Man Of Sorrows

I had the immense privilege of being asked to sing the solo in the version of the hymn 'Man of Sorrows' that is included in Roger Jones' musical 'From Pharaoh to Freedom' last night at our local Methodist Church. It should properly be a soprano solo, not tenor, but we were not doing a full production, instead using the music (rather beautifully) to create the setting for a gentle and moving communion service for the start of Holy Week.

And these are tremendous words with which to begin Holy Week: "Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood: hallelujah! What a Saviour!"

On Saturday I was with another local choir to sing, among other items, the Allegri 'Miserere', that wonderfully inspiring setting of Psalm 51, a Psalm which is from start to finish the anguished cry to God of a penitent. It may well be that, as the Hebrew preface suggests, this is a Psalm written by David himself after his adultery with Bathsheba (and his conspiracy to cause the death of her husband). His are desperate words, with, at their heart, verses 11 and 12: "Turn your face from my offences, and wipe away all my misdeeds. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a form spirit within me."

The good news of this week is that we can know that this prayer is heard and answered; and that all the stuff that so drags us down has been shouldered in our stead by the 'Man of Sorrows', as he walks the road to the cross. The Psalmist writes (verse 17): "Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may tell of your praise." I was both proud and humbled to sing, "Hallelujah! What a Saviour!" May this be my constant refrain through this Holy Week.