"123123"....

“123123….” 

That’s what Ginger said to Fred when she was “teaching him” to dance the waltz (!) in the RKO musical “Swing Time”. 

Ginger is a music instructor, and Fred wants to get to know her, so he pretends he cannot dance.  They try doing "123123" and Fred ends up falling on the floor.  

They then sing  “Pick Yourself Up. Dust Yourself Off. Start All Over Again!” 

But when they try the 123123 again, and they both fall flat.

Ginger tells Fred, "No one could teach you to dance in a million years. Take my advice and save your money." 

Which, unfortunately, is overheard by her boss, Mr. Gordon, who promptly fires her.

In order to save her job, Fred asks her to show him the "step" that she taught him, and then says, "Shall we try it right through...?"

What follows is arguably their best dance number - and one of those numbers they were famous for, where they (ha!) “make it up as they go along”. They waltz, tap, leap, and swing around the dance floor, exhibiting a great deal of joy.  We are mesmerized by their dancing, as well we should be.

Classic fun stuff!  

"123123" is ALSO the number for the last day of this year: 12/31/23. 

Ok. Lots can be said:

First: 2024 is at hand: "Shall we try it right through...?"

Second: Waltz your way into the New Year. 

Third: Make it up as you go along. 

Fourth: You’re a whole lot better at this dance of life than anyone suspects! 

And, remember: If you slip: “Pick Yourself Up. Dust Yourself Off. Start All Over Again!” (The song from the dance number was composed in 1936 by Jerome Kern, with lyrics by Dorothy Fields). 

P. S. If you haven’t seen this "Heaven, Sheer Heaven" dance number, you can watch it on YouTube. Go for the five minutes clip to get the whole scene. 

Fort Street Presbyterian Church, in Detroit, Michigan - 175 Years Old

1849 = 175 Years

Fort Street Presbyterian Church, in Detroit, Michigan, is an absolutely impressive church. In 2024 they are celebrating their 175^th anniversary.  My work with the church began with Pastor Garrett Longmann.  From the conversations we had together, emerged a new hymn for them. 

The anniversary hymn I created for them is called: “Christ, Who Once Beckoned”.  I sent it to them on November 15, 2023. 

Garrett got back to me on November 16^th. He told me that they have a new music director Patrick Kuhl, and that Patrick would respond directly regarding the new hymn.

  I had an email from Patrick on November 21, 2023, saying that he approves and plans to use the hymn to the familiar tune i suggested, JERUSALEM.

 

The gorgeous photos of this incredible church building were made by Helmut Ziewers for Historic Detroit. 

Hamilton Union Presbyterian Church - 200th Anniversary

Hamilton Union 1824 – 200 years.

Celebrating 200 years, the Hamilton Union Presbyterian Church is located in Guilderland, New York.  

Carol Scott is Choir Director and Organist. We began planning the anniversary hymn a few months ago.  From its inception, we envisioned that Carol would write a new tune to go with my new anniversary text.  

Thereafter, I wrote and sent to Carol “With Tenderness, You Shaped The Past”. Carol liked the hymn, and plans to write the new tune for it.

Also, as you can see from the photograph of the interior of the sanctuary, this congregation sings from the correct blue 1990 Presbyterian Hymnal.  Good for them!

Wekiva Presbyterian Church Has Longest Running Sunday Morning Worship Webcast in Internet History

Back in mid-2004, while serving as the senior pastor of Wekiva Presbyterian Church in Longwood, Florida, and while dreaming about new initiatives for the church, an idea began to form in my mind...

I was trying to think of how we might reach others who for one reason or another were not able to be with us in person on a Sunday morning  

Now, I knew that TV broadcast was one way, but the cost of setting up such a ministry seemed out of the realm of possibility.  

I also remembered fondly from my Pittsburgh roots that the Rev. Dr. Hugh Thomson Kerr had initiated regular radio broadcasts of worship at Shadyside Presbyterian Church, during his tenure there - the first church anywhere to do so.  It would be great to do as he did (a minister I have long considered among the very finest ever).  But, again, the cost of a weekly radio broadcast seemed daunting.

