Fee Fee Baptist Church

Category: Ronna Paden, Director of Music

All of Ronna Paden’s Forerunner articles.

  • Music Musings – Vol. 63, No. 4

    THE PSALMS

    As we are currently reading through Psalms in our daily reading plan, it is obvious that the Psalms were meant to be sung.

    In reading the texts of many of the Psalms it is clear that many are the basis for hymns and worship songs we regularly sing.

    Psalm 95 is very meaningful to me because I conducted Psalm 95, op. 46 (a five movement work) by Felix Mendelssohn as partial requirement for my Masters in Conducting.

    Please listen to the first movement from this work as performed by Holy Childhood Holy Cantorum.

    O Come, Let Us Worship (from Psalm 95) by Felix Mendelssohn – YouTube

    As a contrast listen to the following Psalm setting by Sons of Korah.

    Psalm 95 – Sons of Korah – YouTube

    These settings are very different, but very beautiful!

    Thanks for listening. @feefeebc.org.

     

  • Music Musings – Vol. 63, No. 3

    Mar 1, 2023 | , 

    Seeking Laborers for Our Choir

    We are blessed here at Fee Fee to have a wonderful worship choir. We would also like to include multigenerational singers. There is no audition process for being in our choir. All are welcome. So – all you need to do is show up. You do not need a special invitation.

    Some 8:30 singers may wish to also attend 11:00 a.m. worship. Here is a plan. Sing in our 8:30 worship choir. Leave to get breakfast after our special choir music. Return to church for Bible study and attendance at the 11:00 worship. You will be blessed.

    *Come sing in our choir this Easter.

    *Come sing with our choir for the month of March.

    *Come rehearse with our choir for two consecutive weeks.

    This is a great avenue of service for sharing your gifts. Choir rehearsal is on Monday night at 7:00 in the choir room.

    The Psalms

    As we are doing our reading plan of The Psalms, we find many lovely music selections have been set to the scripture found in Psalms. In reading Psalm 63, I ran across several musical settings of these verses, but I have chosen this special one to share with you: Enjoy this beautiful setting of Psalm 63.

    Psalm 63 – God You Are My God – Ivan & Melina Iturra – Andrew & Saskia Smith – YouTube

     

  • Music Musings – Vol. 63, No. 2

    Hymn of the Month – For the Beauty of the Earth – This hymn was written by hymn-writer, poet and teacher Folliet Sandford Pierpont when he was 29 years old. He was inspired to write this well-known hymn while looking out on the beautiful countryside that surrounded his home.

    The hymn was published in a book of hymns to be used for observing Communion. That is why the chorus repeats the lyric “sacrifice of praise” as it is a remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross.

    May we continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise by openly profession His name. This is a sacrifice of praise to Christ who sacrificed Himself for us all.

    This hymn looks at God’s creation along with all the joys He has given us. It thanks God for the gift of Himself sending Jesus from Heaven to earth

    Psalms

    We are reminded through our daily readings that many wonderful musical arrangements have been taken from the Psalms.

    In our reading plan we recently read Psalm 51. In this Psalm, beginning with verse 10 and continuing through verse 13, many settings of these verses have been written and sung.

    Here is a special arrangement by Priscilla Findley. Enjoy and be inspired. Donnie McClurkin: Create in Me a Clean Heart (Cover by Priscilla Findlay) –
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qwDd-VtlY8

     

  • Music Musings – Vol. 63, No. 1

    Hymn of the Month – O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing

    O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing was written by Charles Wesley in 1739 to commemorate the first anniversary of his conversion. The hymn was inspired by a remark from his friend, Peter Bohler: “If I had a thousand tongues, I would praise Christ with them all.” Listen to the following arrangement of this beautiful hymn: https://youtu.be/4umCYumsB0g

    Place Choir in Your Future!
    1. Choir will give you an opportunity to serve.
    2. You will help produce good congregational singing.
    3. You will share the joy of the music.
    4. Be part of diversity. We need all kinds of voices. It is God honoring for multi-cultural fellowship. The choir needs to reflect ALL ages working together.

    Our choir needs laborers. Come and sing in our 8:30 a.m. service. When the choir exits – go have breakfast and return for Bible study and 11:00 a.m. worship. You will be blessed and more importantly you will be a blessing!  Rehearsals are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Monday evenings. Also, it would be possible to get score copies and rehearsal recordings. There is “a place in the choir” for you. Listen to the following:

    2016 Tour Live – A Place in the Choir – Celtic Thunder – https://youtu.be/FMulhmW4Y7Q

  • Music Musings – Vol. 62, No. 25

    Holiday Playlist

    Did you think I had forgotten about my Christmas listening list? No way! When you receive this list actual Christmas day will have been celebrated, but the “12 days of Christmas” will still be going on! And to tell the truth, Christmas music is appropriate all year long.

