I was listening to a radio game show on Monday evening while cooking the tea and someone was challenged to sing The Teddy Bears' Picnic to the tune of Hallelujah. It was absolutely hilarious.
However, we are indeed rather straying from the purpose of this thread so I am hosting myself to say let's not continue this tangent here, please . It might make a fun thread in the Circus.
"A radio game show" - I think you mean the hallowed I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue!
I'm sorry I haven't a clue ("the antidote to panel games") is a long-running BBC Radio 4 programme in which two teams are "given silly things to do", including one-song-to-the-tune-of-another, and Mornington Crescent.
Returning, as one must sooner or later, to the topic of bowels, wasn't it Scrooge who was said to have had no bowels? According to my O-level English teacher, it was an archaic phrase used by Dickens meaning 'pitiless'. Perhaps the hymn made more sense back then.
“Is it therefore infallibly agreeable to the Word of God, all that you say? I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken.”–Oliver Cromwell, letter to the general assembly of the Church of Scotland (3 August 1650)
Bowels were at one time seen as the seat of feeling. In the NT the word for deeply moved is σπλαγχνίζομαι, and is related to the word for bowels. Comparable, I think, to talking about whether someone has the guts for something, or describing the impact of something as gut-wrenching.
Talking of things gut-wrenching, but a bit more on topic, the church choir I now sing with has been asked to sing for a funeral in the church I used to belong to. Five have agreed. I have another commitment that day. Another ex member of that church choir for 29 years is refusing.
“ Serves them right for getting rid of their choir” was said by more than one person. The Rector of said church won’t be taking the service. After his very first service there he got rid of the sung parts of the Eucharist.
He does not sing, not even hymns.
Returning, as one must sooner or later, to the topic of bowels, wasn't it Scrooge who was said to have had no bowels? According to my O-level English teacher, it was an archaic phrase used by Dickens meaning 'pitiless'. Perhaps the hymn made more sense back then.
[English Lit Geek]
It was his business partner Jacob Marley, when he first appeared to Scrooge:
"His body was transparent: so that Scrooge, observing him, and looking through his waistcoat, could see the two buttons on his coat behind.
"Scrooge had often heard it said that Marley had no bowels, but he had never believed it until now."
Awful music today - I won't bore you with the details.
However this is the last Sunday of coffee after Mass, children's liturgy, full music etc until the schools go back in September.
Do other places go to sleep during the school summer holidays.
I will still go and play a bit of background organ music (offertory and communion) and a couple of hymns - but much more trad and low-key.
When we (New Frontiers church) had 2 morning services we used to combine them over the summer and put Sunday school on hold. But we still had the usual music in services and coffee afterwards.
Since lockdown we have had a morning and evening service instead of 2 morning services so it is just Sunday school on hold over the summer. We also have additional church socials after the morning service in summer such as picnics (inside if it rains).
Our Place gives the monthly home group, and the monthly Youth Club, a summer break, but otherwise it's business as usual - except when FatherinCharge is away for a fortnight, and the weekly Mass schedule is reduced to Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday...
Some of our students may still be around (they're mostly from India) at least for part of the time, but there will be the usual quota of people who are off to the fabled land of Away.
... We also have additional church socials after the morning service in summer such as picnics (inside if it rains).
As a fabled poster on a church gate put it:
RED ARROWS DISPLAY THIS SATURDAY
to which someone had added:
IF WET, IN VICARAGE
Despite having The Organist Who Doesn't Practice™, we had a goodly set of hymns this morning, which were given reasonable welly:
In Christ there is no east or west - Kilmarnock Father of heaven, whose love profound - Rievaulx O for a heart to praise my God - Stockton Come down, O love divine - Down Ampney O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness - Was Lebet
Matins at our place today, with a bumper congregation thanks to some unpleasantness* breaking out in a neighbouring parish.
Psalm 65 to Garrett in Aflat Canticles (Te Deum & Benedictus) Stanford in C Anthem The heavens are telling Haydn Hymns
Christ, whose glory fills the skies Ratisbon
O love divine, how sweet thou art Cornwall
Praise the Lord, ye heavens adore him Austria Organ
A Song of Sunshine Hollins
* Another choir disbanded, musical content cut to 2 worship songs. Needless to say, I suspect our place will be picking up some exiles...
Matins at our place today, with a bumper congregation thanks to some unpleasantness* breaking out in a neighbouring parish.
