When this land knew God's gracious love outpoured

Written in Poplar, E London, in 1972, and first sung there at St Matthias’ church, this version of another favourite Psalm was one of the late entrants for Psalm Praise the following year. The first draft was without rhyme, and Christopher Idle used the breadth of the tune for his ‘extra’ 4th lines, where the caesura or mid-line break between words is important. ‘This land’ was originally Israel; in making the transition to Christian use it need not be too closely identified with any existing nation, though it could apply to many. It is certainly usable on national occasions; more important, perhaps, it reflects the appropriateness of the Psalm for the Advent or Christmas seasons among those who observe them. It will always be treasured by those whose primary prayer is for revival. Small revisions have been made at 1.4 and 2.2, where use of the 2nd person is closer to the original. Martin Leckebusch’s 2001 text in 88 88 88 (tune, GLOUCESTER ROAD) Your favour rested on this land, ends: ‘Lord, fill our lives and flood this land/ with all your gracious love has planned.’ BIGGIN HILL, named from the sprawling village in NW Kent on the edge of London, familiar to both author and composer (and to CMI’s parents and grandparents), was the tune composed by Michael Baughen, then at All Souls’ Langham Place, for this text in Psalm Praise. With the composer’s agreement it was called WEYMOUTH STREET (after his home address) in BP, but that name was later attached to different music. Harold Flook, the arranger, was at that time the All Souls’ assistant organist. The tune was originally required because copyright rules prohibited the printing of the author’s first choice, SINE NOMINE (see 585 and note).

b Bromley, Kent 1938. Eltham Coll, St Peter’s Coll Oxford (BA, English), Clifton Theol Coll Bristol; ordained in 1965 to a Barrow-in-Furness curacy. He spent 30 years in CofE parish ministry, some in rural Suffolk, mainly in inner London (Peckham, Poplar and Limehouse). Author of over 300 hymn texts, mainly Scripture based, collected in Light upon the River (1998) and Walking by the River (2008), Trees along the River (2018), and now appearing in some 300 books and other publications; see also the dedication of EP1 (p3) to his late wife Marjorie. He served on 5 editorial groups from Psalm Praise (1973) to Praise!; his writing includes ‘Grove’ booklets Hymns in Today’s Language (1982) and Real Hymns, Real Hymn Books (2000), and The Word we preach, the words we sing (Reform, 1998). He edited the quarterly News of Hymnody for 10 years, and briefly the Bulletin of the Hymn Society, on whose committee he served at various times between 1984 and 2006; and addressed British and American Hymn Socs. Until 1996 he often exchanged draft texts with Michael Perry (qv) for mutual criticism and encouragement. From 1995 he was engaged in educational work and writing from home in Peckham, SE London, until retirement in 2003; following his return to Bromley after a gap of 40 years, he has attended Holy Trinity Ch Bromley Common and Hayes Lane Baptist Ch. Owing much to the Proclamation Trust, he also belongs to the Anglican societies Crosslinks and Reform, together with CND and the Christian pacifist Fellowship of Reconciliation. A former governor of 4 primary schools, he has also written songs for school assemblies set to familiar tunes, and (in 2004) Grandpa’s Amazing Poems and Awful Pictures. His bungalow is smoke-free, alcohol-free, car-free, gun-free and TV-free. Nos.13, 18, 21, 23A, 24B, 27B, 28, 31, 35, 36, 37, 48, 50, 68, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, 85, 89, 92, 95, 102, 108, 109, 114, 118, 119A, 121A, 125, 128, 131, 145B, 157, 176, 177, 193*, 313*, 333, 339, 388, 392, 420, 428, 450, 451, 463, 478, 506, 514, 537, 548, 551, 572, 594, 597, 620, 621, 622, 636, 668, 669, 693, 747, 763, 819, 914, 917, 920, 945, 954, 956, 968, 976, 1003, 1012, 1084, 1098, 1138, 1151, 1158, 1159, 1178, 1179, 1181, 1201, 1203, 1204, 1205, 1209, 1210, 1211, 1212, 1221, 1227, 1236, 1237, 1244, 1247, 5017, 5018, 5019, 5020.