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For Today...
'Jesus Christ is Risen Today'
Why not listen twice...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOw2JYdKtfs - from Hereford Cathedral - with plenty of welly.www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMwPEmUMP7U - King's College Cambridge - another good last verse.
(22/04/2025)
Recent links
'Thine be the Glory'
An Easter essential.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXzmjNE-yLA - King's College Cambridge - with Stephen Cleobury's descant.(21/04/2025)
'See what a morning'
Easter Sunday isn't complete without it, but I still haven't found a recording that does it justice. They either suffer from selective anaemia, or a lack of contrast in expression, especially in verse 2. (Or both.) Basically, you need a keyboard player who's big in the mix. If you have kit on your rig that's not being used by the end, you're doing it wrong!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qlc0UIRkBk - This one's quite good, just needs more at the end!(20/04/2025)
'My song is love unknown'
St Martin's church choir, recorded for Songs of Praise. Samuel Crossman's words and John Ireland's tune, though written much later, seem inseparable to me.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv7OZSoA22w - St Martin's (in the Fields)(19/04/2025)
'Alone Thou Goest forth, O Lord'
No Good Friday is complete without this ancient hymn, set to Bangor. Or use it anywhere during Passiontide, really. (This is a slightly different version of the tune to the one I know, but it's the best I could find.)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtF4VL53wqA(18/04/2025)
'Bitter was the night'
This song works well in the context of a Maundy Thursday service if a cantor sings the first half of each verse, and the congregation responds with the second half (which is the same every time).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UyB6CqoUtI(17/04/2025)
'Stay with me (Bleibet hier)'
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkivkORaeJA - in English.www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QN9xJEyu7s - or in the original German, which works much better.
(16/04/2025)
'Behold His Love'
Beautiful Geoff Baker song, a standard for Holy Week with us.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYEmUvnyFWU - repeated, as it's quite short.(15/04/2025)
'Wonder and stare'
A short (4 line) song from Wild Goose (Iona), good to sing in Holy Week.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn0A1kKVGmQ - the only recording I'm aware of.(14/04/2025)
'Hosanna, hosanna'
The writer's own take on it, it says. I'm sure it would be even better with some wild piano playing...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1X-VDCMyAc - Carl Tuttle(13/04/2025)
'All Glory, Laud and Honour'
Just for a change, a link from Vimeo. (Google searches, unsurprisingly, have a strong bias towards Youtube.) One of our lesser-used Palm Sunday choices. The organist is good... but I'd prefer it to be played more smoothly!
vimeo.com/39664133(12/04/2025)
'Ride on, Ride on in Majesty'
There are two perfectly good tunes for this hymn - Winchester New and St Dronstane. Alas, St Dronstane is rarely used now and I couldn't find a recording of it being sung. There is also an alternative set of words by John Bell and Graham Maule, which can be used with the traditional tunes.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAh1lzSQ3P4 - sung to Winchester New - a Songs of Praise recordingwww.youtube.com/watch?v=S_CtIWSeVyY - St Dronstane (music only)
www.facebook.com/IonaCommunity/photos (...) - The words for 'Ride on, ride on, the time is right'
(11/04/2025)
'You are the King of Glory'
A golden oldie - still reappears sometimes on Palm Sunday, less so at other times now.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKvyZg0Qfqw - from Keswick - live(10/04/2025)
'A Purple Robe'
This is the fifth recording of the song that I looked at, but the first that gets the notes and words right! (It adds a little flourish at the end.)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoehOEuQJC4(09/04/2025)
'Make Way, Make Way'
A good Palm Sunday song, with plenty of opportunity for variation in expression.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=78iCdVc5LVM - nicely paced.(08/04/2025)
'You are the Mighty King'
A song that often gets revived at Advent, but can also find use at other times.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWoSSB-FvDA - arrangement / recording from Maranatha! Music - the chorus is a little different to how I play it.(07/04/2025)
'You chose the cross (Lost in wonder)'
It's been around a while, but we came to it relatively recently.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJiw2rwCKDk - album recording(06/04/2025)
'Let me wash your feet'
A Maundy Thursday song by Mike Anderson, simple enough for people to pick up easily.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9Vgl1tOEms - Mike Anderson's recording(05/04/2025)
'Lift up Your Heads'
Different harmonies to our version, but pretty good.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma2HKbJTfkY(04/04/2025)
'All for Jesus, all for Jesus'
The under-used closing hymn from Stainer's Crucifixion.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcwzvLhqAH8 - it has to be this tune.(03/04/2025)
'Our confidence is in the Lord'
I've checked several recordings of this, and the general verdict is, I play it with too much energy.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZtCpBQkXO0 - a 1991 recording, from the Noel Richards album 'By Your side'.(02/04/2025)
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