Lord Jesus Christ, you have come to us

Lord Jesus Christ, you have come to us. Patrick Appleford* (1925-2018). Written ca. 1958, when Appleford was a curate at Poplar, East London. It was published in Thirty 20th Century Hymn Tunes (1960), published by the 20th Century Church Light Music Group. It was a parody of a successful pop song of the time, ‘Living Doll’, sung by Cliff Richard. As such it was designed to appeal to a ‘pop song’ audience, and it probably surprised many worshippers when it was first heard. It has since become a normal part of any service, accepted as a hymn of its time which has worn well. What began as an appeal to a certain generation has become mainstream hymnody. It was picked up by the supplements to...