Hymn to St. James
SATB Choir. A Hymn to St. James - for his Feast Day, July 25th. If St. James is your patron saint, and you celebrate his feast day every year (like we do here at St. James Music Press) this might be for you. Philip Godfrey wrote this for St. James', West Hampstead, in London, and they sing it each year. If you have an Evensong on July 25th, this would be perfect for an introit, or even a short anthem. Lovely! Text by the composer.
Friend and disciple of Jesus,
apostle and witness of our Lord's earthly days:
Saint James we hymn thee.
Brother of John, fishermen both,
mending your nets beside the sea of Galilee
when Jesus called you to follow him.
Men of zeal, 'Sons of thunder' said our Lord:
Saint James we hymn thee.
Present at the Transfiguration,
and in the garden of Gethsemane;
witness of many miracles,
and of our Lord's resurrection.
Missionary in Spain, preaching the gospel of our Lord;
martyred by Herod,
buried at Compostela;
Patron Saint of Spain,
we sing thee, we praise thee;
Saint James we hymn thee.