Scripture Songs

[SisterActs2]

9 hours ago, GandalfTheWise said:

 I've got volumes 1 and 2 sitting on a shelf a few feet away.

Me too!  Praise the Lord, and worship His Holy Name.

[SisterActs2]

8 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Is it anything similar to a cant lead by a Cantor?

I know some people whose surname is Cant.  That is all I know about a cant or Cantor lol.  Though I can sing in tune and keep time, I am not a gifted singer and don't know much about music, technically speaking.

[Neighbor]

13 hours ago, Christine said:

Hello @Neighbor,

I have just realized the significance of your user-name.  We are to love our neighbour as ourselves, aren't we? and love does no ill to it's neighbour (Rom.13:10), and the question, 'Who is my meighbour?  - resulted in the parable of the good Samaritan  (Luke 10:29-37).  A word search on the word 'neighbour' is an interesting study.

I thank you for those thoughts produced by your name.

Have a happy holiday.
In Christ Jesus
Chris

Hi Thanks!

 Neighbor came from my appreciation of Robert Frost. His poem Mending Wall is my favorite of all. It has so much to tell aout the nature of individuals and of neighbors. 

I see in that work much that is taught as good Christian practice in our Bible. 

Using neighbor often forces me to consider softening the tone of my posts, before I hit submit. 

[turtletwo]

20 hours ago, SisterActs2 said:

Hello friends

We have quite a few of these little "Scripture in Song" booklets published in New Zealand and Australia, and distributed to a lot of other countries.  Book One, of Songs of Praise, revised edition, was published in 1981/ 1983.  They are a compilation of songs taken from Psalms and other scripture and put to music.  David and Dale Garratt were instrumental in putting the booklets together, and people such as myself sang lots of "choruses" as we started our Christian lives.  I love these choruses; most people know these songs from church to church.  Sorry if I have repeated some information already given.  I just randomly chose this one:

How lovely are they dwelling places

My soul longs for the courts of the Lord

My heart and my flesh

Sing for joy to the living God

You are my King and my God.

AMEN!

 

Hi. Just wanted to let you know I went to YouTube today in search of the Garratts. I found the song based on the scripture from psalm 84 that you posted above. I listened to several songs. My favorites were "I formed you" and "Who Is Like Unto Thee."

 

I found a bio of them so I thought I'd post a link below in case you (or anyone else) wanted to read it, too:

http://www.davidanddalegarratt.com/garrattfamilystory.html

[turtletwo]

The first group I ever heard doing songs set to passages from scripture was a Messianic group in the 1970's called Lamb (with Joel Chernoff.) They had some songs in English but many where it went back and forth between the Hebrew for the scripture followed by its meaning in English. The lyrics and scriptures were included in the liner notes. It was a way I became aware of certain Old Testament verses that I otherwise did not see. (Being in my youth I tended to read more often in the New Testament.)

Did anyone own Lamb's music and find it played a part in their early years with the Lord? I would love to hear your stories and which songs were your favorites!

[GandalfTheWise]

3 hours ago, turtletwo said:

The first group I ever heard doing songs set to passages from scripture was a Messianic group in the 1970's called Lamb (with Joel Chernoff.) They had some songs in English but many where it went back and forth between the Hebrew for the scripture followed by its meaning in English. The lyrics and scriptures were included in the liner notes. It was a way I became aware of certain Old Testament verses that I otherwise did not see. (Being in my youth I tended to read more often in the New Testament.)

Did anyone own Lamb's music and find it played a part in their early years with the Lord? I would love to hear your stories and which songs were your favorites!

A bit off track here for a few old-timer stories, then more back on track...   

As a young Christian (in my teens), I listened to the Larry Norman, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Randy Stonehill, Phil Keaggy, Keith Green, DeGarmo and Key, Barry McGuire, Talbot Brothers, Petra, etc. generation of Christians who were among the first to put Christian music into what's now considered the rock/blue/pop genre.  Christian music for decades had already been put into country/folk/gospel genre which was generally well accepted, but at the time the rock/blues/pop genre was quite radical.   I remember Lamb as well but didn't listen to much of their music but did see some of their songs in various song books.   This was before there were many Christian radio stations (and the one I did have in the area was purely hymns, organ, piano, and choir along with devotionals) and well before the internet.  Most of the songs I heard were someone else's albums or from word of mouth.    This is probably off a bit off topic, but I fondly remember the "Larry Black Show" that played Sunday mornings on the local rock station.  That was where I heard most Christian musicians for the first time.  

