RVW specifically asked her to write him 2 hymns for a new collection, as he appreciated her poetry. I believe he gave her the meter, so probably had tunes in mind!
I loved singing When A Knight Won His Spurs, too, Fiona. Thanks for the memories!
When my son was at primary school (from 2006) every single assembly started with diva Heather Small's Proud blasting out of the CD player ("What have you done today to make you feel proud?"). There was some more traditional communal singing afterwards. I'll ask whether my seven year old granddaughter sings in assembly. It's a good question.
I would be interested to know! Church of England and Catholic schools are far more likely to have retained daily singing than non church state schools - but course songs of worship are not and should not be the only singing opportunities for children. I remember being deeply impressed, in a muso geek way, when I moved to my second school and my phase leader was playing Spinal Tap's Cups and Cakes as the children were walking into assembly!
Sometimes I will be thinking of nothing and then suddenly remember HE WHO WOULD VALIANT BEEEE 'GAINST ALL DISASTER and other songs like that. Or Lord of the dance or All things bright and beautifullll.
When I was at primary school in the 2000s I used to get sent out of assembly sometimes for singing and dancing around in 'too much of a silly way'.
By best brag in primary school (and honestly still today) is that Cecil Frances Alexander who wrote All Things Bright and Beautiful and There is a Green Hill Far away is part of my family in the 1800s.
Yes. I can't remember my times tables properly but I CAN remember those songs!
Jesus seemed very famous to me (I suppose that he is) I loved singing. I was sad when at secondary school all of the singing stopped. I was in the choir but I think secondary school would have been better for all of us if they let us keep singing. And not even hymns. There are lots of good things we could have been singing.
I love and am proud of my family connection with Cecil Frances Alexander, I am a songwriter myself now and I feel connected to her though I never knew her. She died 100 years before I was born! I wrote a song called If Jesus Had a Podcast and I borrow a line from her Hymn There is a Green Hill Far Away.
I can vividly remember being taught the hymn as a child at school and learning that "without a city wall" meant outside a city wall, not that the wall wasn't there.
I always thought it was outside the city, beyond any city walls, where the green hill was. The hymn was originally published in Hymns for Little Children, so I think that however they imagined and thought of it was important because she wrote it for them. It is said that she wrote it while looking after her sick godchild (or her own daughter?) and that there was a hill outside Derry, where she lived that she would walk by sometimes.
I loved this song and still have that song book... by the time I did teaching practice in a primary school, singing assemblies had been reduced to the one our a week when the songs for the school play were rehearsed, drearily out of context.
How I wish we could reintroduce singing for the spirit without enforcing any particular brand of religious teaching.
You are so right. Fiona. I have no great voice but I am first to my feet even now to join in the singing in church. How sad that some schools are denying this joy to their children. The film sister Act 2 is so funny and fabulous as it shows so well how singing can change lives.
I only saw Sister Act recently - my friend Victoria made me watch it as she was shocked I hadn't - and I completely agree with you. It regulates heartbeats, deepens oxytocin and community spirit. Everyone should have opportunities to sing with others. We're so snobbish and embarrassed about it in this country, thinking that if we don't have "a good voice" then we just shouldn't try. Very very sadly, I know that some of this has come from teachers who told children they shouldn't sing, or should sing quietly, or mime. The shame can be lifelong. I have made it my mission to give every child the opportunity to sing, no matter how tunelessly they start!
Will be no surprise to you, my fellow choir buddy, that I used to sing with gusto from my chair at the side of the school hall and the children would initially look at me in horror but over time they would start to sing up and enjoy themselves too. Definitely was a highlight of my school day, although not sure the same could have been said for the (typically) year 6/7 boys cringing at the back! I wish we as a country sang more, free therapy for the soul whether you're in tune or not doesn't matter!
No surprise at all! I vividly remember moving up to secondary school, singing as I would have done at primary and other girls turning round to look at me with the deepest disdain. I was so glad when I got to Year 11 and was a music perfect so I could sit on the stage and sing with the teachers instead of mumbling with the too cool for school crowd!
RVW specifically asked her to write him 2 hymns for a new collection, as he appreciated her poetry. I believe he gave her the meter, so probably had tunes in mind!
Brilliant. Thank you. And what a fantastic team they made!
