It was felt to be good to have this thread again now that in-building services are happening more widely and that Ecclesiantics would be the best place for it.
The original thread was started in March 2018 and ran until March 2020 when the first lockdown rendered it redundant.
We had a few weeks off hymn singing, but with a few of us in a large building we decided to make a joyful noise anyway, but I did not dare post on here because folks were so hyped up.
Anyway, this morning we managed
Merbeck/Old Scottish Chant for the ordinary
Our Blest redeemer ere he breathed (St Cuthbert)
Stand up, stand up for Jesus (Webb)
Glorious things of thee are spoken (Austria)
Evening Prayer was the usual Monk Mag and Burnaby Nunc, and
O blest creator of light (Bromley)
Oft in danger, oft in owe (University College)
Go forward, Christian soldier (Lancashire)
A mighty fortress is our God (Ein' feste Burg)
Next Sunday morning I am on tour so I am plotting something fairly simple for Mattins, and then it will be evening Communion and no organist.
We sang the ordinary, using Dudman. Although we prefer other settings (eg the Folk Eucharist at the back of NEH), the Dudman is written for the 2nd Order in APBA* and is easy to sing, even for such hopeless singers as I am.
*A Prayer Book for Australia - the 2nd Order is pretty much the standard outside Sydney Anglican churches.
can't make a habit of this, because as usual I'd forgotten within an hour. However, because I happened to have been sent the order of service this week, yesterday we had:
I, the Lord of Sea and Sky (which is not really to my taste)
To God be the glory, great things he has done (which is always fun)
We Have a Gospel to Proclaim (one of the better 'modern' ones IMO
can't make a habit of this, because as usual I'd forgotten within an hour. However, because I happened to have been sent the order of service this week, yesterday we had:
(...)
To God be the glory, great things he has done (which is always fun)
(...)
You appear to have missed out six syllables between 'done' and '(which'.
The last two lines of the final verse of TGBTG are poignant, given that Fanny Crosby was blind all her life:
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see.
I had hoped that Our Place might have been able to mark the bi-centenary of Fanny Crosby's birth (1820) last year, by having a service including only hymns written by her - there are 3 or 4 in our default hymnbook, and I daresay a few more have survived - but Ye Plague put paid to that idea.
Mind you, next year is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams, so a service with his music/hymn tunes is called for...
"Hymnal" has all but dropped out of use here. Nor is "hymnbook" as one word seen.
I've heard "hymnbook" routinely used by someone I know has trouble saying "hymnal" as two syllables...it comes out "hymn-in-al." So it's "hymnbook" for him. (His choice...saying three syllables isn't anything to be ashamed of...it's part of some accents I've heard.)
Ha! My Last Place was in Suffolk and our Music Director wanted to commemorate the centenary of an esteemed local composer (born in Lowestoft) by including "Balulalow" in the Carol Service. It did not go down well with the choir when introduced to them at rehearsal, so I suggested that it would get a similar negative response from the punters at the actual service, and hence fail to contribute to the spiritual atmosphere.
My comments did not go down well; said carol stayed in the running order and was not appreciated by almost all the congregation!
... I, the Lord of Sea and Sky (which is not really to my taste) ...
No. I don't like that one either. I've said this before on these boards.
I suppose I'm divulging my musical ignorance, but I've never heard of "Balulalow" before. I looked it up, found a Youtube and still don't recall ever encountering it. On first hearing, I'm sorry, but august though the composer was, I found it a bit sickly.
I suppose I'm divulging my musical ignorance, but I've never heard of "Balulalow" before. I looked it up, found a Youtube and still don't recall ever encountering it. On first hearing, I'm sorry, but august though the composer was, I found it a bit sickly.
rushing to youtube, I realise that I have not only heard of it, but sung it as a young boy treble in (off hand, I think) either Birmingham Cathedral or Edgbaston Old Church. My school's chapel choir sometimes got a bit peripatetic!
But the intervening years have apparently not caused me to think of it.
... I, the Lord of Sea and Sky (which is not really to my taste) ...
No. I don't like that one either. I've said this before on these boards.
I suppose I'm divulging my musical ignorance, but I've never heard of "Balulalow" before. I looked it up, found a Youtube and still don't recall ever encountering it. On first hearing, I'm sorry, but august though the composer was, I found it a bit sickly.
Still no singing in church, but we are having a hymn singalong in our church garden with the local group of churches. weather forecast is poor - hey ho!
This morning our organist was unwell, but his wife( and deputy) managed to play what had been planned.
