The crystal ball

Christmas and New Year celebrations seem ancient history already!

Thanks to Dal, Jo, Bette and Brian for Psalm 112, Light rises in darkness last Sunday. The week before, we sang a blessing (in lovely harmony of course) upon our young people as they launch forth upon a new academic year.

Relishing those aural memories and a fantastic men’s chorus the previous Sunday singing the African-American chorus I’m gonna live so God can use me, we draw our eyes from the past to look into the crystal ball.

Those involved in music planning will know that the forward plan for psalm music selection is on the Dropbox folder ‘SWUC Music’ (ask for access if you consider that you can contribute). Subject to new inspirations and planning considerations for each week’s gathering, here’s a snapshot of ideas for the coming weeks:

February 

16 and 23: We use an antiphonal response from The Emergent Psalter by Isaac Everett, same tune both days with a different verse.

• Male voices will host the last Sunday, but ALL SINGERS WELCOME – men, women and children – especially for 16 Feb. (Post on 16 Feb is imminent.)

March.

Psalm 2, together with its companion Psalm 1 forming in some ways an introduction to the whole book of Psalms, opens the batting on 2 March, a communion Sunday. We plan to sing Happy are those who take refuge in God, from New Century Hymnal with piano accompaniment. [Your cantor/blogmaster will be away this week.]

Ash Wednesday on 5 March (no service at Pearce) marks the beginning of Lent. (Interested in the ‘vibe’ for Lent? Please turn to an article salted away on the Styles page regarding our approach in previous years.) This year we again take communion each week and will use the same Amen as the blessing on the children last week.

Then we are looking a little more into that Pre-Raphaelite Crystal Ball, but my guess is that the psalm scene will look like this:

• 9th, Psalm 32. We shall sing Show me the way to go, another lilting response from Isaac Everett. Perhaps the women might lead this in acknowledgement of International Women’s Day.
• 16th, Psalm 121. We turn to TiS 77, a typically singable song by John Bell. Soloists sing the first two lines and the congregation answers with the last two lines in each stanza. We invite the children to join us in leading this psalm. Their voices will form an echo choir at the end of lines 1 and 3. (Or, as has been suggested previously, the Beatles Help! works well; any starters?)
• 23rd, Psalm 95. The crystal ball gets milky – perhaps Everett’s Come let us sing?
• 30th, Psalm 23. The psalm is so well-known it might form the basis of a harmonised chant by the men’s group, rostered for the last Sunday, as well as a congregational song.

Opportunities

As usual, there are many opportunities for you to contribute. Please:

• make suggestions to one of the music team (Rachel, Helen S, Joan or Brendan)
• send feedback to the cantor/blogmaster (see below)
• or just come and sing
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