The first I played was a childrens hymn from the old Methodist Hymnbook - the regular organist let me play just that one when I was about 13. (he died two years later and I succeeded him). It was 'When Mothers of Salem their children brought to Jesus'.

The first hymn I remember singing was in primary Sunday School which used two books (one red, one blue) of childrens hymns by Carey Bonner. 'Jesus bids us shine , with a pure clear light. Like a little candle burning in the night. In this world of darkness, so we must shine. You in your small corner and I in mine'

First played: All people that on earth do dwell
First sung: When a knight won his spurs

I was cajoled into playing for a 'Youth' service when I was 14 yrs old. The only hymn that I remember from that service had the chorus,

"We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion,
We're marching on to Zion, the beautiful city of God."

Although it was, like fsharpminor's, a Methodist service, the music for this hymn wasn't in the MHB, but in some other volume that was falling apart!

"Jesus bids us shine..." was of course one of the hymns sung in Sunday School. In (day) school we had a little blue hymn-book and sang,

"Glad that I live am I, that the sky is blue,
Glad for the country lanes and the fall of dew,
After the sun, the rain, after the rain, the sun,
This is the way of life, 'til the work be done,
All that we need to do, be we low or high,
Is to see that we grow, nearer the sky."

At 6' 5" I think I did my bit to honour that promise!

I remember 'Jesus bids us shine' very well from Sunday school - aged about 4.

First hymn I played in a service was 'The head that once was crowned with thorns': I think I was 12.

First sung, and remembered: Luckington (around 1960, IIRC)
First played: St Flavian (around 1967, IIRC)

I have no recollection what the first hymn was that I played on the organ publicly; I must have been too paralysed by fear. All I remember is that I was hissed at furiously by a lay 'server' of some sort (who held a position of honour) " No!!! That's the wrong tune!!" Forcing me to stop and begin again with the 'right' tune. I was in a complete turmoil for the rest of the service.

I think many of us here must have sung from the same hymn book in primary school because I remember 'Glad that I live am I' and 'Jesus bids us shine'.

'Glad that I live am I' was in a book called the Methodist Sunday School Hymn Book.

It was probably in others. I didn't go to a Methodist school but I recall (get out your violin) we followed the words written up on a blackboard.

(I also remember using a mini blackboard + rubber outer to write on in the babies' class )

Played: Sine Nomine, aged about 11. Stirring stuff.
Sung: Far too long ago to remember

"...a book called the Methodist Sunday School Hymn Book."

This is a rather well-edited and useful volume, long out of print.

The 1933 Methodist Hymn Book (produced to celebrate the joining of the 'Primitive' Methodists with the 'Wesleyan' Methodists,) had many fine harmonies drastically simplified to make it easier for less skilled organists to play. The later volume, Hymns and Psalms, has gone down the 'PC' route with many needless alterations. But The Methodist Sunday School Hymn Book is a volume I often refer to and is well worth having on the shelf.

Barry Williams

Don't remember what the hymns were, but it was when the organist didn't turn up!

Was it a green cover with a scallop shell on the front - I have vague recollections of same.



... and was this the Howell's composition from his Six Pieces, by any chance?

(Incidentally, have you played Francis Jackson's Fantasy on 'Sine Nomine' from his Five Preludes on English Hymn Tunes?)

Yes it was indeed a green cover with a Scallop shell. I think my sister still has mine (she plays at a Methodist church), I also have a black one which I got when the green on became worse for wear.

Another hymn from it I remember, which wasnt in the main MHB was 'When a knight won his spurs in the stories of old, he was gentle(?) and brave, he was gallant and bold. With a shield on his arm, and a lance in his hand, for God and for valour he rode through the land .'

I remember it well - I'm singing it now!

Somewhat reminiscent of:

"It's right to fight for what you want, for all that you believe,
It's right to fight for what you want, to live the way you please,
As long as we have done our best, then no-one can do more,
And life and hope and happiness are well worth fighting for!"

