I spoke yesterday about how music can stir many emotions in us, and about how there are some specific pieces of music which alway pull at my heart-strings (see yesterday’s blog post Music to Touch Our Hearts).
Well this week at work there were a couple of occasions when I found myself the only person in my team in the office, so I did my usual and put my ipod on to listen to some music. When I’m working I usually just put my music on random as it tends to be more of a background noise than something I’m specifically listening to, so one both those days I did just that and continued on with my work.
A little while later on the first of those days I suddenly became aware that the music I was listening to was tugging at my heart-strings…panic set in at that point as the last thing I wanted was to fall apart in the middle of an office surrounded my loads of other folk! Well I made it to the ladies toilets just in time, just before the tears started big time!
I couldn’t believe what had happened, as I always make sure I do not include any of the music from my “emotional list” when I’m listening in the office, so how could this have happened? Well it was a song I’ve heard, and played hundreds of times, but for some reason it got me that day!
The piece that caught me out that day at work was an arrangement of the hymn tune Troyte played by The International Staff Band of The Salvation Army. I’m still not sure exactly what it was in particular that day that pulled my heart-strings, and to be honest I think it was just a combination of the wonderful musical arrangement and the words which on that day I associated with the tune.
So please play the music I heard here and follow the words which this week I associated with the music (I know there are other songs which are sung to this tune however these are the words along with the music that touched me on that day).
O Lord of heaven and earth and sea, To thee all praise and glory be; How shall we show our love to thee, Who givest all? For peaceful homes and healthful days, For all the blessings earth displays, We owe thee thankfulness and praise, Who givest all. Thou didst not spare thine only Son, But gav’st him for a world undone, And freely with that blessed one Thou givest all. thou giv’st the Spirit’s blessed dower, Spirit of life and love and power, And dost his sevenfold graces shower Upon us all. For souls redeemed, for sins forgiven, For means of grace and hopes of Heaven, Father, all praise to thee be given, Who givest allI pray you may receive blessing from the music and words, just I have.
The Distinct Dot 