Hymns for a Caring World

We have called the collection Hymns for a Caring World partly because some of the hymns have an environmental theme. More important, though, is the theme of general caring which runs throughout the collection, not only care for the world in which we live, but also care for the people with whom we share it.

All the hymns were written for special occasions, some family events, such as weddings and anniversaries, others more public liturgies. They were first sung by secondary school pupils, but it has pleased us to hear how successful they have also been with much younger children and adults, in schools and churches.

The best known of our hymns, Care for Your World, was written at the request of the World Wide Fund for Nature UK to be sung on BBC Songs of Praise. Its theme combines celebration of creation with a recognition of the misuse which is often made of the produce of the earth. This theme has made it a popular choice for many harvest festivals. The multifaith version of this hymn was written several years later for an international event at the Chapel Royal, Windsor, which involved people from many different faiths.

Although these hymns were written for specific events, they could be used equally well in a variety of circumstances. There'll Be Time is a very good example. Written for a wedding, it would be just as appropriate for use at a baptism or funeral.

These hymns are very close to our hearts. In our environmental musicals, Yanomamo, African Jigsaw, Ocean World and Arabica, we have examined some of the issues which threaten the world in which we live. We ourselves recognise the need to seek God's help in building a better world and we hope that our hymns will be of use to others in their prayer.

Peter Rose and Anne Conlon

Published: Josef Weinberger, for Voices and Piano