The version in Our Place's default hymnbook has the bloodthirsty verse slightly bowdlerised, as follows:
Then the fearful Herod cried
*Pow'r is mine in Jewry!*
So the blameless children died
The victims of his fury,
The victims of his fury.
Even so, the verse could easily be omitted if thought unsuitable, as could the last verse. Not every Place has a thundering organ, or a choir pealing with glee, and rending the air asunder.
Not every Place has a thundering organ, or a choir pealing with glee, and rending the air asunder.
Indeed not, those lines may seem to reflect an impossible aspiration (or an inspiring imagination) among the few, dispersed-among-the-pews, accompanied-by-old-Mrs-Higgins-on the-older-school-piano-which hasn't-been-tuned-since-1978, worshippers who are gathered in some decrepit and chilly Conventicle which smells faintly of mustiness and gas.
But if you were to turn off the incense for a bit ...
Hmm.
Essence of valid prayer, hymnbooks, old hassocks, dust...?
Incidentally, in his entertaining descriptions of City of London churches in The Commercial Traveller, Charles Dickens refers to the *essence of (deceased) parishioners* emanating from the vaults beneath the church...
Not singing, but our church is in Wallasey village where a young woman was shot dead on Christmas Eve. So we were open today for private prayer, a cup of tea and a chat. Ours is a quiet residential community. We are in shock.
Not singing, but our church is in Wallasey village where a young woman was shot dead on Christmas Eve. So we were open today for private prayer, a cup of tea and a chat. Ours is a quiet residential community. We are in shock.
Oh, how dreadful. Prayers for you and all the villagers.
I was surprised at church today that we celebrated Epiphany as I expected it to be celebrated next Sunday. Therefore, the hymns were all the usual Epiphany ones.
I was surprised at church today that we celebrated Epiphany as I expected it to be celebrated next Sunday. Therefore, the hymns were all the usual Epiphany ones.
Piffany is, as enny fule kno, on Friday 6th, but many churches do transfer it if it falls on a weekday. Maybe Your Place is keeping Sunday 8th as The Baptism of Christ?
Our Place is keeping today as The Naming of Jesus, and Mary, Mother of God (see how important the Oxford comma can be!), starting off with At the Name of Jesus...
We were naming Jesus and slaughtering the innocents today, with a Rather Good selection of hymns though - it included both David's favourite and mine.
Good Christians all, rejoice* - In dulci jubilo O little town of Bethlehem - Forest Green Unto us a boy is born - Puer nobis nascitur See, amid the winter's snow - Humility God rest you merry, gentlemen - God rest ye merry
* sorry about the messed-about-with words.
Six verses of See amid the winter's snow and seven of God rest you, merry were A Bit Much ...
I was surprised at church today that we celebrated Epiphany as I expected it to be celebrated next Sunday. Therefore, the hymns were all the usual Epiphany ones.
Piffany is, as enny fule kno, on Friday 6th, but many churches do transfer it if it falls on a weekday. Maybe Your Place is keeping Sunday 8th as The Baptism of Christ?
Our Place is keeping today as The Naming of Jesus, and Mary, Mother of God (see how important the Oxford comma can be!), starting off with At the Name of Jesus...
English RCs used to do Epifanny on the Sunday nearest 6th, but it is now back to the proper date ..... which means I am spared playing We Three Kings, for which much thanks.
Our usual Sunday pattern is three services at 9 AM, 10.45 AM and 6.30 PM. Being New Year's Day, we held one united service at 10.30AM when we sang
O little town of BethlehemForest Green Christ the King of Christmas Colin Buchanan - one for the children, giving the organist a break as we sang along to this video projected on the screen As with gladness men of oldDix See amid the winter's snowHumility
It was good to start the year with all three congregations worshipping together
Not singing, but our church is in Wallasey village where a young woman was shot dead on Christmas Eve. So we were open today for private prayer, a cup of tea and a chat. Ours is a quiet residential community. We are in shock.
Oh, how dreadful. Prayers for you and all the villagers.
Indeed. Tragedies such as this form a stark counterpoint to the sometimes sentimental approach to Christmas, and it is appropriate to offer 🙏 not only for those directly involved, but also for ministers and the community as they try to help.
I was surprised at church today that we celebrated Epiphany as I expected it to be celebrated next Sunday. Therefore, the hymns were all the usual Epiphany ones.
Piffany is, as enny fule kno, on Friday 6th, but many churches do transfer it if it falls on a weekday. Maybe Your Place is keeping Sunday 8th as The Baptism of Christ?
Our Place is keeping today as The Naming of Jesus, and Mary, Mother of God (see how important the Oxford comma can be!), starting off with At the Name of Jesus...
English RCs used to do Epifanny on the Sunday nearest 6th, but it is now back to the proper date ..... which means I am spared playing We Three Kings, for which much thanks.
