During the summer months, special musical numbers are hard to come by for Church meetings, at least in our Ward. With all of the vacations that pull our attendees away, I wonder from week to week if we'll even fill our chapel halfway. Miraculously, though, our visitors usually make up the difference in our numbers.
Apparently other wards have this problem as well. I have heard that one solution going around is to have a Musical Testimony Meeting. The way it works is this: people from the congregation come up and give a brief testimony about how one of the hymns has blessed his or her life. Then the congregation sings that hymn
Apparently other wards have this problem as well. I have heard that one solution going around is to have a Musical Testimony Meeting. The way it works is this: people from the congregation come up and give a brief testimony about how one of the hymns has blessed his or her life. Then the congregation sings that hymn
This isn't a new idea, although it isn't used very often. I remember a couple of musical testimony meetings I attended. I paid close attention to the stories and hymns we sang. Those testimonies gave me ideas about possible arrangements I should create. I was struck by the story of one new member who was introduced to the hymn, "Have I Done Any Good in the World Today." He said that in the Church, he noticed that the members really lived by that motto and practiced doing good daily. So, of course I had to write this arrangement right away. I actually wrote it first for SSATB Mixed Chorus, and then adapted it for women's voices (SSA). When I submitted it to the publisher, he asked for an arrangement for SAB Chorus. So I now have three versions. An optional Violin part is also included.
This is a perfect Choir piece on the topics of MINISTERING or SERVICE.
This is a perfect Choir piece on the topics of MINISTERING or SERVICE.
Fun Story: I needed a song for Stake Conference on the topic of Service for a Women's Chorus. "Have I Done Any Good?" SSA was perfect. The visiting General Authority loved hearing this song so much that he asked if we would sing it again --- right in the middle of his talk!
But I told him to be patient, and that he would love the song we were going to sing at the close of the meeting just as much.
With that, he finished his talk and left plenty of time for us to sing our closing hymn "Love at Home" SSA with 2 flutes. I was right. He told me he loved that arrangement too!
You just never know how a hymn will affect people in very personal ways...
With that, he finished his talk and left plenty of time for us to sing our closing hymn "Love at Home" SSA with 2 flutes. I was right. He told me he loved that arrangement too!
You just never know how a hymn will affect people in very personal ways...
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