15 January 2008

Suggest-a-hymn / song

Just a bit of a fun experiment since I've got until Monday to come up with something!

I'm leading a short lunch-time prayer service next week at one of the Anglican Churches in our 'Prayers for Christian Unity week'. The theme of the day will be 'pray always'.

I usually try to include two songs or hymns since singing is such a part of Methodist tradition, but they will be sung without any instrumental accompaniment. Past experience suggests that once I've plucked up my courage to start the song (I'm a servicable, but not fantastic, choral singer) that there are enough good singers to carry the tune.

But I need songs that are easy to sing unaccompanied and which I can be sure everyone from all Christian denominations will know.

I've chosen 'Abba Father' for the first song. Anyone out there have any other suggestions? Well known, easy to sing, possibly a vague reference to prayer.

Answers on a postcard - er, blog reply - please!

The United States and the United Kingdom - two nations divided by different hymn tunes! :-)

5 comments:

Olive Morgan said...

The only one that comes to mind easily is "The right hand of God" by Noel Dexter and Patrick Prescot, Jamaica (words in English). I hope this will help.

Sally said...

You could try "Bind us together Lord", it is in Mission Praise and Songs of Fellowship- but could turn into a bit of a dirge...

Tough one!

Anonymous said...

"Amazing Grace" all verses, a capella, is always a good choice...
and if you're adventuresome, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?"

PamBG said...

I've actually gone for three verses of 'O God our help in ages past'.

I confess I've never heard either 'The right hand of God' or 'Will the Circle Be Unbroken?' Just goes to show the difficulty of finding 'well known' hymns, I think!

Fat Prophet said...

The song 'Will the circle be unbroken' is a Southern Gospel style song which you would certainly find Bill Gaither and the homecoming friends have recorded at least once. I have a sneaking suspicion that Elvis also recorded this song. I agree with Sally about Bind us together it needs playing with a bit of pace or it does become very dirge like - mind so can 'O God our help in ages past.