Archives

Meter, Shmeter, It’s So Common

Jun24

Bran Emrys at the blog Siris has a very interesting post on hymnic or syllabic meter—the reason that older hymns can often be sung to many different tunes.

I refer you to him to explain, but to play with this a bit: the modern hymn In Christ Alone has a syllabic meter of 8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8, also called Long Meter Double (L.M.D.) One old familiar hymn also has this meter: Sweet Hour of Prayer. However, I’m not too fond of the tune SWEET HOUR by William Bradbury. So, I can turn it around and sing Sweet Hour of Prayer to the tune that Stuart Townend wrote for In Christ Alone.

I like that a lot better.

The tune AMAZING GRACE is written in what is called Common Meter, 8.6.8.6. A lot of hymn tunes, and other tunes, are written with this meter, ergo “common.”
So, lots of hymns can be sung to the tune of Amazing Grace, and vice-versa. Here are just a few well-known hymns that fit the syllabic meter of Common Meter tunes:

O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Joy to the World!
Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed
All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
There Is a Fountain
God Moves in a Mysterious Way
Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned
O God Our Help in Ages Past
. . . and many more.

Try singing Amazing Grace to the tunes usually associated with those hymn lyrics, or try singing the above hymn lyrics to the tune AMAZING GRACE.

Oh, and the rather haunting minor key tune to House of the Rising Sun is written in common meter, so it accommodates the lyrics to Amazing Grace and all the others.

Hymn #80: Here Is Love Vast As the Ocean

Jun22

Alternate Title: Dyma gariad fel y moroedd

Lyrics: William Rees, translated from Welsh to English by William Williams, 1900.
Music: Robert Lowry.
Theme: How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
I John 3:1

Shirley: ‘Here Is Love’ is the love song which came out of the Welsh Revival in 1904. The tune itself with the words stirs my heart like no other hymn.

Here is love vast as the ocean
Loving kindness as the flood
When the Prince of life, our ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven’s eternal days

On the Mount of Crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love, like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And Heaven’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love

Let us all His love accepting
Love Him ever all our days
Let us seek His Kingdom only
And our lives be to His praise
He alone shall be our glory
Nothing in the world we see
He has cleansed and sanctified us
He Himself has set us free

In His truth He does direct me
By His Spirit through His Word
And His grace my need is meeting
As I trust in Him, my Lord
All His fullness He is pouring
In His love and power in me
Without measure
Full and boundless
As I yield myself to Thee.

I like the old Welsh version above, but if you want here’s an updated version from Steve and VIcki Cook at Sovreign Grace Ministries. You can also listen to Matt Redman sing his souped-up rendition here.

Odd, how things serendipitously coincide. I had never heard of this hymn. However, on Saturday we had a sort of hymn sing/mime worship time at my church, and one of the songs we sang was Here Is Love Vast As the Ocean.

Kids, Drugs, and Depression

Jun22

Whatever happened to Freddie Prinze?

I’m old enough to remember comedian and TV star Freddie Prinze. I watched his sit-com Chico and the Man. I laughed and enjoyed the comedy.

But Mr. Prinze, only 22 years old, wasn’t laughing so much. And on a January night in 1977, Freddie Prinze, full of quaaludes and depression and drama, shot himself. His mom insisted that it was an accident and got the cause of death on his death certificate changed from suicide to “accidental shooting due to the influence of Quaaludes.” I don’t see that it really matters. Mr. Prinze ended his life at the age of 22 because of drugs and depression. The drugs deepened the depression and made him reckless and stupid.

I’m writing about this tragedy because today is Freddie Prinze’s birthday. He would have been 55 years old today.

But I’m also writing about Mr. Prinze, the talented but tragic comedian, because just this past week another talented young man destroyed himself with drugs and depression and bad decisions. I didn’t know D., but I do know his family. D. was taught about the Lord. He grew up in a family that loves Jesus with a mom and dad who loved D. He was homeschooled and went to church and memorized Scripture and had made a commitment to Jesus Christ.

However, D. had “graduated” to using cocaine about three months ago, and he came home a little over a week ago to get help. He was hearing voices and believed that implants in his head were monitoring his thoughts and telling him to do horrible things.

He told his dad he didn’t know what to do to make the voices stop. What he decided to do was to douse himself with gasoline and set himself on fire. His parents woke up to hear D. screaming in pain, and although D. was in agony, he was able to tell his dad that he was sorry before the paramedics came, sedated him, and took him to the hospital burn unit. D. never regained consciousness, and he died a couple of days later.

A friend of mine wrote about D.:

How did this happen? Why did it end this way? No one will ever have all the answers but there are some lessons here for anyone with eyes to see.

. No child of God is immune to sin. Each of us has freedom of choice and is responsible to God for his choices.

. God disciplines the child that He loves.

. If we continually reject the warnings of God at some point He will call His child home.

I choose to believe that D. was more afraid to continue to live than he was to die. I have no doubt that as the old gospel hymn goes, D. is now; “Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe from corroding care; safe from the world’s temptations, sin cannot harm him there.”