That wasn't a hymn, but where did it come from?

EDIT: Was it 'The Flashing Blade'?

My earliest hymn-playing was for school assembly. I remember playing was 'God is love, his the care' in F#minor, appropriately enough for this thread. The left hand had lots of double octaves and when it got to the chorus 'Sing aloud' you had to do a lightning cross-over of hands in order to get the bass, tune and high melody all going at once. Stirring stuff.

I'd forgotten 'Glad that I live' but it is one of my earliest memories of school assembly.

Memories of, (counting under your breath) One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, "God is love, ..."

I dont remember that hymn, but it sounds as if the tune is 'Theodoric'. ??

Yes, that's the one! More likely to sing, "Long ago, prophets knew..." to it nowadays though.

Gosh, yes...I used to have to do my Les Dawson version of this when I first started teaching and had to play the piano in assembly *comes out in a cold sweat*..

First played? Don't know

First sung? Don't know

First sung with a solo verse, either:
Soul of My Saviour,
or
I am not worthy holy Lord
(Oremus says 322, but I thought 323 in Ancient and Modern _Standard_ - the blue one, also in the Ancient and Modern Revised that I have that precedes the Standard version)

No idea which one I sang first, but can vividly remember the first one I played, as I practised it so much - 'Immortal, invisible, God only wise ' - nice easy pedal part, in A flat.

I can't remember the first hymn I sang, but it would have been at primary school in the early 70's where we used the English Hymnal as well as a number of more modern tunes by Patrick Appleford, Geoffrey Beaumont etc.

The first hymn I played in a church service was "O for a closer walk with God", to the fine tune "Stracathro", in July 1979. I remember being VERY nervous, but it did help that my organ teacher was there to encourage me............

Fond memories.

Ses

Although organ duties in our Methodiist Church were shared by a couple of organists, one of whom was my teacher at the time, no-one asked me to play through even the hymns in front of them, to see that I was up to the job!

I played the Trumpet Voluntary final movement of John Stanley's Suite for Organ as transcribed and arranged by Henry Coleman (Oxford Organ Music) to end the service.

The next time I played, for a similar occasion, still 14, I ended with Karg-Elert's Nun Danket Alle Gott! I dread to think what that sounded like - I played it without ever having performed it in front of anyone, without having had any guidance in learning it whatsoever!

When I read Anne Marsden's notes on performing the piece, a few years back in Organists' Review, it made me shudder!

Cancel my last, I can remember the first hymn I ever sang, in my first year at primary school - 1967.

Jesus’ hands were kind hands,
Doing good for all.
Healing pain and sickness,
Blessing children small.
Washing tired feet
And saving those who fall.
Jesus’ hands were kind hands,
Doing good for all.

Take my hands, Lord Jesus,
Let them work for you.
Make them strong and gentle,
Kind in all I do.
Let me watch you, Jesus,
‘Til I’m gentle, too,
‘Til my hands are kind hands,
Quick to work for you.

I can remember the tune too, and I can honestly say I haven't heard it in over 40 years - does anyone know which book it came from?

Cheers,

Ses.

Isn't it 'Au clair de la lune'??? Beloved of many a recorder tutor...

I'm sure it is too!

Yes, that's the one! Thanks to both........

Ses

Sung - can't remember
Played - also can't remember, though it wasn't on the organ, but on a keyboard. It's only a little church. An occasion I remember very well, however, was when neither of the pianists turned up (I was playing clarinet). There was an uncomfortable silence as the priest came in, while we were frantically choosing the other three hymns, one of which I had to sight read because I hadn't played many of hymns before. That was stressful.

Edit: according to the couple of lists of numbers pencilled into my hymn book, assuming the earliest date was the first time I played, it was Love divine, all loves excelling. (G major)
Edit again: Played (on clarinet, before starting to take turns on keyboard) - Follow me, follow me (found by trawling through past emails rather than my memory!)