Hymns were :
I the Lord of sea and sky
Take my life
Great is thy faithfulness.
Motet during Communion was
The true and living bread( David Blackwell).
Only five singers, as three are on holiday, but we have been re- joined by two elderly ladies whose singing voices are inaudible. They chat beforehand instead of getting their music ready, and are generally stretching my goodwill in the extreme. They are long standing choir members who did not join us online on zoom, or come to any of the live rehearsals that we had when it was legal to do so. I am sure it would not be pastorally expedient to reject them, but they serve no useful purpose and mess up our Covid seating arrangements.
This morning our organist was unwell, but his wife( and deputy) managed to play what had been planned.
Hymns were :
I the Lord of sea and sky
Take my life
Great is thy faithfulness.
Motet during Communion was
The true and living bread( David Blackwell).
Only five singers, as three are on holiday, but we have been re- joined by two elderly ladies whose singing voices are inaudible. They chat beforehand instead of getting their music ready, and are generally stretching my goodwill in the extreme. They are long standing choir members who did not join us online on zoom, or come to any of the live rehearsals that we had when it was legal to do so. I am sure it would not be pastorally expedient to reject them, but they serve no useful purpose and mess up our Covid seating arrangements.
“Alleluia, sing to Jesus!” - Hyfrydol.
“Bread of heaven, on you we feed” - Petra.
“I, the Lord of sea and sky”.
“Bread is blessed and broken” North Coates.
“Sent forth by God’s blessing” - The Ash Grove.
I was not looking forward to worship as the weather is awful and I knew a lot of our regulars would be away due to holidays or illness. In fact we had several visitors and the singing was by far the best we've had since we were allowed to sing - we must still use masks though. So the Minister was inspired by the congregation!
Another visit the morning, a CofS this time. Not my local.
2 singings: As the deer longs for the water and something called “I lift my hands to the coming king”. But all hands stayed firmly down. I gather the organist is unwell on a long term basis and the digital accompaniment was difficult to sing to (the threefold Amen left me giggling).
(I told Mr Cats that he was lucky I had not got up to dispute during the sermon, but this is not the thread for that…)
We had five hymns today. Still some issue with buzzing in the sound output so volume a little low on my prepared accompaniments (alas we are without real musicians following the death of one organist and the permanent installation of the other in the eventide home following a stroke).
As we are gathered
Angel voices
Come Holy ghost our hearts inspire
Source and sovereign (to Aberystwyth)
This is a day (to Sunset)
My first time to a 3-D church service since March 2020 and we had:
How Great Thou Art
Over All The Earth You Reign on High
There Must Be More Than This
O Lord Hear My Prayer (a Taizé chant interspersing the prayers, which was a nice thing and not something I recall doing before at our place)
Open My Eyes Lord, I Want To See Jesus (just before the sermon)
Lord, You Have My Heart and I Will Search For Yours
Apart from the little "wrong side of the tracks" faith community that I have appointed myself to I also help out monthly or more with a drop in centre for, for want of a better word, damaged people (aren't we all?). Mainly community living psych patients, schizophrenia being the dominant vulnerability. They gather for a meal, a few songs, some prayers and a sort of street person TED talk.
Of course they sing things that cathedralesque aficionadi deplore. Last week it was "I am the Bread of Life", an amazing up tempo Guide Me, "In Christ Alone" (Townsend), and to my surprise, "Blessed Assurance." I've never liked the theology of that one but whatever.
Were these my cup of tea, the Welsh Rugby excursion aside? No.
Did they move the souls of those around the tables who sang heartily? Yes, if the volume can be taken as an indicator.
Was the heart of God moved? Again, as with my funny, troubled, under-resourced little parish on which I've posted before (and see below), I'm thinking Yea verily. There was a lot of God in that room that night.
Oh, and my little church, St WrongSide's, sang awful songs/hymns heartily on Sunday, too. Though the borrowed organist at the other, country, centre (St Monolith's) played "I Will Enter His Gates dah de dahdy dhady dah" so slowly that I suspect we may have missed the Second Coming. There is a person there who hi-jacks the music, and I haven't sorted the issue yet ... I and the remainder of the congregation of six would prefer a said service, but the time is not yet.
The drop in centre sounds wonderful, Zappa; such good work. My own church is home to several people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, many of whom have not been welcomed elsewhere.
When I gave a talk to our church elders about mental health I told them that if they wanted to know about faith they should look to these members of the church, who continue to trust Him despite their experiences. I know from my own experience; when I lost my mind, the only thing I could still trust in was God.
Yesterday for the first time since Covid we had a full length service with 5 hymns, requested by visiting preacher.
