church music – Page 2 – The Artsy Honker

Another Double Psalm Chant

Byartsyhonker August 30, 2018 5 Comments

I was asked to compose a psalm chant for Psalm 91, for the University of London Church Choir to sing on our tour to Ripon Cathedral last week. I can't share the recording with you yet, as I haven't heard it; but I hope to be able to eventually. In the meantime, the PDF and midi file are on the Choral Public Domain Library as usual. Also as usual, it's under a Creative Commons Attribution...

Waterbeach

Byartsyhonker July 31, 2018 0 Comments

I'm singing in Ely Cathedral this week, and staying in a guest house in Waterbeach, so I wrote a hymn tune today. Here are the words, by Nathaniel Cotton: 1. Affliction is a stormy deep, Where wave resounds to wave; Though o'er my head the billows roll, I know the Lord can save. 2. The hand that now withholds my joys Can reinstate my peace: And He who bade the tempest roar, Can bid that tempest...

Immigrant Jesus

Byartsyhonker June 20, 2018 0 Comments

I'm not an American citizen. I don't have a lot of spare money at the moment. What I can do is write hymn tunes. So I've written one to this text by Gary Alderson: 1. You ran from oppression, Crossed the baking sand; Found your own safety In an alien land. And Rachel's still weeping, weeping, Weeping for her children. 2. And you found a haven In that far off place; Shielded and welcomed By a...

Music for Lent 1: Angelis suis

Byartsyhonker February 14, 2018 0 Comments

(If I've done this correctly it should post on Wednesday night, UK time...) Ready or not, Lent is upon us. In January, Sally Martin-Brown asked me if I had anything suitable for the University of London Church Choir visit to Jerusalem. I had a rummage through my notebooks, sure I'd started something at some point, and sure enough, there was a sort of skeleton of this piece, the Latin version of...

Colwall 87 87 887 (Lo, in the wilderness a voice)

Byartsyhonker December 7, 2017 0 Comments

I have a new project, Cecilia's List, where (among other things) I make weekly recommendations for music composed by women and other underrepresented groups that's suitable for church use. I've only really just gotten started, and so I still have a lot of music to look through and add. This week I've had a bit of a struggle trying to find something suitable for Advent II, which is very much John...

Hilltop 55 54 D

Byartsyhonker September 29, 2017 0 Comments

Another hymn tune! This one, I think, might be suitable for Harvest, though the Revd Ally Barrett based it on the theology behind the gospel story about tax: ‘render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s; render to God that which belongs to God’. You can read some more of her hymns on her website and there is also information there about permission to use the text in worship. Here we are giving,...

Finsbury Park

Byartsyhonker July 7, 2017 0 Comments

This text by the Revd Ally Barrett was written shortly after the Orlando shooting in 2016, and then drawn to my attention again in 2017 after the Manchester attack. And since then there have been more terrorist attacks. I've called it "Finsbury Park" because the attack on the mosque there was in the news while I was writing this, and because there wasn't already a hymn tune of that name in the...

Round Me Falls the Night

Byartsyhonker May 31, 2017 0 Comments

I've long enjoyed William Romanis's hymn text, "Round Me Falls the Night" -- so I decided to set it as an anthem. Originally I used TTBB voicing, but on balance, I like the SATB version better. I think it could be just the thing for a quieter Evensong service, or for Compline. Robot clarionets: PDF Round Me Falls the Night SATB Round me falls the night; Saviour, be my Light: Through the hours in...

Waving

Byartsyhonker March 18, 2017 3 Comments

The past week has been a little less silly than some, but still busy. The West Gallery course at Benslow last weekend was great fun, but hard work: we really could have done with another four or six singers, which would have resulted in me singing less and being able to pay more attention to conducting clearly; at times, I felt like I was a bit "wave arms around until music stops" rather than...

Art House: a hymn for Easter

Byartsyhonker March 7, 2017 1 Comment

I know, I know, it isn't Easter yet, we've only just started Lent, and it's probably too late for most people to use this hymn this year. But I liked the text, by Ally Barrett, very much: Life comes to an upper room,  breaking through the fear and gloom;  walls and door-locks are no bar:  Jesus meets us where we are.  Life dispels the doubt of grief  bringing hope and new belief;...