Our Place's two services on Piffknee itself may include a hymn, but AFAIK We Three Kings is being kept for the edification of the Faithful next Sunday. FatherInCharge's custom is to pressgang ask any unfortunate children who might be present to dress up as a *King*, and march up to the altar carrying a representation of the appropriate gift as each verse is sung.
Thank you for your thoughts. The terrible event was on the minds of all of us this morning. It has drained our priest who has been busy ministering.
Yes to kids with shiny paper crowns sprinting/processing down the aisle. But we still get it at Xt the King.
IIRC, something similar was planned at Our Place for Christ the King Sunday, but hardly anyone turned up...
Back to today, and How sweet the name of Jesus sounds was sung (in Dutch) as the Offertory at the Old Catholic Cathedral in Utrecht, with the priest basing his sermon on the hymn.
We are Epiphanising next Sunday (and eschewing Jesus' baptism),. Today we focussed on New Year and Time. Thus:
"Great is your faithfulness”.
“I know who holds the future”.
“O God, our help in ages past”.
“Through the love of God our Saviour”.
“This is a day of new beginnings”.
“Lord of the years”.
I imagine we'll be doing Epiphany next week; I wish I liked As with gladness more than I do, but IMHO it has one of the most boring alto lines in the history of hymnody!
I imagine we'll be doing Epiphany next week; I wish I liked As with gladness more than I do, but IMHO it has one of the most boring alto lines in the history of hymnody!
From my limited knowledge of alto lines that might be considered quite an achievement.
I wish I liked As with gladness more than I do, but IMHO it has one of the most boring alto lines in the history of hymnody!
Same here. A rather dull hymn to my mind, which we also sang today.
We had sort of a blend of Christmastide, Epiphany and New Year’s so we had:
“Angels from the Realms of Glory”/REGENT SQUARE
“As with Gladness”/DIX
“What Star is This”/PUER NOBIS NASCITUR
“My Shepherd Will Supply My Need”/RESIGNATION
“The First Nowell”
“We Three Kings”
“God of Our Life through All the Circling Years”/SANDON
Not all verses of every hymn, mercifully, as there weren’t many that I’m fond of. But thankfully, we did have all three verses of the sublime “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.”
We very much focussed on the New Year (although we did also sing 'As with Gladness') and two of the hymns were 'new' ones with New Year words to familiar tunes (Auld Lang Syne and Ode to Joy) I thought the words to the latter one were rather good https://youtu.be/eJZ4G0QVYo0?t=734
I’m probably more likely to have heard of her, as she is a minister in my denomination. Various publications connected with the PC(USA) regularly publish her hymns, which are often written in response to a specific event.
Yesterday's service where we were visiting was closed by an exuberant trumpeter blasting out Bizet's farandole, from l'Arlésienne. It was wonderful! A good start to a new year.
We have a Requiem today for our parish sister. She had a long and varied life as a nun. She joined a French order and they sent her to the Sorbonne where she did her theology. She was then variously a teacher, a spiritual director at a seminary and a retreat giver including 30 day Ignatian retreats. She came to our diocese as the episcopal vicar for religious and when she left that role was a pastoral assistant in our parish. For some women the religious life opens up tremendous possibilities. She was a woman of great knowledge, wisdom and deep spirituality.
RIP Sister Jo Bird.
Entrance - Praise to the Lord the almighty the king of creation
Psalm - How can I repay the Lord (Glynn.)
Communion - Oh Jesus I have promised. This isn't in our normal repertoire and nobody will know the usual tune so I will play it to Aurelia.
Recessional - Tell out my soul.
Indeed so, and I had arguments about it with the organist in my former church. He was however "trumped" one Sunday when he was at home with a cold. As it happened I wasn't there either and the visiting preacher chose OJIHP as one of his hymns. The lady who played the piano took advantage of the situation and chose the much-requested (but normally off-limits) "Hatherop Castle".
Perhaps not a hymn as such, but surely "While shepherds watched" is the set of words which attracts the greatest number of tunes? I believe that there are dozens, many peculiar to specific localities.
Ah, you must mean "Brother James' Air" or "Orlington" ..... - not to mention "Belmont" and "Wiltshire" among many others! ISTM that what one considers to be the "right" tune is depends a great deal on what church one frequents or was brought up in.
Incidentally quite a few churches sing WSW to "Cranbrook" these days.
Ah, you must mean "Brother James' Air" or "Orlington" ..... - not to mention "Belmont" and "Wiltshire" among many others! ISTM that what one considers to be the "right" tune is depends a great deal on what church one frequents or was brought up in.
Incidentally quite a few churches sing WSW to "Cranbrook" these days.
Quite right, too, as regards *Cranbrook* - written by a good Kentish Methodist (IIRC), and now popular at Our Place, I'm happy to say...
Whatever our personal preferences I presume we can agree that if someone not particularly musical asks for The Lord's my shepherd they would almost universally expect CRIMOND?