For a number of years we attended Lifest (big Christian music festival in Wisconsin) with our family.  Once we saw Daniel Amos performing in one of the side tents.  My wife had enjoyed their music.   One of my daughters laughed a bit at all those gray haired people doing a perhaps somewhat geriatric version of a mosh pit in front of the stage.  For a few moments between songs, they'd interact with the (small and aged) crowd.  It was amazing how many people had been touched by their music decades before including one man who was a truck driver who'd been saved after hearing shotgun angel.   Later that night at the main event concert,  I leaned over and whispered (well probably shouted) in my daughter's ear if she remembered the Daniel Amos stage.  She laughed.  I pointed out to the large crowd and mosh pit and said, "fast forward 30 years....".  She got a stunned look on her face and immediately understood what I meant.  Each generation of Christian musicians does things that deeply reach some of their generation and then become largely forgotten by the next.

I recall the "scripture set to music" era of worship music fondly mostly in the 70s and 80s.  In the campus ministry I was at, we had a series of books (I can see them in my head by cannot recall the names).  Many of us musicians from that era would often just sit down at a piano or with a guitar and a bible for our private worship times, and just start putting scripture verses to music or start praying in music and song.   That birthed a generation of worship leaders for whom leading worship was just doing what we did in private, except with other people around.  I wonder how many unknown songs and psalms were done as special music or extemporaneously during worship and prayer similar to 2nd Chapter of Acts version of Psalm 61 (on the How the West was One album).  It was not just a set of songs (or usually choruses as they were called) to be sung, but it was a way of worship that had its roots both in a personal expression to God as well as a more liturgical congregation expression of scripture together.  

In hindsight, I think part of what caused that to dry up was technology.  In those days, at best you'd see a lead sheet (lyrics, melody notes, and chords) of a song (like the books we talked about earlier), and probably never heard the song actually sung before.  Indeed, some songs I'd lead worship with I had never actually heard anyone else sing before.   Each worship leader would try out the song as written and make their own version of it.  Once worship CDs started coming out (which in general was a good thing in that it allowed anyone to play it anywhere), one side effect was that worship leading started to be more about doing songs the way everyone knew them and had heard them.  It was no longer so much about self-expression of singing to God with your own style, words, and melody, but singing things the same way as everyone else.  Technology basically took what was a more extemporaneous and personal expression and turned it into modern day hymns to be sung the prescribed way.  In hindsight, I wonder if part of the move toward more "touchy feely" types of worship songs wasn't in some part to try to retain that personal expression dynamic that was lost when technology caused a uniformity of song performance.  ahh... whatever... the ramblings of an old dinosaur of a worship leader remembering the good old days....    

 

 

 

[Global Mission]

1 hour ago, GandalfTheWise said:

A bit off track here for a few old-timer stories, then more back on track...   

As a young Christian (in my teens), I listened to the Larry Norman, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Randy Stonehill, Phil Keaggy, Keith Green, DeGarmo and Key, Barry McGuire, Talbot Brothers, Petra, etc. generation of Christians who were among the first to put Christian music into what's now considered the rock/blue/pop genre.  Christian music for decades had already been put into country/folk/gospel genre which was generally well accepted, but at the time the rock/blues/pop genre was quite radical.   I remember Lamb as well but didn't listen to much of their music but did see some of their songs in various song books.   This was before there were many Christian radio stations (and the one I did have in the area was purely hymns, organ, piano, and choir along with devotionals) and well before the internet.  Most of the songs I heard were someone else's albums or from word of mouth.    This is probably off a bit off topic, but I fondly remember the "Larry Black Show" that played Sunday mornings on the local rock station.  That was where I heard most Christian musicians for the first time.  

For a number of years we attended Lifest (big Christian music festival in Wisconsin) with our family.  Once we saw Daniel Amos performing in one of the side tents.  My wife had enjoyed their music.   One of my daughters laughed a bit at all those gray haired people doing a perhaps somewhat geriatric version of a mosh pit in front of the stage.  For a few moments between songs, they'd interact with the (small and aged) crowd.  It was amazing how many people had been touched by their music decades before including one man who was a truck driver who'd been saved after hearing shotgun angel.   Later that night at the main event concert,  I leaned over and whispered (well probably shouted) in my daughter's ear if she remembered the Daniel Amos stage.  She laughed.  I pointed out to the large crowd and mosh pit and said, "fast forward 30 years....".  She got a stunned look on her face and immediately understood what I meant.  Each generation of Christian musicians does things that deeply reach some of their generation and then become largely forgotten by the next.

