Sunday 29th October

The organ music played over the past two weeks has all had personal significance - it is music I remember my father playing. He has been a church organist all his adult life, though he less frequently graced the organ stool once he was ordained as a part-time minister. When he retired, he resumed organ playing, only giving up a few weeks ago when he became too frail to clamber onto the organ stool. Since then, he has had another two mini-strokes and is currently in hospital down in Norfolk. My music has been a quiet tribute to all his years of playing.

• Opening voluntary: Canon in D, by Pachelbel
• Offering voluntary: Andantino in E, by Cesar Franck
• Outgoing voluntary: Tuba tune by C. S. Lang

Sunday 22nd October

• Opening voluntaries: O Mensch, bewein, and, Jesu, joy of man's desiring; J S Bach
• Offering voluntary: Scots air
• Outgoing voluntary: March on a theme by Handel; Guilmant

Farewell!

Susan Wernham, a popular member of Killermont Choir, is shortly leaving us to go to America with her husband. This was Susan's final service, and our minister, Alan Hamilton, paid tribute to Susan's long years of service and cheery disposition. The Choir and I will be sorry to see her go, too, but will mark her departure with a farewell supper next week. Au revoir, Susan!

Sunday 15th October

Organ music played:-

Before the service - Prelude in B minor by Cesar Franck; Elevation by Guilmant; Nobody knows the trouble I've seen.
During the offering - Lascia ch'io pianga, by Handel
Outgoing - You raise me up, by Rolf Lovland and Brendan Graham

Please pray for:-

All church organisations; also our neighbouring churches as they plan the forthcoming union.

Image from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, library website - acknowledged with thanks.

Killermont Fun Day (Saturday 7th October 2006)

The Choir's input was to man the bookstall. We raised in excess of £127. Very many thanks to all the generous choir members who gave their time to make this such a success. And just as many thanks to our customers, too!

A Personal First (Sunday 8th October 2006)

The band played today, so I had the chance to participate in a different way. It's a strange feeling, worshipping in the body of the Kirk rather than seated at the organ.

Today, however, was special. This was the first Boys' Brigade Parade at which all three of our sons participated.

To reiterate what was said in today's service, please pray for all church organisations - especially the Boys' Brigade, which has such an important role to play in helping our sons grow up in the Christian faith.

Pray, too, for all those involved in leading worship at Killermont.

This evening, we had a service of Remembering and Healing. It was well-attended and very much appreciated by all present.

This is the music I played:-

• Evening hymn, by Purcell
• Che faro senza Euridice, by Gluck
• Ashokan farewell, by Jay Ungar (the music to the series Civil War. You can visit American Jay Ungar's website here.)
• Berceuse (Cradle Song) by Benjamin Godard

Image - I'm happy to acknowledge use of this picture, which came from http://www.fairview-killin.co.uk/

Choir contributions 17th September to 5 November 2006:-



17 September (Harvest)
Introit 233 v.1- Come, you thankful people, come
Anthem CAB 71 p.366 - Praise, O praise ; Martin How
Recessional 804 - You shall go out with joy

24 September - The Band will accompany worship. (Your organist will be in Norfolk accompanying her nephew's christening!)

1 October
Introit 576 v.1 - Jesus before me
Anthem 575 - Over my head
Recessional Celtic Anthem, "The peace of Christ be with you" ; Geoff Nobes

8 October - The Band will accompany worship

15 October (start of October holiday week)
Introit 105 v.1 - Glory to God
Anthem 180 - Give thanks with a grateful heart
Recessional 176 - Let’s sing unto the Lord

22 October (end of October week - Communion)
Introit SGP72 v2 - Living Lord
Anthem CAB32 p155 - Holy, Holy, holy ; Tchaikovsky
Recessional SGP2 - A new commandment

29 October
Introit 805 - Your will be done on earth, O Lord
Anthem Celtic Anthem -Alone with none but you ; Andrew Wright
Recessional CAB27 p141 - God be in my head ; Rutter

5 November
Introit CG42 - God to enfold you
Anthem - The armed man. Benedictus ; Jenkins
Recessional CG189 v.3 - Be still, for the power of the Lord

All newcomers are welcome to join us - Choir Practice is at 7.30 pm on Thursday evenings at Killermont Parish Church, Bearsden. (Go on - you know you've been meaning to give it a go!)

