Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Hymns Of Praise

I've been teaching piano lessons to some of the members of the spanish branch of the church every Tuesday night. I'm down to two students, one of which who is really progressing well. Every week, after the piano students leave, the counselor to the Branch president has been coming in and asking me to help him learn new hymns. When we first started the piano class, we followed the church course that suggested that we teach them to lead music before learning to play the piano. This man went through that conducting course, but then didn't continue with the piano lessons. He did well, and they have him lead the music for most of their Priesthood meetings.

Because the Spanish branch has so many new members joining each month, most of the members are relatively new to the church. They are still in the process of learning the church hymns. Because of this, they usually sing the same hymns over and over, without trying anything new. But this man has been trying to learn new hymns lately on his own. He has been having me help him learn, including giving him a chance to lead the song. The first song I helped him learn was "All Creatures of Our God and King". This was a song that was requested by the branch president to be sung at their branch conference. After this song, this man decided he wanted to learn some new sacrament songs. We have been working on "In Remembrance Of Thy Suffering." Not an easy song, but he has learned it well. He has been telling the women and men to learn these songs in their meetings so that they can sing them in Sacrament meeting.

What I like about teaching him these new songs is that through him the entire branch gets a chance to learn new songs. Also, I get to listen to him sing in his beautiful tenor voice as we practice. It only takes about an extra 15 minutes after my piano students leave to help him, but I think it's a great investment of time!

"For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads." Dpctrine and Covenants 25:12

3 comments:

Nene said...

The people here in Ireland don't know a lot of the songs we sing in the US. They are also very narro-minded and don't want to even try them. The lady that plays the organ is from Idaho and is here doing an extraction mission. She picks the hymns every week because she has to practice them in order to play them. I see the counselor in the bishopric always going over to her and telling her they don't know a certain hymn and then she has to pick another. We have enough Americans in the congregation, I think the people could learn them just by singing them with our help. We have approximately 15-16 Americans in our ward.

Inklings said...

I think it is good of you to do that, Delirious.

Amber said...

that's so awesome, you're helping the whole ward by helping him!