#335 "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy"

I really like this song.  Just recently, a male quartet sang this in the Oak Hills Ward sacrament meeting.  It was very effective.  On the last verse, they sang the hymn a capella.  I liked learning about the "lower lights" being the responsibility of the church members and Our Father will keep His mercy "brightly beaming".

#334 "I Need Thee Every Hour"

This is a nice arrangement for a men's choir.  Several years ago when I was the Stake Music Chairperson, I had a men's quartet sing it at the Saturday evening session of the Hesperia Stake Conference. 

#333 "High on the Mountain Top"

This is an arrangement for a men's choir of the congregational hymn #5. 

#332 "Come, O Thou King of Kings"

This is a good arrangement of the congregational version of hymn #59 for a men's choir.  It would be interesting to have someone write a transition between the two different keys (key of G and key of C) so that one of the verses could be sung by a men's quartet in their range.

#331 "Oh, Say, What Is Truth?"

This is a nice arrangement for a men's choir.  I would enjoy hearing a men's quartet sing this in church.

#330 "See, the Mighty Angel Flying"

I don't know why this hymn seemed familiar to me since it is a men's choir arrangement and it is unlikely that I would have heard a men's choir sing this.  Perhaps I heard it in General Conference, or just on a CD of the Hymns.  I like its repetition of words with a different tune in the last two lines of the song.

#329 "Thy Servants Are Prepared"

This men's choir arrangement is also a congregational hymn (#261).  Other than when I played #261, this hymn was new to me.

#328 "An Angel from on High"

This is a wonderful men's arrangement of the hymn which is also published for congregational singing.  (See hymn #13.)  I liked this arrangement and would love to find a quartet of men to sing this in sacrament meeting.

#327 "Go, Ye Messengers of Heaven"

This hymn was new to me, but I found out it was in the 1927 edition of the hymnbook and then omitted in the 1950 edition.  It was brought back when the 1985 hymnal was published.  It was tricky for me to play.  It is an arrangement for a men's choir, so playing it in their range makes it difficult for the fingering.  The text was written by John Taylor, the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

#326 "Come, Come, Ye Saints"

I am very familiar with this song as a congregational hymn.  This is a men's arrangement (TTBB) for a choir.  It was easy to play (key of C) and will always be a favorite to sing--especially around Pioneer Day on July 24th.

#325 "See the Might Priesthood Gathered"

I can honestly say that I've never attended a meeting where this hymn was sung--probably because I've never attended a priesthood meeting!  This hymn was arranged for a men's choir (TTBB).  When I played it tonight, I recognized it so I must have heard it on a recording.  I really like the harmonies and the special ending after the third verse.  I imagine this has been sung at a priesthood session of General Conference.

#324 "Rise Up, O Men of God"

This men's arrangement is easier to sing than #323, which was specially written as a men's choir arrangement.  This one (#324) was written for the 1985 hymnal for men to sing in unison or parts.  I like this one, too, but prefer the men's choir arrangement of #323.

#323 "Rise Up, O Men of God"

I really like this men's choir arrangement for this hymn.  I was surprised to find out it was included in the 1948 hymnal.  There are two more verses written for this hymn that are not included in our present hymnbook.  (I found the verses listed in Karen Lynn Davidson's book Our Latter-day Hymns.)

#322 "Come, All Ye Sons of God"

This is another hymn that would make a great song for a missionary farewell or homecoming.  I don't think I've ever heard this hymn sung before (other than on a CD recording of the Hymnbook.)  I haven't heard anyone sing it in sacrament meeting, but it would be easy to teach to a men's quartet.

#321 "Ye Who Are Called to Labor"

This is another good hymn for a missionary farewell or homecoming.  It is arranged for a men's choir and would be very effective sung as a quartet.  It wasn't difficult to play and is probably easy to sing.

#320 "The Priesthood of Our Lord"

This new hymn is a unison men's hymn.  There is a notation at the bottom of the hymnbook that it can be sun without accompaniment as a round in unison by beginning every two measures.  However, the composer stated in Our Latter-day Hymns by Karen Lynn Davidson, that he felt a round would best be sung around a campfire and not in a sacrament meeting.
I have a handwritten note in my personal hymnal that this hymn could be combined with the children's song "The Priesthood is Restored"  (Children's Songbook, page 89).  That would be interesting to try someday.  This hymn would be effective when celebrating the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood--around May 15th.

#319 "Ye Elders of Israel"

This men's arrangement is one of my favorites!  I love the tenor II line in the last two measures where it goes above the tenor I.  This is a great hymn to use for a missionary farewell or homecoming.  We've even used it in our ward as a choir number. 

#318 "Love at Home"

This is a nice SSA women's arrangement of a beloved hymn.  It would be nice to sing for Mother's Day by a women's trio.  It would also work for a Relief Society program.

