Desert Island Hymns

David Batty’s choice of hymn comes from the pen of Richard Gillard and is the contemporary hymn “Brother, Sister, let me serve you.” Charles Pavey - Organist & Choirmaster of Holy Trinity Church, Malvern commentary on this hymn says;

Brother, sister, let me serve you is an expression of the Christian call to community and friendship, marked by selfless service; walking alongside and bearing one another's joys, sorrows and fears.  The first verse to be written – on a scrap of paper – was the third verse, back in 1976.  The composer, Richard Gillard, recounted how he returned to that scrap of paper (which he had left in his guitar case) that winter and the remaining verses came quickly, although not in the same order we sing them today.  He has had little musical training but, from the age of seven began to play the ukulele and other similar instruments, often to accompany his own singing and learning by experiment.  It usually needed an expert to set out his songs and the arrangement published in Holy Trinity’s hymnal, Common Praise, is by Betty Pulkingham.  

The eldest of six children, Richard emigrated to New Zealand with his family when he was three years old.  Living on the northern island, his faith background is a mixture of the Anglican Church on his mother’s side of the family and the Pentecostal Church on his father’s.  Regarding the hymn he says it "was first published in 1978 on a record album by Scripture in Song called "Father Make Us One".  He says he prefers “the down-to-earth groundness of a guitar accompaniment and a simple folk-song treatment.  But I let go of it long ago and have very little to say any more.  And that’s as it should be.”

Although not explicit in The Servant Song, there is a biblical focus which comes from Matthew 20:26b-28: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Brother, sister let me serve you, 

let me be as Christ to you; 

pray that I may have the grace to 

let you be my servant too. 

We are pilgrims on a journey 

and companions on the road; 

we are here to help each other 

walk the mile and bear the load. 

I will hold the Christ-light for you 

in the night-time of your fear; 

I will hold my hand out to you, 

speak the peace you long to hear. 

I will weep when you are weeping; 

when you laugh I'll laugh with you; 

I will share your joy and sorrow

till we've seen this journey through. 

When we sing to God in heaven 

we shall find such harmony, 

born of all we've known together 

of Christ's love and agony. 

Brother, sister let me serve you, 

let me be as Christ to you; 

pray that I may have the grace to 

let you be my servant too.

Reproduced here under CCLI Licence 814800