#182 "We'll Sing All Hail to Jesus' Name"

This sacrament hymn has a great melody line, but I really love to sing the alto part because of its rhythm and harmony.  The timing is a little tricky in spots, but I feel confident playing this hymn.  It is one that I schedule often for the sacrament hymn.

#181 "Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King"

I really like the message and tune of this sacrament hymn.  I love to sing the alto part because of the dissonance that it has with the soprano line.  This is one that I schedule often.

#180 "Father in Heaven, We Do Believe"

This is a sacrament hymn that we sing often.  There is a note at the bottom of the hymn:  "For sacrament, sing verses 1-4" and "For baptismal services, omit verse 4".  I've never been to a baptismal service where this was sung, but the words would work best at an adult convert baptism.

#179 "Again, Our Dear Redeeming Lord"

This is a sacrament hymn that isn't sung very often because in the 1950 edition of the hymnbook it was in the choir section.  I've never used it as a sacrament hymn.  The accidentals made it a little challenging for me to play.  Once the congregation was introduced to the melody, this would be a nice sacrament hymn to add to the other familiar hymns.

#178 "O Lord of Hosts"

This sacrament hymn was in the choir section in the 1950 hymnal and was included in the sacrament hymn section for the 1985 hymnal.  I like the soprano-alto duet in measures 9-13--I think it's a very nice touch to a congregational hymn.

#177 '"Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love"

This tune is described as having a "gospel-song energy" (as compared with Hymn #176) according to Karen Lynn Davidson's book, Our Latter-day Hymns: The Stories and the Messages.  I like both hymns and schedule them equally.

#176 "'Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love"

I like this hymn tune setting as well as the tune for Hymn #177.  The chorus of Hymn #177 is the fourth verse of Hymn #176.  The members of the congregation seem to enjoy both hymn tunes. 

#175 "O God, the Eternal Father"

This sacrament hymn was in the original LDS hymnbook from 1835.  I've sung it all of my life.  When I was the teacher development leader in the Baldy Mesa Branch, I was teaching a class for the primary teachers about using more eye contact during their lessons.  I challenged the teachers to memorize part of their lesson for the upcoming Sunday.  To show them that I was also going to challenge myself, I told them that I would memorize all four verses of this hymn (which was scheduled for the upcoming Sunday) and not even open my hymnbook for leading it.  (At the time, I was also the branch music director--most of us had two or three callings in the branch.)  So, that Sunday, I led the music for this hymn without even bringing my hymnbook to the music stand.  To this day I still have the words committed to memory.

#174 "While of These Emblems We Partake"

Since yesterday's hymn and today's hymn have the same text, the only thing to comment on is the tune.  Hymn #174 is more familiar to me.  The ward in which I grew up (Monterey Park) would use the tune "Aeolian" by Alexander Schreiner, so I probably would say that I like #174 better than #173.
Here's the story I promised to tell you about hymn #174:
When I was the music director for the old Baldy Mesa Branch (1986-89) I had scheduled this number for the sacrament hymn.  Our branch president, President Randy Wilkerson, hadn't come into the meeting yet and one of his counselors conducted the first part of the meeting--the opening hymn, opening prayer, and branch business.  Right then, President Wilkerson came in and then proceeded to conduct the next item--the announcing of the sacrament hymn.  Instead of saying, "While of These Emblems We Partake", he read it like this: "While of These Problems We Partake".  No one seemed to notice except me, but that is what he said!  I will never forget that incident--every time I sing this hymn, I think of that time when President Wilkerson rushed into sacrament meeting after counseling with a troubled branch member about their problems and announced "While of These Problems We Partake" as the sacrament hymn.

#173 "While of These Emblems We Partake"

This is a familiar sacrament hymn in our ward.  I schedule both versions of "While of These Emblems We Partake".  I like the text and the music of both.  Tomorrow I will tell you a funny story about something that happened in the Baldy Mesa Branch years ago that has to do with Hymn #174.

#172 "In Humility, Our Savior"

This is one of my favorite sacrament hymns because I really love the tune.  This hymn tune ("HYFRYDOL", which is Welsh for "good cheer") is in many Protestant hymnals, often with William C. Dix's text "Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!"  I've heard the Mormon Tabernacle Choir use this tune (with different words) and it really speaks to my soul.  I need to find out the alternate words for this hymn and use it as a choir number. 
I have notes in my personal hymnbook to use it in the following way:
Verse 1:  Unison, stacked.  Soprano sings the first 8 measures; add alto for measures 9-16; add tenor on measures 17-24; add bass for measures 25-32.
Verse 2:  Soprano and tenor for measures 1-16; SATB for measures 17-32.