And we make a mean cup of tea/coffee, too!

image from uncc.edu - with many thanks!

Choir practices begin again on Thursday 24th August!

Killermont Parish Church Choir warmly welcomes newcomers - we meet at 7.30 pm, and on our first practice of the session, we'll be rewarding ourselves with an extra long tea-break so we can catch up on each other's news.

We look forward to meeting again, and pray earnestly that others will feel inspired to join us this session.

Sunday 27th August is Rededication Sunday. Here's the choir music:-

Introit - Hymn 507 verse1, Jesus, I come
Anthem - Church Anthem Book 37, Jesu, joy of man's desiring ; J S Bach
Recessional - Hymn 681 verse 1, Send out the gospel

Sunday 3rd September

Introit - Hymn 757, Come all you people
Anthem - Hymn 802, We are here to praise (special two-part setting)
Recessional - Hymn 573, Saranam (I surrender)

image of August church flowers from southforestflowers.com - an American florist.

We're recruiting singers right now!

Killermont Church Choir (Bearsden, Glasgow, Scotland) is in good heart and good voice, but we're always ready to welcome new singers.

See if you're anyone like this:-

• You used to sing in a choir at school
• You used to sing in a choir when you lived somewhere else
• You always enjoyed singing but have never been in a choir
• You enjoy music and fancy a new leisure activity
• ......................................... (fill in your own situation!)

Why not come and give it a try when we meet up again at the end of August? We rehearse on Thursday evenings at church, at 7.30 pm. We always have a tea-break - social networking is very important to us!

The choir is a family - but we're happy to welcome newcomers. Go on - you'll love it!

Sunday 25th June 2006

Killermont is in Summer Sunday mode now. There's a short, informal family service at 9 am, and a "conventional" service at 10.15 am.

Before the 10.15 am service, you heard:- "Oh, my beloved father" and "Nessun dorma" (both by Puccini); during the offering I played "I'll walk with God", from The Student Prince by Brodszky; and we finished with "Crown Imperial", by Walton.


To the kind people who joined us in praying for our friends' daughter over very many months, I am sorry to have to relate that sadly all the doctors' best efforts were not able to win the struggle with cancer. We celebrated her funeral a week ago - it was a very positive celebration of a life filled with enthusiasm, happiness and - yes - a zest for life itself.
The huge smiley balloons in Marie Curie colours were chosen by our friends' daughter as a signal that this was a service to be celebrated. Our thoughts are with the family and many friends coming to terms with their untimely loss.
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www.mariecurie.org.uk You can donate to the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity here.

The family has suggested that charitable donations might also be given to the Ileostomy Association, who offered much support, gratefully appreciated. http://www.the-ia.org.uk

While you say a prayer, you might like to take a cyber-walk through these churchyard gardens, with absolutely fabulous spring flowers: http://www.mooseyscountrygarden.com/english-gardens/churchyard-garden-spring-daffodils.html (The church is St Giles', in London.)

28th May 2006

Today, you heard:-

• Elevation, by Guilmant
• Prelude on Crimond, by Hesford
• Bourree from the Water Music, by Handel
• Fanfare, by Gordon Jacob

Did you enjoy the anthem? "Lord, can this really be", is a hymn from the new Church Hymnary (CH4). Maybe we'll all sing it together one day.

You may remember that over a year ago, I requested your prayers for the daughter of friends of ours. For a few glorious months, it looked as though her health had improved enormously. Sadly, the improvement didn't last, and things are now very bad again. Please pray for her and her family.

