What did you sing at church today?
Nenya
All Saints Host, Ecclesiantics & MW Host
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.
The original thread was started in March 2018 and ran until March 2020 when the first lockdown rendered it redundant.
Comments
Only hymns. I can go to a gig and reel off the setlist years later, and probably have them in the right order.
But.
Despite knowing my way round Hymns A&M and the New English Hymnal pretty well, to the extent that I can sing a lot of them without the book (not a boast, just a thing), for as long as I can remember if you ask me at 1200 on a Sunday what we sang in the 1030 Mass or whatever, an hour later I can't tell you.
I know the one hymn we sang (in the churchyard) last Sunday was Charles Wesley, but more than that I could not say, More to the point, more than that I could not say to my wife when I walked through the door on my return from the service. I must be singing on autopilot or something.
Tell Out My Soul Timothy Dudley-Smith, Walter Greatorex
Holy, Holy Nathan Fellingham
This is amazing grace Jeremy Riddle, Josh Farro, Phil Wickham
In Christ Alone Keith Getty, Stuart Townend
The Blessing Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe, Steven Furtick
I think I've already mentioned the Nice Hymns my fellow-Reader has chosen for First-Sing-Sunday (25th July):
All my hope on God is founded
Just as I am
Let all mortal flesh keep silence
Forth in thy name O Lord I go (tune by that not-exactly-contemporary composer Orlando Gibbons )
I'm not sure if I'll be there, but I expect they'll be sung with Our Place's usual enthusiasm!
During the pandemic, I've made myself acquainted online with a number of Lutheran/Reformed hymns and other music, not at present part of our repertoire. I'd like to gradually introduce some of this material at Our Place - much of it is very singable - but we shall see...
This past Sunday we had:
Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above/Mit Freuden Zart
Kum Ba Yah/Come By Here*
Alleluia! Christ Is Arisen (¡Aleluya! Cristo resucitó)/Santo Domingo
Christ Has Risen While Earth Slumbers/Transformation
* I know this one can raise some eyebrows in other parts of the world. We sang it quietly as “Come by here,” unaccompanied except for a flute, prior to the Prayers of the People.
Like others here, I've enjoyed exploring the music of other churches online (thanks for your suggestions, @Forthview) and am also grateful for bookmarked music noted on this thread in the last few years, a great resource for Sunday (and weekday) listening.
1) a very elderly organist who prays with her fingers (on a ghastly electric thing) and will keep going until she no longer enjoys doing so - much loved by the small congregation so they - we - will continue to love her music for its prayerful integrity.
2) a once a month country-ish style electric guitarist, who also plays with prayerfulness, and who is no prima donna (unlike many).
They choose the music. I told them if I were to choose we'd have "Guide Me O Thou Great Whichever" every week five times because it's the only hymn I know. I perhaps exaggerated a little.
We mainly use that yellowy orangy book - "Complete Anglican" or some such - I've always quite liked it (it's done inclusive language well and offers a fine range of hymnody) though I'd prefer spiders' footprints on the pages. They help me know when to wobble or slide up and down and for how long. Sort of.
My point? About 20 people gather to sing and play badly yet the angels sing with them, and I am growing to love this broken, bewildered group of stumbling believers. I will let you know what we sing, and will let you know with joy and pride - because what I hear will be those people mumbling self-consciously each week, but what you may read and then hear with your mind's ear might be a glorious cathedralesque majesty, reverberating with faith and joy and musical excellence and deep devotion. I have a funny feeling that's what God hears too.
The second, at my own church, is a lovely couple who both work on our neighbouring farm. He who would valiant be, We plough the fields, O Praise ye the Lord, Wagner's Bridal March and Mendelssohn to finish. No choir but local congregation guaranteed to sing.
All excellent choices, though, IMHO...
The infection rate in Wales seems, hopefully, to have stabilised; for some reason it is lower in our part of the city than many other places; also most of our congregation are fully vaccinated. We will review again if (a) we move into a different Alert Level; (b) the Government guidance changes; or (c) if cases rise dramatically. At present we are conducting a Questionnaire among the congregation to gauge their views on singing and social distancing should regulations be eased, asking everyone to respond.
We in the C of E are allowed to sing - unmasked, if we wish! - and FatherInCharge has made this known in his weekly newsletter.
However, he has added the caveat that this may change at any time, if restrictions are re-imposed by a *government* addicted to sudden U-turns...
Yes, but it's clear that the current level - in any authority area in Wales - is too high for any Anglican church to sing within the overall guidance. But then, given that I work for the Welsh Government, I would say that...
