All Saints

A short, and hopefully thought provoking post about All Saints Day which we observed on November 4 at St. Andrew's. I've posted previously (click here or here) about some of the things I found as I was going through the music filing cabinets last winter.  Well, there was another bulletin tucked away in one of those drawers dated October 30, 1977 and I've been waiting to write about it until now.

The congregation was actually observing Reformation Sunday (hymn 86 - A mighty fortress is our God) and celebrating the baptism of 4 children (hymn 338 - A little child the Saviour came). The service ended with hymn 307 - The church's one foundation, a fitting close to a service with a reformation emphasis.  They were using The Book of Praise, 1972 edition.

The reason I've been saving this post is that the bulletin also announced to the congregation the deaths of 2 parishioners.  Their names and addresses were given followed by this sentence:  "They now strengthen our ties with the Community of Saints."

That one little sentence has been echoing in my mind ever since. What a wonderful way to remember those believers who have gone on before us into eternity.

One of my favourite hymns is "For all the saints" - sung to SINE NOMINE.  Here is a video link to a performance of Canadian Denis Bedard's variations on that tune.

October 24, 1954

First of all, let me say, I wasn't around in 1954! But the bulletin I found in the cantata book pictured below was dated October 24, 1954. The cover has a photo of Norwood Presbyterian Church on it. It's the only photo I've ever seen of that building (although I've since learned that the building is still standing at the corner of Kitson Street and Traverse Avenue here in Winnipeg). Norwood is the 'mother' church of St. Vital Presbyterian and in the mid 1970's the 2 congregations merged to become St. Andrew's. They worshiped in the building St. Vital had built at 709 St. Mary's Road. I suppose you could say that finding this photo was a little like discovering a portrait of a grandmother I never knew.

Other bits of trivial information gleaned include:

• Norwood was still its own municipality at the time; it wouldn't become part of Winnipeg until almost 20 years later.
• Rev. M.E.R. Boudreau was the minister.
• Mr. Carl Heddesheimer was the organist and choirmaster.
• Phone numbers were still only 5 or 6 digits long.
• The bulletin has 2 orders of service, a.m. and p.m. Sunday School followed morning worship.
• Apparently, it was anniversary weekend as the anniversary supper was announced for the following evening in the church hall.
• The young lady listed in the directory as the leader of the young people's society recently retired as an active elder after many years of service.
• The church was a busy place! In addition to the regular Sunday services and Sunday school, there was a French Mission that met at 3:00 p.m. Sundays, Women's Missionary Society Tues. afternoons, Jr. Young People's Tues. evenings, Sr. Young People's Weds. evenings, choir practice Thurs. evenings, and Wolf Cubs, Boy Scouts, Brownies and Guides also meeting weekly.

Now that I've blogged about said bulletin, I'll be giving it to the 'young lady' mentioned above!

High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art

One of the reasons I began this blog is that I enjoy writing. When I was a teenager, I made a little money writing poetry and short, inspirational pieces and it was always so exciting to get that cheque in the mail! I might have pursued writing as a career except that the passion of making music took over and I knew I couldn't do without music in my life.

On my recent trip to Calgary, it was a thrill to meet an author whose work I've read and learned from . Pictured below (L-R) are author Donna Fletcher Crow, me and Donna's daughter, Elizabeth who lives in Calgary.


Donna lives in Idaho and arrived in Calgary around the same time as I did for a family visit and a book signing this coming Saturday. My sister, Sharon, told Donna about my concert at Grace Presbyterian and I was excited to learn that Donna, Elizabeth and a friend were able to come hear me play. There's much more to it than meeting this author whose work I enjoy. Donna writes historical fiction and I learned when reading The Fields of Bannockburn and Glastonbury (the history of Christianity in Scotland and England respectively) that the Celts had many small kingdoms whose monarchs would come together to elect one to be King over all. His title was "High King". Applying this knowledge to the hymn "Be Thou My Vision" gave the words a whole new meaning for me! Donna came to me after the concert and thanked me for my words and shared that she too would never sing this hymn the same way again.

