There is something profoundly moving about a church filled with the sound of a congregation singing in full voice. On Sunday evening, 8 February, the pews of St Philip’s came alive with such sound for our inaugural “Songs of Praise” service. As a new initiative for the Grouped Parishes, the evening offered a wonderful opportunity to recalibrate the more familiar structures of our usual liturgy and focus on the rich theological heritage recorded in the Church Hymnal. The service, put together by Rev. Sonia, was structured not as a recital, but as a communal act of worship rooted in Scripture. We were reminded by St Paul’s letter to the Colossians to “let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly” as with gratitude we sang “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God”.
The musical selection took us through some of the most beloved hymns. We began with the robust assurance of “Great is thy faithfulness,” a hymn that reminds us that “morning by morning new mercies I see”. This set a tone of gratitude that permeated the evening. “Dear Lord and Father of mankind” invited us to strip down our faith to its essence. Set to Hubert Parry’s stirring music, the plea to “drop thy still dews of quietness” felt especially poignant in the midst of our busy lives. The service also highlighted the deep scriptural roots of our hymnody; for instance, Timothy Dudley-Smith’s rousing “Tell out, my soul” gave us a metrical setting of Magnificat, declaring “the greatness of the Lord” with energy and vigour.
Victoria spoke powerfully of the personal resonance for her of Hark what a sound, name-checking her late uncle Ralph, a choir stalwart who would undoubtedly have loved the service. Later, the mood shifted to the contemplative with “Be still, my soul”, which Penny invited us to consider outside its usual funereal setting. Set to Sibelius’ majestic Finlandia, the hymn served as a powerful reminder that “in every change he faithful will remain”. We concluded the evening with the uplifting “To God be the glory,” a fitting dismissal that sent us out with the exhortation to “praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice”. The service was beautifully accompanied by David, the singing led by the choir, bristling with descants and bringing new life to familiar tunes. It was a joy to see such a strong attendance. This writer, for one, hopes that the “Songs of Praise” format will become a regular fixture in our parishes’ calendar. It was truly a case of “praise him with loud clashing cymbals”, or at least, some very enthusiastic singing!