The Heritage of the Church's Song

Musical Saints

"For all the Saints, Who from their labors rest..."

Imagine yourself in a crowd singing a great hymn of faith, just you and your closest 5,000 friends singing at the top of your voice of the majesty and power and glory of God, or maybe just a few friends gathered together. I have been in a crowd of over 2,000 singing musicians and it is an awesome experience. 



In the course of church music history many hymns have been written that millions of people have sung through the ages. When we add our voice to that song not only do we connect with those around us, we also connect with those that have gone before us. That is an awesome inspiring experience.


If you think about when we sing or play a work by a great composer, take J.S. Bach for example, we are singing and playing something that came out of his creative imagination, written down and perform and re-performed over and over throughout its musical history. The saints of the past, those we know and those we don’t know have shared in much of the music we share today. And the saints yet to be will share in that same majesty and beauty.

When we sing the hymn “For all the Saints” on All Saint’s Day or Sunday imagine yourself connecting with the millions of people who are singing this hymn on the same day and the millions of past souls who have sung this hymn throught the ages. You can't help but be moved by the heritage of faith that connects us through music. 


Yes, another reason music should be with us and in us and then shared with each other.

But then there breaks a yet more glorious day...

peace
john paradowski

Here's a great video of 5000 people singing "For All the Saints" at the Royal Albert Hall, London.