Psalm 65 to Garrett in Aflat Canticles (Te Deum & Benedictus) Stanford in C Anthem The heavens are telling Haydn Hymns
Christ, whose glory fills the skies Ratisbon
O love divine, how sweet thou art Cornwall
Praise the Lord, ye heavens adore him Austria Organ
A Song of Sunshine Hollins
* Another choir disbanded, musical content cut to 2 worship songs. Needless to say, I suspect our place will be picking up some exiles...
That's really odd - most places using modern worship songs make up for any deficiencies in quality (about which I couldn't possibly pass judgement) with no such deficiency in quantity.
Organist still away recuperating, but we were left with his choice of hymns. Competent pianist deputising, but the last hymn was played agonisingly slow. It was The Church's one foundation (not my favourite), and nobody (including me, mea culpa) seems to think about omitting the starred verses in NEH. So the anguished line half way through spoke to me: 'the cry goes up "How long?"'
Do other places go to sleep during the school summer holidays.
Not to sleep, as such, but our choir takes a break from early June (depending on exactly when Pentecost and Trinity Sunday fall) and late August, coinciding more or less with summer break for schools here. Various musicians sing or play in lieu of the full choir, and most Sunday school classes take a break during the summer.
That said, my wife and I are never there in the summers; we’re in the mountains of North Carolina from late May to early August. Where we worship there, today we had:
“Shall We Gather at the River”/HANSON PLACE
“Every Time I Feel the Spirit”
“When All Is Ended”/YOGANANDA
We ended up with an extra, unplanned hymn, when things needed to stop for a medical emergency. (All turned out well.) While a small group attended to the situation, someone in the congregation began quietly singing “Kum Ba Yah,” and it didn’t take long for it to spread through the congregation (of maybe 500), all singing or humming very quietly. It was quite moving and prayerful.
"Blessed Jesus at thy word" / LIEBSTER JESU.
Psalm 119:105-112, recited ("Your word is a lantern to my feet").
"Lamp of our feet, whereby we trace" / NUN DANKET ALL UND BRINGET EHR.
"O Christ the Word Incarnate" / MUNICH.
"One Bread, One Body" (from LEVAS II).
The prayer of St. Francis (by our organist).
"Immortal, invisible God only wise" / ST. DENIO.
Parish Communion
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
Was Liebet
As the deer pants for the water
In Christ alone
Just as I am - Saffron Walden.
Great is they faithfulness.
Evensong
All creatures of our God and king
Be thou my guardian and my guide- Abridge
O God beyond all praising- Thaxted
God that madest earth and heaven-
Ar hyd y Nos.
Anthem : If ye love me (Tallis) which we considerably messed up, even though we all knew it well. I blame the awkward page turns and the absence of three out of our nine singers.
Felt like there was a timeshift and it was time for Harvest Thanksgiving....yesterday we had a couple of what I think of as Harvest hymns to fit with the parable of the Sower...
Come, ye thankful people, come
For the fruits of all creation
We also sang....
God is working his purpose out
The kingdom of God is justice and joy
We give immortal praise
Felt like there was a timeshift and it was time for Harvest Thanksgiving....yesterday we had a couple of what I think of as Harvest hymns to fit with the parable of the Sower...
Come, ye thankful people, come
For the fruits of all creation
We didn't have "Come, ye thankful people" but we did have "We plough the fields", along with "For the fruits".
O day of radiant gladness (Es flog ein kleins Waldvögelein)
O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God (O heiliger Geist)
We the Lord's people, heart and voice uniting (Decatur Place)
Spread, O spread, thou mighty word (Gott sei Dank)
Choral:
Johann Caspar Aiblinger: Ad te levavi
Félix-Alexandre Guilmant: Ave verum corpus
God of grace and God of glory - Regent Square Bread of heaven, on thee we feed - Bread of Heaven Lift up your hearts! We lift them, Lord to thee - Woodlands Calm me, Lord - tune by Margaret Rizza/Taize And can it be? - Sagina
We had a new one (to me) that I can't find online, an action song. I like action songs but the theology of this one was a bit dodgy - about building on Jesus the rock and then you won't get knocked (but hey, it rhymes so why worry about the theology...?)
We had a new one (to me) that I can't find online, an action song. I like action songs but the theology of this one was a bit dodgy - about building on Jesus the rock and then you won't get knocked (but hey, it rhymes so why worry about the theology...?)
We ended the term with "Our God reigns."
I was encouraged to go full boogie-woogie.
