Not one, not two, but three

We'll be singing the hymn "All hail the power of Jesus' name" this week at both services.  We have a nice arrangement using CORONATION that our little band does nicely at FirstLight; we'll sing the standard hymnal arrangement of CORONATION at 11AM. 

I've done it before, but for kicks last night at choir rehearsal I had the singers waltz through DIAMDEM.  Though we have tried it before, most singers claimed to have never heard it before.  Of course, I told them that one of the best ways to get a roomful of Methodists excited is to sing this tune.  We also tried singing "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound" to DIADEM ("...was BLIND BUT..."), and explored singing "Amazing Grace" to the tune for the theme song for the old TV show "Gilligan's Island" (it really works). 

But more seriously, I mentioned that in the 1960's-era edition of the Methodist hymnal, there was a third tune associated with the text "All hail the power..."  MILES LANE didn't make it into the 1990's era book, but remains firmly implanted in my mind.  On festive days we'd sing this hymn text and wend our way, with the help of a gifted organist, through all three tunes!  The version of DIADEM in the Presbyterian Hymnal unfortunately is in B-flat, leading to a very high and scream-y F in the melody, making it not terribly feasible for congregational use. 

This Sunday I'll play a setting of MILES LANE by Healy Willian, we'll sing CORONATION, and I'll have some fond memories of of DIADEM while we sing and worship.