Today one of the hymns we sang was How Firm a Foundation with the tune Foundation. I found this nice instrumental arrangement, which also includes Rock of Ages.
I don't know about worship for you, but today it seemed that folks sang with a little extra enthusiasm from those of us considered to be one of the frozen chosen. Perhaps we were thawing out a little.
And how was singing at your church today? And what did you sing?
Thanks, Cathy! really nice juxtapositions of everything. This morning the music included (and I won't comment on the congregation's singing):
ReplyDeleteO Day Full of Grace
O God Our Help in Ages Past
Borning Cry
Choir anthem: God is Our Refuge and Strength, with 2 trumpets - by Allen Pote
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
A Mighty Fortress, of course! There was other stuff, I don't remember it very well. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe sang:
ReplyDeleteMatt Redman's "All Over the World"
Casting Crown's "Father, Spirit, Jesus"
Chris Tomlin's "How Awesome is the Lord Most High"
Jeremy Riddle's "Sweetly Broken, Wholly Surrendered"
Caedmon's Call's version of "God of Wonders"
Possibly unfamiliar to many of you, but I promise they were sung with joy and enthusiasm... and reverence.
d
Deb, I don't think I know any of these, are they all contemporary hymns?
ReplyDeleteWe sang "A Mighty Fortress" as fervently as I've ever heard it sung! Later we sang "Just As I Am", of all things, and it tied in very well with the way the Luke passage was preached. Our anthem was a John Rutter piece, "Look at the World", which we sang along with the children's choir.
ReplyDeleteToday we Sang
ReplyDelete"Lead on O King Eternal"
"How Firm a Foundation"
"All my Hope of God is Founded"
Tell out, My Soul, the Greatness of the Lord"
I really think my favorite today was All my Hope of God is Founded.
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ReplyDeleteWe sang "Beautiful One" as the "special" in the contemporary service, and it went really well. I was pleased with us.
ReplyDeleteWe sang:
ReplyDeleteSanctuary
Joyful, Joyful
Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me
Whey I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Shine, Jesus, Shine
I kind of thought we had something for almost every taste.
Oops. I did the link wrong so I am trying again.
ReplyDeleteThe songs I listed are all contemporary songs... hymns of praise in the newest sense. And not pablum praise (personal pet peeve).
Here's a link to a video version of
Jeremy Riddle's song and God of Wonders
deb
Big Reformation Sunday for us, as well as Sanctuary Dedication for our newly renovated sanctuary. We also unveiled our new Confessional Banners - 9 in all. big procession. We sang:
ReplyDeleteGod is Here!
A Mighty Fortress
The choir and children's choirs did an arrangement of Come, Christians Join to Sing.
Our offertory was a roof raiser - Highland Cathedral with organ, piano, timpani, orchestral chimes and of course bagpipes. One of our church members is a bagpiper and leader of a pipe band. so we get free bagpipes whenever we need them. we had 3 pipers today. at our fall concert on the 11th, we'll have the whole team - 12 pipers! Bring your ear plugs!
Oooh, Leah - that anthem is a good one! Fun to play, too.
That's a favorite hymn of mine (sung at my ordination, my installation and maybe someday my memorial service, if the kids pay attention to my list!), and we sang it last Sunday. Today's were "Our God, Our Help in Ages Past" and "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." We also sang "Master, No Offering Costly and Sweet," after hearing the quartet put its pieces together as a Stewardship message on sharing our talents. The four verses were sung this way: 1) alto alone with piano; 2) alto and tenor with piano; 3) SAT with big piano accompaniment; 4) bass line added and piano all but disappeared. We got a lesson about how it takes many different parts working together for church to happen. Then we all sang the hymn with the organ.
ReplyDeleteDeb your congregation ... sounds very upbeat and wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI went to a service in the cathedral - all unfamiliar hymns today other than one and played at funerial speed. Sigh
We sang "A Mighty Fortress," "The Church's One Foundation," "Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word"...all the Reformation Day faves.
ReplyDeleteDeb, we sang Father Spirit Jesus at the contemporary service as well. Except the trinity thing irks me so we change it to Creator Spirit Jesus, which for some reason does not irk me the same way.
ReplyDeleteTerri has it right! A Mighty Fortress! And we sang every song by Luther in the hymnal! --Much to the consternation of the choir! Hey I am an Episcopalian, what do I know????
ReplyDeleteWell! How long do you have?
ReplyDeleteI got to attend 2 services yesterday, so I have a lot to report...AND a perfectly marvellous concert in the evening.
At the earlier service, we had
-Tell Out My Soul
-Jesus, Name Above All Names
-How Firm a Foundation
-O, Lord, Hear My Prayer
-All My Hope on God is Founded
At the later service, we had
-Not Here for High and Holy Things
-Christ Behind Me (St. Pat's Breastplate to tune of Morning is Broken)
-Pie Jesu from Fauré Requiem
-How Firm a Foundation
-Mozart Laudate Dominum (woot)
-Taize "O Lord Hear My Prayer"
-We are Marching in the Light of God (Siyahamba!) This was our recessional and I was Danc-ING! Very unusual selection for this service, but we were honoring our Montessori Episcopal School and that's a song that's very dear to the kids. And me!
The evening concert was "Remembrance": a phenomenal combination of the community chorus sponsored by my church and our Chamber group, with which DH sings alto.
They did Randall Thompson, Stanford Motets, a Frost piece, others, and an original piece composed in honor of Pat and Gina, two of our clergy wives who've joined the Church Triumphant in the last year...Text was "A Farewell" by Tennyson. http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/2039-Alfred-Lord-Tennyson-A-Farewell
Then the Fauré Requiem with orchestra. A liminal time. So gorgeous.
Thanks for asking. :)
Leah, my condolences on Borning Cry :-) (I don't mind it so much, but then I have only heard it once or twice).
ReplyDeleteMary Beth, what a music fest. Wow. I also adore Siyahamba--we did it a lot at Journey. In fact, you make me remember it as a good pick for house mass.
Usually we just sing the mass parts and maybe an opening. This time it was "Seek Ye First," which the kids love, all four verses and inclusivized to "God's righteousness, of course."
Laura, thanks for your condolences; it's now more than 24 hours post-borning cry, so obviously I survived. Mary Beth, Laura, I also love Siyahamba! And Teri, I'm convinced there is no such thing as adequate trinitarian language; I've been known to say "Creator, Redeemer Sanctifier God" in my sermon salutation, but that still doesn't quite fly. Everyone, what a wonderful musical feast!
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