Songs, Hymns and Music for the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth (May 31 2023)

1 Samuel 2:1-10 and Luke 1:39-57
Hannah wants a son, and prays to God without a mediator; Mary is expecting a son too!

Songs that fit more with the 1 Samuel reading:

• Taizé / TiS 741 / AoV1-017 / ATE 282 / LBW368 / ELW407 / GA431 / SFFS 2200 / GtG471 / G(II)410 / GC586 / GC(II)566 / G(3)666 / W&R484 / Srce519 / URW390 / Lau929 / PfAS013A / PfAS102A / MP908 O Lord hear my prayer (Jacques Berthier) A simple and very well known Taizé chant. Works well during intercessions. You could read the Psalm between repeats of this chant, or just use as a chant as is. Sheet music samples. Good for kids
• TiS 690 / CH259 / A&M557 / StS115 / SP237 / Srce54 / StF693 / MP806 Beauty for brokenness hope for despair (Graham Kendrick) Themes of healing from personal and universal suffering and an emotive chorus. “Refuge from cruel wars, havens from fear, cities for sanctuary, freedoms to share, peace to the killing-fields, scorched earth to green; Christ for the bitterness, his cross for the pain”. It's a bit schmaltzy. Lyrics.
• TiS 560 / AHB 465 / NCH408 / CH192 / UMH132 / VU654/655 / WoV782 / ELW757 / A&M584 / CP529 / CP(E) 368 / Cha088 / Srce2-15 / 82Hml-665 / Lau959 / StF455 / MP016 All my hope on God is founded / is firmly grounded (Joachim Neander) Most translations of this well known German hymn are not inclusive, but the translation by Fred Pratt Green in UMH, NCH and WoV are; these are also available online, so use them! Lyrics. Oldy-but-a-goody.

Songs that fit both readings!

• W&R172 For Ages Women Hoped and Prayed (Jane Parker Huber) This is one of those "Coming, but already here songs" of Advent, and could be sung at other times of year, too. Thought-provoking words about what it may have been like for Mary to bear Christ. Lyrics. Set to VOX DILECTI, but could be sung to other tunes. It fits New Britain (the tune for Amazing Grace) quite nicely. New words to old tunes.
• VU012 She walked in the summer / The Visit (Miriam Therese Winter) This has lovely words about Mary visiting Elizabeth. It's a little mushy, but I like it. "Be brave with the burden you are blessed to bear for it's Christ that you carry everywhere". Lyrics
• MV120 / StS124 / R245 / ELW723 / HPP88 / GtG100 / G(II)376 / GC556 / GC(II)527 / G(3)622 / PfAS075B / URW018 / LUYH069 My soul cries out with a joyful shout (Canticle of the Turning) (Rory Cooney) This is my favourite Magnificat! "Could the world be about to turn?" It's sung to a folk tune (STAR OF THE COUNTY DOWN). Lyrics & sheet music samples. New words to old tunes
• Online Resource / TiS 172 / NCH119 / UMH198 / VU899 / GtG099 / PfAS1042 / Cha130 My soul gives glory to my God (John Mueller) Simple and beautiful words to a simple and beautiful tune. Inclusive lyrics. Lyrics (plus lyrics to lots of other magnificats). Scroll down and look for "ecumenical". I recommend the newer translation by Mary Louise Bringle, which can be seen, heard, and purchased here.
• Online resource Magnificat (Bruce Harding) A fun magnificat, using the Latin phrase “Magnificat amina mea deum”. I think our musicians would like this one! Sound sample and sheet music. 
• HiOS101 My heart is leaping (Marion Kitchingman) Good words, and a joyful tune.
• / Iona (T1AU) / StS012 / GA545 / GC(II)522 / G(3)630 / PfAS1018 Magnificat (Jacques Berthier) “Magnificat amina mea dominum” Taize Magnificat. To be honest, I think it’s kind of funny to sing “Magnificat” as a lyric, but maybe that's just me. There are also alternative English lyrics (Sing out my soul), which are good if your congregation thinks singing in Latin is quirky. A catchy and happy Taize chant. Sheet music, sound samples, and English translation.
• ATAR639 / GC(II)782 / Lau338 My Soul Proclaims your Greatness O God (Marty Haugen) Nice, simple to sing. Lead sheet and lyrics. Sound sample.
• GA250 / StF060 My soul rejoices / Canticle of Mary (Owen Alstott) A simple, hymnlike Magnificat. Lyrics.
  
• WoV730 / LBW180 / ELW573 / CP363 My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness A very simple hymny Magnificat; there are a few translations of this. WoV is good (I don't know about ELW or CP). Sung to the well known tune KINGSFOLD. Lyrics and sound sample. New words to old tunes. 
  
• Online Resource Hear the message we now are proclaiming / El mensaje que hoy proclamamos (Eleazar Toregosa) This jubilant Colombian song of liberty and new life for the poor would fit well with this reading. Good for kids. Free sheet music!
• Taizé / TiS 731 /  SFFS 2017 / GtG155 / G(II)377 / GC557 / GC(II)535 / G(3)618 / W&R212 / PfAS100G / URW383 / Lau691 Raise a song of gladness / Jubilate Servite (Taize) Glorious, fun round. If your congregation balks at singing in Latin, it can be sung in English as "Raise a song of gladness, all the earth, Christ has come, bringing peace, joy to every heart, Alleluia Alleluia, Joy to every heart (x2)". This is not a Gloria, but it has the feel of one! Sound sample.
  

