Category Archives: music

God is Love

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A song I wrote a few years ago, recorded at our service yesterday:

God is Love     
Love is patient, love is kind;
Love forgives time after time.
Never proud or envious,
Forgetting wrongs, love always trusts.
Chorus
For God is love, who took our sin
Upon a cross of pain so grim.
A gift of love so great and pure:
To live in Love for evermore

Love is constant, love always hopes;
Slow to anger, love never boasts.
Greatest gift of the Father’s heart,
Fulfilled one day, now seen in part.

Love must guide us on our way,
As we love those we meet each day.
Loving Him who first loved us;
Forgiving all as he forgives.

I believe in God and God ain’t me

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Joan Baez was never a great guitar player. She still isn’t; competent but not very good. But she had a beautiful voice that soared effortlessly above the hubbub of raucous pop cacophony that passed for music in the ‘60’s. In those days I was beguiled by her voice and her politics: the politics no more and the voice isn’t quite what it used to be but still  a nostalgia indulgence for me.

Here she is in a farewell concert playing what appears to be a rather delicious Martin 0-45 guitar:

Gratias agimus tibi

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From Bach’s Bm mass. Posted only because it is the pinnacle of the musically sublime.

I think Karl Richter’s interpretation of Bach’s choral and orchestral works is the best of the best; I know some think that contemporary, supposedly more authentic, versions are better – but I really don’t care. I don’t suppose Karl Richter does either, since he is dead.

Merry Christmas!

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A Merry Christmas to all.

A few carols, arranged for guitar by John W Duarte, played by yours truly.

Silent Night:

The First Nowell:

Once in Royal David’s City:

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing:

Away in a Manger:

O Come, all Ye Faithful:

While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night:

See Amid the Winter’s Snow:

The Father’s Love

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I originally wrote this song for one of our daughters who was going through a difficult time. I’ve posted it before but here it is again, this time for a friend whose funeral we will be attending tomorrow.

He died of Alzheimer’s but knew the Father’s love well; he has now been welcomed through heaven’s door:

Love so strong, to give your Son to death; He knew no sin.
To open heaven’s door for us where we are welcomed in.

R.I.P. John Renbourn

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I missed this in March: John Rebourn, an influential – to other guitar players – British guitarist died on March 26th, aged 70.

I spent much of my time at university trying to copy John Renbourn’s playing – with limited success, I might add. He would occasionally visit the smoky pub that my friends and I frequented and play; I always sat as close as possible to try and figure out what he was doing and later chat over a drink – usually about William Byrd, oddly enough.

The last time I saw him play was in Guelph a few years ago. Here he is in a recording made for the BBC:


John Renbourn – Bluesy numbers by kitsch