I wish there were more verses to do more things with this hymn.  I will have to find the other text and use it for choir.

#171 "With Humble Heart"

This sacrament hymn is new to the 1985 edition of the LDS Hymnbook.  I haven't scheduled it very often, but we are singing it this Sunday!  I like the message and the tune, but it isn't very familiar to the congregation.

#170 "God, Our Father, Hear Us Pray"

This sacrament hymn is one that we sing often in church.  There is a key change from the 1950 LDS hymnbook that was hard for me to get used to at first, but now I can easily play this 1985 edition in the key of G.

#169 "As Now We Take the Sacrament"

This sacrament hymn is new to the 1985 edition of the LDS hymnbook.  I don't use as frequently as I do the others, but every few months I will schedule it for sacrament meeting.  I like the message and the tune.

#168 "As the Shadows Fall"

This hymn was totally new to me--I've never sung or played it before today.  I had a difficult time playing five flats.  This is probably why I've never heard it before--the average church organist/pianist doesn't like to play in the key of D-flat either!
I like the text and the music, but because of the difficulty in playing it, I won't be using it for myself.

#167 "Come, Let Us Sing an Evening Hymn"

This hymn was new to me and I was surprised to see the note at the bottom of the hymn that reads, "Included in the first LDS hymnbook, 1835".  I don't think I've ever heard it sung before.  It was easy to play and sing.  I have a note that the 1948 edition of the hymnbook has an SSA arrangement.

#166 "Abide with Me!"

I really like this hymn.  I have used it in sacrament meeting as a closing hymn many times.  I like to sing the tenor line--even though I am an alto--because of its moving line on measures 10-11 and 16-17.
I have used this hymn with a ward choir as follows:
Verse 1:  SATB
Verse 2:  SSA (Soprano I sings melody; Soprano II sings the alto; altos sing the tenor line)
Verse 3: Unison with T.T. Noble's free accompaniment (#100) in key of E-flat

#165 "Abide with Me; 'Tis Eventide"

What can I say about the hymn that was sung at my husband's funeral?  It was one of Mike Ramsey's  favorites, so I chose it as the closing song at his funeral.  I love the message of this hymn and the vocal harmonization. 
I've used this hymn for stake choir in the following manner:
Verse 1: SATB
Verse 2: Soprano sings first 10 measures; add alto on measures 11-15; add tenor on measures 16-20; add bass on measures 21-25.
Verse 3: Tenor sings melody (an octave lower) and alto sings the alto line as written for measures 1-10; add soprano and bass on measures 15-25 with everyone singing their regular part as written (SATB) except that the basses sing a "C" instead of an E-flat on their last note. 
Add a tag ending of the last five measures, in unison, with a ritard on measures 22-25, and tenor and bass sing their last note as written (measure 25). 
This is a very effective arrangement that I have used in sacrament meeting.  I didn't come up with the arrangement--it was something on an old Mormon Tabernacle Choir album that I just copied.
This hymn will always be special to me because of Mike's love of this song.

#164 "Great God, to Thee My Evening Song"

Even though this hymn has been around since the 1800's, it is one that is new to me.  I don't think I've ever sung it in a choir or in a congregation.  The tune and words are nice, but because it is unfamiliar to me, I probably won't use it in a sacrament meeting.

#163 "Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing"

I have a funny story about this hymn.  My first husband, Mike Ramsey, had a hearing loss in his left ear and was completely deaf in his right ear.  He sometimes didn't hear words correctly.  He thought that the words in the last two lines were:  "Oh, refreshments, on refreshments, Trav'ling thru this wilderness."  It made sense to him that you would need refreshments if you were traveling through a wilderness!  I can't sing this hymn without thinking of him.
This is a simple hymn that I've used many times as a closing hymn.  The congregation enjoys the easy melody and two short verses.

