I met Brian and Carla Bywaters last week in Ponte Vedra, FL at the Gospel-Driven Life Conference hosted by PV PCA. They were enthusiastic about the conference. In our conversations he mentioned that he had set Question 1 of the Heidelberg Catechism to song in order to memorize it. Well, that got my attention. He has graciously consented to allow me to post it on the web. Here it is.
If you want to contact Brian he’s at bbywaters at gmail dot com.
I love it. What a great way to make the Catechism accessible to a broader segment of society. Are there plans to produce more such musical settings of the other questions? I would love to have such a resource and I don’t think I would be the only one.
Very sexy — I think this album might useful to get Mrs. RubeRad in the mood!
Seriously, though, this is a good demonstration that music carries a message independent of lyric. As helpful as this might be for catechesis, I think it’s clear that it would not be appropriate for congregational worship — even if it could be somehow used as the tunes for a psalm.
My church’s excellent para-hymnal (self-published — sorry I can’t advertise it!) has a very nice setting of HC1 (paraphrased, not literal). I’ll try to remember to look up the details and post some info here for those that might want to hear it.
Nice.
Back in the day, our church’s choir director had done some of the Heidelberg Catechism questions as choir pieces. I think question 1 was one of them. Beautiful, and completely different from this.
Haven’t heard them in way too long. She left there to have no small part in the then new CRC hymnal, and we moved away from that church in the early ’90s.
I can’t find the song downloadable online, but it was written by Ron Matthews, and the words are:
My only comfort in life and death
is that I belong to my faithful Savior,
Who with His blood paid for all my sins,
and delivered me from the pow’r of the devil,
And so preserves me,
in my salvation,
and Christ assures me of eternal life,
eternal life
I am delivered from all my sins
and the Spirit makes me willing and ready
to live my life unto Jesus Christ
and be thankful to God,
and be thankful to God,
and be thankful to God
for such salvation!
We are blessed to have Brian in our choir at Coquina Pres. Church. This song really blessed me. I could hear it over and over again. Not only Brian’s way of singing it, but the words!
It lifts my soul in praise to the Father for what the Son has done for me. Thank You, Lord, for such salvation.
This is absolutely beautiful. The whole family agrees this
is better than anyone who’s ever been on American Idol.
But also Inspirational, uplifting, soothing. Incredible talent.
Thanks for sharing. I think you should send it to Word Records or
something!
Wow! It made me cry; it was awesome!
What? What??????? Who????? WOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!
Thanks. I needed that. What a gift!
That is beautiful.
Yes, he should make a CD.