    Here are some Christmas songs for you to enjoy this Holiday season.

    • Mary’s Boy Child by GENTRI
    • Where Are You Christmas? by Voctave
    • We are the Reason by David Phelps
    • Jingle Bells by Wynton Marsalis Jazz Big Band
    • White Christmas by Michael Bublé
    • Personet Hodie by Oakville Choir for Children & Youth
    • Up On The Housetop by Pentatonix
    • Sleigh Ride (An Appalachian Christmas) by Mark O’Connor
    • O Holy Night, Minuit Chrétien (Cantique de Noël) by Andre Rieu
    • Little Drummer Boy (African Tribal Version) by Alex Boye ft. Genesis Choir

    You can listen to this festive playlist here: https://bit.ly/3Wj4xi7

    Reflections

    There are so many to thank as we reflect on our recent Christmas Production, Hope is Born, Emmanuel! Obviously, a production such as ours is no small undertaking. So many contributed to the completion of this project. If recognition was expressed for everyone who gave of their time and talent, it would take every page of this Forerunner to list names and contributions.

    So many gifts were shared to bring this project to fruition. We count on the talents of singers, instrumentalists, narrators, announcers, choreographers, dancers (angels), actors, various directors, technicians (sound and lighting), visual designers, decorators, and greeters to bring everything together! As some would say – it truly takes a village – and we at Fee Fee are very blessed with people of such diverse talents! Thanks also to our Fee Fee family who offered words of encouragement along the way!

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

  • Music Musings – Vol. 62, No. 24

    Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas!

    As the song says:

    Have a holly, jolly Christmas,

    And when you walk down the street

    Say “hello” to friends you know 

    and everyone you meet!

    AND

    Invite them to attend our 2022 Fee Fee Christmas Presentation! They will hear some great music and see a beautiful pageant of the Nativity celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

    More importantly the Gospel message will be presented in the music and by our youth pastor, Kyle Baldwin.

    Here are dates and times:

    Friday, December 16 – 7:00 p.m.

    Saturday, December 17 – 3:00 p.m.

    Sunday, December 18 – 3:00 p.m.

    See you there!

    The First Noel – The First Noel, an English carol first published in 1823 as The First Nowell, was written to express excitement and wonder of Christmas. A couple of hundred years ago, the people sang it in the streets to spread hope and joy!

    We sing this song still today as a testament to the fact that no matter how much time passes, the encouraging story of Jesus will always connect with our hearts.

    Listen to this arrangement that pairs The First Noel with a contemporary companion piece.

    Stars Go Dim – The First Noël (Official Music Video): https://bit.ly/3iOX77t

  • Music Musings – Vol. 62, No. 23

    Greeters Needed

    Once again, we will need greeters for each performance of our Christmas Presentation. Please sign up in the Connection Center if you would be available to help in this capacity.

    We have three opportunities to serve this year:

    • Friday, December 16 – 7:00 p.m.
    • Saturday, December 17 – 3:00 p.m.
    • Sunday, December 18 – 3:00 p.m.

    Those serving would need to arrive 30 minutes before performance time to be in place and receive any last-minute instructions. Thanks in advance to those who will be able to serve.

    Advent is Here!

    Let’s think about a very special carol. Of all the various carols, one of the most popular is O Come All Ye Faithful.  It’s a carol that has stood the test of time. One of the reasons for its popularity is the joyful character of its words and music. “O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant.” The music has a joyful triumphant lilt to support the text. The invitation to “come all ye faithful to Bethlehem” places the singer both among the shepherds who rushed to see the Christ child, and in the long procession of the “faithful” that have journeyed to Bethlehem in their hearts for over 2,000 years.

    Christmas is a busy season, and we have a thousand things on our mind and a thousand things to do. Even so, let’s remember to come and adore the Christ who came into the world to bring light to our darkness – and joy and life eternal. Listen to this beautiful rendition of O Come, All Ye Faithful: http://bit.ly/3V7HeGQ

  • Music Musings – Vol. 62, No. 22

    Playlist with a Thanksgiving Theme – I hope you enjoy listening to these pieces. Some are old; some are new; and some are old with a new spin, but ALL are beautiful and interesting.

