Butterfly and yellow rose

A song
4 today

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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 recording
www.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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