Category: Music

A busy week this time, with a number of songs coming up in the lectionary texts! See what you might find useful among the following:

• Psalm 34: “Taste and See” (pdf and bulletin graphic) – a gospel-flavoured setting of the opening verses of the psalm, set as a dialogue between a soloist and the choir/congregation.
• Psalm 126:3: “Truly God has done great things for us” (pdf, bulletin graphic, and midi) – a joyful SATB psalm refrain
• Psalm 126:6: “Those who sow in tears” (pdf, bulletin graphic and midi) – a round for congregation and/or choir
• Mark 10:46-52: “The Blind Man” (pdf) – my adaptation and arrangement of the traditional African-American spiritual. A favourite of ours for many years now!

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A simple psalm refrain this week, one drawn from a number of psalms, including the opening of Psalm 104, the lectionary psalm for October 21:

• “Praise God, O My Soul” (pdf and bulletin graphic)

Enjoy! ⇒ Continue reading

October 14 has a mixture of texts, including the continuation of the story of Job, and another text in the “last shall be first” series of gospel readings. We’ll stick with the psalms this week! Here are a couple of refrains to share with your community, depending on whether you use the main psalm or the alternate:

• Psalm 22:1-15 – “Why, my God?” (pdf and bulletin graphic)
• Psalm 90 – “From age to age” (pdf, bulletin graphic  and midi)

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October 7 is an unusual Sunday for those of us working in many Canadian churches, since this year both Thanksgiving Sunday and Worldwide Communion fall on the same day. Here are a few songs to share with your community, depending on which lectionary readings you are following, Proper 22 or the Thanksgiving readings:

• Psalm 26: “In the Great Congregation” (pdf and bulletin graphic) – you can sing this new psalm refrain as a round, or as an SATB choral arrangement, or both at once!
• Psalm 126: “Truly God Has Done Great Things for Us” (pdf, bulletin graphic and midi) – a joyful refrain for Thanksgiving Sunday
• Matthew 6:33: “Seek First” (pdf) – our expansion of a well-known scripture verse

Sing and enjoy! ⇒ Continue reading

Here are three simple four-part rounds based on Psalm 24:1 which can be sung in many ways, one voice on each round for three parts total, all the way up to 12 parts if you dare! A round reminding us of who and whose we are:

• The Earth and All That is in It (pdf)

Try teaching these rounds by ear to make it simpler for everyone. Enjoy!⇒ Continue reading