Christ be beside me, as in the "middle verses" of St Patrick's Breastplate? I think I may have sung them to Bunessan, but what I'm remembering from my Church of Ireland days is something different, probably "Deirdre", which misses out the word "be", and is 4 4 4 4 D metre.
You mentioned how “Morning Has Broken” always seems a bit twee to you. I wonder how much of that is due to the meter—5.5.5.4.D. Those short lines can give a sense of sing-songiness.
Brits of a certain age may think of it primarily as a school assembly song. I certainly do (though as a six-year old I probably understood very little of it!)
I used to have the sheet music which included the beautiful Rick Wakeman piano part, but never played it in church!
Ahem - Cat Stevens
Yes, but it was Rick on the piano!
Indeed. He got everywhere. That’s also him on Life on Mars.
Christ be beside me, as in the "middle verses" of St Patrick's Breastplate? I think I may have sung them to Bunessan, but what I'm remembering from my Church of Ireland days is something different, probably "Deirdre", which misses out the word "be", and is 4 4 4 4 D metre.
I'm as musically incompetent and ignorant as they come, but I feel Bunessan would definitely give it a different flavour! One of my favourites.
You mentioned how “Morning Has Broken” always seems a bit twee to you. I wonder how much of that is due to the meter—5.5.5.4.D. Those short lines can give a sense of sing-songiness.
Brits of a certain age may think of it primarily as a school assembly song. I certainly do (though as a six-year old I probably understood very little of it!)
I used to have the sheet music which included the beautiful Rick Wakeman piano part, but never played it in church!
Ahem - Cat Stevens
Yes, but it was Rick on the piano!
Back in the 1970's when our local commercial radio station started, they used to have a God Slot on the breakfast show (rather like 'Thought for the Day' on BBC Radio 4 I suppose) (Apparently the regular DJ hated having to introduce it as he was an atheist) and this slot was called 'Morning has Broken' (my father was one of the pool of speakers, which is probably why I remember it so well). It had a theme tune of a rather lovely piece of piano music, but at the time I had no idea how it related to the 'Morning has Broken' name (I knew MHB was a hymn of course, as I'd learnt it in primary school assembly) ... it was only years later when I actually heard the Cat Stevens recording that I realised this piano theme used on the radio was actually the introduction to the song! (But never realised until now that it was played by Rick Wakemen - thanks Gill! )
Our choir was rather depleted by illness and didn’t sing any solos.
Hymns
You servants of God, / Laudate Dominum
Now to the King of heaven, / St John
Author of faith, eternal word, / Warrington
Rejoice in God’s saints, / Paderborn
Not quite what I sang, but I listened to an excellent recital by our city’s specialist Bach Choir in the local cathedral. There were special soloists for this occasion: a baroque flautist and baroque oboist, both with international reputations and wonderful.
The orchestra for these concerts always has period instruments: recorders, baroque brass, baroque bassoon and baroque flutes, as the score requires. They tune to the pitch of the baroque era, about a semitone lower than A440. I sang with them once some years ago and the slightly lower pitch makes the Bach tenor parts much more comfortable.
Cantatas:
Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75
Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, BWV 99
After a music free Sunday (a nice peaceful 8am) I was asked to play for a "Funeral Requiem" today. The deceased (95 years old) been a choir member for years and had left instructions, so we had -
The day of resurrection (Ellacombe)
They whose course on earth is o'er (Vienna)
Harris in F (it is decades since I played that let alone heard it)
Easter Anthems (sung to a dull chant by Pelham Humphrey 🥱)
Lord enthroned (St Helen)
Thou visitest the earth (Greene) sung at the administration which reminded me of Harvest Evensongs
Thine for ever God of love (Newington) during the ablutions
During the high church ritual around the coffin before the commendation we had Summer suns are glowing (Ruth). I smiled thinking it was as well she hadn't died in winter 🤣 The words were actually very appropriate really especially with the references to "the veil uplifting" and "death with thee is bright"
Choir sang the Nunc to Hylton Stewart in C as the coffin exited which made a mice cheerful end.
