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My sister Valerie died in Ashburton, New Zealand on the 12 th March 2001 after several years of bowel cancer.
On my way to the funeral I called into a shop at Springs Junction on the Lewis Pass Road and purchased by chance a cassette of well known hymns played by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, the British brass band which featured in the film "Brassed Off".
One of the selections was the hymn "Lead Kindly Light" to the tune "Sandon" which was played, at least to my ears, to perfection.
At my sister's funeral service, the words from Ecclesiastes 3, 1-8 were read, and it seemed to me that those words appropriately fitted to the tune "Sandon" would make a meaningful hymn for all seasons, and for a number of occasions.
Accordingly, I wrote the words for this new hymn which I named "There is a Season" based on Ecclesiastes 3, 1-8, and matched these words to the hymn tune "Sandon" which is usually used for the hymn "Lead, Kindly Light". I am indebted to the late Rev. David Ansell of Tauranga for his help in fine tuning the words.
The hymn was first sung at Wesley Church in Tauranga, New Zealand on February 27, 2005
NOTE: The hymn tune "Sandon" was composed by Charles Henry Pruday who was born in Folkestone, England in 1799 and died in London in 1885. He was conductor of the choir at Crown Court Scots Church in London and was a fine vocalist who sang at the coronation of Queen Victoria. "Lead Kindly Light" was written by John Henry Newman in 1833 while he was becalmed for three weeks in an orange boat in the Straits of Bonifacio in Italy.
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THERE IS A SEASON
There is a sea-son, for most ev-ery-thing
We thank you God.
A time for birth, for each a time to die
We thank you God.
There is a sea-son, for most ev-ery-thing
A time for love, but ne'er a time to hate.
A time for sun, and time for cloud and rain
We thank you God.
A time to plant, and then a time to reap
God's earth is ours.
There is a sea-son, for most ev-ery-thing
A time to pause, and then continue on.
A time to save, and time to give and spend
Guide me, al-ways.
A time to plan, and time to start and build,
God's earth is ours.
There is a sea-son, for most ev-ery-thing
A time to seek, and time to let things go.
A time to weep, but time to laugh as well
Be still my soul.
A time for mourn-ing, and a time to dance
Re-store my faith.
There is a sea-son, for almost ev-ery-thing
A time to heal, a time to re-create.
© John Maunder
