It is NOT all about me. Sort of.
  • Chrism
    Posts: 868
    Kathy, how about these?
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    I know, Chrism, I know. I'm working, I'm working...

    The Latin hymns, like the best collects, and many of the Introits and Communios, make the most beautifully intimate petitions. You help us, God, and you want to help us. Save us. You are God. You are powerful and loving: help us.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    And then there's this:

    http://hymnographyunbound.blogspot.com/2010/08/apostolorum-passio.html
  • JennyJenny
    Posts: 147
    That's beautiful, Kathy. What tune do you like best with it?
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    Thanks, Jenny.

    I was thinking the Agincourt hymn (aka Deo Gracias)
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Very nice, Kathy.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    Thank you!
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    Here's another example of a song about liturgy, as seen in the Oremus Hymnal site:

    When in our music God is glorified,
    and adoration leaves no room for pride,
    it is as though the whole creation cried
    Alleluia!

    How often, making music, we have found
    a new dimension in the world of sound,
    as worship moved us to a more profound
    Alleluia!

    So has the Church, in liturgy and song,
    in faith and love, through centuries of wrong,
    borne witness to the truth in every tongue,
    Alleluia!

    And did not Jesus sing a psalm that night
    when utmost evil strove against the Light?
    Then let us sing, for whom he won the fight,
    Alleluia!

    Let every instrument be tuned for praise!
    Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise!
    And may God give us faith to sing always
    Alleluia! Amen.

    Words: Fred Pratt Green
    Words © 1972 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188.
    All rights reserved. Used by permission.
    For permission to reproduce this hymn, contact:
    In US & Canada: Hope Publishing Company, www.hopepublishing.com
    Rest of the World: Stainer & Bell Ltd., www.stainer.co.uk

    Music: Engelberg
    Meter: 10 10 10 4

    --------------

    (This piece was on the program the other day in an event at a Congregational church.)

    Singing about singing often gets to be a bit too self-referential.

    On the other hand, Stanford's tune Engelberg is great.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    The Psalms are full of singing about singing, so I don't think it's inherently a problem.
    I like the impetus for this text, but I feel like verse 2 (We've done awesome things with music) contradicts the valid sentiment of verse 1 (leaving no room for pride).

    I'm also not sure what Verse Three is about...
    "The Church has been wrong for centuries, but it's okay because through it all she's had glorious music?"
    (I admit, I identify with this sentiment sometimes, but it hardly seems appropriate to criticize church while at church.)

    I love the last verse, though- reminiscent of "All Creatures" and "Ye Watchers" (my favorite songs about singing).
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    Try this to Engelberg next Easter:

    Let Easter alleluias fill this place
    for God has sanctified the human race,
    fulfilling all the pledges of His grace,
    Alleluia!

    Why seek the Living One among the dead?
    The Lord was raised in glory as He said.
    That we might follow where our Master led,
    Alleluia!

    The path of glory shines before our eyes:
    the Christian road that leads beyond the skies.
    By crucifixion and by death we rise,
    Alleluia!

    The stone and soldiers kept their watch in vain,
    And Christ, once raised, shall never die again.
    All praise and honor to the Lamb once slain.
    Alleluia!

    Come quickly, Jesus, prove your promise true.
    Bring all creation into life anew:
    a living sacrifice of praise to You,
    Alleluia!

    c. Kathleen Pluth. This text may be used freely in parishes during Eastertide 2011. All other rights reserved.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    While trying to figure out why Kathy is not more famous than Brian Wren or Fred Green, I ran across one of the most awful (AWFUL!) examples of trite lyric writing combined with pathological communal narcissism. Like a car wreck, I couldn't look away- and also like a car wreck, I have to call all my friends (you people) and tell you about it.

    A House Has Different Rooms
    Fred Kaan

    A house has different rooms,
    we go through many doors;
    the church is like a house
    and all its space is ours.

    The church is like a home,
    a roof to shelter all:
    together and apart,
    from toddler to the tall.

    We're here in Jesus' name,
    who said that he would be
    among us in the crowd
    or met as two or three.


    From Hope Publishing.
    I checked out some more of homeboy's hymn texts. Whoa.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Wow, Adam... the hymn tune popped right into my head for this one... The accent is on EVERY 2nd and 4th Beat! Each phrase has a quarter note pickup and the last note of each phrase is a dotted half.

    La | Do La Ti Sol | La..
    Do | Re Ti Do La | Ti..
    Re | Do La Ti Sol | La..
    Do | Ti Sol Fa Re |Ti.. (and, yes, this Ti is a M6 from the previous note!)

    Try it... it truly does express the text.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    This song has different words
    Than ones that we should sing
    But that is A-Okay
    'Cuz we like anything

    The church is lowercased
    Just as that word should be
    'Cuz we don't get along
    When Church has that "Big C"

    So here we are this morn
    Singing to ourselves
    Sure, God is here we know:
    We're like his little Elves!

    And just so we imagine
    This song is not for us,
    We'll end it with some praise:
    Je-SUS, Je-SUS, Je-SUS.




    I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    Regarding Engelberg, F. Bland Tucker's precise and daring paraphrase of the Hymn to the Philippians (Phil 2:6 ff) sets the standard, to which I gladly yield: All Praise to Thee, for Thou, O King Divine.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCpDjti6Z_g
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Oh, Adam... you are truly gifted. We will help you eventually.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Adam... I found a hymn tune for your text. I believe it's German. The tune name is Gotten Leift Er Churchenhausen.

    I found a soundtrack on the internet so you can hear it.

    hear this one!
    differentWords.pdf
    62K
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    I particularly like that it's scored for Calliope and Brass Quartet
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Well, it would only be appropriate to have an organ for church.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Calliope... instrument of the pagan gods...

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliope

    that roll of paper she carries... could it be what i think it is?
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    yep... guess i was right... music by sending gas.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliope_(music)
  • Maureen
    Posts: 675
    Sigh... Fred Kaan. So much talent stuck in him.

    The really sad thing about the "house has many rooms" thing is that he's obviously riffing off C.S. Lewis' famous analogy in Mere Christianity, urging people not to stay in the hall forever but to pick some denomination and get food and warmth. It's not Fair Play to steal somebody's analogy and twist it into something supremely wrongheaded.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    I fell another poem coming on... Fair Play
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