Welcome! You will find here an instrumental version of many of the beloved hymns of the Christian faith along with a brief summary of the story behind each hymn.
NOTE: This site is brand new in April 2020. I hope to be adding hymns to it regularly, aiming for one a week. The idea to start this site and its YouTube companion originated because of the virus pandemic. With churches closed this seemed to be a way to provide a little physical connection with our fellowship and perhaps be a bit of help for personal worship. These hymns are for the most part just straight hymn settings with accompanying lyrics. They are sort of a substitution for the congregational singing we are currently missing and not meant as 'specials' or performance pieces. In the few cases where I use a song arranged by someone else, that will be indicated in the notes. No one misses the congregational singing more than me because I'm used to having you all cover up all my 'fudging', which is now painfully evident! These recordings are obviously not videos done with professional studio production. I am just using my trusty smartphone when I get a chance to slip in to the church and record a song or two. Focus on the words, not the finger slips, and you'll get a blessing out of it! The first few pieces have some audio distortion which I'm learning how to eliminate. Once I get it sufficiently figured out I'll try to go back and re-record the rough videos to get better audio quality. The clicking and clacking you may hear at times is unavoidable -- the mic is picking up the sound of the pedals at work.
Hymns are listed below by title in alphabetical order.
Click on the link to be taken to a page with the video and hymn story.
Click on the link to be taken to a page with the video and hymn story.
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Like you might suspect, a young man growing up in a wealthy Italian merchant’s family leads a privileged life. Born in 1182, Giovanni enjoyed high-spirited activity with his friends, and at one point became a soldier. But deeper at work was a more sensitive spirit . . . more
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A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD |
A song leader will occasionally have the congregation sing ‘one verse of’ such and such a hymn. That is a very bad idea when it comes to ‘A Mighty Fortress’, because in this case it leaves us praising the devil. Don’t believe that? Read the words . . . more
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COME THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING |
Hymn story coming soon . . .
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COME YE SINNERS, POOR AND NEEDY |
Why are some of the best hymns written by such terrible people? At least in their own eyes, that is . . . more
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Hymn story coming soon . . .
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In the year 1826, Reginald Heber was in the fourth year of an arduous task. As the Anglican bishop over all of British India he had worked tirelessly to build a training school for local clergy while travelling widely around India preaching the gospel. The mission had taken its toll, however . . . more
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This recent hymn is not only “on its way to being this generation’s ‘Amazing Grace,’” as one observer commented, but it has already withstood a theological attempt to dilute its message . . . more
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The early part of the eighteenth century bore many similarities to the world we live in today. The secularizing force of Enlightenment ideas was gaining traction in European society. Interest in God was out of fashion and church attendance was in decline . . . more
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SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER |
Some people build grand mansions in the world that everyone can see and admire. Some build grand mansions in their souls that can only be glimpsed if we get a chance to see into their inner life . . . more
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It was a fairly obscure song in America and might have faded away completely except for the occurrence of an interesting chain of events . . . more
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