2019

and on the night

An updated arrangement and recording of song I wrote last year! I like how it sounds a good deal.

And on the night before this blessed morn
A troop of Angels unto Shepherds told,
Where in a stable he was poorly born,
Whom nor the earth nor heaven of heavens can hold,        
Through Bethlehem rung.    
This news at their return ;        
Yea, Angels sung,    
That God with us was born
And they made mirth, because we should not mourn.

This favour Christ has given for our sake :
To buy us thrones he in a manger lay ;
Our weakness he took, that we his strength might take,
And was disrob’d, that he might us array :        
Our flesh he wore,    
Our sin to wear away :        
Our curse he bore,    
That we escape it may ;
And wept for us, that we might sing for aye

words (adapted slightly) George Wither

O Love

Speaking of #CatherineWinkworthSongbook, I don’t seem to have put this one up on the blog, so I better, to add it to the list:

O LOVE WHO MADE ME

O Love, who made me for to wear
The image of Thy Godhead here;
Who sought me out with tender care
Through all my wand’rings wild and drear–
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be

O Love, who ere life’s earliest dawn
On me Thy choice hast gently laid;
O Love, who here as man wast born,
And like to us in all things made–
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

O Love, who once in Time wast slain,
Pierced through and through with bitter woe;
O Love, who, wrestling thus didst gain
That we eternal joy might know–
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

O Love, in whom is truth and light,
And Word and Spirit, life and power,        
Whose heart was bared to them that smite,
  To shield us in our trial hour;
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

O Love, who thus hast bound me fast
Beneath that easy/gentle yoke of Thine;
Love, who hast conquered me at last,
And rapt away this heart of mine–
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

Angelus Silesius (1657), English translation by Catherine Winkworth (slightly adapted)

WriMoTime(o)

It’s November! and the some.

Which means it is time for aspiring novelists everywhere to attempt National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo (and it’s very much international these days) and write around 2000 words a day towards a 50 000 word novel by the end of the month.

And time for me to do Pianowrimo which is… just a pun really, though “piano writing month” is okay I guess.

For the last two years I’ve been doing a parallel project where I compose, notate and record one short (short!!) piano piece for every day of November. The results are here to listen to for 2017 and here for 2018.

I’ve had a slightly delayed started this year but I am catching up as we speak, so watch this space for the first six pieces at least any moment now 🙂