The basic Christian message

Many “people” from our birth parish are remembered through this hymn - Hilda, Martin, Gwen being its first inspiration.  The instrumental version was used as a meditation at the funeral of Gwen, a lovely lady of the parish who, along with her late husband, Maurice, founded that original parish of St Theresa’s in Birstall. There are so many good people to whom we could have dedicated this hymn, but it is actually dedicated to its lyricist. 

Heather had known Alison as a young violinist and in later years as teacher, whom she supported from her position in a local musical instrument shop - mending, locating and even donating instruments, enabling Alison to introduce music to many youngsters who would not ordinarily have been able to afford the costs involved in learning to play a musical instrument.  Heather also loved her involvement through Alison with church music and, when she later became terminally ill, spent her final day out of the house in church with Alison listening to her latest compositions.  “People of God” was one of those pieces and Heather asked if she could complete Fr John’s draft wording - sharing her belief that, although she did not belong to any church, she could believe in a God who loved people enough to send them his only son.

She did complete the words on that final day out (31st December 1998) and the first singing of the finished hymn was by her friends in a crowded church at her funeral, just a month later. 

Over the years the hymn has been sung regularly at mass and there are several recordings of it being sung during various celebrations. It was also one of the hymns recorded at St Theresa's by people from the Churches of Birstall for an Easter Radio Leicester Songs of Praise programme in 1999.  The original instrumental version was made available in 2004 on our "People of God" CD.