Into a world of war and struggle

Hazel Voss’s contemporary hymn was written in Nov 1990 at Preston, a suburb of Weymouth in Dorset, and is published here for the first time. It was prompted by a request for a Christmas solo at what was then her home church, Sutton Rd Evangelical Church at Sutton Poyntz near Weymouth, and sung at that year’s Christmas service—one of several such items composed for a specific occasion and then made available for wider use. Its structure has similarities to 296; the 2nd half of each stz, varying only the phrases ‘a tiny baby/a suffering Servant/the Lord of glory’, echoes both Psalm 85:10 and Wesley’s And can it be (776). The writer also composed the tune WHAT LOVE IS THIS, which should not be confused with 434. While traditional in form, the text has its own metrical pattern which does not precisely match any other; nor is it therefore suited to other tunes, though similar.

b (H Butler) at Lyndhurst, Hants 1951. Brockenhurst Grammar Sch and Weymouth Teacher Training Coll, Dorset; qualified as a teacher 1972. She taught reception and infant classes, then private all-age piano tuition, and has been for many years a landscape artist (watercolour and pencil). Her guitar-playing was brought to a halt by a spinal disability. Now living at Staveley, nr Kendal in Cumbria, she is a member of Parr St Evangelical Ch. Her hymnwriting began with a chorus on ‘Wisdom and understanding’ for Education Sunday 1966, requested by RE Teacher John Eyers. She has written many musical and choral works including a folk setting of a Dorset poem, recorded by The Yetties c1982. She has also written, composed, and sung original verses by request for her church, to match the sermon text or theme, especially when her husband Roy was the preacher. She wrote her church’s 60th anniversary hymn in 1992 (prompted by a sermon by the elder Bill Squibb), also that year a Christmas carol arranged SATB and sung at Southampton General Hospital by the Ambassadors’ Choir. First published hymn in Praise!. No.303.