O sacrifice of Calvary

Although revised in 1968 and 1980, this hymn was written at the end of 1962 or early 1963, second in time only to O Holy Spirit, Giver of life among the texts of Michael Saward. He was then a curate at Edgware in NW London, and wrote the first version (in CMD) for a weekend conference, ‘probably of the church’s “20 Club��?’. It is a carefully worded attempt to do justice to the reality of Jesus’ high priesthood (as set out in the Letter to the Hebrews) while avoiding current misunderstandings of that doctrine in some Anglican circles. This was one of the author’s 2 Communion hymns in the ‘Cross and Resurrection’ section of Youth Praise 2 in 1969—there being no specific space for sacramental items. Further revisions came in 1980 at 2.1–4, which are now more positive than the earlier ‘No longer, Saviour, do you plead …’ The Anglican Hymn Book included it among some ‘Additional Hymns’ in its 1978 words-only edn, and other evangelical books have also found room for it. The author says, ‘It is one of the hymns that I most value of all that I have written, but it isn’t particularly well-known which is a matter of real regret to me.’

W J Walter’s tune, the author’s first choice and subsequently named SACRIFICE, has been linked with the words at least since YP2. It ‘captures the solemnity of the words as I had meant them to be sung right from the start’—MS. The music was therefore composed some time before 1966, but it has so far proved impossible to trace the composer; he may be William James Walter, a naval chaplain born in 1926. An earlier tune of the same name is attributed to H Lahee (cf 300), in 7676 iambic and set to Yes, I shall soon be landed on yonder shores of bliss. HTC set Michael Saward’s words to John Barnard’s FRAMLINGHAM.

b Blackheath, SE London 1932; d Switzerland 2015. Eltham Coll; Bristol Univ and Tyndale Hall Bristol (BA); ordained 1956. He ministered in Croydon, Edgware and Liverpool before becoming the C of E’s Radio and TV Officer 1967–72. From 1972 to 1991 he served W London incumbencies in Fulham and Ealing; during the latter he barely survived a vicious attack on himself and his family at the vicarage, by intruders high on drugs. He then became Canon Treasurer of St Paul’s Cathedral from 1991, providing one of the two evangelical voices heard throughout the decade from the cathedral pulpit; some sermons were published in 1997 as These are the Facts (a title from hymn 629). He retired to Wapping, E London, in 2000. He was a Church Commissioner and General Synod member; a prolific writer, speaker and broadcaster on the local and national church, doctrine, mission, liturgy, sexual ethics, baptism and hymnody. His book Signed, Sealed, Delivered: finding the key to the Bible (2004) explores the concept of ‘covenant’ as that key.

From early 1962 onwards he wrote over 100 hymn texts, his first ones including ‘Christ triumphant’ were published in Youth Praise (1966, 1969), followed by several in Psalm Praise (1973) and Hymns for Today’s Church (1982) of which he was words editor. He was a founding Director and later Chairman of Jubilate Hymns, with a leading role in other Jubilate collections including Sing Glory (1999) which features 23 of his hymns. 75 of them were published in 2006, with an introduction and brief notes, in Christ Triumphant and other hymns. In 2009 he initiated and edited Come Celebrate, a unique collection of 291 lesser-known hymn-texts by 20 living authors, 14 of whom are represented in Praise! He said of himself, ‘My style is deliberately punchy and I love to use strong, graphic illustration’. Nos.119D, 162, 166, 249, 291, 446, 525, 592, 629, 635, 656, 849, 865*.