Preparing for an Engagement

A piper friend, Pastor Michael McNiel in Washington, who is a member of our International Fellowship of Christian Pipers and Drummers, wrote asking for suggestions on what pieces of music he might choose for a memorial service. Because he wanted a hymn to glorify God, I suggested, "To God Be the Glory."  It is one of my favorites; one I learned when I began building a hymn repertoire.  I included it in the medley, "I Sing The Mighty Power of God," "To God Be The Glory," and "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise."  Having learned these hymns as a medley, each reminds me of the others.

I have many favorites and to name them, it would have to be according to the occasion, such as for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Weddings, Funerals, Banquets and for a certain topic in the worship service, such as going out into the world to preach the Gospel.  Then, I'd play, "I Love To Tell the Story of Jesus and His Love," or “Tell Me the Story of Jesus.”  “How Deep the Father’s Love for us” in 6/4 time is a special favorite. 

Even after I delineate my favorite hymns, there will still be a whole list of other hymns that I should have added.  But, besides those I've mentioned, I surely love the Easter hymns, such as, "Were You There?" and "Jesus Paid It All," along with, "My Jesus, I Love Thee," and of course, "The Old Rugged Cross."  After people hear those hymns, everything will be quiet.  "And Can It Be," and "One Day" are special to me, and if I were playing for a funeral service, I'd surely play, "I Stand Amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene," and "Face to Face With Jesus." For a High School girl who sadly lost her life because of a shooting in school, I chose “Safe in the Arms of Jesus.”  I could be inclined to play, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," and if it were a nice day in the cemetery, I'd want to play, "When They Ring Those Golden Bells for You and Me!"  One can imagine hearing the bells!  For sure, I love to play, "God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again," "God Will Take Care of You," and " Precious Lord, Take My Hand."  I was thrilled to hear a piper playing one of my arrangements at a funeral.  It was recorded on a video and I was asked to watch it on the net.  It was, “I’d Rather Have Jesus Than Anything.”  

I love the hymn, "The Stranger of Galilee," especially as it is played together with, "No one Ever Cared for Me like Jesus."  That reminds me of another favorite hymn that I first heard as I sat outside the banquet hall waiting for Ruby, my wife, who was the guest speaker at a Christian Women's Club.  The guest soloist sang, "The Woman at the Well."  As soon as I could find a hymnbook containing that hymn, I arranged it for the next time I would be playing in church.  

Even now, as I write, I am reminded of another beautiful hymn, one of my favorites of course, and it is, "In the Garden," and I've played it for several funeral services.  I would choose it for the funeral of a woman, because the soloist at Ruby's mother's funeral sang “In the Garden.”  Later, a soloist sang it at my own mother's memorial service.

As I tell you of my favorite hymns, I would not want to forget, "Trumpet Tune," by Henry Purcell, for which I was complimented at a wedding, when a trumpet player said, "If you continue to play hymns like that, you'll put us trumpet players out of business."  “All six parts of “The Highland Wedding March" are great for playing the bride into the church.  To my list, I could add, "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” by Franz Joseph Haydn.  It’s called Austrian Hymn, which goes by many other titles such as, “Hail the Glorious Golden City,” “Praise the Lord! Ye Heavens Adore Him,” and “In Thanksgiving Let Us Praise Him.”  It is Austria’s National Anthem.  Then, the tune is known as, “God, Preserve our Noble Emperor.”  It’s very stately.  

If I were to choose one hymn that's really majestic, it would be "Highland Cathedral."  It's not in the hymnbooks, but it is beautiful, especially in a big, acoustically perfect church such as our White Rock Baptist Church.  It just rises to the skies. You will find it in “Songs of Scotland,” Volume 12(a)of The Church Piper.  The hymn, “See What a Morning” by Keith Getty is likewise stimulating.  “The Flower of Scotland” is also a proud song when played according to its original setting.  It can be found in “More Songs of Scotland,” Volume 12(b) of The Church Piper.  Some have rearranged it but without giving it the necessary feel.  It requires the first three notes as the introduction and throughout, a grouping of three notes that cause one to hear those three introductory notes on the right foot with stresses on the left.  This is considered one of Scotland’s National Anthems and it commands national pride, the same as “Highland Cathedral.”   

You can see that I love the hymns, just as I'm sure you do.  One reminds me of another, and they are chosen according to the occasion.  I want to wish you wonderful satisfaction, when you play for a memorial service or for any other special occasion.  If you have to transpose and arrange a piece before you have thoroughly committed it to memory, don't be afraid to use a music stand or hang the music on a wall.  I did, on the day I played, "Londonderry Air" (Danny Boy) for the first time.  I had only been asked a day before if I would play that song and I had to arrange it.  I mentioned to the funeral director, that "Sometimes you fellows don't give a guy much notice."  He replied rather stiffly, saying, "We don't get much notice either." 

