Sacred Music (Church along with Synagogue and Other Religious/Liturgical arts)

[Rolodex]

I'm missing Palm Sunday today. My kids are out of town and we're babysitting the 15 month old twin grands. Ain't no way I can get to church. Dr Rolodex has to go be part of the choir (I'm doing bells next week) so I'm sololing with the babies this morning (yikes, with a bum knee). Of course All Glory Laud & Honor with requisite palm branch waving, plus crosses made of palm fronds available to pin on your shirt. They collect the palm branches and then burn them to use for ashes next Ash Wednesday.

Last year, they did a "re-enactment" of the triumphal entry, complete with live donkey. The donkey decided he wasn't satisfied with a leisurely entry and apparently took off at a full run during the event (it was outside in our lawn area). I missed it (they did it before the 11:00 service which is when I attend) but the minister talked about it. I texted him "pics or it didn't happen" and the whole video got posted on facebook. LOL No word on whether they're doing that reenactment again this year.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Sounds like you are having specific “twin” physical therapy!

Question: Why do “non-Catholic” churches sing each stanza of a hymn while Catholic churches do not?

[northland10]

Question: Why do “non-Catholic” churches sing each stanza of a hymn while Catholic churches do not?

I actually cut the last 2 of 5 verses on O Sacred Head today. These were "started" verses which are optional in our hymnal.

Some Protestant churches don't cut verses because their hymnals already cut them (many hymnals do not contain "all" verses of the original older hymns). There are others where the pastor only allows 3, even if it cuts out a key part of the narrative in the hymns and lose the cintext. They tend to see hymns and something to be sung without any understanding of how hymns advance learning and formation, among other things. The Wesleys were strong proponents of using hymns to teach and evangelize.

Roman Catholic parishes also don't have a long tradition of congregational singing so it is not part of the culture of many, though not all, parishes.

[northland10]

On a related note, I have found in general the denominations with the strongest congregation singing are Methodists (Wesleys), Lutheran (all those chorales and Luther), and Christian Science (no choir).

I was impressed with the singing when I subbed in a few Christian Science places years ago.

Presbyterian can do well and some UCC places. Episcopal places tend to lean more toward either the old English chorister style or paid voices, so they are not as strong with the people singing. I have no paid choir members or a youth chorister group but I have worked hard to build a singing congregation.

[Rolodex]

United Methodist here (unlike the breakaway conservative sect or other Wesleyan types - Nazarenes, Free Methodists, etc) and we mostly sing all the verses. Sometimes when the sermon is long, they'll decide on the fly to do just 1 and 4 for the final hymn. LOL

The hymns are one reason I prefer a "traditional" type of service. They seem more theological than whatever that noise they're making in the contemporary service. (not opposed to pop or rock but xtian contemp just isn't my jam).

If I'm bored, I look at hymn meters info and think of other songs whose lyrics would work (like the famous example of amazing grace and the theme from gilligan's island).

[northland10]

The hymns are one reason I prefer a "traditional" type of service. They seem more theological than whatever that noise they're making in the contemporary service. (not opposed to pop or rock but xtian contemp just isn't my jam).

Agreed.. My biggest issue with "praise" songs is their very limited theology (and heavily me/I centered).

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Hubby grew up United Methodist. The hymns were his favorite part of the service.

[keith]

Hubby grew up United Methodist. The hymns were his favorite part of the service.

Me too. But in our church, when I was a kid if we did more than 2 or 3 verses the oldies would just stop singing. And it seemed like we only ever got around to 4 or 5 of Wesley's greatest hits plus "The Old Rugged Cross".

[Rolodex]

In conversation with friends today, hymn talk came up. A former southern Baptist, talking about someone feeling excluded about something joked about "feeling as left out as the 3rd verse at a Baptist church."

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

[northland10]

For the reading of the Creation story (i.e. Genisis), during the Easter Vigil last Saturday evening, I went a bit creative. I had the 7 days separated by verses of a piece called "Spirit Moving Over Chaos." Along with that, we had bells, a rain stick, woodblock, and me playing various ethereal things on the organ and a separate electronic keyboard/synthesers. All of this happened in candlelight.

Sadly, I don't have a recording of it, but here is something close. Just imagine that at the beginning (or In the Beginning) and between various verses are each day of the creation story from Genesis (along with an additional clarinet solo at one point to get it to fit all the days).

[Rolodex]

Oh wow that's exceptionally cool! I have a music committee meeting this evening and I'm going to show it to our music director.

I may want specific info on what you did in your service - so very creative!

[northland10]

Oh wow that's exceptionally cool! I have a music committee meeting this evening and I'm going to show it to our music director.

I may want specific info on what you did in your service - so very creative!

Here is the actual music. I adapted it to accomplish adding a reading to it but the composer does suggest being creative with it.

https://www.selahpub.com/Choral/ChoralT ... oving.html

[Rolodex]

I brought it to my music director this evening. I printed out the sample (if we do it of course we'll buy the music) and sent her the link. We didn't have time to watch it much before the meeting, but her first impression was maybe prelude for Tenebrae next year. She loves this kind of music so I didn't think it would be a hard sell. Thank you so much for bringing this!
I loved the clarinet in the youtube, but it says oboe in the music, my music director loves loves the oboe and I'm married to an excellent oboist.

