Singability: Simple/Easy
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STLT#377, In Greening Lands Begins the Song
I’m beginning to wonder why congregations only sing one doxology throughout the year, year after year. Is it because of habit? Because in Protestant churches that sing “Praise God from whom all blessings flow” that’s how it’s done? Or because that’s one more thing the minister and music director have to think about? I admit,… Continue reading
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STLT#376, Sing Loudly ’til the Stars Have Heard
So… huh. I had gotten three quarters of the way through writing today’s post, all kinds of excited about the joy in discovery, the awe and wonder of science, calling in Malvina Reynolds’ O What a Piece of Work Are We, waxing poetic about religious humanism, thinking about when I could preach this and use… Continue reading
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STLT#375, As Saffron Trees now Capture Fire
So… this one confused the heck out me at first, because there is no such thing as a saffron tree. There’s a flower from which we get saffron that we use for cooking. Until I realized that saffron here is a color – the color I saw all along the highways between here and northern… Continue reading
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STLT#374, Since What We Choose Is What We Are
We’ve kinda sung this before. No, I don’t mean that in some UU congregations, the royal ‘we’ have sung it. I mean that on July 16th, we sang an adaptation of this in the hymn Creative Love, Our Thanks We Give. In the full hymn version, we sing these lyrics adapted by Beth Ide: Since… Continue reading
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STLT#371-373: An Unusual Day
I thought a lot about how to approach the next 12 entries in our hymnal – three tunes, nine different lyrics – and while I could dive into all the words and let the music fall where it may, that seemed to discredit the music, which requires attention. So – today I’ll talk about the… Continue reading
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STLT#370, All People That on Earth Do Dwell
Dear music directors and accompanists: Old Hundredth can be set in D major. I make this an announcement, because it offended at least two musicians I have worked with when I suggested that we might transpose Old Hundredth down at least to F if not to D. “But it’s in G major and that’s where… Continue reading
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STLT#367, Allelu, Allelu
I need to begin with a prayer for those harmed by the mass shooting in Las Vegas – I don’t have words yet for my sadness and rage. I only have this Kyrie. Please take a moment to listen with me: Amen. — Okay. Now on to today’s hymn, which is a shocking juxtaposition: it… Continue reading
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STLT#366, Heleluyan
This is an amazing alleluia that comes out of the Muscogee Creek hymn tradition – which appears to emerge from the congregational line singing tradition. In a 2014 story on All Things Considered, Dr. Hugh Foley, a fine arts instructor and Native American history professor at Rogers State University in Claremore, OK, explains more about… Continue reading
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STLT#364, Alleluia, Alleluia
WHY DON’T I KNOW MORE OF THESE PIECES? This Alleluia, by Jacques Berthier, is just gorgeous. It is spirited. It encourages harmony – something we shouldn’t be surprised by, since Jacques wrote music for the Taize community. We have more of his work in Singing the Journey, which makes me very happy. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.… Continue reading
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STLT#361, Enter, Rejoice, and Come In
It is said that into every hymnal a little cheesy, catchy, happy song must fall. This one’s ours, folks. And as far as cheesy, catchy, happy songs go, well, this one covers all the bases and then some. Because in the middle of some rather average invitations – “open your ears to the song” and… Continue reading
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links
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