MM: Christmas Music?

I was raised in the camp that Christmas can wait until after Thanksgiving.  When I was growing up, the Christmas tree didn't get put up until my dad's birthday in the first week of December.  My next door neighbors would decorate their home on Black Friday.  I was raised to believe that was too darn soon!  Christmas was in December and that is when the decorations would finally go up.  My mom would stay true, though I think these days she puts the tree up at Thanksgiving.  Go figure....

In recent years, a local radio station would start broadcasting Christmas music on 1 November.  Ugh.  No.  Yesterday was just Halloween.  How about we enjoy...  *sigh*  Looks like this year they're settling for streaming online rather than over the airwaves.

Where am I going with this?  My sister-in-law posted on Facebook the other day that they've started listening to Christmas music on 1 November and have even started the decorations.  (That reminds me:  time to take down the witch, ghost, and bat...)  I responded that I wait until after my birthday and Thanksgiving

Then I promptly cued my iPod Christmas playlist.

I love Christmas music. I think my favorite part of the Christmas season is the music. I love to play, listen to, and sing along with all the different carols.  I love the religious as well as the secular.  I don't have to decorate before Thanksgiving to enjoy the music...  So I figure that I'll start now.  *wry chuckle*  It's only what, six weeks till Christmas?  That's only six songs....

The song I chose today has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. I've sung it as a lullaby to all four of my children over the years. I love to play it especially, I think, because it's a German folk tune.  (Remember, the link takes you to an interactive player where you can listen to it.)

Mary's Lullaby 

Expressively 

35395, Children’s Songbook, The Savior, Mary’s Lullaby, 44–45 

1. Lullaby, lullaby, my little one.
Lullaby, my child so dear.
Thy precious life has just begun;
Thy mother holds thee near.
While Joseph watches through the night,
A star reflects thy radiant light. 

2. Thy gentle head shall wear a crown,
For thy Father is the King.
Thy tender hands, so tiny now,
Have blessings great to bring.
Let all creation join my song,
For peace and love this night are born.
Lullaby, lullaby, my little one.
Lullaby, my child so dear. 

Optional descant 

1. While Joseph watches through the night,
A star reflects thy light.
2. Let all creation join my song,
For peace and love are born. 

Words: Jan Underwood Pinborough, b. 1954. © 1989 IRI
Music: German folk tune; arr. by Darwin Wolford, b. 1936. Arr. © 1989 IRI
Isaiah 9:6Luke 2:7–19Matthew 2:1–2

MM: God Be With You

Originally posted on Sister Snoopy here.

The hymn I chose today is a sorrowful favorite. It is also, I believe, sung at the end of every Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast. My earliest memory of God Be With You Til We Meet Again is at the funeral of the older missionary that taught my parents about theGospel of Jesus Christ. I was not quite four when he and his wife came into our lives. They were an older couple from Lehi, Utah, and my brother and I just loved them. We adopted them as our "Grandma and Grandpa Goates" and they willingly adopted our family into their blended family. "Grandpa" died in 1981, about the same time my Grandpa Jim had his first series of strokes. It was my first funeral.

Every time since then, I'm brought to tears when it's sung. We also sang it when Grandma Goates passed away in 2002.

There was talk of singing it yesterday at church but my neighbor didn't want to so we sang something else at the close of the meeting. Probably a good thing because there wouldn't have been a dry eye to be found. Mine were already wet...

God Be with You Till We Meet Again, LDS Hymn no. 152

1. God be with you till we meet again;
By his counsels guide, uphold you;
With his sheep securely fold you.
God be with you till we meet again.

[Chorus]
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet,
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

2. God be with you till we meet again;
When life’s perils thick confound you,
Put his arms unfailing round you.
God be with you till we meet again.

3. God be with you till we meet again;
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you;
Smite death’s threat’ning wave before you.
God be with you till we meet again.

