Music – Page 61 – Lakewood United Church of Christ

What a Covenant

HKJ playing ragtime Today, no strings, no brass, no fancy pipe organs, just old-time camp meeting piano. We sing a bunch of these kinds of songs at Lakewood and I’ll be doing more of them here. This one’s a favorite and it’s got that certain swing to it that old-timey music has when the lady would play it and us kids would march in from Sunday School classes. Enjoy yourself singing along. It’s #471 in the New Century Hymnal. You can read all about it and see the music and representative text at https://hymnary.org/text/what_a_fellowship_what_a_joy_divine. Some of you may know it with the words, “What a Fellowship,” with the title, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” which is how I learned it.

Just a reminder that the complete collection of these hymn recordings is available for free listening (streaming) at https://soundcloud.com/hilton-kean-jones/sets/hymns-at-lakewood. When each new recording is posted on the church website, it is also added to this album.

Won’t You Let Me Be Your Servant

Won't You Let Me Be Your Servant 2 The organ starts quietly and builds to full organ with reeds, so best not to try to compensate for the soft volume at the beginning or it may be too loud for you at the end. Just leave your volume where you normally have it.

I’m not able to provide either the music or text for this one because of copyright. If you happen to have a New Century Hymnal it’s #539. Even if you don’t have the words, it’s impossible not to sing or hum along with this memorable tune. Even with 6 verses, it always feel like I could easily sing another half-dozen more without feelings like it was too many.

Information about the author of these remarkable words is found at https://hymnary.org/text/will_you_let_me_be_your_servant.

How Can I Keep from Singing

How Can I Keep from Singingl

Probably, this may be the most recorded early American religious song other than Amazing Grace.

The surprise is that it’s not a folk song, not a Quaker song, but was composed by a Baptist minister, Robert Lowry.

Wikipedia gives its history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Can_I_Keep_from_Singing%3F..

When we sing this in church, I usually take it at a every so slightly faster tempo, but for the purposes here–instrumental, meditative music that may or may not be sing to–I’m taking it quite slowly.

Here’s the hymn as we sing it from the New Century Hymnal.

How Can I Keep from Singing

My Faith It Is an Oaken Staff

oak tree Here’s a tune for your morning meditation that will lift your spirits. Rev. Wells introduced me to this hymn and it’s become a favorite of mine. Every time we do it in church I only wish there were more verses so it lasts longer. Feel free to sing along this morning. You can see the words in the New Century Hymnal #418 or at https://hymnary.org/hymn/NCH1995/418.

There’s a very short organ introduction. When the brass come in, you start singing. Between verse 2 and verse 3 there’s a little organ interlude. But, on verse 3, BE WARNED (!), there’s a trumpet descant. What might confuse you is that the trumpet plays an echo, like a kid’s round (you know, like in “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”), of what you’re singing. So don’t get lost…hang on to your own part (follow the trombone…a trombonist will never lead you astray).

Come, O Fount of Every Blessing

Last week was our last week before needing to suspend in-person services. One of the hymns we did was #459 in the New Century Hymnal, “Come, O Fount of Every Blessing.”

I love this hymn tune. It, and similar early American hymns tunes, are part and parcel of my youth, where as a kid in Southern Illinois–down where it Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee all meet–I learned to play in public by playing for my father’s Wednesday night and Sunday night prayer meetings. (He, grandfathers on both sides, and my sister, were all Methodist ministers!) That handful of folks must have been very, very patient!

So, here’s what we sang last week. If you want to sing along but you don’t happen to have a New Century Hymnal laying around, you can go to https://hymnary.org/hymn/NCH1995/459 for information or https://hymnary.org/text/come_thou_fount_of_every_blessing which has the old-timey words that I learned growing up.