Category: Church music
Midweek Hymns Advent 1 2020
Four completely different style Advent/Christmas songs today: an early music sound, a gentle folk song, a street-corner salvation band, and even a sing-a-long with the words on the screen.
NCH #101 Comfort, Comfort O My People NCH #105 Gentle Joseph, Joseph Dear NCH #106 My heart Sings Out With Joyful Praise I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
- I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet the words repeat Of peace on earth, good will to all.
- I thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along th’unbroken song Of peace on earth, good will to all.
- Till ringing, singing on its way The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, a chant sublime Of peace on earth, good will to all.
- And in despair I bowed my head “There is no peace on earth,” I said, “For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to all.”
- Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth God sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail With peace on earth, good will to all.”
copyright: public domain Words: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1864.; modified Music: ‘Waltham (Calkin)’ John B. Calkin, 1872.
O Come, O come Emmanuel
This weekend is 1st Sunday Advent so here’s “O come, O come, Emmanuel” from my “9 Seasonal Voluntaries” (Concordia Publishing House). This recording from mid-80s when I was almost 40 years younger. If I were able to re-rerecord it now, I’d do it MUCH more rubato and slightly slower overall…but I know I’m in no shape to perform it at ANY tempo at my current age 🙂 Recorded at Bayshore Baptist Church, Tampa, FL.
Thanksgiving Hymn Playlists
YouTube playlist of Thanksgiving Day Hymn Videos
SoundCloud playlist of Thanksgiving Day Hymn streaming audio
The two links above are the music posted over the past 6 days, including the video (and soundtrack on SoundCloud) of the Thankfulness video from the Thanksgiving Corona Sabbath.
Music for Thanksgiving
If you’d like some music to accompany stuffing the turkey here’s two playlists…same music on both, just that one is just audio (SoundCloud) and the other video (YouTube).
Midweek Hymn: NCH #522 473 & 442 featuring Higher Ground
Compassion (a new original hymn)
This new hymn, COMPASSION (“Just as a Nursing Mother”), is based on a sermon by the Rev. Kim Wells that may be found at https://lakewooducc.org/2020/10/23/corona-sabbath-32-compassion-reflection-text/
Here’s a video of the music score for COMPASSION (“Just as a Nursing Mother”) synced with an instrumental recording. Someday…someday, we’ll all be able to sing together again and I’ll be able to make a recording of the words being sung. Until then, it’s up to your imagination.To see the words more clearly, be sure to take advantage of the icon on the video that lets you make it full screen.
If you’d like to print out a copy of the hymn to play at home, here’s a link to a PDF of it: COMPASSION HYMN – Score. You’re welcome to print it out for you own use at home.
Here’s the text:
REFRAIN
Just as a nursing mother feeds
The growing child upon her breast,
The soul sustaining way of Christ
Gives solace, succor, life refreshed.VERSE 1
And yet, today, their spirits starve
They want to grow and thrive in truth.
They know not what it is or where
It’s found that healing hearts produce.REFRAIN
Just as a nursing mother …VERSE 2
And sadly, faith is often seen
As offered in a selfish way.
It’s offered with a hidden catch:
Salvation giv’n but you must pay.REFRAIN
Just as a nursing mother …VERSE 3
It is no wonder we are shy
Of telling of Christ’s love content.
But, we must gently share our lives
For we have found soul’s hunger quenched.REFRAIN
Just as a nursing mother…
Note: COMPASSION is the tune name. Hymns have tune names that are used in a specific index in the back of hymnals. “Just as a Nursing Mother” is the first line of the hymn. There is a different, specific index just for first lines of hymns. There are other indexes, such as the metric index. The metric scheme of this hymn is 8.8.8.8.D which is four lines iambic tetrameter, doubled.
Below is an earlier hymn I wrote based on a sermon of the Rev. Kim Wells. I’ve used two different musical settings for those lyrics, one the Irish tune, “Down by the Sally Gardens,” the other an original anthem. (I think I like the “Sally Gardens” setting better for congregational singing!) But, here’s just my lyrics:
I find the thoughts contained in Rev. Wells’ sermon inspirational and providing novel thoughts and perspectives.
Holy Mana
https://soundcloud.com/hilton-kean-jones/holy-mana
My setting of an old early American hymn tune. It’s sung to a number of different texts.
NCH #418 My Faith, It Is an Oaken Staff
ST ANNE with descants plus 3 chorale preludes on the tune
The tune name of this famous Hymn is St Anne. The words are equally famous: “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.” Seems like an appropriate text for these days.
This rendition has all 6 verses as found in NCH #25. There’s a very short intro and the first verse begins when the trumpet enters. Hang on to your part because starting in verse 3 the descants begin (there’s 4 verses with descants)!
Here’s a link to three chorale preludes for solo piano I composed a couple years ago that are based on ST ANNE. They’re audio streaming (nothing to download). You can hear the famous melody used in various ways. For instance, in the slow movement, it’s the top notes of the accompaniment.
(To listen to preludes, click on following link, then the “play” button)
https://soundcloud.com/hilton-kean-jones/sets/3-preludes-on-st-anne-for-solo
And…you’re welcome to download the score HERE, for free. Of course, every composer hopes maybe somebody will feel like playing a piece if there’s a free score on offer!