I complied.
Until September it will be just me on organ, a couple of trad hymns and gentle background organ to cover the action. Much as I enjoy the modern stuff it is lovely to use my classical "chops.."
“I Sing the Mighty Power of God”/ELLACOMBE
“Nothing Can Ttouble” (Nada te turbe)/Taizé, Berthier
“Lead Me, Guide Me”
“Give Thanks”/GIVE THANKS
“Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth”/NORWICH
Give praise and glory unto God (Du Lebensbrot, Herr Jesu Christ)
Lord, make us servants of your peace (Dickinson College)
O day of God, draw nigh (Bellwoods)
O what their joy and their glory must be (O quanta qualia)
Choral:
Alessandro Scarlatti: Justitiae Domini
Claudio Marulo: Qui manducat meam carnem
"Come thou almighty King" / MOSCOW
"Almighty God your word is cast" / WALDEN
"Judge eternal throned in splendor" / KOMM, O KOMM du GEIST des LEBENS
"Bread of the world in mercy broken" / RENDEZ A DIEU
"O what their joy and their glory must be" / O QUANTA QUALIA
"Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing" / SICILIAN MARINERS
Yesterday, Choral Evensong
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis _ Stanford
Responses : Smith
Anthem:Iustorum Animae- Stanford
hymn: Lord of the years
This morning: Eucharist
Come let us join our cheerful song- Nativity
For the beauty of the earth - England’s Lane
Come Holy Ghost our souls inspire( but the president forgot and omitted it!)
Lead us heavenly father, lead us - Mannheim
Collegium Regale - Howells
Anthem: O nata lux- Tallis
Evensong
Light’s abode, celestial Salem- Regent Square
Eternal ruler of the ceaseless round - Song 1
Lord for the years
Magnificat _ Stanford*
Nunc Dimittis on plainsong tones- Wills
anthem- All wisdom cometh from the Lord- Philip Moore.
*The Mag was also meant to be the Wills, but it proved too much, in such a short preparation time.
Hymns
Joyful, joyful, / Ode to joy
Worship, honour, glory, blessing, / Austrian Hymn
She sits like a bird, / Thainaky
Aaronic blessing, / Aaronic blessing
I the Lord of sea and sky, / Here I am, Lord
Choir
Of all the spirit’s gifts to me,/ Barnard, Pratt Green
Be thou my vision, / Chilcott
The start of six weeks with just me playing the organ. The pp has asked/suggested that we have just a couple of traditional hymns during the summer, with me filling in during the offertory and communion. So
Lord of all hopefulness.
O bread of heaven.
Love divine, all loves excelling.
“O worship the King” - Hanover.
“Father, I place into your hands”.
“Lord, teach us how to pray aright” - Dundee (with short notes).
“I hear creation groaning” - Salley Garden.
“Christ is coming!” - Neander.
An unbalanced selection today at Our Place, the first two being (IMHO) set to very lugubrious tunes:
Thine for ever! God of love (Newington) The Church's one foundation (the ghastly Aurelia) Seek ye first (words and music by Karen Lafferty) Joy to the world (Antioch - one of Mr Handel's cheerful pieces, as enny fule kno)
Father VisitingPriest was in charge today, and, as he neither waffles nor interpolates, Mass was less than an hour long. He preaches excellent little homilies, usually extempore, and today (so my Spy tells me) was no exception.
Attendance was a little low, owing to holidays and people going to *Away* (which, in Kent, can often be construed as *Sitting In Traffic Queues At Dover*).
Comments
"A radio game show" - I think you mean the hallowed I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue!
(Sorry, got a bit carried away there. Back to the thread ...).
I'm sorry I haven't a clue ("the antidote to panel games") is a long-running BBC Radio 4 programme in which two teams are "given silly things to do", including one-song-to-the-tune-of-another, and Mornington Crescent.
Bowels were at one time seen as the seat of feeling. In the NT the word for deeply moved is σπλαγχνίζομαι, and is related to the word for bowels. Comparable, I think, to talking about whether someone has the guts for something, or describing the impact of something as gut-wrenching.
“ Serves them right for getting rid of their choir” was said by more than one person. The Rector of said church won’t be taking the service. After his very first service there he got rid of the sung parts of the Eucharist.
He does not sing, not even hymns.
[English Lit Geek]
It was his business partner Jacob Marley, when he first appeared to Scrooge:
"His body was transparent: so that Scrooge, observing him, and looking through his waistcoat, could see the two buttons on his coat behind.
