Ring, ring, ring, ring,
ring the bells of Easter Day
over land, over sea, over all the earth.
Bring the clang of nature’s joy
up from earth, to the skies, midst the furthest stars:
‘Christ is Risen from the tomb’
sounds the call of the tow’rs to the rising gulls.
‘He is Risen, death is dead!’
they respond, and exchange the praise with the skies.
‘Christ is Risen’, cry the gulls,
and the blue of the skies shouts out loud and bright,
‘Alleluia, ris’n indeed!’
Now the sun, fierce awake, hears this bubbling psalm,
rings, proclaiming happy dawn
to his brothers and sisters ‘cross deep expanse:
‘Dance with me, fam’ly of light,
For the Lord has prevailed over sin’s dark hand!’
Stars in turn, smile, laugh, and sing
in a myriad of myriad of voices, pure
universal harmony,
echoing backwards and forwards, a mirror mirrored,
‘He is Risen! Christ is Ris’n!
First fruit of redemption, the exalted King,
breaks our bondage, ends our groans,
brings our hope, brings our glory, the kiss of life.’
Rings each star – a bell of light –
peels of fire calling prayer from the tow’rs of space.
Galaxy calls galaxy
in the roar of the grand cosmic waterfalls,
shouting forth that Winter’s gone,
the cold of the end changed to glorious birth.
Resounding tunes touch angel ears
as they witness the throne of the King of Kings:
flashing lightning, thunder, hymns,
em’rald rainbows and infinite crystal seas,
creatures singing, ‘Holy, Holy!
who was, and now is, and now is to come!’
Timeless gongs clash Easter joy
for future and past will clasp arm in arm
meeting in eternal joy,
joining in with our Lord’s cry of victory:
‘I am ris’n! Beginning and end!
Sin and death, hell and Satan I’ve trampled down!
All may come to Trinity-bliss
for the battle is won! The Cross overcame!’
Jesus’ honeyed song vibrates
in the aether, and galaxies harmonise
with dancing stars circling the earth,
sharing there of Christ’s bread and salvation’s wine
with the flowers, the beasts, the seas,
in the bliss of divine heaven’s liturgy.
Leaping skies chant down to gulls,
and the gulls soar with glee for the thrill of life.
In the midst of banquet’s clang
washed in love, drenched with life, blessed to worship Christ,
rings the bells of Easter Day,
Quietly whispering, ‘Christ is Ris’n! He is Ris’n!’
Joshua Penduck is the Rector of Newcastle-under-Lyme, St Giles with St Thomas, Butterton, in the Diocese of Lichfield. Prior to ordination he was a composer and has written music for the LSO, BCMG and Orkest de Ereprijs. He is married to Shelley, who is also an Anglican minister in Stoke-on-Trent.