TOM HOWARD (1950 – 2010)

My dear friend, associate music director at St. Bartholomew’s, keyboardist, conductor/orchestrator, and composer Tom Howard died two weeks ago. He was taking a walk in a local park with his wife, Dori, and suffered a fatal heart attack.

Tom composed, with Darrell Harris, “It Is Finished” #629 in The Christian Life Hymnal. This is a Memorial Acclamation that we have used at my church in communion each week for the past 5 years. I would encourage you to consider incorporating this music into your worship.

It could be used in the communion service, or during Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday services. It would make a wonderful Call to Worship for Easter Sunday, as well as Ascension Sunday.

If you want to sing it more than once, you can do so by simply playing the last chord as a G7 rather than C chord, and repeat as often as you like.

(PHOTO: Eric (left) and Tom (right) at the piano in the choir loft at our church


You can check out Tom’s music at Tom Howard’s Amazon Store
A memorial site has been set up on FaceBook: FACEBOOK GROUP: In Memory of Tom Howard

In conclusion, here is the prayer we prayed at Tom’s memorial service a week ago Wednesday. “Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant, Tom. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you , a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.”

An Ascension Sunday update

One of the musicians at my church sent me a new hymn he and his wife wrote – their first “co-hymnwriting” experience. They composed a wonderful melody, unison with organ accompaniment (in the vein of Stanford’s ENGLEBERG – “When in Our Music God Is Glorified” #56 in The Christian Life Hymnal). We’ll be using it Sunday at my church. I asked him if I could share the lyrics. If you’d like the music score, please contact him directly.

ASCENSION HYMN

1. Our Lord, the Christ from earth has flown

To sit upon His heav’nly throne,

Blazing splendor all around Him.

Our hope, new life in Christ, made known.

The rule of death now overthrown.

Jesus risen and ascending!

His dominion never ending, Alleluia!

2. Praise Jesus our eternal priest!

On our behalf He intercedes,

Pleading for us to the Father.

From hold of sin, we are released.

Christ’s sacrifice becomes our feast.

All our sins the Lord forgiving;

He is now and ever living! Alleluia!

3. By clouds the risen One concealed.

One day those same clouds will reveal

His return to earth in glory!

Till then the Spirit is our guide.

Within God’s people God resides.

Christ is with us in a new way.

His ascension yields a new day! Alleluia!

4. We are the church which Christ did build,

The fullness of the One who fills

Ev’ry thing in ev’ ry way;

Our task on earth to do God’s will

That God’s own dreams might be fulfilled.

Spread the news to ev ‘ry nation!

God redeeming all creation! Alleluia!

-Words and music by Justin & Molly Cole © 2009

Justin has a Bachelor of Music in Composition from Belmont University and Molly has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Messiah College. They have enjoyed collaborating on music for several years. “Ascension Hymn,” their first joint effort at hymn-writing, was inspired in part by their study of Christian year spirituality and the sometimes overlooked, but very significant feast of Ascension Day. If you’d like the music score, contact Justin at jcolemusic

The Ascension and Ascension Sunday

Thursday, May 21 is 40 days after Easter, when the book of The Acts of the Apostles tells us Jesus ascended to heaven. Most churches who follow the Church Year will celebrate the Ascension on Sunday, May 24. In addition to the Ascension Hymns in the hymnal, #193 – 209, there are other hymns listed in the Church Year Index (page 661), including:

All Hail the Power (tunes: Coronation, Diadem, Miles Lane) 57, 58, 59

Alleluia! Alleluai! Hearts to Heaven 190

Crown Him with Many Crowns, 46

Hail Thee, Festival Day! 187 (use designated Ascension lyrics)

Hallelujah! What a Savior 178

He Is Exalted 63

Holy God, We Praise Thy Name 3

Jesus Shall Reign 39

Praise Him! Praise Him! 64

The God of Abraham Praise 16

We Will Glorify 66

Within the Ascension section, let me draw your attention to He Is Lord #196, and the addition of verse 2 & 3 (written by our Sr. Managing Editor, Danny Jones, and me). We felt this chorus would be more meaningful with additional verses to expand on the theme of the Lordship of Christ, and our response – bowing the knee and confessing Him as Lord.

And, a new setting of At the Name of Jesus (tune Belle Rive) #208 is included in the hymnal. I wrote this melody for our church, St. Bartholomew’s, Nashville 4 years ago. As much as I like other melodies for this text, I felt both Wye Valley and Kings Weston, which are often used with this text, lose some of the power of the verse when sung because of the “stop and start” nature of the short phrases (i.e. “At the name of Jesus (pause) Every knee shall bow (pause), etc.) I wanted a melody that would move through the entire line as one thought (i.e. “At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow). I introduced it our church using band, and organ joining at vs. 5, and it was well received. Prior to being published in The Christian Life Hymnal, it was included in Hymns for a Pilgrim People, the new hymnal from the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, which was published by GIA Music, Chicago.

I’m posting here an mp3 of an a cappella version of the hymn. I’ve also written a descant for this hymn. If you’d like the a pdf of the score, with the descant, please email me and I’ll be glad to send it to you, with permission to reproduce it in your bulletin, or for your choir.