Text: Jeremiah E. Rankin, 1828–1904

Music: William G. Tomer, 1833–1896

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Numbers 6:24–26

I think of this hymn especially when I am saying good bye to people I love that I probably won't see again--at least in this life. That's happened too many times for me to count but I look forward to the day when I can greet my loved ones with open arms at His feet...

Til we meet, my beloved friend. Til we meet.

MM: I Miss My Friend

This is another entry I pulled from Sister Snoopy back in 2006.  I don't watch CMT anymore (don't have it on my satellite package) so I don't see videos unless I search for them online.  I just sat and watched the video that goes with this song for the first time in several years.  It still makes me sad.  I feel like I can relate--though not necessarily with the twist at the end.

I think I probably heard and saw I Miss My Friend on CMT for the first time. I fell in love with the song instantly. (Did that make sense? The first time I was *aware* of I Miss My Friend was on CMT. I hadn't heard it on the radio yet. Does that sound better?)

Okay. If you haven't seen the video, go watch it before you finish reading my blog. The link will open up in a new window so you won't lose me.

{spoiler space}

Have you watched it yet?











{end spoiler space}

So, what did you think of it?

The first time I saw the music video (and heard the song for the first time as I was watching the music video)--I was absolutely blown away by the revelation that he's passed on at the end. The tears just flowed and flowed. I don't think I've ever had a music video hit me with such an impact!--neither before nor since I first saw it. I'm still reminded every time I see or hear the song about how I felt when it was over...

Music has such an incredible power in our lives-- for both good and bad. This experience that I had with I Miss My Friend is a perfect example of what I mean.

MM: Oh How Lovely...

I think I'll take turns writing about hymns and secular music each week.  It's a hymn this week.  I chose Joseph Smith's First Prayer because it's a favorite of mine.

It's the story of the First Vision put to song. I love playing it and have even used it as a lullaby for my children over the years.

Joseph Smith’s First Prayer, no. 26

1. Oh, how lovely was the morning!
Radiant beamed the sun above.
Bees were humming, sweet birds singing,
Music ringing thru the grove,
When within the shady woodland
Joseph sought the God of love,
When within the shady woodland
Joseph sought the God of love.

2. Humbly kneeling, sweet appealing—
’Twas the boy’s first uttered prayer—
When the pow’rs of sin assailing
Filled his soul with deep despair;
But undaunted, still he trusted
In his Heav’nly Father’s care;
But undaunted, still he trusted
In his Heav’nly Father’s care.

3. Suddenly a light descended,
Brighter far than noonday sun,
And a shining, glorious pillar
O’er him fell, around him shone,
While appeared two heav’nly beings,
God the Father and the Son,
While appeared two heav’nly beings,
God the Father and the Son.

4. “Joseph, this is my Beloved;
Hear him!” Oh, how sweet the word!
Joseph’s humble prayer was answered,
And he listened to the Lord.
Oh, what rapture filled his bosom,
For he saw the living God;
Oh, what rapture filled his bosom,
For he saw the living God.

Text: George Manwaring, 1854–1889
Music: Sylvanus Billings Pond, 1792–1871; adapted by A. C. Smyth, 1840–1909

Joseph Smith—History 1:14–20, 25
James 1:5

MM: Even Now

Went to drop off the Caboose at his lacrosse practice a little while ago and this song played on my iPod.    I would have to say that out of all the secular songs I've liked over the years, this one is in the top ten, if not the top five.

One of my all-time favorite piano playing experiences happened when I was in ninth grade. My friend W  and I were accompanying a 8th-9th grade mixed choir together--well, taking turns playing. We supported and helped each other out at the piano turning pages and stuff. I had been assigned one song at the beginning of the year but chickened out about playing it at the Christmas concert and the choir teacher's wife ended up playing it then... I decided that wasn't going to happen again. I was going to play that song at the spring concert if it killed me...

