I sang this song for the first time in 2007 at Synod Assembly in Great Falls, Montana. It’s in the new hymnal (which our parish in Montana did not own) and it would have been unfamiliar to people. I love it for several reasons:<\/p>\n
1.) Its tune comes from one of my favorite Irish folk songs — “The Star of the County Down”. I actually ended up singing the chorus for one of Jon’s parishioners tonight.<\/p>\n
2.) The words seemed so awesome and it wasn’t until I was doing a YouTube search for it that I discovered why: it’s a setting of the Magnificat<\/em>, one of my favorite pieces of Scripture as well as my favorite canticles during Morning Prayer.<\/p>\n Here are the words which were penned by Rory Cooney:<\/p>\n 1. My soul cries out with a joyful shout Refrain 2. Though I am small, my God, my all, Refrain 3. From the halls of power to the fortress tower, Refrain 4. Though the nations rage from age to age, Refrain
\nthat the God of my heart is great,
\nAnd my spirit sings of the wondrous things
\nthat you bring to the ones who wait.
\nYou fixed your sight on your servant’s plight,
\nand my weakness you did not spurn,
\nSo from east to west shall my name be blest.
\nCould the world be about to turn?<\/p>\n
\nMy heart shall sing of the day you bring.
\nLet the fires of your justice burn.
\nWipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
\nand the world is about to turn!<\/p>\n
\nyou work great things in me,
\nAnd your mercy will last from the depths of the past
\nto the end of the age to be.
\nYour very name puts the proud to shame,
\nand to those who would for you yearn,
\nYou will show your might, put the strong to flight,
\nfor the world is about to turn.<\/p>\n
\nMy heart shall sing of the day you bring.
\nLet the fires of your justice burn.
\nWipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
\nand the world is about to turn!<\/p>\n
\nnot a stone will be left on stone.
\nLet the king beware for your justice tears
\nev’ry tyrant from his throne.
\nThe hungry poor shall weep no more,
\nfor the food they can never earn;
\nThere are tables spread, ev’ry mouth be fed,
\nfor the world is about to turn.<\/p>\n
\nMy heart shall sing of the day you bring.
\nLet the fires of your justice burn.
\nWipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
\nand the world is about to turn!<\/p>\n
\nwe remember who holds us fast:
\nGod’s mercy must deliver us
\nfrom the conqueror’s crushing grasp.
\nThis saving word that our forebears heard
\nis the promise which holds us bound,
\n‘Til the spear and rod can be crushed by God,
\nwho is turning the world around.<\/p>\n
\nMy heart shall sing of the day you bring.
\nLet the fires of your justice burn.
\nWipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
\nand the world is about to turn!
\n(HT: SpiritandSong.Com<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n