SONGS in a time of Covid-19
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'Shelter me' You may possibly recall singing 'On Eagles wings' several times in Wellspring. It's by Michael Joncas, an American Catholic priest and composer who in March 2020 wrote a song especially to help us cope with Covid. He writes.... "These are difficult times for all of us, individually and globally. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life as normal and called for acts of corporate and individual heroism in the face of present suffering and an uncertain future. People of faith may be struggling to articulate their belief in an all-good and all-powerful God in this new era. "Shelter Me is my attempt as a church composer to find God’s presence even in these fraught times. Based on the beloved Psalm 23, my paraphrase adapts the psalmist’s sentiments to respond to our present anxieties. While the text is clearly in the first-person singular, reflecting the intimacy of Psalm 23, I believe that, like many spirituals also using “I” language, it can reflect our common experience when sung by an assembly sharing the same experiences". The YouTube link is here (switch to full-screen) Hold on, just a little while longer This recording is of the Lichfield Gospel Choir singing in the online virtual way that many choirs are now doing. It's based on the Afro-American spiritual style of song and the words are written specifically for lock-down encouragement. |
Bless the Lord, O my soul (no you haven't heard this before) Old words, but a wonderful version - gentle and meaningful. We need these reflective songs in lock-down times... Words by Andraé Crouch |