I recall the "scripture set to music" era of worship music fondly mostly in the 70s and 80s.  In the campus ministry I was at, we had a series of books (I can see them in my head by cannot recall the names).  Many of us musicians from that era would often just sit down at a piano or with a guitar and a bible for our private worship times, and just start putting scripture verses to music or start praying in music and song.   That birthed a generation of worship leaders for whom leading worship was just doing what we did in private, except with other people around.  I wonder how many unknown songs and psalms were done as special music or extemporaneously during worship and prayer similar to 2nd Chapter of Acts version of Psalm 61 (on the How the West was One album).  It was not just a set of songs (or usually choruses as they were called) to be sung, but it was a way of worship that had its roots both in a personal expression to God as well as a more liturgical congregation expression of scripture together.  

In hindsight, I think part of what caused that to dry up was technology.  In those days, at best you'd see a lead sheet (lyrics, melody notes, and chords) of a song (like the books we talked about earlier), and probably never heard the song actually sung before.  Indeed, some songs I'd lead worship with I had never actually heard anyone else sing before.   Each worship leader would try out the song as written and make their own version of it.  Once worship CDs started coming out (which in general was a good thing in that it allowed anyone to play it anywhere), one side effect was that worship leading started to be more about doing songs the way everyone knew them and had heard them.  It was no longer so much about self-expression of singing to God with your own style, words, and melody, but singing things the same way as everyone else.  Technology basically took what was a more extemporaneous and personal expression and turned it into modern day hymns to be sung the prescribed way.  In hindsight, I wonder if part of the move toward more "touchy feely" types of worship songs wasn't in some part to try to retain that personal expression dynamic that was lost when technology caused a uniformity of song performance.  ahh... whatever... the ramblings of an old dinosaur of a worship leader remembering the good old days....    

 

 

 

Good comment.

- on early / pioneering years of "Contemporary Christian Music."

 - "Technology" issue.

---

My spiritual journey started in 1970's.

- Many memories of those days..

Blessings,

 

 

[turtletwo]

16 hours ago, GandalfTheWise said:

A bit off track here for a few old-timer stories, then more back on track...   

As a young Christian (in my teens), I listened to the Larry Norman, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Randy Stonehill, Phil Keaggy, Keith Green, DeGarmo and Key, Barry McGuire, Talbot Brothers, Petra, etc. generation of Christians who were among the first to put Christian music into what's now considered the rock/blue/pop genre.  Christian music for decades had already been put into country/folk/gospel genre which was generally well accepted, but at the time the rock/blues/pop genre was quite radical.   I remember Lamb as well but didn't listen to much of their music but did see some of their songs in various song books.   This was before there were many Christian radio stations (and the one I did have in the area was purely hymns, organ, piano, and choir along with devotionals) and well before the internet.  Most of the songs I heard were someone else's albums or from word of mouth.    This is probably off a bit off topic, but I fondly remember the "Larry Black Show" that played Sunday mornings on the local rock station.  That was where I heard most Christian musicians for the first time.  

For a number of years we attended Lifest (big Christian music festival in Wisconsin) with our family.  Once we saw Daniel Amos performing in one of the side tents.  My wife had enjoyed their music.   One of my daughters laughed a bit at all those gray haired people doing a perhaps somewhat geriatric version of a mosh pit in front of the stage.  For a few moments between songs, they'd interact with the (small and aged) crowd.  It was amazing how many people had been touched by their music decades before including one man who was a truck driver who'd been saved after hearing shotgun angel.   Later that night at the main event concert,  I leaned over and whispered (well probably shouted) in my daughter's ear if she remembered the Daniel Amos stage.  She laughed.  I pointed out to the large crowd and mosh pit and said, "fast forward 30 years....".  She got a stunned look on her face and immediately understood what I meant.  Each generation of Christian musicians does things that deeply reach some of their generation and then become largely forgotten by the next.

I recall the "scripture set to music" era of worship music fondly mostly in the 70s and 80s.  In the campus ministry I was at, we had a series of books (I can see them in my head by cannot recall the names).  Many of us musicians from that era would often just sit down at a piano or with a guitar and a bible for our private worship times, and just start putting scripture verses to music or start praying in music and song.   That birthed a generation of worship leaders for whom leading worship was just doing what we did in private, except with other people around.  I wonder how many unknown songs and psalms were done as special music or extemporaneously during worship and prayer similar to 2nd Chapter of Acts version of Psalm 61 (on the How the West was One album).  It was not just a set of songs (or usually choruses as they were called) to be sung, but it was a way of worship that had its roots both in a personal expression to God as well as a more liturgical congregation expression of scripture together.  