Please also pray for the spouse of a colleague of mine, fighting their own battle with cancer and currently undergoing chemotherapy. That's another family whose plans for the next few months have suddenly been up-ended.

If you're currently blessed with good health, give thanks for it!

On Palm Sunday, the band played on. The Choir "rested their voices" (evidently!), for they were in splendid voice for the evening Gospel songs service.

And that brings us to day - Easter Sunday. We had a Sunny Sunrise Service! The best weather we've had yet, in fact. It was still a bit nippy for the guitar-playing minstrels (brrrrr!), but the singing was enthusiastic. The breakfast afterwards was good, too.

For the regular morning service, I played:-

Before the service: You raise me up (Rolf Lovland and Brendan Graham); then Postlude on Laudate Dominum (Rosalie Bonighton).

During the communion: Romance from The Gadfly (Shostakovich), and Domine Deus (Vivaldi's Gloria).

Outgoing voluntary: In Dir ist Freude (J S Bach)

After that - nearly five hours at church! - we scuttled home for lunch, and then some serious Family Fun at Finlaystone. ("Family Fun" is what our youngest son calls any outing when we all go out together! And the more active it is, the more fun - obviously.)

Well, they do say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions - like your organist not updating the Killermont Praise weblog for over a month, maybe?

Faced with the 5.5 mile drive to the frozen heights of Killermont, I might as well have been looking at an ascent of Mount Everest. The image shows my car busily going nowhere on 12th March. (I might add that three little boys joyously frolicked in the snow all morning, and a wonderful time was had by all - including our washing-machine.

Last week, 19th March, we were back in business again. I played the Adagio by Albinoni/Giazotto, a blues piece entitled "Free the Spirit", by Blinko, and the outgoing voluntary was Nun danket, by Karg Elert.

Today, 26th March, I took the final hymn as my musical theme, and played -

• Trio, and Toccatina for flutes, both based on "And can it be", in a setting by Christopher Tambling.
• Sursum corda, by John Ireland
• God so loved the world, by Stainer (during the Offering)
• Concertino on "And can it be", again by Tambling.

Those with observant musical ears may have noticed that for the past two weeks I have played an organ interlude from Stainer's "Crucifixion", as the choir processed in. It's intended to be a signal that worship is about to start - and hopefully to remind everyone of the liturgical season, too.

Look forward to Palm Sunday evening at 6.30 pm, when Killermont Parish Church Choir leads worship in an evening of Gospel songs - some reflective, and others vibrantly joyful. Listen, join in, and just take a break from the busy daily routine to reflect on this special time of year.

Amongst our musical contributions will be a set of spirituals arranged by the gifted American Moses Hogan, who sadly died far too young, quite recently.

Oh, the embarrassment of realising that it is many weeks since this blogspot was updated!

Happy New Year from Killermont Choir!

Today, I played "To a wild rose" (Macdowell) and "In Elysium" (Gluck) before the service. During the offering, I played "The sun whose rays", from The Mikado (Sullivan). The outgoing voluntary was "Monmouth" (Wood).

Sometimes the strangest or seemingly trivial pieces of music just catch our imagination. Thus it was that our recessional, "You shall go out with joy", ended up being sung twice. The children so enjoyed clapping in time to the music that I couldn't resist giving them a repeat!





Permit me to become serious for a moment. Followers of Killermont Praise! will know that we have held the daughter of our friends in our prayers for some time now. After a few months of really encouraging progress, suddenly we hear that things are not so good again. Your prayers would be very welcome at this most difficult time.

Please also pray for a 12-year old known to our oldest son. This boy lost his mother in tragic circumstances last weekend. His mother was a classroom assistant at the school still attended by our two younger boys, so there is great sadness at the school, too. Please pray for a child who now has so much more to cope with, in addition to struggling to adjust to the challenges of a big secondary school. We don't know much about the family, but I'm sure that some prayers for this youngster's future would be very appropriate.