Why am I telling you all this story? Because it’s still happening. Kids, and some who should be past childhood, still think that illegal drugs are harmless, that maybe taking a few pills or a shot of something will make them feel better, will medicate the depression and the pain out of existence. I know some of them are thinking this way because they’ve told me: “it won’t happen to me. I just smoke a little weed. Nothing bad will happen to me. That’s a scare story.”

Well, yeah, I’m trying to scare you. But D. really did die just the way I described. I’m going to his memorial service this afternoon. And we’ll remember all the good things about him, how he had compassion for homeless people, how he made beautiful music, how he loved his family. But we’ll also remember what could have been, how D. could have been a blessing to his family instead of giving them a pain that will never go away completely. How he could have served the Lord with his music. How he could have lived.

I’m writing about what happened to Freddie Prinze and to D. because I don’t want it to ever happen to another family or to another talented young man. And they’re all talented and remarkable and loved, by God the Father even if they don’t feel loved by anyone else. Please pray for my friends the R family who have lost a son and a brother. And please examine yourself, and if you need it, get help. Make good decisions. Flush the drugs, whatever they are, down the toilet. Cling to the precious saving love of the Lord Jesus Christ and don’t let go.

Please.

Reading Through Southeast Asia

Jun22

Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray is sponsoring another One Shot World Tour on August 12th. The idea is to read and review on that date one book –any reading level–either written by an author from that region or set in that part of the world. For the purposes of this tour, Southeast Asia consists of the following countries:

Thailand
Silk Umbrellas by Carolyn Marsden.
Touch The Dragon or Dream of a Thousand Lives: A Sojourn in Thailand by Karen Connelly.
Laos
Cambodia
Children of the River by Linda Crew.
The Stone Goddess by Minfong Ho.
When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him.
When the War Was Over by Elizabeth Becker.
First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung.
River of Time by John Swain.
Vietnam
Goodbye, Vietnam by Gloria Whelan.
Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata. Semicolon review here.
When Heaven Fell by Carolyn Marsden. Semicolon review here.
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. Perry, a teenager from Harlem, experiences the horrors of the Vietnam War.
Paradise of the Blind by Thu Huong Duong and Nina McPherson
Singapore
Malaysia
The Malayan Trilogy by Anthony Burgess.
Indonesia
The Flame Tree by Richard Lewis. Semicolon review here. I loved this book when I read it back in 2005, and I’m recommending it to anyone who reads YA fiction and is participating in the tour.
Peace Child by Don Richardson. Christian missionaries Don and Carol Richardson confront a culture in which treachery is a cultural icon. Excellent true story.
A House in Bali by Colin McPhee.
The Year of Living Dangerously by Christopher Koch.
Philippines
In Our Image; America’s Empire in the Philippines by Stanley Karnow.
Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) by José Rizal.
When the Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe.

I gathered this list from some of the lists linked below and from my own reading, and I’ll be reading a new-to-me book from the list above so that I can join in the world tour. I think I may focus on Cambodia.

All bloggers are welcome to participate in the One Shot World Tour on August 12th.

Links and Sources:
Southeast Asian Reading List by Bibliobuli.
Bibliography of Southeast Asian Children’s Books.
Cambodia: Book Reviews and Recommended Reading.

Hymn #81: The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want

Jun21

Lyrics: Psalm 23, from the Scottish Psalter of 1650, translated by Francis Rous.
Music: CRIMOND by Jessie S. Irvine.
EVAN by William Henry Havergal.
There are an amazing number of other tunes that will fit these lyrics; it’s written in the same syllabic meter as Amazing Grace, so you can mix and match to your heart’s content.

Or if you prefer, William Dutton on BBC Songs Of Praise (3 February, 2008), singing Bob Chilcott’s setting of Psalm 23 with Emma Whiteley.

Theme:

God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.

Psalm 23:1-3, The Message.

The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again,
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.

My table Thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me,
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling-place shall be.

The video below is NOT, I think, the version of this beloved psalm that people voted for, but it’s supposed to be a “Celtic” version of Psalm 23. I don’t know who the singer is nor who wrote the music or the lyrics (maybe Hillsong?). But I did think it was a rather beautiful rendition.

And here’s a George Herbert poem/hymn version of Psalm 23 posted at Rebecca Writes today.

Narnia, Here We Come

Jun19

Dawn Treader
Carrie at Reading to Know is sponsoring a Chronicles of Narnia Reading CHallenge. I don’t know exactly what I’ll do to participate in the challenge, but I must do something!

Narnia and Middle Earth are my favorite places in children’s literature. My children and I have read the books, listened to them on CD, read them aloud, and watched the movies, both the BBC series and the newer big screen movies. We are immersed in and longing for Narnia and what it symbolizes. (The art print is called Dawn Treader by artist John Ruseau.)

So I can’t resist the challenge, but to find something Narnian that we haven’t already explored will be a challenge. Stay tuned for what promises to be a fun Narnian adventure in the next month or so.

Hymn #84: All the Way My Savior Leads Me

Jun17

Lyrics: Fanny Crosby
Music: Robert Lowry
Theme: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:19-20.