A last thought is to tell how a certain hymn came about to be a favorite.  It is, "I Am Trusting.”  Four men at the funeral service of a friend’s father sang it in harmony.  I hadn’t heard it before, but because it was so touching, I told my friend that I'd like to arrange it for the pipes.  He actually found a tattered and torn hymnbook for me from the archives of that country church and endeared himself even more by presenting it to me.  Being tattered, made it more precious.

Don't overlook two beautiful hymns, one of which you might select.  They are, "Abide With Me," and "In the Sweet Bye and Bye."

I will write other comments about my favorite compositions in a separate note.  With this one, you might get the inspiration you need for your next service.

Grandkids Can Be Fascinating

We have three grandsons and two granddaughters.  Two of the boys are brothers and they live near us in BC.  They are thirteen and eleven years old.  Their sister is nine.  One of the boys, who is seven, lives in CT along with his sister who is only five.  

The two brothers are avid fishermen and though they love school, they’d rather fish than do anything else, except for running races across-country.  One afternoon, when we were at their house, they were sorting their fishing tackle.  Before long, the two of them, along with their friend, had their rods, reels and tackle ready, along with their rubber boots, which they were already wearing, and soon were off on their bikes to Campbell River, a favorite fishing spot for them and others.

They love the thrill of having a fish on the line, but usually, the boys throw their catch back.  This afternoon, the older lad had one well hooked and it proved to be a big one, a salmon, and it required a lot of playing on the line, to tire it out.  Apparently, from the story they told us afterwards, the older boy called over his shoulder to his brother, that he needed help, and the younger fellow responded by wading deep into the water, where he caught the salmon in his arms and carried it to shore.  

Suddenly, the salmon, with all its reserve energy, gave a flip that unhooked it and sent it back into the river.  The lad realized he was soaked to the skin, and that he had entirely over-looked being dressed in his school clothes.  He and his brother decided right then, that they had to have hip waders.  Rubber boots were by no means adequate for deep river fishing.  They would be saving their grass-cutting money for the big investment needed to catch such combative game.

Their nine-year old sister, who I mentioned, is just as avid about picture puzzles as her brothers are about fishing.  Numerous times, she and I have assembled puzzles together on our dining room table.  She is an expert and doesn’t wait until the pieces have all been turned up or to start with the border.  If the colors, shapes and clues match, it is to her advantage to assemble those pieces immediately, regardless of where they belong in the whole picture.  

So, the other day, she arrived at our place with an armload consisting of two big puzzle boxes, and excitedly exclaimed, “Grandpa Keith, look what I have for us to work on!”  Her friend and she had made an exchange.  What a good idea!  The two of us set to work immediately.  We couldn’t finish the first puzzle in the short time we had available before dinner and the time afterwards when she had to be taken to Girl Guides, so I was admonished to lay a tablecloth over what we had done and wait until next Thursday or Friday to continue.  In the meantime, I was not to touch another piece!  All I can say is that I’m thankful the puzzle was covered, because without the cover, I would have been awfully tempted.  I can truthfully say, I was able to walk past the covered puzzle for days.  I would have loved to work on it, but I didn’t have that privilege.  Our grandaughter was anxious to continue, and when she arrived on Friday, a week later, to stay overnight, the puzzle was completed before supper, and we were ready to tackle the harder one, but after a game of Dominoes with freshly popped pop-corn.  

Meanwhile, in CT, our seven-year old grandson rides his bike in the area where bigger boys are doing loops with theirs.  He enjoys being where they’re practicing such daring maneuvers, and is always cautious not to ride as dangerously as they.  Let’s hope he continues to be careful.  In his quiet time, he industriously invents and constructs new car models with his Lego.  He printed a letter to the Lego Company to tell them of his new design and was thrilled to receive their reply saying they would one day be interested, as they are always looking to introduce a new model.  His grandmother and I enjoy so much, watching the occasional video of our dear grandson in CT playing a piano duet with his dad, who accompanies him on the piano’s bass notes.  We love the expression on his face when he completes a tune to his satisfaction.  

Our grandson’s five-year-old sister dresses and undresses her dolls, and has even adorned her most beautiful one with spectacles using a permanent-marking pen.  She loves that doll just the same.  What she likes best, is to look beautiful in her own very pretty dresses.  Being so nicely attired, is not her concern even though she and her brother will be going to the Bicycle Park.  She is sure the dress will wash, or believes it won’t get dirty; but it does.  Still, she’s happy to be doing what her brother loves to do, and she still looks pretty while she runs up and down over the rough and dirty bumps.  She prefers to run because her bicycle still has training wheels.

I find our grandchildren fascinating, and wish we could spend more time having fun with them.  Most likely, I’ll want to write more about the things that occupy their developing minds.        

