A New Song

Last summer, when our next door neighbor was reorganizing the Children's Choir at our church, Mandy and I both mentioned to her about allowing Maya to participate in that choir.

Initially, Deb was a bit leery as one of her requirements of the kids was that they be able to read. However, she relented and took Maya into the fold to participate in some of the songs -at least the easier ones that she can just memorize the melody and the words.

Back in November, the Children's Choir sang at the service on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and that was Maya's first time singing in public with them. The song was an old family favorite -as well as a big favorite within our parish too -an old Swedish hymn. The title is "Children of the Heavenly Father" and the kids were to sing the first verse of it in English and then repeat the first verse in Swedish.

So Mandy and I had to practice this song, over and over with Maya to be sure she knew the melody as well as the words. We even had to teach her the words in Swedish too. And the surprising thing is she learned it very well. Frequently, during that time span, she would be busy playing with her toys and humming something and then, all of a sudden, she would switch over and start singing this song.

On the day of the service, Kylie, the Director's daughter, stood directly behind Maya and held both her hands, down at her side, which served multiple purposes. It relaxed Maya, helped take away any stage fright she may have been encountering and also, it kept her from putting her hands up to her face and mouth, which would have muffled the words and melody as she sang.

And she did beautifully! You could watch her lips as she sang along with the other kids and you knew that she KNEW the words -that she wasn't just mouthing something, anything, to pretend to be singing, the way kids often do.

Now, the Children's Choir is to sing at the service on the first Sunday in June. Because of the proximity of that Sunday to high school (and college too) graduations, the song the kids will be singing is one that Maya has probably never heard. It's a bit more involved in length than was the other song too but I think the words are easy enough that, with a good bit of practice with her, she will be able to master that. The melody too is a bit different but pretty in a kind of upbeat type of way. The whole song is, to me, just hauntingly beautiful.

The name of the song is "I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry" text and music by John Vivasaker, 1937.

It is written as a song being sung to us, each of us, by God, our Lord and Savior and it takes us from our birth, how our life progresses through the church as well as outside of that fold until our life on earth is done. I think most hymns are written to be songs of praise by us to God and this one is Him, speaking to us, telling us He has been with us from the hour of our birth and that He will be with us through out or lives, through the good times and the bad as well and shows that He will never leave us.

I'm really looking forward to teaching this song to Maya -to practicing the words with her and then, to helping her to learn the music. (Provided I can eventually master picking out the melody on the organ in the first place!)

Hopefully too, by practicing this song, over and over, during the coming weeks, by the time the kids get up to sing it, I won't fold up and cry a river when I hear them sing it!

Yes, it does have that much of a sentimentality with the words to do that to me -to Mandy too!

Don't believe me? Then you read through this -the words to the song -and see if it doesn't bring a bit of moistness to your eyes too.

I was there to hear your borning cry,
I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,
To see your life unfold.
I was there when you were but a child,
With a faith to suit you well
In a blaze of light you wandered off
To find where demons dwell.

Refrain:
I was there to hear your borning cry,
I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,
To see your life unfold.

2.
When you heard the wonder of the Word,
I was there to cheer you on;
You were raised to praise the living Lord,
To whom you now belong.
If you find someone to share you time
And you join your hearts as one,
I'll be there to make your verses rhyme
From dusk till rising sun.

Refrain.

3.
In the middle ages of your life,
Not too old, no longer young.
I'll be there to guide you through the night,
complete what I've begun.
When the evening gently closes in
And you shut your weary eyes,
I'll be there as I have always been
With just one more surprise.

Refrain.

This hymn has become the hymn of choice now for almost all baptisms in our church and as such, it is that memory Mandy has of hearing it sung when Maya and Kurtis each were baptized and if brings tears to her eyes.

For me, it is those two events as well as the words and the meanings they leave behind that spark the tears to flowing.

Somehow, I rather doubt that all the practicing to come will prevent either Mandy or me from crying a bit in church as we watch Maya singing it with the other children from the parish.

Peace.