CHURCH MUSIC

The core of Congregational church music was hymn singing from Congregational Praise, accompanied by the pipe organ and the choir.

Participants hummed tunes and sang verses of hymns at interview, and they copied out words.

Even people with severe dementia continue to respond to music, and can sometimes join in the words of a song when other verbal skills are lost. Clearly sacred music connects our deepest selves with God.

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HYMNS

Isaac Watts (1674–1748) was the great Congregationalist hymn-writer, the equivalent of Methodism’s Charles Wesley. His most loved hymns are probably ‘All People that on Earth Do Dwell’ (#1, Congregational Praise), ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’ (#131 CP), ‘Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun’ (#158 CP), ‘How Pleased and Blest Was I’ (#238 CP) and ‘Joy to the World’ (#224 Australian Hymn Book). Congregational Praise contained forty-eight Watts hymns and The Australian Hymn Book of 1977, produced for the Uniting Church, contained thirty-six. The hymns in Congregational Praise were more acceptable to me than Charles Wesley’s. Isaac Watts’ hymns had a depth of words, said one musically-trained participant.

With the exception of Sunday School songs, the hymn most often quoted by participants was ‘We limit not the truth of God to our poor reach of mind’, number 230 in Congregational Praise. The tune is Ellacombe and the words are by George Rawson (1807-89), based on the parting words of Pastor John Robinson to the Pilgrim Fathers as they left the Netherlands for America in 1620.

Undoubtedly several factors came together in this choice. The hymn was linked with our proudest moment in Congregational history, the Pilgrim Fathers’ journey in the Mayflower. The concept of looking for a new and better hope reached beyond the New World to the Kingdom, the New Jerusalem. And the words of the chorus, “The Lord hath yet more light and truth / To break forth from his word” epitomized the confidence which Congregationalists felt in the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the Church Meeting as we journeyed in faith.

It can be said that you can tell a former Congregationalist by her confidence in dealing with the lovely archaic work “darkling,” which we met only in this hymn. We were perfectly able to discern its meaning from context, and shuddered when the editors of The Australian Hymn Book changed it to “groping” with its unpleasant connotations. The editors of Together in Song changed the word again, to “searching,” but they lost the echoes of moving forward in the dark which the older word used to have.

Here are the original words of the hymn:

We limit not the truth of God
To our poor reach of mind,
By notions of our day and sect,
Crude, partial and confined:
No, let a new and better hope
Within our hearts be stirred:
The Lord hath yet more light and truth
To break forth from His word.

Darkling our great forefathers went
The first steps of the way;
‘Twas but the dawning, yet to grow
Into the perfect day.
And grow it shall, our glorious sun
More fervid rays afford:
The Lord hath yet more light and truth
To break forth from His word.

The valleys past, ascending still,
Our souls would higher climb,
And look down from supernal heights
On all the bygone time.
Upward we press, the air is clear,
And the sphere-music heard:
The Lord hath yet more light and truth
To break forth from His word.

O Father, Son and Spirit, send
Us increase from above;
Enlarge, expand all Christian souls
To comprehend Thy love;
And make us all go on to know,
With nobler powers conferred,
The Lord hath yet more light and truth
To break forth from His word.

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A single hymn verse was sung in several churches as introit and was fondly remembered:

I remember the introit, a verse from John Greenleaf Whittier’s lovely, ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.’ It was verse 5:

Drop thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease.
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.

I clearly recall repeatedly noticing a change in my family sitting alongside me, occurring during the singing, corporately, of these words. And I liked the peace that came, and valued it then as now, said one participant.

Other hymns sung each week have also stayed in people's minds:

At Black Rock, No. 274 in Congregational Praise, “Jesus stand among us / In Thy risen power. / Let this time of worship / Be a hallowed hour” was sung every Sunday night as an introit, said one participant.

One participant remembered ‘To Be a Pilgrim’ (‘Who Would True Valour See’), ‘The God of Abraham Praise’, ‘Jesus Calls Us O’er the Tumult’, ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ and the Twenty-Third Psalm.

We used to have a children’s address and sing a children’s hymn in church,said another. The children’s hymns were lovely: ‘God make my life a little light / Within the world to glow.’

However, some of the old Congregational hymns are now a problem. One participant explained:

I have heard young people say “We can’t stand up and sing these old hymns.” I hear this and understand this. Music is life-giving. I like Together in Song, and feel much affection for the hymns in Congregational Praise but I am not able to sing some of them now theologically; I find it hard to sing hymns totally looking at God as Father. Many older hymns are tied up with 18th century religious attitudes.

The Servant Song is strong in my psyche. Not to be ministered to but to minister. “Will you let me be your servant, / Let me be as Christ to you; / Pray that I may have the grace to / Let you be my servant, too.” Since the Uniting Church came into being, Taizé music has become important for me, Taizé used as prayer.