Killermont Parish Church, Beardsen - Choir music for December

4 December - the band will be playing.

11 December
Introit CH4 317, Before the world began (v.1)
Anthem CFC 3 no.32, p.138, O little town of Bethlehem; Walford Davies
Recessional Archer carols p.34, The linden tree carol, v.1

18 December - morning
Introit CFC2 no.1, p.6, A babe is born, I wys (v.1)
Anthem CH4 320, Joy to the world
Recessional CH4 311, Jesus is born, v.1

18 December - there will be a brief afternoon rehearsal.

EVENING LESSONS AND CAROLS

Introit CH4 273, O come, o come, Emmanuel v1-2
Lighting of Advent Candle & Call to Worship
Praise CH4 273, O come, o come, Emmanuel (contd.)
1st Lesson Isaiah 42 verses 1-9, 16 (Ian Steven)
Choir Carol Archer p.14, In dulci jubilo
Prayer
Praise CH4 294, On Christmas night all Christians sing
2nd Lesson John 1 verses 1-18 (David Sherry)
Choir Carol Archer p.20, Lute-book lullaby
Praise CH4 304, O little town of Bethlehem
3rd Lesson Luke 1 verses 26-38 (Catriona Morse)
Choir Carol CFC2 (orange) 17 p.74, Il est ne le divin enfant ; arr. Rutter
Prayers
Praise CH4 301, Hark! The herald angels sing
4th Lesson Luke 2 verses 8-20 (Shona MacLachlan)
Choir Carol CFC 3 no.21 p.89 Hush my dear, lie still
Offering
Offering Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
5th Lesson Luke 2 verses 25-38 (Bill McMillan)
Choir Carol Christ-Child in the manger ; Kenneth Rothery
Praise CH3 191, O come, all ye faithful
Benediction & 3-fold Amen
Choir Carol CFC2 no.39 p.182, The angels and the shepherds18 Dec 2005


24 December - WATCHNIGHT SERVICE 11.30 pm (no Choir)

25 December - CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE 11 am (no Choir)

1 January - No choir today (NB it is unseemly to shout "Yippee!" Please don't!)

Organ music at Killermont:

20 November - Sarabande, by Arnold Cooke; the Harry Potter theme, by John Williams (much to the delight of our younger members!); and Procession, by Sumsion.

27 November - the first Sunday in Advent - Agnus Dei, from The armed man, by Karl Jenkins; Wachet auf!, by Bach; O come, o come, Emmanuel - two settings, by Rex Koury and Flor Peeters; and Fantasia in C minor, again by Bach.

Thanks are due: visitors to Killermont Praise will be aware that we have been praying for the recovery of a young woman who has been seriously ill for the past year. We are delighted to hear that her family are now much encouraged by her progress. From a position of total despair, there is now considerable hope for the future. Please don't stop praying!

Please pray also for the many other families going through difficult times, whether through the illness of a family member or problems in other areas of their lives. Remember, too, friends and neighbours - perhaps with no church connection at all - whom we know are having a tough time at the moment.

On the 6th November, the Band played. (As it happened, I was in Manchester at a research conference. I delivered my paper, answered questions, went for coffee - and as I glanced at my watch, realised gleefully that I was actually getting it before the rest of you for once, since it still wasn't quite 11 o'clock!)

Which brings me to day, 13th November. Remembrance Sunday.

Before the service, you heard 'Romance', from The Gadfly (Shostakovich), then 'Beautiful Isle of Somewhere' (J. S. Fearis) - guess who has been purchasing new music? During the offering, I played the celebrated 'Adagio' by Samuel Barber. It has particularly come to prominence since the 7/11 disaster. The outgoing voluntary was 'Spitfire', by William Walton.

