About That Hymn Sing ...

I tell ya. What a night!! Remember how I asked your help in choosing hymns for our Fifth Sunday Sing? Thank you, thank you! The evening was an unexpected, stupendous, joyful success!
This is our sanctuary, and about 5:35, we already had quite a few visitors coming in. We were excited that a few came.

 And they came. And they came. And they kept coming! See that sanctuary? It was PACKED. Every pew. We had at least 70 lovers of hymn singing, and Oh! Did they sing!
Our hand chime choir played two pieces at the beginning, and then the poor chimers had to go find a spot to squeeze into, in the pews. Here was the chime table before service. We play in the hallway beside the sanctuary because there's not room in the sanctuary for our tables. Plus, it eases their minds that nobody is watching them play. Except me :)

 Here's Adam, chatting with Jeremiah, the Episcopal pastor. They both have excellent pastoral names.

 Look at these two darlings. Don't anybody tell me that older ladies aren't absolutely gorgeous! They both play in the chime choir, and come faithfully with cheerful, helpful hearts and hands.

 I dashed into the kitchen and snapped this photo of two ladies who helped with dishes and punch and cookies and washing and all the helpful, necessary things.

And at that point, the evening got really busy, and I forgot about my camera in the sheer excitement of playing a raucous piano with 70 people singing lustily their very favorite hymns behind me. It was such a joy! We sang: "O For a Thousand Tongues;" "It Is Well With My Soul," "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," "To God Be the Glory," "How Great Thou Art, "Holy, Holy, Holy," and "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus."
People walked into the sanctuary asking to sing solos and small groups, and we welcomed them all. The small choirs, however, never got to sing alone because as soon as they started, we'd all sing along. Such excitement and joy in singing those old songs seemed to fill everyone. And I played with such abandon because when it's that loud, nobody can hear your mistakes! Hooray!
A handful of members from our church stood and sang James Ward's "Rock of Ages." It's such a beautiful tune, and I wanted my non-Presbyterian friends to hear it since I know it's not in their hymnals. Below is a video of James Ward singing this piece alone, on the piano. He's such a gift to God's kingdom.