, growing God!
© Hope Publishing Co. 1989.
Another VST version – still on a learning curve: