February 2012
24 posts
'Jesus, I Come' [3 versions]
The lyrics to this hymn were written in 1887 by William T. Sleeper. The tune was composed by George C. Stebbins.
In this video, Chinese chanteuse Ying-Ying performs the original melody but with a bouncy jazz arrangement that would fit into a nightclub.
I grew up with the traditional hymn, always played slow, so this was a musical shock. However, as I consider the lyrics, they are speaking of...
10 Reasons Why We Need Musicians to Take the...
Pastor and artist Phil Mershon recently blogged an interesting post at http://calledtoworship.org/2012/01/27/the-role-of-music-in-global-missions-10-reasons-why-we-need-musicians-to-take-the-gospel-to-the-nations/
Here are excerpts…
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t… . Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal in...
January 2012
65 posts
Fastest-Growing and Largest Multi-Ethnic Churches...
Information originally posted January 2010 at: http://unityinchristmagazine.com/misc/side-bars/multi-ethnic-churches-listed-in-outreach%e2%80%99s-2009-top-100-fastest-growing-and-largest-churches/
No longer can it be said that multi-ethnic churches will not grow as fast or as large as homogenous churches. Below is a list of America’s fastest growing and largest church for 2009 as listed in...
ASL Worship Blog from Proskuneo: "Trust"
Throughout this year, friends at Proskuneo will post video blogs highlighting American Sign Language phrases to use in worship services.
“Different members of our Proskuneo team will be presenting some of their favorite worship signs, showing you how to produce the sign, and explaining why it is significant for them personally. Our hope is that you will be able to learn more about both ASL...
Psalm 46: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (jazzy...
Jelani Greenidge and friends at Motif Worship produced this swinging version in 6/8, with some African percussion and jazzy flute and vocalizing near the end.
“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” words and music by Martin Luther, translated into English by people such as: Myles Coverdale Thomas Carlyle Frederick Henry Hedge Catherine Winkworth Arranged and performed by Jelani Greenidge,...
Love Takes Practice: Christian Worship as a...
I recently returned from the 2012 Calvin Worship Symposium. Inspired by theologians NT Wright and Walter Brueggemann, global worship singer John Bell (Iona Community of Scotland), the Psalms Project from Holland, Jazz Vespers, Bruce Benedict & friends in the ‘retuned hymn’ movement, a group of worship leaders from Korea, and manymany more.
Eventually I’ll make a number of...
The earliest known Christian hymn still used...
Phos Hilaron (Φῶς Ἱλαρόν) is an ancient Christian hymn originally written in New Testament Greek. Often referred to by its Latin title Lumen Hilare it has been translated into English as ‘Hail Gladdening Light’ or ‘O Gladsome/Joyous Light’. It is the earliest known Christian hymn recorded outside of the Bible that is still in use today. The hymn is part of vespers in the...
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (Native American/African...
The late, great Etta James was a musical force and a major hit-maker since the ’50s. She earned numerous accolades including six Grammy Awards, among them the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, a Best Jazz Vocal Performance and two Hall of Fame Awards. In 1993, James was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2001 she was inducted by both the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame...
11 Retuned Hymns from Hollywood Church
“Reality LA” is a church in Hollywood. They’ve produced 2 EPs of ‘retuned hymns’ [old hymn texts with contemporary music]. Watch this video about one of the songs:
To get a free download of the 2 EPs - with lead sheets in the zip files - go to the homepage at http://hymns.realityla.com/
To stream the 11 songs and/or download them, go to...
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus (For You Alone Are Holy)...
Though he is perhaps best known for his carols and other short pieces, famed UK composer John Rutter also has a number of large-scale works for chorus and orchestra to his name. Most of these received their first performances in the United States, where Rutter is a frequent visitor, writing regularly for American choirs and conducting performances of his own music.
The Gloria was commissioned by...
Nations That Long in Darkness Walked (song for...
All men are like grass (Isaiah 40), by Ian...
Ian Larrimore is a friend, a very talented musician now living in Japan. A few years ago we were in the acoustic ensemble The Bleatniks and recorded a fun album which included a number of great songs that Ian composed.
Here’s one of his more recent Scripture songs. He accompanies his singing on the Strumstick.
Let Us The Infant Greet (Christmas/Epiphany carol)
An English carol, recorded by Loreena McKennitt on her superlative 1987/1994 album To Drive the Cold Winter Away.
Let us the Infant greet In worship before Him fall And let us pay Him homage meet On this His festival. Let us to the Infant sing And bring Him of gifts rich store Let us honour our Infant King With praise for evermore. Let us to the Infant kneel And love Him with faithful love...
Amrit Vani = Immortal Word (Hindi worship song of...
Here’s a kirtan from India popularized in the west by Aradhna, then subsequently other artists such as Josh Davis with Proskuneo friends, below:
A kirtan is a call-and-response devotional song in several traditions of India. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirtan
Words and music by Sadhu Nitesh.
Amrita vani teri, amrita vani teri Your Immortal word, your immortal word
Jai jai Yeshu jai...
Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head (Appalachian...
First up is an instrumental version played by George Winston. It’s from his 1982 best-selling album December.
“Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head” was collected in Appalachia by folklorist John Jacob Niles, sometime between 1900 and 1935.
Here’s an instrumental version … played on Japanese shamisen.
And finally, a vocal solo version (accompanied by piano),...
Er is een kindeke (Dutch Christmas carol)
This Christmas carol is from the Netherlands. This version is sung by a childrens choir; search on YouTube and you’ll find other versions as well.
The Dutch words are included in the video above. Here’s a singable English translation (without repeats marked):
There is a child born on the earth: He comes down to earth for us all.
There is a child born on the straw; He lies in a...
Nearer My God to Thee (multilingual a cappella...
Sung by the men’s a cappella ensemble Vocal Point, from Brigham Young University.
The following info about the song is summarized from here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nearer_my_god_to_thee
The lyrics have been set to 11 different melodies!
“Nearer, My God, to Thee” is a 19th century Christian hymn by Unitarian hymnwriter Sarah Flower Adams, based loosely on Genesis...
We Three Kings (Afro-Cuban jazz)
The Christmas...
The Workings of our Solar System Creates Beautiful...
We interrupt our irregularly scheduled programming to bring you this fascinating musical science story. by Nancy Atkinson on January 17, 2012
http://www.universetoday.com/92730/the-workings-of-our-solar-system-creates-beautiful-musical-palindrome/#more-92730
If you like math, music and space (separately or in any combination) you’re gonna love this. Musician Daniel Starr-Tambor has created a...
What’s So Amazing About Grace: Including the...
Here’s a Bible study about Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, and an application to multicultural church life.
http://specs12.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/whats-so-amazing-about-grace-including-the-excluded/?mid=5800
Here’s an excerpt giving sociocultural background:
Jesus’ dealings with the Samaritan woman at the well provide an interesting glimpse of salvific access to grace...
Our God Is Greater (Multicultural Remix)
This song by Chris Tomlin has been popular for awhile. It was recently given a multicultural spin at Bethlehem Baptist Church (led by Dr.John Piper) by worship pastor Dr. Chuck Steddom.
The occasion was Racial Harmony Sunday, January 15, 2012. Watch this video, where Anglo-American and African-American musical cultures have interplay:
About halfway through, Jahill Richards breaks into a rap...
Visit of the Wise Men (Epiphany Poem by Timothy...
This poem was mentioned online in a number of places, but only by title and topic. So, I ended up buying the book “Collected Hymns (1961-1982) and some early poems” by Timothy Dudley-Smith to see the poem, written probably in the 1950s.
The book was published by Collins/Hope in 1984.
Here, then, is the Epiphany poem … foreshadowing what was to come approximately 30 years...
Retuned Hymn: O Heart Bereaved and Lonely, by...
The lyrics to this hymn were penned by hymnwriting superstar Fanny Crosby.
They’ve been given a new melody by Leigh Nash and Stu G (of Delirious?]. Here’s a live version:
In this short (98-second) interview, Leigh explains why the song is important to her, and is her favorite song on her recent album Hymns and Sacred Songs.
1. O heart bereaved and lonely, Whose brightest dreams...
Retuned Hymn: Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us...
Undoubtedly you are aware of the many old hymn texts recently given new, contemporary melodies and arrangements.
This phenomenon has been given a name of “retuned hymns” (there are also a few other names for the movement).