Comments
Then the fearful Herod cried
*Pow'r is mine in Jewry!*
So the blameless children died
The victims of his fury,
The victims of his fury.
Even so, the verse could easily be omitted if thought unsuitable, as could the last verse. Not every Place has a thundering organ, or a choir pealing with glee, and rending the air asunder.
Hmm.
Essence of valid prayer, hymnbooks, old hassocks, dust...?
Incidentally, in his entertaining descriptions of City of London churches in The Commercial Traveller, Charles Dickens refers to the *essence of (deceased) parishioners* emanating from the vaults beneath the church...
We used to sing that one at school and I loved blasting out the majestic final verse even before I knew what the Latin meant.
The translation is barely English.
Kyrie eleison!
Thank you. People talk of little else. Our priests niece and nephew were in the pub at the time of the shooting.
I think it's the one BF quoted - from Anglican Hymns Old and New.
Of course that verse should be:
Thus did Herod sore affray
And grievously bewilder
So he gave the word to slay
And slew the little childer
And slew the little childer.
There's a lovely, beautifully singable descant by the inimitable David Willcocks on the last verse in Carols for Choirs.
Angels we have heard - for the Gloria
In the bleak midwinter
Bread of life with Christmas verses- Farrell
O little town.
For us Jan 1st is a Marian feast, so I am relieved to be spared Marian slop.
Oh, how dreadful. Prayers for you and all the villagers.
Piffany is, as enny fule kno, on Friday 6th, but many churches do transfer it if it falls on a weekday. Maybe Your Place is keeping Sunday 8th as The Baptism of Christ?
Our Place is keeping today as The Naming of Jesus, and Mary, Mother of God (see how important the Oxford comma can be!), starting off with At the Name of Jesus...
Good Christians all, rejoice* - In dulci jubilo
O little town of Bethlehem - Forest Green
Unto us a boy is born - Puer nobis nascitur
See, amid the winter's snow - Humility
God rest you merry, gentlemen - God rest ye merry
* sorry about the messed-about-with words.
Six verses of See amid the winter's snow and seven of God rest you, merry were A Bit Much ...
English RCs used to do Epifanny on the Sunday nearest 6th, but it is now back to the proper date ..... which means I am spared playing We Three Kings, for which much thanks.
O little town of Bethlehem Forest Green
Christ the King of Christmas Colin Buchanan - one for the children, giving the organist a break as we sang along to this video projected on the screen
As with gladness men of old Dix
See amid the winter's snow Humility
It was good to start the year with all three congregations worshipping together
Indeed. Tragedies such as this form a stark counterpoint to the sometimes sentimental approach to Christmas, and it is appropriate to offer 🙏 not only for those directly involved, but also for ministers and the community as they try to help.
Our Place's two services on Piffknee itself may include a hymn, but AFAIK We Three Kings
Yes to kids with shiny paper crowns sprinting/processing down the aisle. But we still get it at Xt the King.
Back to today, and How sweet the name of Jesus sounds was sung (in Dutch) as the Offertory at the Old Catholic Cathedral in Utrecht, with the priest basing his sermon on the hymn.
"Great is your faithfulness”.
“I know who holds the future”.
“O God, our help in ages past”.
“Through the love of God our Saviour”.
“This is a day of new beginnings”.
“Lord of the years”.
I'll see meself out.
From my limited knowledge of alto lines that might be considered quite an achievement.
But ... Jesus wasn't baptised for another thirty years or so!
Indeed - the lectionary readings for the period between Christmas and Candlemas are chronologically confused...
Same here. A rather dull hymn to my mind, which we also sang today.
We had sort of a blend of Christmastide, Epiphany and New Year’s so we had:
“Angels from the Realms of Glory”/REGENT SQUARE
“As with Gladness”/DIX
“What Star is This”/PUER NOBIS NASCITUR
“My Shepherd Will Supply My Need”/RESIGNATION
“The First Nowell”
“We Three Kings”
“God of Our Life through All the Circling Years”/SANDON
Not all verses of every hymn, mercifully, as there weren’t many that I’m fond of. But thankfully, we did have all three verses of the sublime “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.”
RIP Sister Jo Bird.
Entrance - Praise to the Lord the almighty the king of creation
Psalm - How can I repay the Lord (Glynn.)
Communion - Oh Jesus I have promised. This isn't in our normal repertoire and nobody will know the usual tune so I will play it to Aurelia.
Recessional - Tell out my soul.
I can think of about half a dozen that might fit that description. Possibly the hymn with the least consensus on tune I can think of.
Can be sung to the Muppet Show theme.
Perhaps not a hymn as such, but surely "While shepherds watched" is the set of words which attracts the greatest number of tunes? I believe that there are dozens, many peculiar to specific localities.
Incidentally quite a few churches sing WSW to "Cranbrook" these days.
Quite right, too, as regards *Cranbrook* - written by a good Kentish Methodist (IIRC), and now popular at Our Place, I'm happy to say...