One of the best and most postive funerals I have ever played for, full of joy and hope in resurrection and eternal life.
There again on Friday for Lady Day in Harvest as I like to call it 🤣
After a music free Sunday (a nice peaceful 8am) I was asked to play for a "Funeral Requiem" today. The deceased (95 years old) been a choir member for years and had left instructions, so we had -
The day of resurrection (Ellacombe)
They whose course on earth is o'er (Vienna)
Harris in F (it is decades since I played that let alone heard it)
Easter Anthems (sung to a dull chant by Pelham Humphrey 🥱)
Lord enthroned (St Helen)
Thou visitest the earth (Greene) sung at the administration which reminded me of Harvest Evensongs
Thine for ever God of love (Newington) during the ablutions
During the high church ritual around the coffin before the commendation we had Summer suns are glowing (Ruth). I smiled thinking it was as well she hadn't died in winter 🤣 The words were actually very appropriate really especially with the references to "the veil uplifting" and "death with thee is bright"
Choir sang the Nunc to Hylton Stewart in C as the coffin exited which made a mice cheerful end.
One of the best and most postive funerals I have ever played for, full of joy and hope in resurrection and eternal life.
There again on Friday for Lady Day in Harvest as I like to call it 🤣
Yes, indeed - a lovely selection of hymns, and quite a send-off...
I assume you'll be playing some suitable stuff on Friday?
There again on Friday for Lady Day in Harvest as I like to call it 🤣
I know it's not the focus of this, but I've only been to one Harvest service, in Ireland when I briefly lived there. Are they still quite widespread in posters' experience?
@Bishops Finger they have not yet finalised the Friday material but it is the sort of ultra high church place that is likely to produce 'the sheet' a thing I believe you are familiar with 😉 so am expecring some exotic words if not music. I was there once before (around Pentecost time I think) and had to play a shedload of verses to the abominable (imho) tune of the "Lincolnshire Poacher" and the words used were 'ultra vires' on that theatrical occasion. Will report back here on Sunday dv.
@Climacus Not sure about Ireland although a friend from Derry says the country areas usually have Harvest services in that district. In the west of Englamd (being latgely rural) they are still highly common and popular. First Evensong of Harvest can still occur here and there on the Friday before Harvest Sunday, with or without supper.
Harvest is not a thing in English RC circles. Maybe because we are mainly an urban rather than a rural lot (at least since we became legal.) A few years ago our local Churches Together were planning a joint Harvest service. There was an awkward silence when I was asked what harvest hymns we sang. We don't.
@Climacus - Harvest Festival services are still a thing in many churches in the UK, though (as @Baptist Trainfan observes), often celebrated rather late! Our Place used to have it in early October, but this year it has been brought forward to mid-September.
@Truron - yes, you may well find the church you're playing for using *The Sheet*, though there are some good Marian hymns in a few of the regular hymnbooks IYSWIM.
Here's a nice rendering (IMHO) of Hail, Holy Queen, from the Anglican cathedral in Hong Kong:
Harvest Festival services are still a thing in many churches in the UK.
Blame the Rev. Robert Hawker of Morwenstow, noted not only for inventing the modern Harvest Festival but also for spending hours in his little hut on the cliffs, dressing up as a mermaid and sitting on a rock, and excommunicating his cat ...
We still decorate the church for Harvest Festival. In Canada it was really quite a big thing, as they celebrate Thanksgiving with a public holiday on the first Monday of October, which coincided neatly with everything looking suitably autumnal.
Many of the more fantastic stories told about Hawker are based on an unreliable biography published by the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould in 1876, only a few months after Hawker's death.
The article doesn’t specifically say why Baring-Gould’s biography should be considered unreliable, nor is a source cited for that particular statement. But it does note that Hawker’s hut on the cliffs is the smallest property held by the National Trust.
Comments
Yes, but not the C F Alexander version (I'd normally sing that to GARTON). The lyrics are here (though this link offers yet another tune):
https://zealmusicpublishing.com/christ-be-beside-me
Indeed. He got everywhere. That’s also him on Life on Mars.