Lord of all hopefulness is one of my favourite hymns :-)
I found out today that Erin and James are having it at their wedding too. 😍
I loved singing When A Knight Won His Spurs, too, Fiona. Thanks for the memories!
When my son was at primary school (from 2006) every single assembly started with diva Heather Small's Proud blasting out of the CD player ("What have you done today to make you feel proud?"). There was some more traditional communal singing afterwards. I'll ask whether my seven year old granddaughter sings in assembly. It's a good question.
I would be interested to know! Church of England and Catholic schools are far more likely to have retained daily singing than non church state schools - but course songs of worship are not and should not be the only singing opportunities for children. I remember being deeply impressed, in a muso geek way, when I moved to my second school and my phase leader was playing Spinal Tap's Cups and Cakes as the children were walking into assembly!
We sang what have you done today to make you feel proud in primary school for star of the week I have such strong memories of it 😂
Yep, that was definitely a thing in the 2000s!
Sometimes I will be thinking of nothing and then suddenly remember HE WHO WOULD VALIANT BEEEE 'GAINST ALL DISASTER and other songs like that. Or Lord of the dance or All things bright and beautifullll.
When I was at primary school in the 2000s I used to get sent out of assembly sometimes for singing and dancing around in 'too much of a silly way'.
By best brag in primary school (and honestly still today) is that Cecil Frances Alexander who wrote All Things Bright and Beautiful and There is a Green Hill Far away is part of my family in the 1800s.
Oh wow! What a brilliant family connection! And amazing how these hymns are stored in our memory from childhood to just pop out at random moments.
Yes. I can't remember my times tables properly but I CAN remember those songs!
Jesus seemed very famous to me (I suppose that he is) I loved singing. I was sad when at secondary school all of the singing stopped. I was in the choir but I think secondary school would have been better for all of us if they let us keep singing. And not even hymns. There are lots of good things we could have been singing.
I love and am proud of my family connection with Cecil Frances Alexander, I am a songwriter myself now and I feel connected to her though I never knew her. She died 100 years before I was born! I wrote a song called If Jesus Had a Podcast and I borrow a line from her Hymn There is a Green Hill Far Away.
I can vividly remember being taught the hymn as a child at school and learning that "without a city wall" meant outside a city wall, not that the wall wasn't there.
I always thought it was outside the city, beyond any city walls, where the green hill was. The hymn was originally published in Hymns for Little Children, so I think that however they imagined and thought of it was important because she wrote it for them. It is said that she wrote it while looking after her sick godchild (or her own daughter?) and that there was a hill outside Derry, where she lived that she would walk by sometimes.
I loved this song and still have that song book... by the time I did teaching practice in a primary school, singing assemblies had been reduced to the one our a week when the songs for the school play were rehearsed, drearily out of context.
How I wish we could reintroduce singing for the spirit without enforcing any particular brand of religious teaching.
Editing doesn't seem to be an option... 'one hour a week'
You are so right. Fiona. I have no great voice but I am first to my feet even now to join in the singing in church. How sad that some schools are denying this joy to their children. The film sister Act 2 is so funny and fabulous as it shows so well how singing can change lives.
I only saw Sister Act recently - my friend Victoria made me watch it as she was shocked I hadn't - and I completely agree with you. It regulates heartbeats, deepens oxytocin and community spirit. Everyone should have opportunities to sing with others. We're so snobbish and embarrassed about it in this country, thinking that if we don't have "a good voice" then we just shouldn't try. Very very sadly, I know that some of this has come from teachers who told children they shouldn't sing, or should sing quietly, or mime. The shame can be lifelong. I have made it my mission to give every child the opportunity to sing, no matter how tunelessly they start!
Will be no surprise to you, my fellow choir buddy, that I used to sing with gusto from my chair at the side of the school hall and the children would initially look at me in horror but over time they would start to sing up and enjoy themselves too. Definitely was a highlight of my school day, although not sure the same could have been said for the (typically) year 6/7 boys cringing at the back! I wish we as a country sang more, free therapy for the soul whether you're in tune or not doesn't matter!
No surprise at all! I vividly remember moving up to secondary school, singing as I would have done at primary and other girls turning round to look at me with the deepest disdain. I was so glad when I got to Year 11 and was a music perfect so I could sit on the stage and sing with the teachers instead of mumbling with the too cool for school crowd!
Prefect, not perfect! Ha!