Hymns of Praise 2024 - 23rd June 2024

by Alto Saxophonist Don Brown

On Sunday afternoon 23 June 2024, the Coventry City of Culture Orchestra and it’s conductor, the incredible Seb Farrall, led the singing for a Hymns of Praise service at the Methodist Central Hall.  Now Songs of Praise on television may be an acquired taste, but the aim of Seb and the orchestra is to raise the excitement, challenge and enjoyment of the hymns and songs.

The introduction and first hymn were Love Divine All Loves Excelling by Charles Wesley, the driving force behind the start of the Methodist Church. He wrote over 6,500 hymns. The tune was a Welsh composition by William Penfro Rowlands.  Lots of different instruments picked up the melody for each verse and others provided the harmony and colour to the piece.

After a prayer, the second song was the lovely King of Kings, Majesty.  The lyrical composition made the musicians feel for that sound which provides beauty and encourages the singing.  Then, after a Bible reading, there was an arrangement of the popular Amazing Grace. The hymn originated from the life of John Newton, a slave trader, who nearly died in a shipwreck, and as a result, became a minister of religion. Seb created an arrangement (because it has a special meaning for him and his wife Fran) It was full of subtleties and it built to a climax with brass and sax fanfares.

The Rev Claire McCarther, a member of the orchestra, then prayed a lovely prayer, while the orchestra played the Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana.  A contrast was the next song by Graham Kendrick which is a rocking, bouncing, piece with the title Shine, Jesus, Shine arranged by the orchestra's Contrabass Clarinet player, Paul Wellicome.  This was followed by a Bible reading and a message from the Central Hall minister, Rev. Stephen Willey.

I must admit to a connection with the next hymn. I have followed jazz since the heady days of the trad jazz revival in the 50s and 60s. I must have half a dozen different versions of Just a Closer Walk with Thee, a hymn that’s been around a long time. We acquired an arrangement that started with an orchestral feeling, then after a 3-bar drum break, swung into a New Orleans marching band style. You can hear the same hymn played as a dirge at the start of a New Orleans funeral on YouTube.  It was great fun to play, but has some serious thoughts behind it.

The Hymns of Praise ended with the rousing hymn How Great Thou Art and again the different sections of the orchestra played their part in providing contrast, interest and passion. There were many appreciative comments after the session had finished.

Don Brown
Alto Sax