hymnody – The Artsy Honker

NORBERG — In memoriam Roy Gordon Norberg, 1944-2019

Byartsyhonker December 31, 2019 1 Comment

Last month, Roy Norberg died. Roy was the father of a friend I spent many happy hours with in childhood. I can remember him making sure, when I was visiting for Christmas, that I had a performance opportunity or two; and as I got older and played more instruments and started arranging, he was supportive of my efforts in that direction. He was also an organist, you see, and a much-loved teacher;...

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...

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...

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;...

Footdee

Byartsyhonker February 3, 2017 0 Comments

This is a hymn I wrote last time I was in Aberdeen; or was it last time but one? I'm not sure; but I know I was looking at the sea when I wrote it. I've used a paraphrase of verses from Psalm 107 (the bit that starts" they that go down to the sea in ships") by Isaac Watts, but of course as with any hymn tune you could use a different set of Long Metre words and they'd fit. PDF with text of first...

What I learned from Morten Lauridsen

Byartsyhonker November 9, 2016 0 Comments

Last week, American composer Morten Lauridsen was composer-in-residence at the University of Aberdeen, where I am studying choral composition. Over the course of the week I heard him speak at the Composers' Forum and at two concerts, as well as having a 45-minute personal tutorial. Dr Lauridsen and I come from very different backgrounds musically. He has been an academic for his entire career,...

Deland 87 87 97

Byartsyhonker September 24, 2016 0 Comments

This one is a bit out of season, but I always find that Lent comes awfully quickly. The words are by Reverend Ally Barrett, who has written a number of new hymn texts to familiar tunes. I like Picardy as a tune very much, but it strikes me as a bit static for words which are, ultimately, about the transformation of the dust of our lives through Christ's redemption. So I wrote a different tune,...

Waterworks Corner

Byartsyhonker July 31, 2016 0 Comments

Here's one I wrote the other month -- premiered by the London Gallery Quire at St Andrew's Leytonstone on 2nd July. There is a version for West Gallery available from the London Gallery Quire website -- it's LGQ 533 -- but I've also put a version for organ on the Choral Public Domain Library as usual. Here are some robots singing it: 1 Lord, thou wilt hear me when I pray, I am for ever thine; I...