songs

Resourcing February 8

/ Ian

Hymns and songs focusing on the ministry of healing have been listed on this page today. The Jane Williams reflection help concerns our responses to the task of Proclamation and how we feel about that.

Another useful resource if you are stuck for musicians:

http://www.hymnswithoutwords.com/hymns/Hymn_lyrics 

This website has 400 accompaniments for well-known hymns and songs, many of which are free to download (and burn to CD, or whatever works). You can also subscribe for high-quality recordings, although what’s on offer will be adequate for many.

Ian

1 February 2015 (Candlemas)

/ Ian

February 1 has the Principal Feast of “The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Candlemas)” which can be observed on the Monday following. The hymn and song selections largely presume you will use the Candlemas readings, but if instead you are using those for the 4th Sunday after Epiphany there are music suggestions for those lections too.

Jane Williams offers reflections on Sunday readings only, so the Epiphany 4 readings apply in that case.

Ian

Music for January 4 (and 6)

/ Ian

We have made the assumption that most congregations will observe Epiphany (The Visit of the Magi) on January 4, rather than having a separate celebration on January 6. However, there are some suggestions for the Second Sunday after Christmas, if you choose that set of readings instead, where the Gospel reading is from John 1.

Please click here for video, hymn, and song suggestions.

Happy new year! Why not make it a resolution to learn a few new songs and hymns this year?

Ian

Music December 28

/ Ian

A list of hymns, carols and songs for the first Sunday of Christmas is published today. A number of these have links to words and music to help you broaden the range beyond merely recycling carols from Christmas Day. There are a handful of different suggestions from “Carol our Christmas”, too.

If you haven’t time to learn something new, the “Carol our Christmas” CD has some very attractive performances which could serve as meditation material during your service.

There are also quite a few traditional tunes with words appropriate for the day.

Christmas blessings!

Ian

A musical Christmas gift

/ Ian

A Christmas discovery this year, thanks to Natalie Sims, is the carol “God’s surprise” from the Iona Community.

“Who would think, despite derision,
That a child should lead the way?
God surprises earth with heaven,
Coming here on Christmas Day.”

What’s nice about this one is that, like “What child is this?” it is sung to a traditional English tune, in this case SCARLET RIBBONS (Link downloads a pdf of melody and guitar chords). I liked it so much I decided to record a sing-along track (as professionally as I could manage, decide for yourself):

It’s for those of you who are pushed for musicians at this busy time of the year. You can download a high-quality mp3 from my Soundcloud page. By the way, you can also use this arrangement to sing “What a friend we have in Jesus” at any time of the year as it’s 3 verses in 8787D!

Advent blessings!

Ian