Hymn Blog - December 11, 2011

December 11, 2011 – Advent III

MV 134 – There Was a Child in Galilee. This lovely text and tune about Mary was written by Janet Gadeski, former President and CEO of The United Church of Canada Foundation. She is a musician, with a Bachelor of Music in church music from Westminster Choir College in Princeton. As a volunteer with Trinity Home Hospice, she brought the healing and relaxing powers of harp music to her clients’ palliative care in their homes. Her CD entitled “December’s Rose” is a collection of traditional and contemporary Christmas music. She now plays primarily for worship services and labyrinth walks. The arrangement is by Patricia Wright, minister of music at Metropolitan United Church, Toronto.

Ps 126 – When God Restored Our Common Life. This paraphrase of Psalm 126 was written by Ruth Duck, professor of worship at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois and a United Church of Christ minister in the U.S.A. We sing it to the tune FOREST GREEN, an English traditional melody harmonized by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

MV 157 – I am a Child of God. This text and tune are by the husband and wife team Bruce and Cheryl Harding. Bruce is a singer/songwriter, worship leader, hymnologist and was Managing Editor for More Voices. He has a PhD in the development of hymn tune repertoire in the United Church, a passion for worship song from around the world, and over twenty years' experience in both sacred and secular music fields. Together they are recording artists and worship leaders whose eclectic music style melds a liberal theology of healing and understanding with an evangelical, spirit-filled passion for congregational singing.  Through their music and ministry they inspire people across Canada to sing with spirit and conviction.

MV 120 – My Soul Cries Out. Author and arranger Rory Cooney is director of liturgy and music at St. Anne Catholic Community in Barrington, Illinois.  He arranged the Irish traditional tune "Star of the County Down" to provide a stunning setting for the text, an interpretation of the Magnificat.