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Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus – October 28

Blind BartimaeusA 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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Songs for October 14

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:

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Intercultural Jugalbandi! – October 28 and 30

launch concert for A Black and White Christmas, 2010
launch concert for A Black and White Christmas, 2010

Neeraj Prem, a sitar maestro and our good friend from Hamilton, Ontario, is coming to the West Coast for a couple of joint concerts with me on the North Indian bansuri and western flutes, and with the incomparable Amarjeet Singh on tabla. We’ll be sharing the ancient tradition of jugalbandi, which literally means “entwined twins,” a duet between two solo instruments.

Our concerts are at Crossroads United Church in Delta, BC, Sunday, October 28, at 6:30pm, sponsored by the Naad Foundation, and at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, BC, Tuesday, October 30, at 7pm.

Neeraj and I have toured together before, and a couple of years ago we recorded a fabulous Christmas album, A Black and White Christmas, which you can download and purchase just about anywhere on the internet, or directly from us at www.melodicarts.com. Christmas is coming again, so consider giving some wonderful intercultural Christmas music as a gift this year 🙂

We’re really looking forward to making music together again, and to sharing it with all who can join us. We hope to see you at one of our concerts, and please help us spread the word!

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Canadian Thanksgiving and Worldwide Communion

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