The Great Love of God (I didn't know this)
Give to me Lord a thankful heart
Jesus the Lord says, I am the bread
Father I place your hands the things I cannot do.
Lord of Creation to you be all praise
(Just an aside, it was while singing that last hymn on a previous occasion, that a penny dropped for me and I realised how one of our (former?) private boards here on the Ship came to be named.....)
Sunday, we sung: How sweet the name of Jesus sounds; Alleluia, sing to Jesus; Source and Sovereign, Rock and Cloud (to Aberystwyth). Still behind masks.
There are certainly quite a few rocks around Aberystwyth; and clouds are no exactly rare there either!
I trust you sang "Alleluia, sing to Jesus" to Hyfrydol?
Hezekiah 14:4 "Thou shalt ever sing 'Alleluia, Sing to Jesus' to Hyfrodol. Thou shalt not sing it to any other tune. Neither shalt thou put pen to manuscript that thou might create unto it a new tune. And on no account whatsoever shalt thou pronounce it "Hydrofoil" because thou sheweth merely thine ignorance of My native language (and thou art neither funny, nor original, nor art thou half as clever as thou thinkest thou art) and shall suffer an eternity in Hell with a Male Voice Choir singing the hits of Napalm Death"
I don't know the first hymn either. I only learned the second and last ones when I was Minister of GR's church!
I must admit that I don’t recognize any of those.
@Zappa, both services sound wonderful! I’m enjoying your reports.
“Blessed Assurance” is one of those I always can’t help liking in spite of itself. It has some wonderful lines—“echoes of mercy, whispers of love.” And the refrain, with “This is my story, this is my song.”
I don't! But Google Translate gives (rightly or wrongly) "breathtaking".
My wife is learning Welsh - says it has kept her sane through the Pandemic. But I'm not; you can make your own judgement about my sanity (or lack of it).
Oh ... or were you referring to Hydrofoil (which I have come to think is the most cliched friggin' hymn tune on earth, rating alongside Neil Diamond's "Song Sung Blue" for warmth, depth and originality)
Had the curious experience of singing the Old 100th and Glorious things of thee are spoken (Austria) unaccompanied last Sunday. Also, it was a church without A/C in the Virginia summer, which counts as a character building experience. It was all windows wide open, and thankfully the breeze obliged. It was still somewhat toasty under rochet and chimere.
Today being the feast of the BVM we sang
For Mary, mother of our Lord, to St Botolph.
Jesus calls us here to meet him, to Jesus calls us
Tell out my soul, to Woodlands
Motet during Communion was Virgin born, we bow before thee ( L Bourgeois))
Our organist is unwell, in hospital and likely to be out of action for weeks, but his wife is playing and leading rehearsals very competently.
With the Methodists today, rare birds in Scotland but there are some on this coast.
While the book was Mission Praise the prevailing ethos was Redemption Songs.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, (with the lesser known verses)
Break thou the bread of life
Be still and know that I am God and two more I have already forgotten.
The preacher (not the minister) had a delightful way in his prayers of occasionally making suggestions to the Almighty. In prayer for a grieving widow “Perhaps, Lord, you might remind her that he is now in your presence…”. Of Afghanistan “Perhaps you might turn evil aside…”
There are certainly quite a few rocks around Aberystwyth; and clouds are no exactly rare there either!
I trust you sang "Alleluia, sing to Jesus" to Hyfrydol?
Indeed we did. Although I grew up singing Wesley's 'Alleluia' tune, so as much as I love Hydrofoil it always feels slightly 'wrong' sung to 'Alleluia, sing to Jesus'. Which I know makes no sense. Just shows the power of early nurture!
There are certainly quite a few rocks around Aberystwyth; and clouds are no exactly rare there either!
I trust you sang "Alleluia, sing to Jesus" to Hyfrydol?
Indeed we did. Although I grew up singing Wesley's 'Alleluia' tune, so as much as I love Hydrofoil it always feels slightly 'wrong' sung to 'Alleluia, sing to Jesus'. Which I know makes no sense. Just shows the power of early nurture!
I'm visiting the Isle of Man this week, and attended Eucharist in Peel Cathedral. A little higher up the candle than my preference and, being the Feast of the Virgin Mary, the service had a strong Marian theme.