#162 "Lord, We Come Before Thee Now"

I love the minor key of this hymn.  The harmonizations of the vocal parts are really nice, too.  I've used this as a choir hymn in the following manner:
Verse 1:  Soprano sings measures 1-2; Add tenor on measures 3-4; Add alto on measures 5-6; Add bass on measures 7-8.
Verse 2:  Soprano and tenor sing their parts for the entire verse.
Verse 3:  Women's voices with soprano I on soprano; soprano II on alto; alto sings tenor line.
Verse 4: SATB with a tag ending on measures 7-8 and change the tenor note to a B-natural on the last note of the tag to bring it to a major chord at the end.

#161 "The Lord Be with Us"

I was surprised to find out that this hymn was in the 1948 edition of the LDS Hymnal.  It was not familiar to me at all.  I don't think I've ever sung it or played it until today.  It would make a nice closing hymn for an evening sacrament meeting.

#160 "Softly Now the Light of Day"

When I was teaching early-morning seminary, one of my students (who didn't like to sing) went through the entire hymnbook and wrote a list of all the one-verse songs in the hymnbook.  This song, "Softly Now the Light of Day", was at the top of his list.  He wanted me to choose shorter songs for sacrament meeting and for seminary. 
I have a note in my personal hymnal that T.T. Noble has a free accompaniment to this hymn, but it is in the Key of F.  The 1950 hymnal has this hymn in the Key of F, so if I ever want to try it, I could use the old hymnal--the congregation or choir would be able to easily adapt to the half-step change in key.

#159 "Now the Day Is Over"

I first remember learning this song from an old primary record made by primary children from Mesa, Arizona.  My family would listen to that record many times during my childhood.  I always thought of this song as a song from the hymnbook--for sacrament meeting.  Today, when I read Our Latter-day Hymns, by Karen Lynn Davidson, I was surprised to find out that it was originally written for children.  Her book lists four additional verses to the two that are in our hymnbook.
I like the vocal parts of this hymn.  They are very interesting and blend nicely together to form a great tune.

#158 "Before Thee, Lord, I Bow My Head"

This hymn was in the choir section of the 1950 hymnal and I remember first hearing it as a youth.  I loved how the bass and tenor parts echoed the women's parts.  I don't remember singing this as a congregational hymn, but it would be an easy one for the congregation to sing.

#157 "Thy Spirit, Lord, Has Stirred Our Souls"

I remember learning this as a youth in the old Monterey Park Ward.  What made it special is that our ward choir director had once lived in the area near Sinai--which is mentioned in verse one of the hymn--and he told us that this hymn was a favorite of the members of the little branch in that area. 
I have a note written in my personal hymnbook about ending the second verse with a deceptive cadence and then repeating the last line "In all we do, in all we say".  Have the last note (the deceptive cadence) be a C for the basses, G for the tenors, C for the altos, and an E-flat for the sopranos on the word "say" and then repeat the last line, holding the A-flat of the tenor line, before ending with the original chord as written.  I played it that way this morning and it was very effective.  I would like to use this hymn as a choir number and sing it that way.

#156 "Sing We Now at Parting"

This is a hymn that I have sung all my life.  It makes a great closing hymn for a sacrament meeting.  I noticed one change in the wording.  The last line of the first verse used to say "rend this Sabbath air" and now it reads "fill this Sabbath air".  I guess "rend" must have had a bad connotation. 
This hymn is easy to play --Key of C-- and easy to sing.  I will continue to use this hymn in sacrament meeting.

#155 "We Have Partaken of Thy Love"

This hymn is a new addition to the 1985 hymnal.  It makes a good closing hymn, but I don't think we've ever sung it.  This is another of the hymns that just keeps getting passed by--the congregation has never learned it.  It has a good message and a nice tune, but I probably won't schedule it until it's been introduced in Relief Society hymn practice time.

#154 "Father, This Hour Has Been One of Joy"

This hymn was a new addition to the 1985 hymnal.  It is only one verse long, so this is another good one to schedule for a long sacrament meeting.  The message is "short and sweet".  The tune is a little tricky to play because of the accidentals.  I don't remember scheduling this hymn in the past 15 years because I don't think it's ever been taught to our congregation.  It might be nice for the Relief Society to teach it during their hymn practice time, or have the ward choir sing it once and then have the congregation repeat the hymn.  I like it, but I probably won't schedule it until it's been introduced to the congregation in some manner.

#153 "Lord, We Ask Thee Ere We Part"

After a long sacrament meeting, the congregation appreciates a short closing hymn.  This song fits the bill!  It has a great message, is easy to sing, and is short!  I've used this hymn many times over the years as the closing hymn.  I like it!