Adjusting to the Situation

I was invited to participate in the Remembrance Day Service at Westminster House, a retirement home in White Rock, BC. As there wasn’t a trumpet player, I volunteered to play The Last Post as well as The Lament. The latter selection follows a one-minute’s silence. For The Last Post, I played “The Bugle Horn March,” accented, as a trumpeter would play it. The lament was a medley of two familiar selections, “The Minstrel Boy” and “Danny Boy,” because they would be familiar to this group of people. Afterwards, an Irish couple spoke to me saying how much it meant to them to hear those two beloved Irish songs. A year ago, I also played for the same group of people, and elected to play as the lament, “Dark Island,” which has the sadness and reverence suitable for remembering our veterans of many wars. I made the choice between it and “The Lament of the MacDonalds.” Whenever I play the latter selection, I imagine the bitter winter winds through which the Scottish clan escaped from those at Glencoe who wished to annihilate them in the middle of the night. Thank goodness they didn’t, because I’m a MacDonald. For years, in services in which I played at cenotaphs, war veterans expected to hear their piper play the prolonged strains of “The Flowers o’ the Forest,” while they remembered their comrades. I respectfully complied. Later on, however, at a businessmen’s banquet in Winnipeg, I substituted a beautiful hymn. The speaker was a veteran of the Dieppe landing. Many of his friends were killed and he was certain he would be too. As he waded into shore with bullets flying past him, he looked up and prayed, “God, if I should get out of this alive, I promise to honor You for the rest of my life.” God saved him, and people of the underground assisted by bringing him back safely to England. Since then, he gladly accepted invitations by groups such as the one to which he spoke that day, to tell of his experience and his thankfulness to God. Immediately after this dear veteran soldier completed his story, it was my responsibility to play the lament. I heard that still small voice inside me saying, “Play a tribute to God with, ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.’” As I played this fine old hymn, in this intimate setting, slow-marching around the dining room, I distinctly heard individuals saying aloud, “Yes, Lord, yes, Lord.” Truly, they recognized the miracle that saved this soldier’s life when all around him his friends were cut down before they made it to shore. Once, in Winnipeg, I was invited to play for a Remembrance Day service in a retirement home. While planning the program, the social director still needed a pianist. I offered to play the piano too, if she couldn’t find one. The hymns would be familiar, such as, “O Valiant Hearts,” “O God Our Help in Ages Past,” “Faith of our Fathers” and “God of Our Fathers.” She was relieved, and we agreed that if God should send someone better qualified, we would both be thankful. It was our good fortune that a few days later, a new resident moved in, who was a musical director in one of the churches. Already, she had formed a choir and was preparing them to sing in the service. The Remembrance service in that Retirement Home was a definite tribute to our military people. The color party was led in and out by the pipes, and the choir performed beautifully. The people sang under skilled direction and the pastor delivered an honorable address. A well-practiced trumpet player played, “The Last Post" and "Reveille," and there was a minute’s silence before the pipes reverently broke in with “The Flowers o’ the Forest.” I often think how God did the exact thing for us by having that lady director move into the retirement home just when we needed her. Even though I could have played the piano, her contribution allowed me to concentrate on doing my best, playing the lament. In a month or so, I will have published the 15th volume of The Church Piper. The music book is “Patriotic Music and Familiar Folk Songs for the Church Piper.” In it are included 84 beautiful selections arranged for the pipes. Several arrangements have been written for “The Last Post” and “Reveille.” For the enthusiastic piper who would love to have the music for these selections, they will be there for practice. It is a lovely challenge to learn these pieces as well as to know other suitable laments for this sacred occasion. I hope other pipers will experience God’s presence too, as they help others to remember the great contribution our soldiers have made towards our freedom.

There is Power in a Hymn

A beautiful hymn has an indescribable quality that touches and stirs the hearts of its listeners even more acutely than the well-chosen words of an orator could accomplish.  Clearly stated by the poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807-1882, music is the universal language of mankind.

Beyond the tune and the poet’s rhyming stanzas, is God’s Spirit who uses these components to produce an overwhelming power that affects the emotions and makes His presence very assuring.

Thanks to God for having inspired the writing of hymns, that we may, on the right occasion, sing or play them for others to enjoy and praise God.  Hymns are the means by which lost souls will be found and saved; the power by which our fellow men and women will be brought to know forgiveness, experience renewal and have hope for eternal life.

For call to worship, the piper could select a hymn that extols God’s power, and such a hymn is, "I Sing the Mighty Power of God."

1. I sing the mighty power of God

That made the mountains rise,

That spread the flowing seas abroad

And built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom that ordained

The sun to rule the day;

The moon shines full at His command,

And all the stars obey.

2. I sing the goodness of the Lord

That filled the earth with food;

He formed the creatures with His Word

And then pronounced them good.

Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed

Where’er I turn my eye:

If I survey the ground I tread

Or gaze upon the sky!

3. There’s not a plant or flower below

But makes Thy glories known;

And clouds arise and tempests blow

By order from Thy throne;

While all that borrows life from Thee

Is ever in Thy care,

And everywhere that man can be,

Thou, God art present there.

                                                                 - Isaac Watts, 1674-1748