Good Friday Music

Psalm 22: My God, my God, look upon me and the penultimate section of The Crucifixion - by Stainer : After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished...

St Matthew Passion

Another favourite of mine today, the chorus wir setzen uns mit tränen nieder  from Bach's St Matthew Passion.

Then, as I've been at  a Taize service this evening, I simply had to sneak in a second piece: Stay With Me.

St John Passion

Here's another piece  for what I've decided to call a Holy Week Pilgrimage: Herr, Unser Herrscher, the opening chorus from JS Bach's St John Passion, sung here by Trinity College of Music.  For me personally it's at times like this that music goes far deeper than words ever could; even more so if I've taken part in the work myself in the past.   I've particular memories of the dance that was set to the opening section ; it added yet another nuance to the experience, truly lifting it from mere performance to prayer.

And they came to a place named Gethsemane

Tenor solo from Stainer's The Crucifixion.

Revisiting Pilgrimage - A Royal Wedding in the Pentland Hills

By popular request from Crafty Green Poet who's been out and about in the snowy Pentlands, here are some snaps of the Greenpatch wanderings in the same area, during our grand Durham to Iona pilgrimage in 2011. We chose an auspicious day for this section of the journey; we must have been the only living souls not glued to the TV watching the Royal Wedding.

Setting out from West Linton. Mr GP checks his blisters

Destination Newbiggin

If we make good time we'll be able to drink a toast to the royal couple  during the next coffee  break (in Lucozade!)

I come from haunts of coot and hern, 
I make a sudden sally 
And sparkle out among the fern, 
To bicker down a valley. 

Are we nearly there yet?

After an impromptu lesson in sheep droving, Mr GP turns his hand to fence maintenance

Spring is Sprung

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz

I wonder where the birdies is?

Well, we did wake to a surprise this morning!  Do give a thought for the poor birdies: they must be having a hard time of it at the moment. As for  me, in this topsy-turvy climate of ours, all I can do is thank God that I have a warm house, dry clothes and food aplenty. Any grumbles, gripes and aches and pains I might have are put into their proper perspective compared to the struggles of so many out there.

Blog Dish of The Day

Hmmm...looks like a certain luncheon meat to me.  I'll not flatter myself that visitors from a certain 'Eastern' area of the blogosphere are hanging on my every pearl of spiritual wisdom.  I've just one thing to say, (in Christian love, of course) - "Shove off!"