Worship and sacred music

These songs are useful for worship settings, mostly Christian music – they include both congregational hymns and choral items.

Choral items – suitable for anthems, introits, motets etc.

Our Fragile Land by Liz Dilnot Johnson: “This short, tuneful anthem summons up the beauty of the natural world, based on words from Psalm 8. The new final verse invites reflection how best we can nurture our planet for years to come.” SATB choir and organ. Order from Composers’ Edition.

New! If The World Were Ours – a song about planning ahead, and getting away from the kind of short-term thinking that has brought about the climate crisis. For SABar choir (available for ATB, SSA or TBarB on request). This piece doesn’t have an explicit religious mention, but could fit well into a religious service about stewardship of the earth – it would also be suitable for unitarian, ecumenical or combined services.

Send Lazarus (SATB or ATBarB choir, easy, no divisi, no high ranges, 2020). Words by David Ervin, music by Chris Hutchings. Free for fundraising or other non-commercial use. Virtual choir recording and score follower video on YouTube. Based on the story of the rich man and poor man in the gospel of Luke, chapter 16 (verses 19-31).

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name, by Peter Burton, for SATB choir and piano/organ, medium difficulty. A setting of Psalm 8, about stewardship of the world.

Our Burning World by poet Malcolm Guite and composer Rhiannon Randle “exhorts action not somnolence in the face of the climate crisis”. Available from Stainer and Bell either as a printed title by post, or as a digital download with a single or 30-copy print licence. Click here to order. For SATB choir (some divisi) and organ.

Hymns

Christian Climate Action rewrote the words of “Amazing Grace” for a protest at Shell’s AGM in May 2022 – click here for the lyrics (scroll down to find them).
“The Niger one day, will be free,
Its Delta clean as snow,
When Shell goes bust, is worthless rust,
And oil no more shall flow.”

Carols For The Earth – well-known carol tunes, rewritten with climate lyrics by Sophia Green

Hymns by Carolyn Gillette – new words to well-known tunes which can be sung in unison or harmony. I particularly liked The Climate Is Changing and Through Devastating Storms, and she also has a wide variety of other ecologically-themed hymn lyrics. These are available for free though contributions are welcome; see Carolyn’s website for more details.

Creation Song – a new hymn by Jan Brind, to the tune of Hyfrydol, shared freely ahead of COP26.

Two hymns about the environment and our responsibility for it from Jubilate, both £1.99 to make unlimited copies:
You Made A Universe – words by Ally Barrett, music by Peter Burton (or can be sung to Finlandia)
O God of Boundless Hope – words by Brian Davis, sung to Darwall’s 148th or other similar tunes