I believe that when we learn more about the hymns and songs we sing in worship, we strengthen and enrich their meaning and our own praise as well.

Organic history

As much as we might like to deny it at times, we are inevitably linked to the past. Sometimes this is a painful thing, especially when it seems we don't learn enough from history to avoid making the same mistakes again. However, there are also instances when linking our present life to history is inspiring and uplifting.

I recently read in this magazine about a Spanish pipe organ restoration which took place last year. The present day workers found a letter dated Feb. 27, 1829 which was hidden deep in the workings of the organ by young apprentices when the instrument was built in 1828-29. They knew that only future organ builders would find this document in which they outlined their credentials and asked for prayers on their behalf. The restoration experts copied the letter and wrote their own note on the back, saying that they hoped it would be a good long time before it was discovered (180 years?) as they had tried to do their job correctly. The beautiful music produced by the organ since it was built, and the music it will still yield now that it has been restored is a testimony to those who worked many years ago to build something that would outlast them - built to the glory of God.

The above was first printed in the June 28/09 bulletin for St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Winnipeg. I write a section called "Noteworthy Musings" which includes information about hymns, anthems, and other music included in the service from week to week. When I began to blog, I purposely decided not to duplicate posts from one to the other. This is an exception - just because it's summer!

Victoria Day

Up here north of the 49th we are approaching the first long weekend of 'summer'. (I write this with tongue in cheek as the temperature at 9:40 a.m. is only 2C (36F) - so far below normal it's disgusting!) We still observe Queen Victoria's birthday, which is actually May 24th, although the holiday is designated as the Monday preceding the 24th. In researching her well known connection with Felix Mendelssohn, I learned a little more about her husband Prince Albert. I knew that he was a musician of sorts and that he played the organ. Organists know this kind of thing! What I learned was that he also wrote music. You can read a little more about that here. I don't know that I have ever heard any of Prince Albert's compositions although apparently they are performed from time to time. So, happy Victoria Day; enjoy the fireworks!

You learn something new everyday!

In all honesty, I learned this new thing on Sunday but I didn't want to post twice on one day... So, a friend at church was going through some music she had at home and brought me some to look at. One item was The Manitoba School Song Book first copyright in 1940 and reprinted many times, the most recent (the date of my copy) being February 1959. Yes, I know; it's not really all that recent!

I realized once again, as I thumbed through the book, how British oriented the school system was at that time. Makes sense, historically speaking. I was not yet in school in 1959 (!) but when I think back to my elementary school years, yes, the songs we sang in music class were often British folk songs, hymns and occasionally Canadian folk songs. By now, you're wondering what it was I learned.

Well, the hymn that is variously called The Agincourt Hymn or Deo Gratias is one that I have seen with the words, "O love, how deep, how broad, how high". I recall my organ teacher, Conrad Grimes, referring to this tune as The Agincourt Hymn but I had no idea why. Here are the words I found. Unfortunately there is no information given about the lyrics, approx. date of origin, etc.

Our King went forth to Normandy,
With grace and might of chivalry;
The God for him wrought marv'lously,
Wherefore England may call and cry Deo gratias.

He set a siege, the sooth for to say,
To Harfleur town with royal array;
That town he won, and made a fray,
That France shall rue till Domesday. Deo gratias.

Then went our King, with all his host,
Through France for all the Frenchman's boast:
He spared for dread of least nor most,
Until he came to Agincourt coast. Deo gratias.

Then forsooth that Knight comely,
In Agincourt field he fought manly:
Through grace of God most mighty,
He had both the field and the victory. Deo gratias.

Their dukes and earls, lord and baron,
Were taken and slain and that well soon:
And some were led into London,
With joy and mirth and great renown. Deo gratias.

The gracious God now save our King,
His people and all his well-willing:
Give him good life and good ending,
That we with mirth may safely sing, Deo gratias.