Setting: New English Mass (Appleford)
Reflective duet: Pur ti Miro (Monteverdi)
Voluntary: Magnificat Octavi Toni (Praetorius)
Hymns:
For Mary Mother of our Lord
The Angel Gabriel from Heaven came
How Great thou Art
The big surprise (having arrived from England) was that none of the officiants and hardly any of the congregation were masked, and those who wished to shared the common cup
Comments
We had a few weeks off hymn singing, but with a few of us in a large building we decided to make a joyful noise anyway, but I did not dare post on here because folks were so hyped up.
Anyway, this morning we managed
Merbeck/Old Scottish Chant for the ordinary
Our Blest redeemer ere he breathed (St Cuthbert)
Stand up, stand up for Jesus (Webb)
Glorious things of thee are spoken (Austria)
Evening Prayer was the usual Monk Mag and Burnaby Nunc, and
O blest creator of light (Bromley)
Oft in danger, oft in owe (University College)
Go forward, Christian soldier (Lancashire)
A mighty fortress is our God (Ein' feste Burg)
Next Sunday morning I am on tour so I am plotting something fairly simple for Mattins, and then it will be evening Communion and no organist.
*A Prayer Book for Australia - the 2nd Order is pretty much the standard outside Sydney Anglican churches.
I, the Lord of Sea and Sky (which is not really to my taste)
To God be the glory, great things he has done (which is always fun)
We Have a Gospel to Proclaim (one of the better 'modern' ones IMO
You appear to have missed out six syllables between 'done' and '(which'.
The last two lines of the final verse of TGBTG are poignant, given that Fanny Crosby was blind all her life:
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see.
I had hoped that Our Place might have been able to mark the bi-centenary of Fanny Crosby's birth (1820) last year, by having a service including only hymns written by her - there are 3 or 4 in our default hymnbook, and I daresay a few more have survived - but Ye Plague put paid to that idea.
Mind you, next year is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams, so a service with his music/hymn tunes is called for...
I've heard "hymnbook" routinely used by someone I know has trouble saying "hymnal" as two syllables...it comes out "hymn-in-al." So it's "hymnbook" for him. (His choice...saying three syllables isn't anything to be ashamed of...it's part of some accents I've heard.)
My comments did not go down well; said carol stayed in the running order and was not appreciated by almost all the congregation!
I suppose I'm divulging my musical ignorance, but I've never heard of "Balulalow" before. I looked it up, found a Youtube and still don't recall ever encountering it. On first hearing, I'm sorry, but august though the composer was, I found it a bit sickly.
rushing to youtube, I realise that I have not only heard of it, but sung it as a young boy treble in (off hand, I think) either Birmingham Cathedral or Edgbaston Old Church. My school's chapel choir sometimes got a bit peripatetic!
But the intervening years have apparently not caused me to think of it.
I rather like it, but, as I said, tastes vary.
Hymns were :
I the Lord of sea and sky
Take my life
Great is thy faithfulness.
Motet during Communion was
The true and living bread( David Blackwell).
Only five singers, as three are on holiday, but we have been re- joined by two elderly ladies whose singing voices are inaudible. They chat beforehand instead of getting their music ready, and are generally stretching my goodwill in the extreme. They are long standing choir members who did not join us online on zoom, or come to any of the live rehearsals that we had when it was legal to do so. I am sure it would not be pastorally expedient to reject them, but they serve no useful purpose and mess up our Covid seating arrangements.
Yep we’ve all met the like. You have my sympathy.
“Alleluia, sing to Jesus!” - Hyfrydol.
“Bread of heaven, on you we feed” - Petra.
“I, the Lord of sea and sky”.
“Bread is blessed and broken” North Coates.
“Sent forth by God’s blessing” - The Ash Grove.
I was not looking forward to worship as the weather is awful and I knew a lot of our regulars would be away due to holidays or illness. In fact we had several visitors and the singing was by far the best we've had since we were allowed to sing - we must still use masks though. So the Minister was inspired by the congregation!
2 singings: As the deer longs for the water and something called “I lift my hands to the coming king”. But all hands stayed firmly down. I gather the organist is unwell on a long term basis and the digital accompaniment was difficult to sing to (the threefold Amen left me giggling).
(I told Mr Cats that he was lucky I had not got up to dispute during the sermon, but this is not the thread for that…)
As we are gathered
Angel voices
Come Holy ghost our hearts inspire
Source and sovereign (to Aberystwyth)
This is a day (to Sunset)
How Great Thou Art
Over All The Earth You Reign on High
There Must Be More Than This
O Lord Hear My Prayer (a Taizé chant interspersing the prayers, which was a nice thing and not something I recall doing before at our place)
Open My Eyes Lord, I Want To See Jesus (just before the sermon)
Lord, You Have My Heart and I Will Search For Yours
How Firm a Foundation/Foundation
Nada te turbe (Nothing Csn Trouble/Taizé
Shall We Gather at the River/Hanson Place
Too painful, not to say depressing.