[northland10]

I brought it to my music director this evening. I printed out the sample (if we do it of course we'll buy the music) and sent her the link. We didn't have time to watch it much before the meeting, but her first impression was maybe prelude for Tenebrae next year. She loves this kind of music so I didn't think it would be a hard sell. Thank you so much for bringing this!
I loved the clarinet in the youtube, but it says oboe in the music, my music director loves loves the oboe and I'm married to an excellent oboist.

Initially he says oboe but he also says you could consider substituting that with a clarinet, or violin, or ukelele (well, maybe not that). We used a clarinet this year, in part, because I did not have an oboist available, but if I had one, I probably would have used it.

[Rolodex]

The echo-y room with the minor-ish tune played by the clarinet gave me almost a klezmer-ish feel in a couple of places. Very OT if you're reading Genesis.

[bill_g]

Simple Gifts is beautiful on a dulcimer.


and by a chorus.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Si ... y_Band.ogg

This echoes in my mind quite often, but never as a dulcimer. Thank you!

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

[northland10]

In another thread, I had a video of Felix Hell playing briefly on fancy pedal work. Well, here he is a bit younger.



I went to recital of his some 20+ years ago when he was touring up north. He was something like 16-17 or so at the time and I was impressed with the maturity in his musicianship, not just his technical skill.

[AndyinPA]

Very impressive!

[Suranis]

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/cancelled-wel ... 15093.html

‘Cancelled’ Welsh hymns about mental illness and addiction to be sung again
Steven Morris
Mon, 22 April 2024 at 12:12 pm GMT+1·3-min read



The folk singer Lleuwen Steffan was working in a museum archive when she found the trove of Welsh-language hymns.Photograph: Lleuwen Steffan

A trove of Welsh hymns believed to have been “cancelled” by all-male committees because they did not like their open approach to issues such as mental health and addiction has been unearthed and is being performed at 50 chapels across the country.

The Welsh folk singer Lleuwen Steffan was working in a museum archive when she came across recordings of Welsh-language hymns she had never heard before.

“I knew that they were not in the current hymn book. I checked the older editions and spoke to experts on Welsh hymns and indeed they were not in any of the older hymn books either.”

The hymns were recorded by the historian Robin Gwyndaf, an expert on folklore and oral history, who worked at St Fagans National Museum of History from 1964. He travelled the country, recording rhymes, riddles, poetry and folk hymns.

Many of the hymns date back to the 18th century and passed down through the generations. Steffan said: “They’re conversational and the lyrics feel so current. There were committees who would choose what hymns would go into the hymn books. These were the unchosen ones, the cancelled ones, if you like.

“Many of them are about addiction, mental illness, the dark side of the psyche. You know, you have one that talks of drunkenness and alcoholism that is transformed into drinking the wine from God’s cellar.

“And you have very detailed, dark stuff about knocking on, on hell’s door. And the guy with the key not answering the door, you know, not letting them in. And then they see all these other people going through the door. I find that it’s just so, so poignant and so present.

“Many of my peers thought, why is she doing hymns? Right. It’s not exactly cool but they have changed my life in music. They wouldn’t leave me alone. I had the responsibility to share them. I felt I had a real connection with them. They really are a treasure.”

The Tafod Arian/Silver Tongue tour comes at at time of huge concern about cuts to museums and the national library in Wales. “This work would not have been possible without the help and expertise of people who are working in the archives,” she said.

Steffan contacted descendants of the hymn singers on the recordings to talk to them about the project and during her performances she sings along with the old voices.

“It feels like a real sharing, giving them back, putting them back to the places where they were born. People are so happy to be a part of it. I don’t feel like it’s a solo project at all because we’re all in it together.”

Elen Elis, the artistic director of the cultural festival National Eisteddfod Wales, which is backing the project, said: “The chapel tour takes all her work back to the people, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the solo performances evolve and transform over the coming months.”

[northland10]

Interesting.

[Rolodex]

What a fascinating story about the Welsh hymns!

In describing the hymns "left out," it calls to mind this piece. We all know about "beating swords into plowshares."

[qbawl]

Beautiful and powerful says this old atheist.

[northland10]

The Fourth Sunday of Easter (of Easter not after easter since Easter is a season, not a day) is also referred as Good Shepherd Sunday since the readings every year are Good Shepherd readings, along with Psalm 23, The Lord is My Shepherd. The difficulty in musical selection is trying to find what out of thousands of good songs you end up doing.

So, here are some possibilities.

The theme to the show, Vicar of Dibley, which is The Lord is My Shepherd by Howard Goodall. We did this yesterday.


Then there is always the beloved responsorial psalm, Shepherd Me, O God by Marty Haugen. We did this yesterday as well. It is much beloved in Roman Catholic world (and my parish) as is much of his work, though, ironically, he is with the United Church of Christ though he did some work in Catholic parishes .


Then a hymn set to the tune Crimond, as sung as QEII's funeral


Bobby McFerrin gets into the act.


I may add more later but running out of time and space.