Fortunately, my thoughts moved from the past to the present day.  

One was hearing that businesses were having meetings virtually, rather than in person.  If a business meeting could happen via computer, I wondered if perhaps worship meetings on Sunday morning would be able to do the same.

I don't pretend to be technically savvy but I know someone who is very much so....  David Larson who is the youngest Charter Member of Wekiva Presbyterian Church.  So sometime in the summer, I asked him if he would be willing to look into the possibility of our doing worship on the internet each Sunday.  Dave liked the idea, and said he would research it.

After having done so, he told me that it wasn't possible.  That the technology wasn't there.  

I was naturally disappointed, but of course understood.  So I put that idea completely out of my mind.

Fast forward a few months later.  One fine day, Dave telephoned me.  After we had said our hellos, without further ado, he said, "We can do it!"  

I - having forgotten about my earlier request - said, "Do what?"

Dave explained that he had done more research.  That a member of his staff had a brother in Puerto Rico who had managed to do live worship in his church there, for a special occasion, and that fortuitously, Dave's office and computer hardware were just within the proper distance to allow the webcast to be sent there and then broadcast on the internet from there. 

He asked me to visit him at his office so he could explain it in more detail.  Which I did.  And which he did.

You know those visuals of a rocket scientist at a huge blackboard working out an intricate equation?  It was like that.  A huge whiteboard was in Dave's conference room.  While I sat watching, he started at the left, and began making his way to the right.  Numbers. Diagrams.  Arrows. They filled the board.  It was totally impressive.  

And I was t totally lost, after the first few markings Dave wrote...

When he got to the far end of the whiteboard, he turned around toward me grinning, and said, "There you have it!"

I could tell he was expecting a wise and informed response.  What I did manage to say was this, pointing first to the left end of the board: "So you video the worship service there..." and then pointing to the far right of the board, "And the worship service appears on people's home computer, there."

"Exactly!" Dave said.  With a huge smile.  

So we had the plan. 

Being Good Presbyterians, we took the plan to the Session of the church for their approval. 

And we set the first Sunday in January 2005 as our launch date.  Which went off as it should have, and began a live worship webcast that Wekiva had continued each week, up to today - and on to the future.  

It is good that what was brand new then has become a universal aspect of churches everywhere, now.  I am glad to have been a part of its inception.  

There's a sequel to the story, which I will add at some time in the future.  

Hermon Presbyterian Church - Bethesda, Maryland - Anniversary Hymn

If you live in metropolitan DC you may already recognize the Hermon Presbyterian Church.  It is the quintessential white frame church with a center tower at the doorway, that you will see depicted in many illustrations, especially at Christmas time.  It looks like a child's drawing of "The way churches are supposed to look".

If you are looking for a small church worship and community and you're in the DC area, you should visit. The congregation has a full mission ministry, and is a very welcoming place.

They are about to celebrate a milestone anniversary, and I am glad to be part of it, even if remotely, by having written an anniversary hymn for them to sing.  

It is great to be able to be with the church in spirit, if not in person, for their special day.  Here is how the new hymn came into being:

I worked with Andrew Corson, who is a church Elder and who grew up in the church. In response to my request for idea starters, Andrew provided Hermon’s beautiful and thoughtful Welcome Statement, as well as some photos of the current restoration work being done on the church.  Andrew indicated that they like singing ROCK OF AGES, A MIGHT FORTRESS, and GOD OF AGES. So I selected from those ROCK OF AGES, to which I wrote their new anniversary hymn called: “God of Blessings, On This Day…” and emailed it to him in early December.  I'm looking forward to hearing how the congregation enjoys singing it.

 

G. F. Handel Coronation Anthem Updated for Easter Day

One of the happy connections that hymn writing has proved me is the connection with Wendy Bamonte, the music director at the Lake Grove Presbyterian Church in Oswego, Oregon.  Wendy is very energetic and creative.  She has been planning for Easter 2024, and as a result of her planning, she contacted me with what I consider to be a delightful request.

