Leading the Singing Assembly

Leading from the keyboard, unaccompanied alternation with choir, liturgical ensemble, and even full orchestra hymn arrangements!

Hymn, "All People That on Earth Do Dwell" - what better use of a hundred-year-old organ than to lead/embellish congregational singing, and what better tune for a centennial than "Old Hundredth"?! A 100-year-old pipe organ still going strong: A bolder-than-average hymn leading approach with a crowd of historic organ afficionados at a special event. See this link for more on the organ and the centennial program.
"Restless is the Heart," by Bernadette Farrell, as sung at Hymnfest: Some Assembly Required, Sunday, July 26, 1998, Annunciation

The complete hymnfest has its own page here.		 A favorite of choir and assembly at Annunciation. Used for several years at the All Souls evensong, it was used in this farewell hymnfest. Over one hummed verse, reader Richard Thomas declaims part of the Vision and Mission statement of Annunciation Parish.
 Commissioned hymn, "From Springs of Living Water," in honor of the 75th anniversary of Annunciation, Minneapolis
Text: Delores Dufner, OSB, copyright © 1997 by the Sisters of Saint Benedict, 104 Chapel Lane, St. Joseph, MN 56374-0220 

Tune: John Seboldt, copyright © 1997 First use at festive liturgy Saturday, Oct. 4, 1997, with assembly, Dakota Valley Chamber Orchestra (Stephen J. Ramsey, music director), and John Seboldt, organ. The orchestra and organ were at opposite ends of the church for space reasons, so give us a break if some moments are a bit out of sync!

Hymn is now published in the collection The Glimmer of Glory in Song, published by GIA Publications, Chicago. 

A news release from her community with some of her comments is found here.

Here is the hymn as it appears in that publication (low resolution for inspection only - please buy the collection if you wish to use the hymn)

 Here is Annunciation's Vision and Mission which, together with the anniversary theme "Springs of Water / Circles of Fire," helped shape Sr. Delores' text. (The above link is the statement in force at the time; the parish adopted a new mission statement in 2004.)
Psalm 40, "Here I Am, Lord, here I am...", text/music by Rory Cooney, as sung by assembly/choir 3/25/98 at an Evensong for the Feast of the Annunciation (with parish instrumental ensemble). Also the psalm for Sunday Eucharist of that day, it powerfully celebrates Mary's "yes" in the plan of salvation.

Up From the Earth, by Rory Cooney
sung by assembly on Easter Sunday, April 1998 (2 parish violinists, parish pianist, choir, assembly, and John on organ/synth). After a fairly familiar foundation of Easter favorites, using this item as a closer turned out to be quite a rouser if well led, as you can hear.