Music – Sentinel2Sentinel

10 Day Social Media Fast: Day 4

It was a zoo day. Little Charlie R. and I went to the zoo. The weather could not have been more lovely with the passing of Hurricane Michael. The temperatures and humidity seemed to sort themselves out as a lovely breeze flowed through the partly cloudy day. It was simply lovely weather for this time of year.

I watched Jeffy on The Blaze this morning for a bit. Love that Kris Cruz. Other than that no news for me today. Just my little 2 year old and the zoo and the things that make a 2 year old’s life turn through the day.

Charlie R. fed the giraffes. He fed the ducks and the carp. And best of all he fed himself at lunch time.

Simple joys.

My favorite part of the day was nap time once we got home from the zoo. He was singing the chorus to The Family is of God in that sweet little voice of his, as he drifted off to sleep.

“…This is how He shares His love, for the fam’ly is of God.”

4/10-DF

Primary: Getting it together for 2018

Primary is for Children. Serving in Primary is one of my favorite callings. It takes a lot of time to keep on top of all of the many things to be prepared for a new year in teaching and working with the children. Especially it is time consuming when trying to finish up the end of the current year and start fresh on January 2018.

The Outline for the 2018 Sharing Time is really wonderful. The music the children are learning and preparing to present for 2018 Children’s Sacrament Meeting Presentation is soul stirring.

So far I have the class lists updated, the tracking sheets for talks, prayers, scriptures and articile of faith recitations dated and printed off, and the first five months of assignment slips dated and printed out for the children.

The finishing touches will go on to the Lesson/Sharing Time schedule this Thursday and last minute corrections to the class lists will too. The monthly sub-themes and the weekly topic headings will all be printed out and there it is.

Final item to print will be the Birthday List and I am saving that for Saturday night.

Basta!

And then we are off and running January 7, 2018.

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#LightTheWorld: The song of the righteous

The music in our Sacrament Meeting was really wonderful today. I always love it when the congregation gets to sing a lot on Christmas day! It was absolutely joyous!

Opening Hymn: Joy to the World
Sacrament Hymn: Jesus, Once of Humble Birth
Congregation: Come, All Ye Faithful
Choir: Still, Still, Still
Special Number, The Hoyt Family: When Joseph Went to Bethlehem and Once Within A Lowly Stable
Special Musical Number, Flute – Kristen Lind accompanied by Mary Ann Crabtree: Silent Night
Congregation: The First Noel
Women’s Choir: It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Congregation: Angels We Have Heard On High
Choir: Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains
Choir, Congregation joins on Verse 3: O Holy Night
Closing Hymn: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

In my Church we are taught that the song of the righteous is a prayer unto God. That scripture makes me think often about the kind of music I listen to and sing. Especially when we are also taught that we must watch and pray always.

I want to be praying to the one, true God, not false ones.

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#LightTheWorld: Scriptures in Song

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In our Church’s hymnal, at the bottom righthand corner of every hymn is a scripture reference. For example, on the English version of Franz Gruber’s SILENT NIGHT, the scriptures listed for that hymn are Luke 2:7-14 and Alma 7:10-12.

If you go through the Children’s Songbook it is the same. For example, THE SHEPHERD’S CAROL lists Luke 2:13-14, 20.

Sometimes I love to open the Hymns or the Children’s Songbook and just use it as a starting place to study my scriptures. I love to be able to sing and read and ponder the feelings of my heart.

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Day 7: #LightTheWorld with Music

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When my little Charlie R. was born I did not meet him right away. But when meeting him a couple of weeks later and I got to hold him, one of the first things I did was sing to him.

That little bundle has become a big bundle of delightful joy. My little Wall Ball. He is almost 17 months old and I am still singing him to sleep with the very first lullaby I ever sang to him.

Now it is Christmas time. He is old enough to absorb the wonderful time of year that it is. He loves music. He loves to break out into a dance when he hears something he likes playing.

It is a great time of year to play and sing fun songs, songs of joy, and songs of hope to light the world with His Glory.

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On a Christmas music roll

I love the feeling at Christmas time. Getting ready for the 2017 Montgomery Interfaith Nativity has really put me in the Christmas music mood that I have been playing some clips and past television programs.

The MoTab always has a variety of musical talent every year. Usually they focus on classical singers one year and then more contemporary/broadway artists the next. Richard Elliot at the organ is absolutely fascinating to watch and listen to in this clip as he interacts with Count von Count from Sesame Street:

Perry Como specials were always fun to watch back in the day.

And of course Andy Williams always had a marvelous program too.

One of my favorite memories is the story of The Christmas Truce, featuring the hymn Silent Night:

On that note, enjoy The Story of Silent Night here.

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Trying to learn a song in French

I am pretty nervous and excited about the opportunity to sing on Thursday, November 30th at 6:30 p.m. for the 2017 Montgomery Interfaith Nativity in Montgomery, Alabama. My friend, Tina Gann, has graciously agreed to accompany me. She is a fabulous accompanist and quite the accomplished pianist. We will be getting together this week to talk about our twenty minute musical lineup.

One of my favorite songs we are definitely performing is Gesu Bambino, text by Frederick Herman Martens, music by Piertro Alessandro Yon, and edited by Charles J. Cardin.

Another song I want to sing is Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabelle however I would love to learn it in French as originally published, Un Flambeau, Jeanette, Isabelle.

Today I have been listening to two different YouTube versions of the song in order to translate the French phonetically so I can learn the pronunciation. Then, I will have my French-American CrossFit Coach Charles help me make any final corrections to my pronunciation before I commit it all to memory.

Pretty amazing technology. And how cool is that to have a native French speaking CrossFit Coach to help me in the middle of Alabama?

Awesome I tell ya! Simply Awesome.

And it will truly be Christmas miracle awesome if I can learn it in French over the next few weeks!

259/365 …. argh… missed posting this by a minute or two… oh well. The new norm.

Friday the 13th: My lucky day

Not being a superstitious person, I claim Friday the 13th as my lucky day. Nevermind I forgot to post about it in my 365 writing challenge yesterday.

My lucky day included:

Some extra free time to run a couple of errands.
My PIANO GUYS order came!
My charming, little Charlie R. and I got to have lunch and spend the afternoon together.

It was a great morning to get several things done, a delicious lunch and a fantastic afternoon with my Little Guy, and an evening filled with uplifting music, music that I have imported to make playlists for rowing and jump roping and crossfiting.

It was more than okay on the lucky-me day.

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Love Sir Cliff Richards! He sounds fabulous! The cd version is the second video below.

Sunday: A break from the dreary world

I love to spend my time, when not in Church on Sunday, listening to General Conference sermons and Music & the Spoken Word.

Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as he has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Hymn 124: Be Still My Soul

There is great joy in resting from one’s labors, feasting on the words of Christ. And all He asks is that we give Him one day a week.

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Singing in Church next Sunday

My friend, Tina, is a really great musician. She’s one in a million as far as talent goes so it is fortunate for me that we are members of the same congregation. She has agreed to accompany me while I sing in Chuch next Sunday.

We met together for a short run through after church services and to share ideas on the musical intro, interlude, and ending today. She had some fabulous ideas as she ran her fingers across the keys, ever so thoughtfully.

I am thankful to have the opportunity to sing Press Forward Saints. It is such a joyful hymn. It lifts my soul beyond measure.

Thanks Tina! You are wonderful, you are!

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