This beloved hymn came to Fanny as a result of a prayer. Struggling financially, she desperately needed some money. As her usual custom, Fanny began to pray. A few minutes later, a gentleman offered her five dollars, the exact amount she needed. Later recalling the incident, she said, “I have no way of accounting for this except to believe that God put it into the heart of this good man to bring the money.” The poem she wrote afterward became “All The Way My Savior Leads Me.”

Fanny Crosby knew about being led; she was blind all of her life from the age of six months when a doctor treated her eyes incorrectly and caused her total blindness. She certainly experienced her share of being led, both physically and spiritually speaking. It is reported that Fanny said about her blindness: “If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me. If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind. . . for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Saviour.”

All the way my Savior leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread;
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living Bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me
O the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages–
Jesus led me all the way;
This my song through endless ages–
Jesus led me all the way.

Ms. Crosby wrote at least five of the hymns on this top 100 list. Two we have already talked about: this one and Tell Me the Story of Jesus. Can anyone guess the other three? It’s always possible I missed another one or two since I haven’t actually written the posts for all of the hymns on the list yet. Fanny Crosby wrote over 8000 hymns and poems. Amazing woman.

More about Fanny Crosby.

Sources:
Gospel Hymn Stories: All the Way My Savior Leads Me.
Faith Hall of Fame: Frances Jane van Alstyne.

Summer’s the Time for Reading Lists

Jun17

Henry Blackaby’s Recommended Reading List. Mr. Blackaby wrote a classic Bible study on finding and doing God’s will, Experiencing God. His reading list, let us say, is spiritually and intellectually challenging.

Here’s Oprah’s Summer Reading List 2009: 25 Books You Can’t Put Down. I’m not much of an Oprah fan, but she does pick some fine books sometimes (Jewel, Cry the Beloved Country, Anna Karenina). And the last book on this summer’s list is definitely a good pick: Camilla by Madeleine L’Engle.

Albert Mohler’s Summer Reading List. This list is heavy on history and military history, in particular. Good list.

Breakpoint Summer Reading List. Chuck Colson and his cohorts suggest reading for the summer.

iMonk makes fun of The Summer Reading List. Who does he think he is anyhow?

Hymn #86: Fairest Lord Jesus

Jun16

Lyrics: 17th century German Jesuit poem translated from German to English by Joseph A. Seiss, 1873.
Music: CRUSADER’S HYMN, from a Silesian folk tune, arranged by Richard Willis.
Theme: Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
Revelation 5:12-13

1. Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature,
O thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
thou, my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.

2. Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer
who makes the woeful heart to sing.

3. Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight,
and all the twinkling starry host:
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
than all the angels heaven can boast.

4. All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly
Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee;
None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
Than Thou, my Savior, art to me.

5. Beautiful Savior! Lord of all nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
now and forevermore be thine.

Believe it or not, back in the dark ages (1970’s) when I went to high school, this hymn was my public high school choir’s theme song. They sang the last verse a cappella at the end of every concert. Could that possibly happen nowadays?

At any rate, it’s a beautiful hymn. The origin of both words and the tune is disputed, but what I wrote at the beginning is my best guess.

Alligator Bayou by Donna Jo Napoli

Jun15

Sicilians in Louisiana? I knew about Cajuns, from Arcadia, Evangeline and all that jazz, French Creoles, and the French influence in New Orleans, even some Spanish culture and influence thrown in there, but Sicilians? Apparently,

“During the mid to late 1800’s large numbers of Sicilians came to the United States and settled in New Orleans where there were the most opportunities for work in the cotton, vegetable and fish markets. New Orleans had the largest population of Sicilians at this time.”

According to this website on Sicilian culture, the events that form a background for this novel of a Sicilian boy in southern Louisiana in the late 1800’s are true. In 1890, the chief of of police in New Orleans, David Hennessey, was assassinated. SInce he was investigating the Sicilian Mafia before he was killed, hundreds of Italian immigrants were arrested in connection with his death, and six men were indicted, tried . . . and acquitted. However, some of them, at least, were still in jail after their acquittal, and eleven Italian immigrants were pulled from the jailhouse, beaten, shot, and two of them lynched, one hung from a lamppost in the streets of New Orleans.

And I never heard anything about this episode in American history. Alligator Bayou takes place in 1899, after the Crescent CIty lynchings as they’re called, and in the strory a group of Sicilian immigrants are living in a small town trying to make a new life for themselves after fleeing the violence in New Orleans. One of these Sicilians is fourteen year old Calogero Scalise, who works in his uncle’s grocery store, takes lessons from a white man named Frank Raymond, and has a crush on a beautiful girl named Patricia.

I was fascinated with this story, mostly because I’d never heard anything about Sicilians in Louisiana, much less all the Mafia scare-induced prejudice toward Italians in the South. When I think Italian Americans, I’m thinking of New Jersey. Anyway, good story, sad, but well-written with a good portrayal of what it was like too be non-white, caught between cultures in the Deep South around the turn of the century.

Now I want to see the 1999 movie that I found while researching the background for this novel: Vendetta starring Christopher Walken. Has anyone seen it? Is it any good?