Of course they sing things that cathedralesque aficionadi deplore. Last week it was "I am the Bread of Life", an amazing up tempo Guide Me, "In Christ Alone" (Townsend), and to my surprise, "Blessed Assurance." I've never liked the theology of that one but whatever.
Were these my cup of tea, the Welsh Rugby excursion aside? No.
Did they move the souls of those around the tables who sang heartily? Yes, if the volume can be taken as an indicator.
Was the heart of God moved? Again, as with my funny, troubled, under-resourced little parish on which I've posted before (and see below), I'm thinking Yea verily. There was a lot of God in that room that night.
Oh, and my little church, St WrongSide's, sang awful songs/hymns heartily on Sunday, too. Though the borrowed organist at the other, country, centre (St Monolith's) played "I Will Enter His Gates dah de dahdy dhady dah" so slowly that I suspect we may have missed the Second Coming. There is a person there who hi-jacks the music, and I haven't sorted the issue yet ... I and the remainder of the congregation of six would prefer a said service, but the time is not yet.
When I gave a talk to our church elders about mental health I told them that if they wanted to know about faith they should look to these members of the church, who continue to trust Him despite their experiences. I know from my own experience; when I lost my mind, the only thing I could still trust in was God.
The Great Love of God (I didn't know this)
Give to me Lord a thankful heart
Jesus the Lord says, I am the bread
Father I place your hands the things I cannot do.
Lord of Creation to you be all praise
(Just an aside, it was while singing that last hymn on a previous occasion, that a penny dropped for me and I realised how one of our (former?) private boards here on the Ship came to be named.....)
I trust you sang "Alleluia, sing to Jesus" to Hyfrydol?
Hezekiah 14:4 "Thou shalt ever sing 'Alleluia, Sing to Jesus' to Hyfrodol. Thou shalt not sing it to any other tune. Neither shalt thou put pen to manuscript that thou might create unto it a new tune. And on no account whatsoever shalt thou pronounce it "Hydrofoil" because thou sheweth merely thine ignorance of My native language (and thou art neither funny, nor original, nor art thou half as clever as thou thinkest thou art) and shall suffer an eternity in Hell with a Male Voice Choir singing the hits of Napalm Death"
@Zappa, both services sound wonderful! I’m enjoying your reports.
“Blessed Assurance” is one of those I always can’t help liking in spite of itself. It has some wonderful lines—“echoes of mercy, whispers of love.” And the refrain, with “This is my story, this is my song.”
Indeed. My finger slipped. I mean, buggrit, I even know what the word means!
My wife is learning Welsh - says it has kept her sane through the Pandemic. But I'm not; you can make your own judgement about my sanity (or lack of it).
It means "And all I've ever learned from love is how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya", doesn't it?
I've forgotten what we got up to in the evening.
For Mary, mother of our Lord, to St Botolph.
Jesus calls us here to meet him, to Jesus calls us
Tell out my soul, to Woodlands
Motet during Communion was Virgin born, we bow before thee ( L Bourgeois))
Our organist is unwell, in hospital and likely to be out of action for weeks, but his wife is playing and leading rehearsals very competently.
While the book was Mission Praise the prevailing ethos was Redemption Songs.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, (with the lesser known verses)
Break thou the bread of life
Be still and know that I am God and two more I have already forgotten.
The preacher (not the minister) had a delightful way in his prayers of occasionally making suggestions to the Almighty. In prayer for a grieving widow “Perhaps, Lord, you might remind her that he is now in your presence…”. Of Afghanistan “Perhaps you might turn evil aside…”
Worth a try...
For all the Saints
For Mary, mother of our Lord
Bind us together, Lord
Tell out my soul
Indeed we did. Although I grew up singing Wesley's 'Alleluia' tune, so as much as I love Hydrofoil it always feels slightly 'wrong' sung to 'Alleluia, sing to Jesus'. Which I know makes no sense. Just shows the power of early nurture!
The Baby Jesus cries when Hyfrydol is not used.
Setting: New English Mass (Appleford)
Reflective duet: Pur ti Miro (Monteverdi)
Voluntary: Magnificat Octavi Toni (Praetorius)
Hymns:
For Mary Mother of our Lord
The Angel Gabriel from Heaven came
How Great thou Art
The big surprise (having arrived from England) was that none of the officiants and hardly any of the congregation were masked, and those who wished to shared the common cup