"Scrooge had often heard it said that Marley had no bowels, but he had never believed it until now."
[/English Lit Geek]
However this is the last Sunday of coffee after Mass, children's liturgy, full music etc until the schools go back in September.
Do other places go to sleep during the school summer holidays.
I will still go and play a bit of background organ music (offertory and communion) and a couple of hymns - but much more trad and low-key.
Since lockdown we have had a morning and evening service instead of 2 morning services so it is just Sunday school on hold over the summer. We also have additional church socials after the morning service in summer such as picnics (inside if it rains).
Some of our students may still be around (they're mostly from India) at least for part of the time, but there will be the usual quota of people who are off to the fabled land of Away.
As a fabled poster on a church gate put it:
RED ARROWS DISPLAY THIS SATURDAY
to which someone had added:
IF WET, IN VICARAGE
Despite having The Organist Who Doesn't Practice™, we had a goodly set of hymns this morning, which were given reasonable welly:
In Christ there is no east or west - Kilmarnock
Father of heaven, whose love profound - Rievaulx
O for a heart to praise my God - Stockton
Come down, O love divine - Down Ampney
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness - Was Lebet
Psalm 65 to Garrett in Aflat
Canticles (Te Deum & Benedictus) Stanford in C
Anthem The heavens are telling Haydn
Hymns
Christ, whose glory fills the skies Ratisbon
O love divine, how sweet thou art Cornwall
Praise the Lord, ye heavens adore him Austria
Organ
A Song of Sunshine Hollins
* Another choir disbanded, musical content cut to 2 worship songs. Needless to say, I suspect our place will be picking up some exiles...
Jesus Stand among us (with extra Communion verse)
Rock of Ages (St Godric)
That's really odd - most places using modern worship songs make up for any deficiencies in quality (about which I couldn't possibly pass judgement) with no such deficiency in quantity.
That said, my wife and I are never there in the summers; we’re in the mountains of North Carolina from late May to early August. Where we worship there, today we had:
“Shall We Gather at the River”/HANSON PLACE
“Every Time I Feel the Spirit”
“When All Is Ended”/YOGANANDA
We ended up with an extra, unplanned hymn, when things needed to stop for a medical emergency. (All turned out well.) While a small group attended to the situation, someone in the congregation began quietly singing “Kum Ba Yah,” and it didn’t take long for it to spread through the congregation (of maybe 500), all singing or humming very quietly. It was quite moving and prayerful.
"Blessed Jesus at thy word" / LIEBSTER JESU.
Psalm 119:105-112, recited ("Your word is a lantern to my feet").
"Lamp of our feet, whereby we trace" / NUN DANKET ALL UND BRINGET EHR.
"O Christ the Word Incarnate" / MUNICH.
"One Bread, One Body" (from LEVAS II).
The prayer of St. Francis (by our organist).
"Immortal, invisible God only wise" / ST. DENIO.
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
Was Liebet
As the deer pants for the water
In Christ alone
Just as I am - Saffron Walden.
Great is they faithfulness.
Evensong
All creatures of our God and king
Be thou my guardian and my guide- Abridge
O God beyond all praising- Thaxted
God that madest earth and heaven-
Ar hyd y Nos.
Anthem : If ye love me (Tallis) which we considerably messed up, even though we all knew it well. I blame the awkward page turns and the absence of three out of our nine singers.
Jesus Strong And Kind
Come, ye thankful people, come
For the fruits of all creation
We also sang....
God is working his purpose out
The kingdom of God is justice and joy
We give immortal praise
We didn't have "Come, ye thankful people" but we did have "We plough the fields", along with "For the fruits".
O day of radiant gladness (Es flog ein kleins Waldvögelein)
O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God (O heiliger Geist)
We the Lord's people, heart and voice uniting (Decatur Place)
Spread, O spread, thou mighty word (Gott sei Dank)
Choral:
Johann Caspar Aiblinger: Ad te levavi
Félix-Alexandre Guilmant: Ave verum corpus
God of grace and God of glory - Regent Square
Bread of heaven, on thee we feed - Bread of Heaven
Lift up your hearts! We lift them, Lord to thee - Woodlands
Calm me, Lord - tune by Margaret Rizza/Taize
And can it be? - Sagina
Also:
Who Am I That The Highest King
Worthy of Every Song (Build My Life)
I Stand Amazed (How Marvellous)
Action Songs are sufficient reason for me to avoid church. I hate them with the fiery passion of a thousand blazing supernovae.