I'm as musically incompetent and ignorant as they come, but I feel Bunessan would definitely give it a different flavour! One of my favourites.
Back in the 1970's when our local commercial radio station started, they used to have a God Slot on the breakfast show (rather like 'Thought for the Day' on BBC Radio 4 I suppose) (Apparently the regular DJ hated having to introduce it as he was an atheist) and this slot was called 'Morning has Broken' (my father was one of the pool of speakers, which is probably why I remember it so well). It had a theme tune of a rather lovely piece of piano music, but at the time I had no idea how it related to the 'Morning has Broken' name (I knew MHB was a hymn of course, as I'd learnt it in primary school assembly) ... it was only years later when I actually heard the Cat Stevens recording that I realised this piano theme used on the radio was actually the introduction to the song! (But never realised until now that it was played by Rick Wakemen - thanks Gill! )
Our choir was rather depleted by illness and didn’t sing any solos.
Hymns
You servants of God, / Laudate Dominum
Now to the King of heaven, / St John
Author of faith, eternal word, / Warrington
Rejoice in God’s saints, / Paderborn
Not quite what I sang, but I listened to an excellent recital by our city’s specialist Bach Choir in the local cathedral. There were special soloists for this occasion: a baroque flautist and baroque oboist, both with international reputations and wonderful.
The orchestra for these concerts always has period instruments: recorders, baroque brass, baroque bassoon and baroque flutes, as the score requires. They tune to the pitch of the baroque era, about a semitone lower than A440. I sang with them once some years ago and the slightly lower pitch makes the Bach tenor parts much more comfortable.
Cantatas:
Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75
Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, BWV 99
The day of resurrection (Ellacombe)
They whose course on earth is o'er (Vienna)
Harris in F (it is decades since I played that let alone heard it)
Easter Anthems (sung to a dull chant by Pelham Humphrey 🥱)
Lord enthroned (St Helen)
Thou visitest the earth (Greene) sung at the administration which reminded me of Harvest Evensongs
Thine for ever God of love (Newington) during the ablutions
During the high church ritual around the coffin before the commendation we had Summer suns are glowing (Ruth). I smiled thinking it was as well she hadn't died in winter 🤣 The words were actually very appropriate really especially with the references to "the veil uplifting" and "death with thee is bright"
Choir sang the Nunc to Hylton Stewart in C as the coffin exited which made a mice cheerful end.
One of the best and most postive funerals I have ever played for, full of joy and hope in resurrection and eternal life.
There again on Friday for Lady Day in Harvest as I like to call it 🤣
Yes, indeed - a lovely selection of hymns, and quite a send-off...
I assume you'll be playing some suitable stuff on Friday?
I know it's not the focus of this, but I've only been to one Harvest service, in Ireland when I briefly lived there. Are they still quite widespread in posters' experience?
@Climacus Not sure about Ireland although a friend from Derry says the country areas usually have Harvest services in that district. In the west of Englamd (being latgely rural) they are still highly common and popular. First Evensong of Harvest can still occur here and there on the Friday before Harvest Sunday, with or without supper.
@Truron - yes, you may well find the church you're playing for using *The Sheet*, though there are some good Marian hymns in a few of the regular hymnbooks IYSWIM.
Here's a nice rendering (IMHO) of Hail, Holy Queen, from the Anglican cathedral in Hong Kong:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMK0zW2xq3Y&list=RDAMK0zW2xq3Y&start_radio=1
I think the hymn sung to the tune of The Lincolnshire Poacher must have been The happy birds Te Deum sing, which is drivel...
We still decorate the church for Harvest Festival. In Canada it was really quite a big thing, as they celebrate Thanksgiving with a public holiday on the first Monday of October, which coincided neatly with everything looking suitably autumnal.
The article doesn’t specifically say why Baring-Gould’s biography should be considered unreliable, nor is a source cited for that particular statement. But it does note that Hawker’s hut on the cliffs is the smallest property held by the National Trust.