O Lord, the clouds are gathering

Like 955, this text and tune (O LORD, THE CLOUDS …) by Graham Kendrick reflect his concern for more than individual salvation, which emerged particularly in the late 1980s. Apart from the Spring Harvest books where it featured from 1987 onwards, Let’s Praise (Bk 1 1988) was the first of several more general collections to include it. Christopher Norton’s arrangement of the music featured in Hymns for the People (1993) and MP etc. The Praise! editors appear to be the first to question the original 3.1 (‘O Lord, dark powers are poised to flood/ our streets …’), which while intended in a spiritual sense (cf ‘the power of darkness’ Colossians 1:13), may be misused by those with hidden or even openly racist attitudes. Certainly the older text resembles the language of some whose agenda is to promote racial hatred. The author, of course, is not among them, and has agreed with the revision of this line as printed here. In many inner cities, even to talk (or sing!) thoughtlessly about fear can make things worse, since fear always produces more fear. But the refrain sounds the more positive and more demanding note of Amos 5:24. Some time earlier, Fred Pratt Green wrote a short poem beginning ‘Where is she now, the Dove of Peace?/ We saw her fall out of the sky,/ victim of an implacable hate … / Find her! bind up her broken wing/ with reconciling hands …’ (published posthumously in Partners in Creation, 2003); cf GK’s stz 2.

b Blisworth, Northants 1950. Son of a Baptist minister who moved with the family to Laindon (Essex) and Putney. He took a step of faith at the age of 5, and began composing songs as a 15- year old, teaching himself to play the piano before he learned to read music. Studied at Avery Hill College, SE London (Cert Ed 1972) before joining Clive Calver and others in an evangelistic team in 1972. He toured schools and colleges with his music group and worked with YWAM, as Musical Director of British Youth for Christ (1976–80), and at St Michael-le-Belfry Ch, York, eventually joining the church leadership team of the S London Ichthus Fellowship (1984–2004) to specialise in music. His first published songs were written in the 1970s, and rapidly established him as the prominent songwriter/musician of a movement variously described as ‘house/new church’, ‘renewal’ or ‘restorationist’. His 1978 tour was the catalyst for the annual Spring Harvest gatherings where his work was often first aired; he pioneered praise marches with the initial ‘Make Way’, nation-wide events and a global ‘March for Jesus’ involving an estimated 12 million people from 177 nations in 1994. Other forms of open-air celebration and witness also had a strong musical element. He has lectured and written on this approach, produced ideas and texts for children and for seasons and special occasions, and published material on music, evangelism and worship. In the 1990s his songs, already well-represented in MP, began to appear in mainstream British hymnals; and The Source (for which he was consultant editor) included most of his significant material to date as well as other work. Between 1971 and 2000 he produced 28 albums. CH 2004 edn included 11 of his songs. Some of his 300-plus compositions are intentionally ephemeral or otherwise limited in scope; others go some way towards narrowing the gap between hymns and songs, while often requiring musical expertise for adequate performance. His more recent work has a strong element of social and moral concern. Almost invariably, text and tune go together. He has appeared at major events in most denominations, and lives with his family at Croydon, Surrey. Among other honours he has received a Dove award for international work, 1995. See also Selling Worship by Pete Ward (2005) where he is often quoted and his development sympathetically discussed. Recent indications of his broad acceptance are his 2 items in Common Praise (2000) and 11 in both Christian Hymns (2004 edn) and Sing Praise (2010). Nos.200, 207, 294, 315, 336, 354, 358, 365, 369, 384, 396, 397, 415, 434, 464, 468, 489, 494, 533, 589, 619, 667, 674, 700, 723, 744, 803, 816, 826, 835, 944, 953, 955, 957, 1242.