Psalm 113  
You could also use an Alleluia as a Psalm refrain.

• TiS 179 / NCH273 / VU312 / StJ / GA379 / URW073 Praise with joy the world's Creator (John Bell and Graham Maule) It's not a direct fit, but I think it would work well, and it's great. Lyrics. 
• CH169 / VU245 / SFFS 2020 / HPP26 / CP309 Praise the Lord with the Sound of Trumpet (Natalie Sleeth) Fun. Good for kids. Good if you have extra instruments at your worship service. Slightly clunky sound sample and lyrics.
• PfAS113A / MP163 From the rising of the sun (Kathy Wonson Eddy) A fun and joyful Psalm response.
• TiS 72 / AHB 42 / NCH27 / CH146 / UMH101 / LBW550 / A&M637 / HPP36 / GtG327 / PH229 / CP344 / CP(E) 431 / Cha49 / PfAS117C / 82Hml-380 / StF075 / LUYH570 From all that dwell below the skies (Isaac Watts) A very old hymn, known by many, which is entirely inclusive in its language for God, save for one Lord which you can replace with God if you like 'cos it's Public Domain! Oldy-but-a-goody. Lyrics and tune samples.
• Online Resource From the rising of the sun (Bruce Harding) A simple contemporary Psalm refrain. Sheet music.
• SiS?? From the rising of the sun (Paul Deming) An old chorus that will be familiar and fun for older congregations; it is not at all inclusive. This is particularly excellent in churches that face North or South, because then you can get the whole congregation doing jazz hands above their heads going East to West. Surely my childhood church (One Tree Hill Uniting) was not the only church to do this in the '70s? Rock on to this version on Youtube. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• ATAR676 Lord, be the rising (Sandra Sears) This is quite lovely. The tune is simple and the words seek God in all goodness.  

Romans 12:9-16b
A bunch of wise instructions for living a peaceful life

• TiS 607 / AoV2-126 / ATN 95 / CH528 / VU684 / StJ / A&M725 / SFFS 2171 / HPP406 / GtG753 / G(II)524 / GC726 / GC(II)721 / G(3)828 / CP(E)519/ W&R587 / Srce 462 / Lau898 / StF707 / MP456 Make me a channel of your peace (Sebastian Temple). Lovely. Nice if you can just start a capella...  Youtube video of Sinead O'Connor singing it and lyrics
• NCH287 / FFS11 Come teach us Spirit of our God (Shirley Murray) Excellent words and a good tune. Lyrics & sheet music.
• TiS 650 / ATA 191 / CH694 / A&M604 / NCH539 / VU595 / ELW659 / AA08 / SFFS 2222 / HPP442 / GtG727 / G(II)476 / GC683 / GC(II)661 / G(3)751 / CP500 / CP(E) 393 / W&R391 / Cha490 / SP263 / URW117 / StF611 / Lau924 Brother, sister, let me serve you / Won't you let me be your servant? (Richard Gillard) I think you all know this one. Lyrics. NCH has a nice turn on the lyrics with "Won't you let me be your servant?" as the first line.
• TiS 672 / GA554 Lord of earth and all creation (Michael and Honor Mary Thwaites) A call for renewal of creation and all God's created people in Australia; it verges on being a bit nationalistic, so please check the lyrics. Two possible tunes. I prefer to sing it to WESTMINSTER ABBEY which is very well known. Lyrics (split by words of mission and blessing). New words to old tunes
  
• TiS 599 / AHB 520 / NCH448 / CH502 / UMH399 / VU506 / LBW406 / ELW685 / A&M787 / HPP349 / GtG697 / PH391 / CP435 / CP(E) 581 / W&R466 / Cha609 / Srce633 / 82Hml-707 / Lau874 / StF566 / LUYH863 / MP624 Take my life and let it be (Frances Havergal) An oldy but a goody. Lyrics and sheet music.  Oldy-but-a-goody. 
  
• ATW 463 / Iona (T1AU) / ELW721 / SFFS 2219 / A&M835 / GtG750 / GC(II)451 / G(3)528 / W&R296 / URW436 / LUYH707 Goodness is stronger than evil (Desmond Tutu) "Victory is ours, victory is ours, through him who loves us". Some congregations change the last line to "Compassion is ours, compassion is ours...". It depends on the context in which you sing it, I suppose. Sound sample. Good for kids.
  
• TiS 648 / NCH388 / UMH560 / HPP289 / GtG754 / PH358 / W&R596 / Cha487 / LUYH318 Help us accept each other (Fred Kaan) Very nice simple words about acceptance and love for all people. The tune varies in each hymn book. I like the lilting tune RUNNYMEDE in TiS, but if a more standard hymn is needed for your congregation, it can also be sung to AURELIA (The church's one foundation). Lyrics and sheet music.New words to old tunes.