She loves the anthem "Zadok the Priest" which George Friedrich Handel wrote as a Coronation Anthem.  But of course, the lyrics to the original - which are scripturally based - deal specifically with the crowning of a new monarch.  Indeed, the most recent occasion on which the anthem was heard worldwide was for the coronation of Charles III.  

(You can hear a wonderful rendition of the original by the choir of Westminster Abbey on YouTube.)

"Zadok the Priest" was written in 1721 for the Coronation of George II. The original lyrics were based on I Kings 1:38-40. when Zadok the Priest anointed Solomon as King of Israel. The passage has been sung since the 900s at British coronations, set by a number of composers, until Handel wrote the definitive version that has been sung at coronations ever since George II's.  At that first presentation of the anthem, the choir of Westminster Abbey actually sang it at a wrong part of the service.  It is nice to know that even on great occasions of state, these matters that sometimes challenge worship planners on a Sunday morning, happen.  

Wendy asked me to modify the lyrics, so that the anthem could be sung at Lake Grove on Easter Day, 2024.  It was a lovely request, and I enjoyed fulfilling it for her.  She tells me that the anthem with my new words will debut this coming Easter.  I will be sure to worship with them via the web to hear the premier.

New Psalm Contest - Two Honorable Mentions!

New Psalm Contest - Two Honorable Mentions!

You may remember that earlier in this year, composer Glenn Rudolph and I submitted two new psalms for congressional singing to the 2023 New Psalm Contest, which is sponsored annually by the Church of the Servant in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Recently we received word that not one, but both of them, were given honorable mention by the team of judges.  The hymns are available to be seen and heard on the church's website.

The Congregational Church of Westborough, Massachusetts - A New Hymn

The Congregational Church of Westborough, Massachusetts - A New Hymn

I am happy to share that recently I completed hymn for the 300th anniversary of the Congregational Church of Westborough, Massachusetts.  They will be having a big celebration on February 11, 2024, and this hymn will be part of it.

An interesting fact about this congregation is that for many years, the bell in their steeple was one that had been made by Paul Revere.  That same bell now resides in the belfry of old South Church in Boston.  The photograph you see is from the cover of a book that was written for the history of the church 25 years ago.  

The new hymn emerged as follows...

The planning began in conjunction with Catherine "Cathie" Achorn, who is the chairperson of their 300^th Anniversary Committee.  Thereafter, there were ongoing emails with Tom Morgan, their church historian, as well as with Cathie.  Cathie sent me the church's 275th anniversary history book, pictured.  Tom sent a link to the lecture he gave about the history of the houses of worship in Westborough.  From this great information, I wrote a hymn called “Three Hundred Years of Faith” for them.  I sent the hymn on November 26, 2023 which they thereafter approved the next day. 

Their motto for the anniversary is: "300 Years of Faith, Hope, and Service".  That served as the inspiration for my hymn, which is entitled: "300 Years of Faith!"

Is your church having an anniversary or special occasion?  I would love to write a new hymn for you.  

Lake Grove Presbyterian Church in Oswego, Oregon, will be celebrating it Centennial in 2024.

Lake Grove Presbyterian Church in Oswego, Oregon, will be celebrating it Centennial in 2024.  

I have written them a new hymn that the will sing to help mark the occasion.  This is the first of several new works that I have written for them. It is entitled: 

“We Join in Celebration…” to be sung to ANGELS STORY, to be sung as part of their anniversary celebrations on September 8, 2024. 

Soon I will be posting about the new lyrics I created for their Easter 2024 worship service.  Great to have this connection with a wonderful congregation!

Hymn for First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown, New York

Hymn for First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown, New York

I am delighted  to announce that I recently completed a hymn for the First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown New York.  The church is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. Here is how the writing of the hymn happened:

I first talked about it with the church's minister, the Rev Robert (Bob) Hagel. Thereafter, I worked in conjunction with Paige Hardison, who is the church's Director of Music, Chancel Choir, and Bells.  Paige consulted with their church organist and I began work on their hymn, set to a familiar tune. When it was ready, I sent it to Paige.  The hymn title being:  “We Know Some Names” which was approved in mid November 2023.