Wind of God, dynamic Spirit

First published in 1969 in Youth Praise 2, this hymn by Michael Saward made its mark as Fire of God, titanic Spirit. Stz 2 (then ‘Wind of God …’) was the first to be written, for a Radio 2 ‘People’s Service’ broadcast from Holy Trinity Church, St Ann’s Street, Liverpool in May 1966. The 1st and 3rd stzs followed in Nov 1968. The original first-line adjective is currently defined as ‘gigantic, colossal’. The hymn also appeared in HTC and enjoyed modest success elsewhere. 30 years on, however, the author finally yielded to friendly pressure to rethink its opening; critics have pointed to the pagan association with the Titans (its first dictionary definition), but even more, the reminder of the passenger liner which sank on its maiden Atlantic voyage. To change one word, however, required further rearrangement, and this version was sanctioned in time for Sing Glory (1999) and the present book. The author has now made the amended stz 2 his first, moving 3 to become 2, and concluding with the previous 1 where ‘volcanic’ replaces ‘titanic’, and ‘which retained the fire imagery without the other overtones’—MS.

David Wilson’s tune FIRE OF GOD has partnered the text since their appearance together in YP2. The composer adapted an 87 87 87 tune he had written earlier for Praise, my soul, the King of heaven to form the present 87 87 D, by inserting lines 5 and 6. His own preference is for the original YP arrangement, with a quavered bass line moving in double time, but he accepts that the HTC version used here is more suitable for church organists or pianists. Those preferring traditional music have opted for LUX EOI (177) or ABBOT’S LEIGH (570), both of which, however, are much in demand and in consequent danger of over-exposure.

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*.