The Retuned Hymns movement will be the focus of several seminars next week at the 2012 Calvin Worship Symposium....
"Christianity is Indian"
Here’s a sketch from the BBC sitcom Goodness Gracious Me. It originally aired 1998-2001. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodness_Gracious_Me_(BBC)
Free copy of John Piper's new book on Race, The...
Earlier I profiled the most recent book by Dr. John Piper. It’s essential reading for anyone involved in multicultural worship; it’s essential for anyone living in the USA and the Bible study portions are relevant around the world.
In honor of MLK day, get a free pdf of John Piper’s book, “BLOODLINES: Race, Cross, & the Christian.” http://ow.ly/8urwg
...
Brightest and Best (Star of the East), by Kathy...
Kathy Mattea performs “Brightest and Best (Star of the East)” live at the Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis on 12/10/10.
Kathy Mattea has recorded 17 albums and has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts.
This song appears on Kathy’s first Christmas album, Good News (released in 2000).
The lyrics were penned by Reginald...
Jesus Keepeth My Soul -- reggae song by The Youth
The Youth is a pseudonym for Ijahman Levi, born in 1946.
He was a Jamaican singer who began recording music with Stranger Cole in the early 1960s and then migrated to England and continued his work there. He would release a handful of singles before his full length album debut in ‘78, Haile I Hymn. By the time of that release he was a full fledged Rastafarian but at the time of this...
Joy to the World: Blind Boys of Alabama & Aaron...
This rendition is by The Blind Boys of Alabama featuring Aaron Neville. It’s on their 2003 ”Go Tell It On The Mountain” album.
The CD is currently going for as low as one cent on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tell-Mountain-Blind-Boys-Alabama/dp/B0000AM6NX/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1326512197&sr=8-5
The Blind Boys of Alabama were originally formed in 1939. Most of the...
‘Dives and Lazarus’ - a Christmas...
Christians in Iran Dance and Chant the Names of...
Have a look at this video, posted by Voice of the Martyrs.
“Iranian Christians, dancing together while chanting the many names of God. The faces have been pixelated to conceal the identity of the Christians involved, as Christians in Iran are in continual risk of persecution by government authorities.”
I have the type of frame drum seen on the left, imported from Iran and called a...
India Meets Medieval European Carol: Personent...
Cross-cultural cover of Coldplay song with piano,...
This song is not overtly Christian, but this arrangement and video is so good it must be shared. :-)
Info from the website:
For a limited time download the FREE MP3 here: http://thepianoguys.com/peponi.php
The story behind the song: Each time we write/arrange a tune we take a journey. We have to admit—this journey took us a lot further than we expected. Retracing our steps reveals several...
"Telling Time by Jesus" (Reggie Kidd)
Here we are in the midst of Epiphany season, which lasts until Ash Wednesday (Feb 22 in 2012).
It’s only been in the last 2 years that I’ve started paying significant attention to the liturgical year - the cycle of seasons in the church calendar. And … it’s been helpful. And you will have noticed that the seasons of the liturgical year impact this blog.
If you’d...
A first sonnet for Epiphany, by Malcolm Guite
This is a repost of material from here: http://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/a-first-sonnet-for-epiphany/
Malcolm Guite writes,
The Feast of the Epiphany, which celebrates the arrival of the three wise men at the manger in Bethlehem has a special mystery and joy to it. Until now the story of the coming Messiah has been confined to Israel, the covenant people, but here suddenly,...
Asato Ma, by Aradhna (India)
Lead me from untruth to truth Lead me from darkness to light Lead me from the final death to fullness in immortality Without you I am incomplete Grant me the gift of seeing you - words adapted from a Gujarati Indian prayer, which is a vernacular version of the more ancient vedic Sanskrit prayer, “Asato ma sad gamaya,” from the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, section 1.iii.28. Asato Ma is an...
'Sweet Jesus' Gospel Blues, by Heart of the City...
Need an easy-to-sing Gospel Blues song for your church service or event? Here’s a great one!
Dan Adler writes, “Here’s a little Gospel/Blues song we recorded on our ‘Listen to the Sound’ CD. Coming from the musical richness of the African American church, this musical form expresses these thoughts so joyfully! I am grateful for what my African American brothers and...