    1. Thank You, Jesus, for the Blood –  Charity Gayle

    2. How Great Thou Art – The Tenors

    3. King of Kings – Hillsong Worship

    4. Amazing Grace – Scottish Bagpipers with symphony orchestra

    5. God So Loved – We the Kingdom

    6. Great Is Thy Faithfulness – Wes Hampton

    7. Goodness of God – CeCe Winans

    8. All Creatures of Our God and King – Mormon Tabernacle Choir

    9. 10,000 Reasons – Gaither Vocal Band

    10. My Tribute (To God Be The Glory) – Andrae Crouch

    Listen to this Thanksgiving playlist on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3G3jSOv

  • Music Musings – Vol. 62, No. 21

    Inspirational quotes by great composers

    I recently read an article on the spiritual lives of great composers. Many of the greatest composers acknowledged that their musical inspiration came from God and the Bible, thus believing in the essential Christian doctrines. I would like to share a few of the quotations from the article reflecting their inspirational thoughts:

    George Frideric Handel – This is one of my favorites: “A servant of Handel swings the door open to Handel’s room. The startled composer, tears streaming down his face, turns to his servant and cries out, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself.”  Handel had just finished writing a movement, which would take its place in history as the Hallelujah Chorus.”

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Of his compositions he once shared his secret: “I prayed to God for His mercy that all might go well, to His greater glory, and the symphony began.”

    Johannes Brahms – “The powers from which all truly great composers like Mozart, Schubert, Bach, and Beethoven drew their inspiration is the same power that enabled Jesus to do His miracles. I know several young composers who are atheists. I have read their scores. I assure you that they are doomed to speedy oblivion, because they are utterly lacking in inspiration.  Their works are purely cerebral (intellectual). The great Nazarene (Jesus) knew that law also, and He proclaimed it in John 15:4: “the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine.” No atheist has ever been or ever will be a great composer.”

    Olivier Messiaen – “I’m a composer because I love music, and a Christian because I believe.”

    Johann Sebastian Bach – At the manuscript end, Bach routinely initialed the letters S.D.G. (“Soli Deo Gloria,” To God alone, the glory).

    Franz Joseph Haydn – “Never was I so devout as when I composed The Creation. I knelt down each day to pray to God to give me strength for my work…when I was working on The Creation I felt so impregnated with Divine certainty, that before sitting down to the piano, I would quietly and confidently pray to God to grant me the talent that was needed to praise Him worthily.”

    Bonus – Halloween was yesterday, but here is a little leftover tidbit for your enjoyment: Epic Halloween Organ Solo, Bach’s “Toccata in D Minor” by Richard Elliott – https://bit.ly/3UkDQIz

  • Music Musings – Vol. 62, No. 20

    Christmas Production Needs

    We still would like more angels in our “Heavenly Host” for our Christmas production. Rehearsals are on Sunday afternoons at 1:15 p.m. in Room B3. Angel participants do not to be regular attendees of Fee Fee. We welcome those from other churches and any from our community. Also we would like a few participants who will not have spoken lines, but would appear briefly near the end of the pageant. Sign up in the Connection Center if interested.

    Prayer… A Subject for Many Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs

    A lot of music (Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs) for Christian use has been written as actual prayers. The following is a playlist of examples from each category.

    Psalms
    • Psalm 5 by Maranatha Singers (inspired by Psalm 5)
    • Psalm 4 (When I Call) by Melissa Breems (inspired by Psalm 4:1)
    • Psalm 139:23-24 Song “Lead Me in the Way Everlasting” by Esther Mui
    Hymns
    • Have Thine Own Way, Lord by Fountainview Academy – This hymn was written by Adelaide Pollard in response to having been unsuccessful in raising funds to make a trip to Africa for missionary service.
    • I Must Tell Jesus by Mom Winans (Gaither Music) – This hymn was written by Elisha Hoffman, a preacher who used these simple words to encourage a distraught lady.
    Spiritual Songs
    • Battle Belongs by Paul Wickham – This song was inspired by 2 Chronicles 20. The people of God stood firm and sent men singing worship songs at the head of their army. As they gave thanks to the Lord for His enduring love, their enemies began fighting each other.
    • God So Loved – by We the Kingdom – The music highlights different countries and cultures united by the love of Christ. The text simply expands on the familiar verse, John 3:16.
    • Lord, I Need You – Matt Maher  – Jesus desires to meet you everyday.  He is ready to meet you whenever and wherever you can step back and say “Lord, I need You.”

    You can listen to all of these prayers, plus a BONUS prayer song called Cleanse Me, using this link: https://bit.ly/3Ti22uh