Crystal Ball, August 2015

Thanks to the Two Joans and other participants for a great Taizé gathering today. Some lovely singing by all present.

Here’s the … I was going to say “plan”, but to be honest it’s more guesswork than prediction. Thing is, while we have so many different wonderful people leading us in such interesting and inspiring ways, approaches and wishes are diverse to the point of inspired randomisation. Not a bad thing, of course, as the ideas flow freely.

So take the listing below as an invitation to participate (it won’t happen otherwise) in the unfolding drama each week. Singers needed.

• 26 July. Psalm 14 is a little on the dark side, but is still a good reminder of life without divine love. We use the refrain in two parts from The Emergent Psalter — yum! Psalm 53’s refrain is tossed in on top! Our own Dr Roger, consummate thinker, commentator, speaker and author of some of our favourite songs, takes the bully pulpit; yours truly on the goanna again.

• 

  2 Aug. This week, the great Psalm 51, which attracted great composers like ants to the Vegemite. There are more settings than you can poke a stick at: I know of 70 or so in the public domain — including some of my favourite composers like Victoria, Josquin and Lassus (on the last of whom see my effusive ramblings in a previous post here> and also here>) competing for the best version of this Penitential Psalm. There are plenty of others still under copyright, like a baker’s dozen in Psalms for all seasons. I make no predictions whatever as to what our visiting leader Rev. R might choose, but you would have to say it’s the classic Grand Opportunity for Sight-Readers-in-the-South. I await your enthusiastic calls!

• 9 Aug. Ah, now here’s a day not to sleep in, cold though it may be. A musical extravaganza with the flimsy excuse of the annual visit of The Gospel Folk under Brian’s baton. The set psalm is 130 but in addition your regular musicians will lead a reflection on music in worship. The psalm segment, led by both mixed and male voice groups, will dip into a showcase of styles from Renaissance through multi-cultural (Orthodox and Latino) to modern folk (Sinead, Paul Kelly) and, of course, gospel. Can’t wait!
• 16, 23 and 30 Aug. I’m exhausted already. Suffice to say that these three weeks bring us Psalms 111, 84 and 45, with such diverse ideas as ‘How lovely is your dwelling place’, ‘The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom’, and (wait for it … ) ‘All your garments are fragrant.’ We see in the glass darkly, but the suggested options are posted up on Dropbox as usual for those few who look at it.
• September. Your web-master and Psalms-in-the-south Cantor is again away visiting families. Some choices are on Dropbox and will be accessed, as in May-June, via a ‘sticky post’ on this site.