Bernadette Farrell
Bernadette Farrell (born 26 March 1957) is a British hymn writer and composer of Catholic liturgical music. Her best-known songs include “Christ, Be Our Light,” “Restless Is The Heart,” “God, Beyond All Names,” and “O God, You Search Me.” She grew up in West Yorkshire and studied at King’s College London and the Guildhall School of Music. Her first major commission came in 1980 from Liverpool Cathedral for the National Pastoral Congress.
She has published many works, including five collaborative collections with the St Thomas More Group and seven solo collections. Her music is published by Oregon Catholic Press. Farrell helped found the St Thomas More Group, CHIME, and the Music in Worship Foundation, and she served many years on the Roman Catholic Bishops’ Liturgical Commission.
From 1980 to 1986 she worked at Allen Hall Seminary, promoting adult education and lay liturgical ministries. She has advised dioceses, led worship for groups such as the Retreat Association, and worked with the Baptist Assembly. She is a patron of the National Network of Pastoral Musicians and serves on the board of the Pratt Green Trust.
For about 30 years she worked in London’s East End as an adviser to Bishop Victor Guazzelli, supporting community groups and helping start London Citizens. She helped author an immigration report that governments used and led campaigns on safety, sanctuary, housing, wages, and health. She later became the first deputy director of Citizens UK.
Her music draws on English choral traditions and British folk songs, with texts drawn from Scripture. She also sets to music the words of other writers, including her husband Owen Alstott and New Zealand writer Shirley Murray.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:37 (CET).