So Much Singing
Clara usually helps Bella with her voice practice, accompanying her on the piano and working with her on good practice technique. She decided early this year that Bella's sight-reading skills needed upping, so they usually warm up, then sing several pages in a row out of the hymn books. For Bella it is sightsinging; by now Clara is piano-fluent in the whole hymnal, and usually sings along on the alto line.
It's been great for the rest of us as the girls bring many unknown hymns out of obscurity. Though some of them should be left there. God of Concrete, God of Steel? What was someone thinking?
And in the last year the boys have both developed so much interest in singing that at the first sign of the hymnals coming out they jump in and try to learn the bass lines. Daisy trills along in a "high voice" and, well, it's wonderful!
29 comments:
What a wonderful family. Lots for which to thank God. Is that an aviary in the background - as in birds in the choir?
Merry Christmas to you all. Up here in the frozen north we are having a gorgeous snowfall.
Oh, wow, wonderful, indeed!! Anna, how beautiful to hear your children singing praises together of their own accord! Such blessings!
Oh, that is wonderful! It sounds great.
Lisateresa
that sounds so delightful! that is how my dad's family was (of all boys). they loved singing and often sang old hymns. Now, 2 of them (my dad and uncle) are now very involved in Christian music. My dad is a gospel singer ( www.davidkoblish.org ) and my uncle is in producing and managing. Maybe you'll have similar things happen in your family as well!
Delightful! One of the sounds that makes me happiest, is hearing my own daughters singing together. Sounds to warm a mother's heart!
Love God of Concrete, God of Steel! Used to read this one and try to sneak it in on Sunday nights when suggestions were taken ;)
K
How wonderful for you - so much musical ability in one dear home is a blessing to be sure! I love it when our little home is filled with music by our 13 year old girl on the piano and our 10 year old son singing along with more gusto than skill. I am sure their pure praise is a blessing to the Lord. It certainly makes my heart joyful! We often sing 'through the hymn book' and the theology of the old hymns leads to many great discussions!
Fun stuff!
Isn't it a joy to hear your children singing in harmony? This year our two youngest daughters (15 and 12) have been singing with one of my married daughters and her husband - the unaccompanied carols they sang at a rest home and our carol service nearly made me weep. And the best part? Hearing my 2 year old grand-daughter singing to herself - 'O Holy Night' and 'Panis Angelicus' in her carseat when we are out driving. And songs from
The Pirates of Penzance', her favourite!
O Anna - I would love to be in your household right now to hear all that lovely hymn singing! It's SO refreshing to learn that the young aren't so enamoured by what's hip that they turn their noses up on the songs of old. Blessings to you and your family on this most blessed of seasons.
So wonderful Anna!
I see Frederick in his cage in the background there. I'm thinking he wouldn't be able to stop himself from singing along too!
What a joy it must be to have your home filled with loving family singing praises to our God! Precious!
Blessings to your sweet family, and Merry Christmas to you all!
Katie
*Psalm 9:2*
Anna, I just love to read your blog. I do it first thing in the morning with my coffee. You seem to be such an amazing woman and your kids are just wonderful. I can just sit here and awe woman who can do it all. Thanks
My children do not sing together but they do all play the piano. I get all warm inside when they are playing songs to Jesus. What a sweet time for you and your family and what wonderful memories they are building. I know the brings a smile to your face and joy to your heart.
I know, 4-part hymns are wonderful! I'm a Mennonite and this is what we sing every Sunday. . .and my family likes to sing together too. Our favorite hymnal is the Hymnal Worship Book (http://www.rockhay.org/worship/hymns123.htm) and my sis, best friend and I sang #187 "let the heavens be glad" in a round for church this past Sunday.
OK, I could really get going here. But sitting around goofing with the parts on hymns is what my family loves to do so much. . . and then in times of great joy and sadness, we have those songs.
Yeah....that one must rank among the very worst hymns ever. We joke about it occasionally at church, as it was in our old hymnal too.
Merry Christmas!
I love this post! You are right; it is wonderful!
I've wondered, too, about that strange hymn.
It is the recipe
for lifting gloom
and lending cheer
as ever we go
in the upward way.
Harmony in more ways than one.
Beautiful!
{{* *}}
Ok, it's official. Your family is a real-life Grace Livingston Hill family! Every time I read your blog, it's like an ongoing GLH novel. I love it! What a fun family you have...I'm inspired.
Sounds delightful! Merry Christmas to your beautiful family Anna!
Oh the joy of music filling the house. We love the old hymns (most of them) too Anna - such treasures.
Sending you wishes for a Blessed Christmas filled with joy and the warmth of family and friends.
I'm so glad you decided to return to blogging.
I love family sings from the hymnal. Singing with my parents and siblings is the only time I get to try out the alto part. I'm trying to learn sight-singing too.
This is great.
I know you must love hearing them all sing! You have inspired me to get my children to sing together. Wish me luck!
This made me tear up, Anna. You are truly blessed.
I love hymns so. Wish I could ring your bell with a plate of cookies and listen in!
I'm so glad someone else knows about God of Concrete, God of Steel! Oh my goodness, it's one of my favorite crazy hymns. :)
I would sit and sing and play through the hymnal during spare moments as a kid and then as a college music student, I would practice singing all the parts on solfegge.
Just working my way through your archives...
I have been taking a journey through your old posts, Anna, for inspiration. I read this post and chuckled to myself. Our Baptist hymnal has the song "God of Earth and Outerspace" in it. The melody is beautiful(Aberystwyth), but when singing the lyrics it often feels a little "out there".
Amy F.
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