Songs We Sing — “Creator of the Stars of Night”

Hello, Song Leaders!

“Creator of the Stars of Night” is a centuries old hymn we’ll be singing as a lamp lighting song during Advent.

We’ll be singing it in unison using call and echo.

You have two options.

Method #1:

This is the simplest approach.  You, the song leader, sing a line and invite the congregation to echo it back.

Song Leader: Creator of the stars of night,
Congregation: Creator of the stars of night,
Song Leader: Your people’s everlasting light
Congregation: Your people’s everlasting light
etc.

Method #2:

You could teach the congregation how to sing the entire first verse.

Creator of the stars of night,
your people’s everlasting light,
O Christ, Redeemer of us all,
we pray you hear us when we call.

Then, you sing verse two, solo, cuing them to repeat the first verse as you finish.  You continue this alternation between you as soloist, singing through the other verses, and the congregation refraining with verse one.

To give you a sense of the melody, listen to this recording, which is performed in Latin.

And here is the sheet music.  Creator of the Stars of Night

Because the type on the sheet music is small, it may help to copy these lyrics and print them out.

Creator of the stars of night
your people’s everlasting light,
O Christ, redeemer of us all
we pray you hear us when we call.

In sorrow that the ancient curse
should doom to death a universe
you came, O savior, to set free
your own in glorious liberty

When this old world drew on toward night
you came; but not in splendor bright
not as a monarch, but the child
of Mary, blameless mother mild

At your great name, O Jesus, now
all knees must bend, all hearts must bow
all things on earth with one accord
like those in heaven, shall call you lord,

Come in your holy might, we pray
redeem us for eternal day
defend us while we dwell below
from all assaults of our dread foe

To God, above and here below,
and in between in spirit’s flow,
praise, honor great and glory be
from age to age eternally

It’s a beautiful and meditative hymn, and one of the rare chances we get to sing plainchant together.

Music for All Saints’ Day Observances 2016

Hello Song Leaders,

Here’s the music will be using for All Saints’ Day, 2016, which we will observe on Sunday, October 30 and Monday, October 31.  All Saints’ Day is a time when we remember those who have died, and the service music reflects this theme of remembrance and the strange mixture of wonder, sadness, and joy that we feel when remembering those we’ve lost.

Gathering song: “There Are Angels Hovering Round”  (This is a traditional song but may be new to many at Saint Lydia’s)

Lamp Lighting song: “Come Light of Lights”

Table Acclamation: “Fall Acclamation”

Prayer Song: Song Leader’s choice

Post-cleanup Gathering Song: “Zimbabwe  Alleluia”

Final Hymn: “For All the Saints”

It’s a special day for the congregation, and your song leading provides a great invitation for people to take part in this celebration of remembrance.  Thank you for that!

Songs We Sing — “For All The Saints”

Hello Song Leaders,

“For All The Saints” is a hymn we sing in observance of All Saints Day (which falls on November 1).

Here’s a video that will give you a sense of the melody line.

Here’s the sheet music we’ll use (you’ll note that it omits some of the verses found in most hymnals and tweaks some of the language).  For All the Saints

It’s a beautiful hymn, especially when the harmony parts are added.  Remember that we always sing the first verses of our hymns in unison so that everyone can learn the melody.

Happy All Saints Day!

Songs We Sing — “Zimbabwe Alleluia”

Hello, Song Leaders!

Here’s a joyful Alleluia refrain from Zimbabwe.  We sometimes use it as we are regathering folks as cleanup wraps up.  It’s a melody of four short phrases, all using the same word.

Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia

We loop it over and over.  You can also invite hand claps.

Here’s a recording from of the Alleluias plus some psalm refrains from Saint Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco.  Note that we generally omit the psalm refrains and keep looping the alleluias.

Enjoy!

Songs We Sing — “There Are Angels Hovering Round”

Hello song leaders,

“There Are Angels Hovering Round” is a traditional song that dates at least as far back as the mid-1800s.  The mood of the song is gentle and invocational.

Watch this video of it being sung at Saint Gregory’s Church in San Francisco to see how the verse lines are cued by the song leader.

Note that the song leader always sings the first line of each verse, and then cues the congregation to follow.

