The UBC Summer Choir presents
A Program of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs
Sunday, July 7, 11:00 a.m.
The Book of Psalms, also referred to the Psalter, is a collection of 150 poems and prayers. Many were written by David, but there are other authors of the Psalms. There are occasionally directions given that seem to indicate a particular tune that would be familiar to the ancient Hebrew community, but no tunes exist in written form today.
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word hymn derives from Greek ὕμνος (hymnos), which means “a song of praise.” The roots of Christian hymnody has the Psalms as it basis for texts. Since the Reformation, authors like Martin Luther wrote hymns prolifically that were both hymns of testimony and hymns that teach particular tenets of the Christian faith.
The Spirituals are a purely American form of music – they are the earnest prayers and pleas of the slaves who, taken from their homeland and forced into servitude at the hands of cruel task masters, found a faith in kinship with Christ – forsaken by his own, misunderstood and mistreated. The stories of the Old and New Testaments were wells of inspiration and hope for a people who found little of either in their daily lives. But their songs live on, and inspire us to overcome our spiritual social and political turmoil, and to get on board the gospel train bound for heaven!
As we share in a service of Psalms, Hymn and Spiritual Songs, we will experience the power and testimony of each as we worship the Lord who inspires us to live in His Grace! Come join us Sunday, July 7, at 11:00 am, for a musical journey into the heart of God through the Psalms, the testimony of the post-reformation Christian church through the hymns, and the deep emotion and sheer joy of African American spirituals!