It was the first time in my life that I'd ever played the piano in front of such a huge crowd--and it was the first time on a grand piano, too. To make it worse, at the end, there was a part for me to play (solo?) without the choir singing. It was challenging and.... dramatic. Everyone would notice if I made a mistake. I practiced and practiced and practiced. I practiced it so much I had it memorized. I even had my dad give me a father's blessing the evening of the performance--which was held in the Rexburg Tabernacle of all places and was completely filled. Saying I was nervous was definitely an understatement, especially when I recognized faces in the crowd who I would guess were wishing for me to fall on my face....

The time came for me to accompany the choir. I took a deep breath, remembered the blessing my dad gave me, said a prayer, and started in on the intro....

Ahhh.... Perfection. Goosebumps! I DID IT!!!!

I was looking through my 9th grade yearbook and found Mr. Bidwell's comment: Thank you so much for your support and good work. You'll never forget Even Now. *chuckle* He's right. I've never forgotten that song. In fact, it's remained one of my favorites to this day and I still have it memorized nearly 30 *gulp* years later.

Of course Barry Manilow sings it so much better--but I'm still rather proud of my "solo" there at the end--at least how I played it. *wink*

Even now
When there's someone else who cares
When there's someone home who's waiting just for me
Even now I think about you as I'm climbing up the stairs
And I wonder what to do so *he won't see
That even now
When I know it wasn't right
And I found a better life than what we had
Even now I wake up crying in the middle of the night
And I can't believe it still could hurt so bad

Chorus:

Even now when I have come so far
I wonder where you are
I wonder why it's still so hard without you
Even now when I come shining through
I swear I think of you
And how I wish you knew
Even now

Even now
When I never hear your name
And the world has changed so much since you've been gone
Even now I still remember and the feelings still the same
And the pain inside of me goes on and on
Even now

Even now when I have come so far
I wonder where you are
I wonder why it's still so hard without you
Even now when I come shining through
I swear I think of you
And *how I wish you knew
Some how
Even now

*lyrics changed from original

MM: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Two of my favorites this week: Come Thou Fount  and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  I actually know a few people who are or who have been members of "MoTab".   I love the game I play of trying to pick them out when I see them on television.

 I love listening to them sing--both recorded and live, in the Tabernacle on Temple Square.  They just give me goosebumps with many of their songs/hymns.

Come, Thou Fount really gives me goosebumps.  I love this adaptation by Mack Wilberg.  The instrumental parts are probably what give me the most goosebumps in this particular hymn.

Enjoy!





1. Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

2. Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.

3. Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.

4. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.

MM: I Know That My Redeemer Lives

I spent most of the day at the hospital being the "responsible adult/driver" and am feeling somewhat exhausted so I'm sharing this post originally posted on Sister Snoopy back in 2006.  It still is one of my favorites.  I remember singing it to my dad that week I spent with him before he died.  I still tear up when it is sung in church because I'm taken to that time and place in my memory.

Anyway...


You know, it really bothers me when I hear people say that members of my church do not worship Jesus Christ. His Name is in the official name of the Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). In the Book of Mormon it states:

1. 2 Ne. 25: 26
   
   

   26 And we ^atalk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we ^bprophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our ^cchildren may know to what source they may look for a ^dremission of their sins.

I worship Jesus Christ. He is everywhere in our church. You only have to look to see Him.

Okay, off my soapbox for today.

The hymn I chose this week is again one of my favorites. It's called I Know That My Redeemer Lives and it was written by Samuel Medley in 1775. I love to play the version in the LDS hymn book composed by Lewis D. Edwards, although I suspect there are other arrangements out there.

I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever living Head.
He lives to bless me with His love,
He lives to plead for me above.

He lives my hungry soul to feed,
He lives to help in time of need.
He lives triumphant from the grave,
He lives eternally to save,
He lives all glorious in the sky,
He lives exalted there on high.

He lives to grant me rich supply,
He lives to guide me with His eye,
He lives to comfort me when faint,
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.
He lives to silence all my fears,
He lives to wipe away my tears
He lives to calm my troubled heart,
He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly Friend,
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.
He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death:
He lives my mansion to prepare;

He lives to bring me safely there.
He lives, all glory to His Name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same.
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives,
I know that my Redeemer lives!

(From this link.)