Music

Any song which refers to failing faith, temptation prevailing, life's fearful path and my love being cold, gets my vote. Why? Because all of these events are part of my Christian life. OK, they shouldn't be but they are.  And with depressing reality out of the way in verse one, God's rescue plan for our failings fills the last two verses.

Beautiful truths, beautiful pictures, beautiful music!

One of Martin Luther's great hymns.

Here are the words, reminding us that the world can take away everything we have - including our life. But that "one little word", Jesus, will protect us from Satan's power and God's kingdom, which through faith we are part of, goes on forever.

The theme music for The Cornish Vicar's Daughter!

Sung by Brooke Lambkin, whose face shows she believes every word of this beautiful hymn. Just the way I imagine Janet singing it.

This hymn is available on Brooke's album Worship in Hymn available on Amazon.

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Sung by Chloe Agnew, aged 23, to an audience of 5,000 at the Fox theatre on Broadway, this is my favourite recording of this moving piece of music And now on YouTube with more than 12 million views. The DVD of the full performance including Ave Maria is available on Amazon .

Just about the most recorded song ever. Yes for most listeners, sadly, it's a moving tune with fairy-tale type words. As one of the YouTube listeners wrote "I may not be Christian, but this song just makes me smile and cry at the same time."

But in reality, its the Gospel message written by John Newton, the worst of sinners, who saw the light and went on to spread God's word by his preaching and plethora of hymns.

One of my top ten hymns, sung very movingly. I first heard this recording on Classic FM at the height of the COVID crisis.

This was the hymn that Peter liked which persuaded him to stay on for the funeral of someone he never knew. And which began to shape Janet's views on him as husband and father.

Yes, I like the traditional rendering of this hymn - organ, church choir etc. But here is a performance that stirs my faith every time I hear it...

This the carol where Peter teased Janet over the words "second birth". And got more than he bargained for - a mini sermon on this important point of Christian faith.

Another one of my favourite carols. Sung by Méav Ní Mhaolchatha as part of a 2013 Christmas Celtic Woman concert at the Helix in Dublin. This is the lady who says "God bless you all" at the end of the DVD where each of the performers talk about and sing carols which have a special meaning.  Available on Amazon.