And in the Uniting Church some participants still miss the Congregational tunes:

We sing different tunes to the familiar words and somehow it doesn’t seem the same. Lillian and Henry Wells were great musicians. Lillian was organist at Pitt Street and Henry was on the committee to chose hymns for the Australian Hymn Book. As we stand to sing the hymn, I say to him, “Henry, why did you let them give us this other tune?” In my mind of course. I’ve never met the man. I’ve still got my Congregational Praise.

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METRICAL PSALMS

These were remembered too.

And of course the regular-as-clockwork sung Psalm or Canticle, like ‘Be Ye Lifted Up, Ye Ancient Doors’ from Congregational Praise. These Psalms or Canticles, all from the Old Testament, were harmonised, and although sometimes a little dirge-like if in a minor key, were always a feature, renewing spiritual respect for the ancient Jewish roots of Christianity. They were so clearly sung that I could understand all the words, said one man.

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GRACE BEFORE MEALS

Remember sung grace? said one participant. At camps and Sunday School picnics?

The doxology, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. / Praise Him all creatures here below. / Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. / Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” And, to the same tune, “Be present at our table, Lord. / Be there and everywhere adored. / These blessings give and grant that we / May feast in Paradise with Thee.”

I don’t think we’re allowed to feast in Paradise now, said another. I think the last line has been changed to “May live in fellowship with thee.” When I think of feasting in Paradise, she went on, I picture Home Mission Teas and long tables with white cloths. I think that that is my only image of the Church eating a meal together at a table.

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THE CHOIR

I remember myself aged 10 years—Sunday School anniversary—standing on the tiered platform singing the lovely songs set to classical tunes from a book called Jubilate, accompanied by piano and two violins, said one participant.

The value of this experience has been immeasurable. I have sung many solos since the age of 10, the last being soon after my 80th birthday, and I am still singing in our church choir. It was also my introduction to musical appreciation.

Music. Many of our hymn tunes were unique. I miss them! We were blessed with good musicians, organists and choir leaders.

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Alf Swan spoke of music:

I am picturing myself at age sixteen in 1943, as a member of the Wyclif Congregational church choir. Next to me is the leading bass, Ewart Phillips, my mentor. We are practising under the leadership of Mrs Ekins for the forthcoming inter-church choral competitions. The choir trophy cabinet already holds several cups and we are anxious to add to the collection.

I was learning to sing and read the bass line at this time. I was also learning to play the pipe organ and piano under the guidance of my mother, a proficient accompanist who had achieved some success in at South Street Ballarat eisteddfods.

My father, Rev E.F.W.Swan, was minister at this time and always led the choir in prayer before we took our seats in the choir stalls.

From where I sat each Sunday, I would look across at the stained glass window donated in memory of Mrs Ekins’ husband who was killed in an airship disaster in the 1930s.

Now in my eighties and still a member of the local church choir, I realize that this was the beginning of a life-long love of singing and playing the great Christian hymns and anthems.

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I had placed a Memorial Window in City Church in memory of my husband, so I transferred it to Bardon Church, said another participant. This beautiful window depicting our musical family, now stands behind the Communion Table. I was a singer in my younger days, and was a member of the City Church Choir from the age of 16 onwards. My husband Neville, was a gifted violinist, and often accompanied the choir when singing anthems. My son Greg, and daughter Glenys, were also members of the choir. This was brought to a close when Neville contacted cancer, and died as the age of 46 years. A total shock to everyone who knew him.

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ORGAN

At 14 I came to Augustine Congregational where my father was organist, said one man, and I have been here ever since. An interest in music and the organ was my primary motivator. I played the church organ at 14 after church and then went home for my roast dinner. And I kept on doing that. At 30 I extricated myself from IBM and became a full-time music student at Melbourne University. For most of my life I have been involved in music making, and from 1984 to 2002 I have sung in the Victoria State Opera or Opera Australia choruses and been paid for the work.

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As organist I had complete autonomy, said another participant. Of course the minister always chooses the hymns, but what the choir sang and the organ music which was used was in my hands. At Geelong we had a small congregation and a small choir; they were very supportive.

My favourite Congregational hymn? The tune is Penlan. Number 412 in Congregational Praise. I don’t remember the words. Yes, it’s come to me. “In heavenly love abiding.” Another is “Fight the good fight with all thy might.”

The old church had a pipe organ, and the new church had a Wurlitzer. In between I played the piano for our worship in the hall.

For many years I played the organ without pay. Then I was paid a small amount. I wasn’t on a huge salary then, and that helped. I charged $100 to pay for weddings though. Most of the money went back into the plate. It’s a matter of courtesy to ask the church organist to play for a wedding. Now I’m on a good salary so I don’t take any money. I’m 66 years old and I’ve played the organ for 50 years.

The music which was played while communion was distributed had meaning. Often I played hymns with the tenor part brought out, hymns like ‘The King of Love my shepherd is.’ I played ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind’ and ‘At Even E’er the Sun was Set’. There was a companion to the Congregational hymnbook which explained each hymn. I played Bach a lot; in Bach every part has its own melody. The eight little preludes and fugues of Bach are the foundation of all organists. And Handel, Handel’s Messiah. Contrapuntal music is so challenging and uplifting.

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