Building a Multicultural Church in North Carolina
This is a repost of: Charlene Brown: Impatiently waiting http://www.faithandleadership.com/content/charlene-brown-impatiently-waiting
The search for a church committed to racial reconciliation didn’t go quickly. But the waiting for it, like the waiting of Advent, was a time to learn to love God and neighbor and find miracles in small and surprising places.
December 20, 2011 I had prayed, for...
Stella Clarissima (The Brightest Star)
...
Globalization and Worship: Soundings from the...
The followiing information is from this webpage: http://www.calvin.edu/scs/2012/seminars/farhadian/
Globalization and Worship: Soundings from the Worldwide Church July 23 - August 3, 2012
Directed by: Charles Farhadian, Westmont College
Sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship with funding by Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Seminar Summary
This seminar will provide an opportunity for...
Proskuneo Worship Institute (July in Atlanta)
Proskuneo Worship Institute is a month in the summer where people come from all over to grow as worshipers and artists in a diverse community-based learning environment. PWI inspires creativity. PWI reminds us what good, biblical, deep-hearted community can be. PWI is stretching. PWI is time and space to seek the Lord. And PWI is just straight-up fun!
We are excited to announce the launch of PWI...
Only read this Epiphany devotional if you want to...
David Mathis works with John Piper’s ministry Desiring God. He recently posted a challenging devotional called “The Irony of Epiphany.”
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-irony-of-the-epiphany#.Twcrf-DdTPI.facebook
Here’s an excerpt:
“None of the trained theologians go to Bethlehem. Dirty shepherds leave their flocks and go to the manger. Pagan astrologers...
New York Polyphony sings 'Beata progenies'...
This weekend is the blessed event here in Dallas/Fort Worth (Texas): I have my annual spiritual rendezvous with a Huge Deceased Hog’s Head … and worship through the medieval pageant at the Boar’s Head & Yule Log Festival.
For this post, I’ll highlight one song; this was sung by the Magi when they greeted Mary and the Holy Family. Since the Magi sang it in the pageant,...
'We Three Kings' (cabaret jazz version by Pink...
This carol composed in 1857 gets the usual terrific treatment by the multicultural band Pink Martini. It’s from their 2010 CD Joy to the World.
Here’s how the bandleader describes the 12-piece band:
“Pink Martini is a rollicking around-the-world musical adventure … if the United Nations had a house band in 1962, hopefully we’d be that band.” – Thomas Lauderdale,...
Beautiful Star, performed by 'How To Throw A...
This song was composed by Eliza Hewitt (1851-1920, Philadelphia). She composed about 50 hymns, many while bed-ridden in pain. http://www.serendipityrancher.com/elizahewitt.htm
The wise men of old saw a beautiful star, Led on by its glory they traveled afar; Oer mountain and valley til wanderings past, Their gifts at the feet of the Savior they cast. Refrain Beautiful beautiful star of the...
"Home By Another Way" (James Taylor's song for...
James Taylor composed this song are recorded it in 1988, on his album Never Die Young.
I can’t find a video of James performing it, so here’s a cover version.
Those magic men the Magi Some people call them wise Or Oriental, even kings Well anyway, those guys They visited with Jesus They sure enjoyed their stay Then warned in a dream of King Herod’s scheme They went home by...
We Three Kings of Orient Are (world fusion...
Star of the East (Epiphany hymn), shape-note...
Here’s a very different musical setting of the lyrics used in “Brightest and Best of the Stars of the Morning,” written by Reginald Heber (1783 - 1826). It’s done in shape-note singing style, and called “Star of the East” here.
Performed by he New Mexico Music Educators Association All State Mixed Chorus 2005 conducted by Brad Holmes (who also created the...
We 5 Kings (Epiphany song), Jethro Tull
The title will make sense to you after the video begins. :-)
Songs for Epiphany: Brightest and Best of the...
Epiphany begins today, January 6, 2012, and goes until the beginning of Lent on Wed. February 22, 2012 (Ash Wednesday). The word epiphany means “the Revealing,” or “the Showing,” and celebrates Christ’s revealing to the Gentiles. The coming of the Three Kings, and Jesus Baptism by John The Baptist are key stories focused on during the Epiphany Season.
We’ll have fun posting some global...