#317 "Sweet Is the Work"

This women's arrangement would be nice as a Relief Society hymn or as a special trio for sacrament meeting.  It is in a different key than Hymn #147.  There is a men's arrangement in the 1950 edition of the hymnal that could be used as a quartet.  All three versions could be put together with interludes that would include a transition to the new key and it would make a nice choir arrangement.  There is a free accompaniment for the fourth verse by Robert Manookin in the Choirbook, which was published by the church in 1980.  I wish I knew how to write transitions!

#316 "The Lord Is My Shepherd"

The women's arrangement to this hymn is really nice.  As an alto, it's fun to be able to have the melody once in a while.  I would sing this SSA arrangement as written.

#315 "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee"

I really like the softness of this hymn.  In my personal hymnal I have notes for singing it in a choir:
Verse 1:  Soprano solo
Verse 2:  SSA trio as written (Hymn #315); modulate to key of G and use hymn #141
Verse 3:  SATB from Hymn #141
Verse 4:  SATB from Hymn #141 and use a tag ending by repeating the first three measures and words of verse 1.

#314 "How Gentle God's Commands"

I wrote about this hymn on day #125.  It would be nice to have Hymn #125 (key of F) and this hymn (key of G) where you could modulate between the hymns and have a nice arrangement.  I don't know how to write a transition between the two keys, but it would be nice to begin in the key of F and sing it SATB and then modulate up to the key of G and use this women's arrangement in a special choir number.

#313 "God Is Love"

This hymn was discussed when I wrote about Hymn #87, which is the SATB congregation version of this song.  I have a note in my personal hymnal to sing the song like this:
Verse 1:  Use the version in the 1948 hymnal (#30) and sing as a solo or SATB
Verse 2:  SSA (Hymn #313)
Verse 3:  SATB (Hymn #30 from the 1948 hymnal)

#312 "We Ever Pray for Thee"

This hymn was discussed when Hymn #23 was played back on January 23rd.  Hymn #312 is a women's arrangement that I remember singing years ago as part of a trio.  I like this women's arrangement when it is sung a capella.  It makes a lovely musical setting for a special trio for sacrament meeting or a Relief Society meeting.

#311 "We Meet Again As Sisters"

When I read the information about this hymn in Karen Lynn Davidson's book, Our Latter-Day Hymns: The Stories and the Messages, I found some interesting information.  Bonnie Goodliffe, a Tabernacle Choir organist, said that she wrote this hymn to have an interesting alto part (since she is an alto).  In the third line, the melody goes to the altos!  (Since I am an alto, too, I appreciate that.)  It was also noted that this hymn could be sung to the tune  "St. Theodulph", which is Hymn #69 "All Glory, Laud, and Honor" in the 1985 hymnal.  The two different hymn tunes make for either a powerful message or a devotional message.  It would be fun to try the tune change.  Also, the composer writes that the left-hand part is strictly an accompaniment and was not intended to be sung.  This is just a two-part women's hymn.

#310 "A Key Was Turned in Latter Days"

This hymn about the Relief Society is new to the 1985 hymnal.  The tune was not easy for me and it isn't very "catchy".  That may be the reason it isn't sung much in Relief Society.  It isn't my favorite.

#309 "As Sisters in Zion"

This song was a welcome addition to the 1985 hymnal.  This is such a perfect hymn for Relief Society.  When I read about the history of the hymn, I was surprised to find out the text was written in 1874.  Janice Kapp Perry wrote the music while waiting for her tour bus to be repaired.  It is a favorite of the sisters of Relief Society.  I like the simple tune and the text.

#308 "Love One Another"

This is a great hymn.  I remember learning a choir version of it years ago in the old Monterey Park Ward.  "There they were in the upper chamber, Jesus and his disciples.  There to eat the supper of the passover e'er the end should come.  Then Jesus looked in their faces and unto them He spake..." and then it would go into the chorus, which ends up being the hymn we have in the 1985 hymnal.
This hymn is also included in the current Children's Songbook along with the American Sign Language signs for the text.
This is a favorite of the congregation, the choir, and the primary children.  It is already a classic!

#307 "In Our Lovely Deseret"

I remember teaching this to the primary children for a sacrament meeting program years ago.  However, I don't remember singing it in my youth.  It has a catchy rhythm and tune.  When the 1985 edition of the hymnbook came out, the congregation in the Baldy Mesa Branch learned this, too.  I was the Ward Music Director at the time and back then we had some time during the opening exercises of Sunday School for "Worship Through Music" and that's when I first remember learning it. 

#306 "God's Daily Care"

This hymn is another Primary Children's song that isn't sung too often.  I like the simpleness of the words and the melody line.  It is unusual because, rather than talking about the setting of the sun and the end of the day, it talks about the rising sun.  This would be a nice one to sing with a children's choir.  It is also good to have available on those days when you know you will need a short opening or closing hymn.