In hindsight, I think part of what caused that to dry up was technology.  In those days, at best you'd see a lead sheet (lyrics, melody notes, and chords) of a song (like the books we talked about earlier), and probably never heard the song actually sung before.  Indeed, some songs I'd lead worship with I had never actually heard anyone else sing before.   Each worship leader would try out the song as written and make their own version of it.  Once worship CDs started coming out (which in general was a good thing in that it allowed anyone to play it anywhere), one side effect was that worship leading started to be more about doing songs the way everyone knew them and had heard them.  It was no longer so much about self-expression of singing to God with your own style, words, and melody, but singing things the same way as everyone else.  Technology basically took what was a more extemporaneous and personal expression and turned it into modern day hymns to be sung the prescribed way.  In hindsight, I wonder if part of the move toward more "touchy feely" types of worship songs wasn't in some part to try to retain that personal expression dynamic that was lost when technology caused a uniformity of song performance.  ahh... whatever... the ramblings of an old dinosaur of a worship leader remembering the good old days....    

 

 

 

@GandalfTheWise  I enjoyed reading this! Thanks for sharing your personal stories. Very interesting. Brings back great memories for me. My dad would take me to Christian bookstores and let me choose records to buy from there including Keith Green, Petra and 2nd Chapter of Acts. Their "Psalm 61" you mentioned is a good example of a classic scripture song. They also did "Psalm 63" (on their In the volume of the book  album in 1975. It was one of the first Christian albums I ever owned.) 

You said: "I recall the "scripture set to music" era of worship music fondly mostly in the 70s and 80s.  I'm glad to find someone else who shares this feeling towards it."  The spiritual significance and anointing of the early Jesus music was something you almost had to 'be there' to fully understand. The Jesus Movement was a unique time of disillusioned youth seeking the Lord after the drug infused failure of the hippie chapter of the 60's.

You said: "Many of us musicians from that era would often just sit down at a piano or with a guitar and a bible for our private worship times, and just start putting scripture verses to music or start praying in music and song.   That birthed a generation of worship leaders for whom leading worship was just doing what we did in private, except with other people around." 

How I miss those days and their sweetness of simplicity! I praise God that I was able to live at that time. You did a good job of capturing the feel of that bygone era and laying out the history of it.

The first radio show I ever heard Christian music from the Jesus Movement days on was "Jesus Solid Rock" with Jerry Bryant. He played a nice assortment of songs. Did you ever hear of it or listen to it back in the day, Gandalf? I was not aware of the Larry Black Show till you mentioned it. I looked it up tonight and learned about it on a site that lets you hear clips. (They say Larry Black approved downloads but I couldn't figure out how to do it.)

You said, "In hindsight, I think part of what caused that to dry up was technology." "Technology basically took what was a more extemporaneous and personal expression and turned it into modern day hymns to be sung the prescribed way." and " personal expression dynamic that was lost when technology caused a uniformity of song performance." Well put. Observations I agree with.

What year did you go to Lifest, btw? Was it a Christian music gathering of multiple singers where you pitch tents and camp overnight? I went to a musical festival like that in Illinois in the 80's. Saw Phil Keaggy, Steve Taylor, Rez Band and others there. I liked the part you shared:  "It was amazing how many people had been touched by their music decades before including one man who was a truck driver who'd been saved after hearing shotgun angel."

From one dinosaur to another...thanks for your contribution to my thread!

 

 

[SisterActs2]

22 hours ago, GandalfTheWise said:

As a young Christian (in my teens), I listened to the Larry Norman, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Randy Stonehill, Phil Keaggy, Keith Green, DeGarmo and Key, Barry McGuire, Talbot Brothers, Petra

Hey Gandalf.... I know you are younger than me but these are the same people I listened to when I got born again in 1978.  There are a lot more too.   I was actually thinking of 2nd Chapter of Acts - although it is really about Acts Chapter 2 - when I went for this username!  Did you ever hear Barry McGuire (I am pretty sure it was him; someone correct me if I am wrong, please) talk about the time he was on a boat and they saw some dolphins?  He grabbed a "dish towel", bent down over the edge of the boat and touched them with it and they loved the game, coming back for more..... and there were quite a few of them, by the sounds of it.  I listened to that story on my "tape" many times.  It seemed to be one of his treasured memories.

Edited August 29, 2018 by SisterActs2
clarification

[SisterActs2]

4 hours ago, turtletwo said:

How I miss those days and their sweetness of simplicity! I praise God that I was able to live at that time. You did a good job of capturing the feel of that bygone era and laying out the history of it.

Absolutely agree, turtletwo.  How I enjoyed those early days in my walk with the Lord, learning and growing, soaking up everything truly Christian and becoming totally in love with Jesus.