To adhere to the Remembrance Sunday theme, the Choir sang the Kyrie and Sanctus from 'Mass: The armed man', by Karl Jenkins. The music is atmospheric - very appropriate for the occasion. But I have to say that 'The armed man' is a fifteenth century French chanson (L'homme arme), on which Jenkins based his mass. And that's the only connection with war! Be not deceived!

Our minister was warning us to Beware of false prophets, today. Was it purely coincidental that our neighbourhood suffered an attack of the Jehovah's Witnesses this afternoon? I did tell them to go away. I exercised self-control and kept my car-washing water bucket well away from them. However, I missed my chance to share Alan's comments with them, which was an opportunity wasted! (If interested, you might like to follow this link - it's by a Canadian professor who is no longer a Jehovah's Witness.)

'I Hope You Dance... This was written by an 83-year-old woman to her friend. The last line says it all.

Dear Bertha,

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working.

Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I'm not sure what others would've done had they known they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was. I'm guessing; I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God. Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

Too many Sunday have passed. No-one will want to know what music was played between 12th September and 23rd October!

Today, 23rd October:- Before the service you heard Entree pontificale, op.104 no.1, by the Italian composer, Bossi. (Maybe this is the first time a Session Clerk has ever entered church with a pontifical Entrance!)

During the Offering, we returned to our roots, with Coronach, by Edgar Barratt. After the service, I played "Hornburg", from the Lord of the Rings.

To answer a question passed on to me indirectly - yes, the organist is sure she could play Ghostbusters. But she thinks she'll pass on that one. Other suggestions and requests are very welcome, however ...

Killermont Parish Church music update!

The organ music on Sunday 4th September was derived from the operatic and orchestral repertoires:-

• Grand March from Aida (Verdi)
• "Chaos", from The Creation (Haydn)
• Nessun dorma (Puccini)
• Trumpet tune from Te Deum (Charpentier)

Meanwhile, the Choir anthem was a Caribbean Lord's Prayer, which tied in with the New Testament reading.

• Prayer points - please continue to pray for the sick, whether anxiously awaiting results of tests, or undergoing treatment. Pray for their families, too, that they find the strength to cope with the worry of their situation.
• Pray for children at Yorkhill Hospital, whether in-patients or outpatients. Help them and their parents to be brave and to trust in the decisions of their medical advisors.
• Pray for asylum-seekers and refugees - spend a few minutes imagining yourself in their shoes, often having no more possessions than what they stand in. Seek guidance on how we can offer sympathetic help.

Where does the time go? Life whizzes by too fast to blog it!

Here's an update on the organ music played at Killermont Parish Church Bearsden, over the past few weeks:-

• 31 July 2005 : A joyous acclamation by Lani Smith; Lascia ch'io pianga by Handel; Jesu, joy of man's desiring by Bach; and Festal Flourish by Gordon Jacob.
• 7 August 2005: Romanza on The White Rock by Vaughan Williams; The dark island ; Sarabande in D, from the cello suite in D by Bach; and Judex, from Mors et Vita by Gounod.
• 14 August 2005: the minister's birthday, so the music was deliberately upbeat. Coronation march by Meyerbeer; Scherzo for the White Rabbit, by Nigel Ogden; Tuba tune by C. S. Lang.

Prayer points:-

• Pray for people undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Pray that the side-effects won't be too debilitating. Pray and give thanks for the dedication and skill of medical staff and lab technicians.
• Pray for all the friends and relations affected by the illness of a loved one.
• Pray for school-children returning to their studies after the summer holidays, whether to their old school or to a new one. Pray that God will be with them as they rise to new challenges. Pray, too, for students, and for anyone who got lower - or higher - grades than they expected, for they will have big decisions to take over the next few weeks or months.

ALL AGE WORSHIP ON SUNDAY 21ST AUGUST!

Come and worship at Killermont tomorrow, as we celebrate the start of a new session. The band will be playing - they need you to sing!