General Conference was excellent. This was my favorite song. Happy Monday!
Tag Archives: Music Monday
Summer Music: The Promise of Living
For many people their favorite holiday is Christmas. That’s fine — weirdos (just kidding!). In our house we’re summer people, especially Independence Day people. Starting about Memorial Day I begin to blitz the house with red, white, and blue decorations, my children wait for me to bring out the fire crackers, we read the Declaration of Independence the night before Independence Day, and we watch 1776 on the day itself. We carry our celebrations into late July and truly enjoy Pioneer Day and celebrating our ancestors and our country. I love this time of year.
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Music Monday: Name That Tune Edition
Last year we cut the cord and dropped our satellite service. It was the best decision ever. No one needs 47 home shopping channels. With our Roku and smart TV we can watch whatever we want, when ever we want. We also watch a lot of Church produced media/shows/videos over our devices. The other day I noticed something when the Church is getting ready to live-stream something eg: devotionals, Music & the Spoken Word, General Conference. They will play about an hour of the Tabernacle Choir singing, but about 2 minutes before the broadcast begins, this particular organ piece always plays. Always. It’s somewhat of a Pavlovian response for me at this point, “Two minutes! Twwwoooo minutes! Places everyone! It’s going to start!”
What was this song called? It’s been on my mind and in my ears for a few weeks. I had to find out what it was. I took a video on my cell phone of the Church’s youtube page and posted that video on my Facebook page for a game of Name That Tune, and asked the hive to chime in. We had some good guesses.
Someone thought it was Chopin, others Bach, something French, from the Romantic period. In the end my friend Laura identified it as Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in B major, composed by Camille Saint-Saens, played by Clay Christiansen. Brother Christiansen just recently retired from the Tabernacle Organists corps.
Every day is a good day for some organ music, in my book. Enjoy!
3 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 99: Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in B major
Music Monday: If Ye Love Me Keep My Commandments
This year’s theme scripture for the Young Men and Women is John 14: 15, “If ye love me keep my commandments.” Last week in our ward’s mutual opening exercises, we all stood and repeated this scripture together. It was very powerful for me sitting on the back row, with my two year old daughter on my lap. I was so glad she was able to hear these young women and men say this short, but powerful declaration. The Spirit was there as these words were said, and these teenagers believed what they were saying. It was powerful.
In this arrangement The Swingles (nee The Swingle Singers), are singing this scripture set to music by the 16th Century composer Thomas Tallis, which has been arranged for double choir by Kevin Fox. The parts loop over and over each other, which creates a beautiful choral round.
The text also continues with verses 16-17. The whole passage reads:
15 If ye love me,keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth;
Music Monday: It Is Well With My Soul
Welcome to 2019! I enjoyed writing about Christmas music in the month of December. (See all of those posts HERE). It really helped stave off my usual holiday anxiety, and even though we were down with the flu, we had an enjoyable Christmas. I wanted to continue writing about inspiring music this year — although not every day. So, I’m going to try most Mondays to share a song, hymn … something to divert you, and me from the insanity that is our social media world. If you have a favorite song, let me know in the comments and I’ll write about it. Continue reading