“Our God is a great big God”.
“Great God of wonders” - Carey's.
“O for a closer walk with God” - Beatitudo.
“To God be the glory!” - there's only one tune!
I was encouraged to go full boogie-woogie.
I complied.
Until September it will be just me on organ, a couple of trad hymns and gentle background organ to cover the action. Much as I enjoy the modern stuff it is lovely to use my classical "chops.."
“I Sing the Mighty Power of God”/ELLACOMBE
“Nothing Can Ttouble” (Nada te turbe)/Taizé, Berthier
“Lead Me, Guide Me”
“Give Thanks”/GIVE THANKS
“Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth”/NORWICH
All my Hope on God is Founded (Michael)
What a Friend we have in Jesus (Converse)
Great is thy Faithfulness (Faithfulness)
Songs described by one member of the congregation as "stalwarts"
Give praise and glory unto God (Du Lebensbrot, Herr Jesu Christ)
Lord, make us servants of your peace (Dickinson College)
O day of God, draw nigh (Bellwoods)
O what their joy and their glory must be (O quanta qualia)
Choral:
Alessandro Scarlatti: Justitiae Domini
Claudio Marulo: Qui manducat meam carnem
"Come thou almighty King" / MOSCOW
"Almighty God your word is cast" / WALDEN
"Judge eternal throned in splendor" / KOMM, O KOMM du GEIST des LEBENS
"Bread of the world in mercy broken" / RENDEZ A DIEU
"O what their joy and their glory must be" / O QUANTA QUALIA
"Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing" / SICILIAN MARINERS
Yesterday, Choral Evensong
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis _ Stanford
Responses : Smith
Anthem:Iustorum Animae- Stanford
hymn: Lord of the years
This morning: Eucharist
Come let us join our cheerful song- Nativity
For the beauty of the earth - England’s Lane
Come Holy Ghost our souls inspire( but the president forgot and omitted it!)
Lead us heavenly father, lead us - Mannheim
Collegium Regale - Howells
Anthem: O nata lux- Tallis
Evensong
Light’s abode, celestial Salem- Regent Square
Eternal ruler of the ceaseless round - Song 1
Lord for the years
Magnificat _ Stanford*
Nunc Dimittis on plainsong tones- Wills
anthem- All wisdom cometh from the Lord- Philip Moore.
*The Mag was also meant to be the Wills, but it proved too much, in such a short preparation time.
Hymns
Praise my soul, /Praise, my soul
Gloria a dios, /Gloria a dios
God has spoken / Song of good news
Love divine, / Hyfrydol
Choir
Locus iste, / Garau
Teach me O Lord, / Attwood
Our choir has resumed after its winter break.
Shush. Don't mix the metaphors!
You'r obviously not in Greece or Sicily.
Hymns
Joyful, joyful, / Ode to joy
Worship, honour, glory, blessing, / Austrian Hymn
She sits like a bird, / Thainaky
Aaronic blessing, / Aaronic blessing
I the Lord of sea and sky, / Here I am, Lord
Choir
Of all the spirit’s gifts to me,/ Barnard, Pratt Green
Be thou my vision, / Chilcott
Lord of all hopefulness.
O bread of heaven.
Love divine, all loves excelling.
Some will love it, some will hate it.
“O worship the King” - Hanover.
“Father, I place into your hands”.
“Lord, teach us how to pray aright” - Dundee (with short notes).
“I hear creation groaning” - Salley Garden.
“Christ is coming!” - Neander.
Thine for ever! God of love (Newington)
The Church's one foundation (the ghastly Aurelia)
Seek ye first (words and music by Karen Lafferty)
Joy to the world (Antioch - one of Mr Handel's cheerful pieces, as enny fule kno)
Father VisitingPriest was in charge today, and, as he neither waffles nor interpolates, Mass was less than an hour long. He preaches excellent little homilies, usually extempore, and today (so my Spy tells me) was no exception.
Attendance was a little low, owing to holidays and people going to *Away* (which, in Kent, can often be construed as *Sitting In Traffic Queues At Dover*).
We sing it with a slightly different emphasis - "We are here FOR you." It makes me imagine God going, "Oh... thank you..."
Shout for Joy And Sing
A reprise of the aforementioned action song about how if Jesus is our rock we won't get knocked.
What Gift of Grace is Jesus My Redeemer