One way you can teach the congregation how to do this:

Sing the whole first verse on your own.

“There are angels hovering round.  There are angels hovering round.  There are a-a-a-a-a-a-angels hovering round.”

Then invite the congregation to sing join you singing that same first verse.

“There are angels hovering round.  There are angels hovering round.  There are a-a-a-a-a-a-angels hovering round.”

Then invite them to repeat again, this time adding harmony.

Now that they are singing in harmony, as they reach the end of that first verse line, say/sing “I’ll sing the next line and you join in.”  Then continue . . .

Here is the sheet music:  There Are Angels Hovering Round

[Note: you may be familiar with a slightly different version, where instead of drawing out “angels” / “carry” / “new” etc, they repeat these words.  We draw out the words so that the congregation won’t have to guess where to begin the repeated word.]

Okay, let the angels hover round!

Fall Music — Cornucopia of Lydian Awesomeness!

Hello most excellent Song Leaders,

A new season is upon us and we are celebrating in style, with new songs, including some written for us by some of our awesome Lydian songwriter/composers, Angela Morris, Debbie Holloway, and Meave Shelton.

Because so many of these songs are new, I recommend that you begin learning them as soon as possible, so that by the time you arrive at church for rehearsal, you’ll feel comfortable with them.  Even if you’re not on the schedule, it would be great for you to learn these, because . . .

1.  Having a few strong voices who know the material in the congregation helps other singers feel more confident.

2.  If a scheduled Song Leader needs to cancel, you can step in knowing you’re already familiar with the material.

Songs We Sing — Fall Acclamation

Autumnal greetings, most excellent Song Leaders!

Here is a beautiful table acclamation for fall, written by our own Meave Shelton.

This teaching recording takes you through it, step by step.  Fall Table Acclamation

As always, practicing at home will help you feel more confident when you arrive for rehearsal and the service.  The shruti setting is blue (for F Major).

Thank you for taking part in the musical splendor of autumn at Saint Lydia’s!

Songs We Sing — “Lament for Zion”

Hello most awesome Song Leaders!

Here’s a beautiful new gathering hymn, with a justice theme, from our own congregant, the amazing Debbie Holloway.

It has two parts, each part with different lyrics.

Part 1.

Zion, Zion how long, O Lord, will we cry to see you? O,
Zion, Zion how long, O Lord, will we cry to see you? O,

Part 2.

The rule of this world is unjust.
How long will we cry?
How long will we cry?

Here’s a recording of the first part on its own: Lament for Zion — melody only

And here’s a recording of the first part, with the second part entering after two rounds:  Lament for Zion — both parts together

Teach part 1 first.  Then stop the singing (or get them to sing quietly so you can teach part two) divide the room in half and teach part two to one side of the room.  (Whenever dividing the singers into two groups, pay attention to where the strongest singing is coming from and attempt to divide those singers equally between the two parts.)

The shruti setting is silver.

Let the beautiful lamentation begin!

Songs We Sing — “The Mighty Will Fall”

Hello Song Leaders,

Here’s a wonderful new gathering song from the amazing Debbie Holloway!  It’s a justice song that takes its inspiration from the stories of David and Goliath as well as the story of Jericho.

Here are the words:

The mighty will fall,
the small shall be raised,
all in the name of our God.

The mighty will fall,
the small shall be raised,
all in the name of our God.

Of our God, of our God,
There is strength in the name of our God.
Of our God, of our God,
There is strength in the name of our God.

And here’s a recording of it:  The Mighty Will Fall

It uses the silver shruti setting.

Rock this tune and bring down the mighty!

Songs We Sing — “Amen”

Hello Song Leaders!

“Amen” is a classic from the African-American gospel tradition.

We use it as a post-cleanup regathering song, to celebrate the end of cleanup and take collections for Saint Lydia’s and the Trinity Lower East Side soup kitchen.

The song has one word — amen — which is sung over and over and over.  But you can swap in other words, including freedom or whatever the spirit leads you to add.

Here’s a version by Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions.  We perform it a little more uptempo and will leave out the Christmasy lines about the baby Jesus lying in a manger.  In lieu of those, you can sing hallelujah!

And handclaps (on two and four, please) always help.

Happy Amening!