Songs for Lent, 2015

This is a place for our Song Leaders, as well as congregants, to learn the songs we sing at St. Lydia’s.  

Below you’ll find all the music you need for our observance of Lent at St. Lydia’s.  Lent is a season of preparation when we pare things down and let what’s unnecessary fall away, in order to hear the story of Christ’s death and resurrection.  Our music for the season reflects that sense of simplicity.

Anointing Song

Rather than gathering in song this season, we’ll be gathering with a chanted collect, then participating in an anointing, where each congregant will be marked with the sign of the cross in oil on their head or hands.  Our bodies are anointed for death as the woman at Bethany anointed Jesus’s body with her jar of oil.  During the anointing, we’ll sing “Receive O Earth” by Daniel Schwandt, a piece intended for a funeral.

Click here to listen to the teaching recording (bonus points for those whose ears pick up Emily’s cat meowing in the background) and here for the sheet music.  Pay special attention to the meter on this tune — it can be tricky!

Candlelighting Song

As we process to the tables, we’ll sing “John Bell Kyrie,” which comes from us to the Iona Community in Scotland.  This is a simple call-and-response piece with a little overlap to spice things up.  In the recording, you’ll hear Emily singing the song leader’s part first, and then coming in almost immediately with the congregation’s part.

Table Acclamation

We’ll sing a simple Lent Table Acclamation for our Eucharistic Prayer.

Prayer Song

Take your pick!

Offering Song

We’ll sing “What We Need Is Here” as our re-gathering song after clean up.  A simple way to remember that God provides us with what we need.

Final Hymn

For our final hymn, we’ll sing “What Wondrous Love Is This,” a haunting shape note piece.

And finally, here is the script for the season!