We had an organist in church this morning which was a great treat after using the karaoke machine last time! A part of the treat was that I had chosen the hymns and they were all tunes that I love....if your going in for self indulgence you might as well do it properly.
We ended with "Jesu lover of my soul." sang to the tune of Aberystwyth. This is one of my favourites and as I roared it out I remembered again that it had been a hymn we had sung every Sunday morning when I was in the college choir.
I was actually the leader of the choir and this was on the whole an onerous task since every week I had to learn all the stuff we were going to sing with a very demanding lady choir master.
The icing on the cake though was that as we sang at the Eisteddford every year we also had a visiting Welsh choir master...
He was wonderful and his aim to make the rafters shake was very nearly achieved. Our warm up hymn every Sunday was "Jesu, lover of my soul" we sang it with variations, with descent, loudly and softly, but always with gusto and not a little love!
It has stayed a favourite of mine ever since and was one we sang at my ordination.
Singing it again this morning with a good organist and a church willing to give voice was a great delight.
It will now stay with me all day and I might be heard giving it some wellie later as I walk the dog round the garden.... Alleluia!
2 comments:
I'd love to hear your musical perambulations Jean.
I do know what you mean about favourite hymns sung with gusto, it somehow makes worship feel real.
This morning I went to a Baptist church to witness the baptism of the son of a neighbour, and though theirs would never be my approach to God, the singing was good, hearty and really interesting.
What was more, the quite large congregation knew all the hymns.
If you are stuck for an organist in the summer it might make a little holiday for me to visit your area. No promises though.
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