Sing a new song

I am ashamed to confess it, but it is getting to be a long time since I last went to Mass - I didn't even get to a Christmas service. Towards the end of the pregnancy, when I could no longer lift Wombat, it just got too difficult, then I wasn't allowed to drive for six weeks after the caesarean, and there were any number of other excuses, even with a baby as easy-going and well-behaved as Munchkin. Even today, the boys' car seats are in Yeti's car, which I am not comfortable driving. The excuses are sounding pretty hollow, even to myself, so next week I am going to make a proper effort to get there regardless.

That leads me to another dilemma. There are two churches I can go to - both half-an-hour's drive away but in opposite directions. One is small, with a grumpy old priest and no music. The other is huge and crowded, with glorious music - singing most of the Mass - but also lots of misbehaving kids and coughing adults. Call me paranoid, but I am just not comfortable making a new baby sit amongst sick people for an hour, and Wombat watches the naughty kids and copies, so my joy in being there is outweighed by these distractions.

As a result, the choice is easy. I will be going back to the small church. But I do so love singing hymns. When I was pregnant with Wombat, Yeti sent me for a retreat at the local Schoenstatt shrine. One afternoon when there was no-one else around, I sat by myself with a hymnal and sang every song I knew. It was one of those moments which provides "life and food / For future years" (to quote my favourite Wordsworth poem). So what am I to do?

Around Christmas, Playing with Legos came up with the idea of posting a song a week. I quite enjoyed the concept of singing the same song for a week, thus teaching it to the boys - and surprisingly, I learnt that Felize Navidad and Auld Lang Syne make great lullabies - at least, Munchkin thinks so. When Wombat was born, I surrounded him with music. I had Mozart and other classical music playing almost every minute of the day. With Munchkin, I hardly ever even remember to put on a lullaby cd! I feel like I am sadly neglecting him.

Rolling all these issues into one big ball, I have decided that every Sunday I will choose a hymn to sing for that week, and I will sing it at every opportunity. This is a simple idea that makes me feel really happy and will hopefully benefit the boys as well! If nothing else, it gives me an alternative to grouching. When I find myself starting to respond with irritation, I sing instead. Surprisingly effective. Also, it piques Wombat's curiousity, so we talk about what I'm singing, why I'm singing it, what the words mean... and before I know it Wombat is singing his own little lalala songs as well. It adds harmony to our lives.

In the future I hope to extend this idea to encompass new hymns that I would like to learn, but to start with, I am going to choose some old favourites that I love - often I have the chorus by heart, and one or two verses, but it would be nice to have the whole song. This one, for example, I know well, but still often get the verses mixed up, or substitute lines from other hymns and the third verse is almost always forgotten.

Sing a New Song

Sing a new song unto the Lord
Let your song be sung from mountains high.
Sing a new song unto the Lord
Singing alleluia.

Yahweh's people dance for joy.
Oh come before the Lord.
Play for him on glad tambourines,
And let your trumpet sound.

Sing a new song unto the Lord
Let your song be sung from mountains high.
Sing a new song unto the Lord
Singing alleluia.

Rise oh chidren from your sleep.
Your Savior now has come.
He has turned your sorrow to joy,
And filled your soul with song.

Sing a new song unto the Lord
Let your song be sung from mountains high.
Sing a new song unto the Lord
Singing alleluia.

Glad my soul for I have seen
the glory of the Lord.
The trumpet sounds; the dead shall be raised.
I know my Savior lives.

Sing a new song unto the Lord
Let your song be sung from mountains high.
Sing a new song unto the Lord
Singing alleluia.



I have been reading a bit about choosing (or being chosen by) a patron saint for the year, and thinking it was a lovely idea. I guess mine has chosen me - welcome to a Brand New Ending, St Cecilia!