Dreaming in Music... Again

I was dreaming in music again on Saturday night. It wasn't the choir anthem running through my dreams this time, but a piece from a workshop I attended almost a year ago. I got the music package out the other day to refresh my memory on some of the songs we went through and "I Love to Praise Your Name" by Noel Robinson has been firmly (re)planted in my brain! Now, there were other pieces I remember from that workshop, so that led me to wondering why this one seemed unique to me. I think some of it is the chord structure. The song is in G+ but in the second bar there is a B7 chord. It's unexpected and quite enjoyable!

This year, I'll be accompanying at the workshop, New Songs for Worship IV, led by Christine Longhurst. I'm very excited about learning the new music and sharing my love for worship music with others. If you're in the Winnipeg area, consider attending; it will be worth your Saturday morning I am sure!

They don't write them like this anymore...

I was sorting through some choir music the other day and came across an anthem c. 1926 - original price: 22 cents, but that was stamped over with "25 cents". Goodness knows how long ago that music was purchased! The title is: In Joseph's Lovely Garden, words by Helen A. Dickinson.

In Joseph's lovely garden
The Lord Christ's tomb was made,
And there His broken body
To rest was gently laid.
A great rock strongly sealed it,
That Death might have full sway;
But God sent down His angel,
To roll the stone away.

When dawn was faintly breaking
Across the garden fair,
Three women entered weeping,
Bearing spices rare.
Then spake the guardian angel,
In shining raiment bright,
He whom ye seek is risen,
And Death is vanquished quite!

O angel of the garden,
Descend to us today,
And comfort all our sadness,
And drive death's fear away.
We all are sorrow laden
Speak to our hearts we pray,
"He whom ye love is risen,
And lives with Christ alway!"

O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
All praise to Thee we bring;
No power of death could hold Thee,
Our Saviour, Lord, and King!
As Thou has ris'n all glorious,
May we one day arise,
O'er sin and death victorious,
In Thy blest Paradise.

I dare say that 80+ years ago when this was written, the language used in it was much closer to 'everyday' than it is now. Although the use of Thee, Thou and Thy is very poetic, it's not used much in literature or church today. I also find it interesting that Death is capitalized in places, almost as if it is a person (the grim reaper?). One thing that I wish was done today that I see in this anthem is capitalizing him, or his when it refers to Christ. I'm not sure why that isn't done anymore... Does anyone out there know?

First time ever - Part 2

Yesterday the choir at St. Andrew's sang a setting of the Swedish hymn "Children of the Heavenly Father" and I thought I'd tell you about the "first time ever." I first remember hearing this hymn about 35 years ago when our District Superintendent, Neil Hightower, came for a Sunday to worship with us in Sarnia. He must have brought the music with him as I don't recall it being in the hymnal we would have been using at the time. I also don't remember who accompanied him - my sister or me. Those details didn't stay with me, but the hymn itself certainly did. It is such a lovely, simple tune which is so appropriate for the words. Here is a link to a brief video excerpt where Professor Gracia Grindal, tells a little about the life of the author, Lina Sandell.

Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish;
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.

Lo, their very hairs He numbers,
And no daily care encumbers
Them that share His ev’ry blessing
And His help in woes distressing.

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers:
Your Protector never slumbers.
At the will of your Defender
Ev’ry foeman must surrender.

Christmas in the summer

This was supposed to be a summer of Christmas music. It still has been, to some extent - to the extent that all church musicians have to think and plan ahead to order music, choose anthems, etc. No, this was supposed to be the summer of recording a second album focusing on Advent and Christmas arrangements. My husband, Gord Keeley, will be my recording engineer again, and we'll record in the living room on my very own Petrof baby grand. So, what happened? New windows are what happened - and not on my timetable! I 'thought' (read, 'unrealistically hoped') they'd be in by mid-July and I'd have a good month to get the tracks down the way I wanted. A change in windows means a change in the acoustics of the room so I really had to wait until the project was complete. Well, finally today it is finished. A little late for a summer recording project. But maybe it's just as well - we've had a very wet, humid summer and I doubt the piano would have held its tuning well at all. Is there a lesson here? Probably. Do I know what it is? Not really. But I do know the new windows look nice.

You hear hymn tunes in the most unexpected places!

Yesterday I had occasion to drive out of the city. It was a lovely day for a drive - sunny and not too hot - and I enjoyed being out on the open prairie where the sky is the whole horizon and the bright yellow canola fields border the highway. I took along 2 new CD's to keep me company, and I listened leisurely as the kilometers rolled by. The first selection was by Debussy - En blanc et noir: Three pieces for two pianos. This is not repertoire I am familiar with, I guess mostly because it is for 2 pianos. Anyway, the second piece of the three is called "Lent, sombre" (slow, sombre) and I was absentmindedly listening when I thought I heard one of the pianos playing Ein feste burg. My ears perked up - yes, undoubtedly it was! Isn't it true, you hear hymn tunes in the most unexpected places!

First time ever...

I was listening to some Chicago the other day. Now before you get all agitated about that being on a blog about hymns, take a deep breath! As I listened, I realized again the power of music to transport us in so many ways - time and emotion to name just two. Chicago takes me to my teens and twenties in a flash. Sometimes I even recall where I was when listening to that tune 'way back when.

There are a few hymns on a similar list - the list of "The first time I remember singing that hymn". Today I'm sharing one of those experiences with you, my reader. (I had to actually check back to see that I hadn't already written about this. I guess I just thought about writing it!) The first time I remember singing "Blest be the tie that binds" was at a family reunion in 1967, Canada's Centennial Year. I must have sung the hymn prior to that, but this occasion really sticks out in my mind. The reunion was my paternal grandfather's siblings and their descendants and until that day, I never knew how many Bull's there were! I don't recall the actual number of people attending, but to a 9 year old it seemed like an awful lot. As we were getting ready to go our separate ways, someone suggested we sing this hymn together. It could have been Dad I suppose but I don't know for sure. I know we sang at least one verse together - maybe more - and when I look back on it, I think that was pretty remarkable. What a blessing to share a hymn together at a family reunion!

Do you have a particular memory of the first time you sang hymn X? Please do share the memory with me.