Learning to play the hymns is one of the main goals for many LDS pianists-in-training (or their parents, at least). As a piano teacher for over 15 years, I have learned a thing or two about how students can learn the hymns with the least amount of frustration. Your children’s piano teacher may have their […]
Category: Hymns
On This Day of Joy and Gladness
When I think of this hymn, I can imagine the opening sequences of general conference with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing this in the background, welcoming in a happy new day of conference. Or maybe it’s in the middle of a conference session, like so: But did you know that this beautiful, cheerful hymn was […]
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
William Studwell wrote a bit about the history of this hymn in his book The Christmas Carol Reader: In spite of the mentions of bells and Christmas in the title, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is as much an antiwar song as it is a pro-Christmas song. The poetry of this renowned carol […]
Come, Let Us Sing an Evening Hymn
Chances are, this is going to be an unfamiliar hymn for you. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it sung at a church meeting; my only prior exposure to it was when I plowed through the hymn book, determined to play each hymn therein. And, besides the recordings available on lds.org, there is a grand […]
Oh Say, What Is Truth?
As a recent convert and young missionary in 1840s Stratford-upon-Avon (the birthplace of Shakespeare!), John Jaques pondered a scene from the life of Christ: Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, “Art thou the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered him, “Sayest thou this thing of thyself, […]
Lead, Kindly Light
I hope you’ve had a fantastic September! If you’ve joined us in our hymn rotation, you’ve been singing one of my favorite hymns, Lead, Kindly Light, and I’d like to tell you more about it. This was the last hymn sung on the RMS Titanic before it hit the famed iceberg, and was sung again in […]