O praise ye the Lord
Let all the world in every corner sing
Praise to the Lord, the almighty, the king of creation
Be still for the presence of the Lord
(I doubt many weddings have We plough the fields as a hymn, but it makes sense if they're in farming.)
My Lighthouse Rend Collective
The Rock Becky Drake, Nick Drake, Tim Hughes
King of Kings, Majesty Jarrod Cooper
The Blessing Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe, Steven Furtick
Today we had
Lord of all hopefulness,
A new commandment I give unto you
Shine Jesus shine (oh, yes)
The Church’s one foundation.
We also had to listen to a recording of the Maranatha Singers twanging their way through something but I have forgotten what. Seemed an odd thing to do.
Ye servants of God
Brother, sister let me serve you
For all the saints.
According to the online newsletter, the intention was for the last hymn to be sung outside by everyone ( pending PCC approval of a whole raft of decisions, mostly not changing anything of the current restrictions, except perhaps those related to singing). However, questions had been raised about the uneven ground, risk of people tripping up etc, so the assistant priest decided all should remain inside and sing behind masks.
Tonight sees the return of Evensong, though it will not be weekly.
Today was the first opportunity for the congregation to sing since mid-March last year, a happy coincidence with a proper feast, so we made the most of it. Everyone, including the choir, was masked.
Setting
Darke in F
Anthems
Tantum ergo Fauré
Give us the wings of faith Bullock
Hymns
Hark, the sound of holy voices Deerhurst
Lord, who shall sit beside thee * Christus der ist mein leben
O Jesus, I have promised Wolvercote
Palms of glory, raiment bright Palms of glory
* proper hymn for St James
The adult section of the choir was a bit below strength (7-2-2-3) and only 4 juniors; still, they sang well.
Praise, Praise, Praise the Lord/Louez Le Seigneur
Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty/Lobe Den Herren
Spirit, Open My Heart/Wild Mountain Thyme
Light Dawns on a Weary World/Temple of Peace
FWIW, we are masked.
By faith (Getty/Getty/Townend)
Jesus' love is very wonderful (Rattle)
Jesus be the centre (Frye)
How deep the Father's love for us (Townend)
How great is our our God (Tomlin et al.)
Rescuer (Rend collective)
What can wash away my sin? (Robert Lowry)
He’s coming on the clouds/Lion and the lamb (Brian Johnson, Brenton Gifford Brown, Leeland Mooring)
Rejoice, the Lord is King!
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
Jesus Stand Among Us
We have a Gospel to Proclaim
I go to a chari church so the adults are generally happy to join in actions. Many of us (including me) sign the songs anyway as we having signing at the front of church for songs and hymns.
I have had a visceral hatred of action songs for as long as I can remember. I wouldn't even do Head, Shoulders or the Hokey Cokey as a child.
But what if that _is_ what It's all about?
God be praised, for values of It for which That was what it was all about, I was able to live my life without It, despite occasional attempts to make me join in with It.
Bleurgh.
Interestingly both my sons (who have inherited my introversion) hated action songs as well, past toddlerhood, at any rate, while my daughter (who for some insane reason is an extravert, God alone knows how that happened!) loved them. I do recall that I hated them (and still do) because I felt, and would feel, an acute sense of embarrassment doing actions.
as an ex sailor we had Eternal Father Strong to Save...
Not a great fan of action songs, but I do join in as I think it is important to let the children know we are all worshipping together during the first part of the service when they are present.
Apart from any children who hate them, of course. I consider my role, should I be unfortunate enough to be put in this situation, to be to stand motionless in solidarity with them.
I'm afraid that I, like @KarlLB, remain motionless and dumb during such moments if they occur in the main Sunday service, which has been known
There is a place for such things...
Coming up (again) in Holiday Bible Club next month. It's a great favourite.
Glorious things of thee are spoken (to the tune Austria adapted by Papa Haydn from a Croatian folk melody - I didn't know that)
Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness (to the tune Schmucke dich by Johann Cruger)
My Lord, what love is this (Graham Kendrick)
God is walking working his porpoise purpose out (words as altered by Michael Forster)
The Kendrick song will, I think, probably be sung just by our organist and her husband, as I doubt if many others will know it. I may well be wrong, of course!
I'm not sure that anyone should be decking anyone else, with gladness or otherwise. (Of course you are allowed to use the deck on The Ark - assuming that paint has all dried).
Hehe.
Yes, the paint has dried (just as well, given today's rain).
Deck thyself etc. is a lovely hymn, with a fine tune, but IMHO it's actually quite difficult to sing well. I hope our organist is in good voice, as she often leads the singing whilst playing the organ with both hands, and both feet - talk about multi-tasking!
I expect you know the hymn, but yur tiz:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=zUJWZqw73WE
17thC Lutheran, I guess.