Favourite Music

I THE LORD OF SEA AND SKY

Words

The words are in copyright so we can’t reproduce them. However, you will all know it, and it can be found in Hymns Old and New at 712 or Liturgical Hymns Old and New at 376.

Background Information

The words and music were written by Daniel L Schutte, who is a Catholic and composer-inresidence at the University of San Francisco, and has worked for many years as musical director in American parishes. He writes of this hymn that ‘It’s meant to lead people to prayer and for people to participate in’.

However, what does it really mean to the ‘person in the pew’? How many of us can relate to ‘hearing the Lord calling in the night’? Songs of Praise have linked it with air sea rescue missions! It’s a rousing tune and enjoyable to sing - one way of interpreting its message is that it’s encouraging us all to be more active in response to the practice of our faith - summing up its overall message in a single phrase could amount to ‘get off your backside!’.