Zwick's Park Sliding Hill, Belleville Photo: Ruth Mundy
1 'Tis winter now; the fallen snow
has left the heavens all coldly clear;
through leafless boughs the sharp winds blow,
and all the earth lies dead and drear.
2 And yet God's love is not withdrawn;
his life within the keen air breathes;
his beauty paints the crimson dawn,
and clothes each branch with glittering wreaths.
4 O God, you give the winter's cold,
as well as summer's joyous rays,
you warmly in your love enfold,
and keep us through life's wintry days.
"Tis Winter Now, The Fallen Snow -- circa 1850 Samuel Longfellow , Unitarian pastor,
We are blessed to live in a town/city (50,000 pop) which is one of the few areas of Southern Ontario with a low number of COVID-19 cases. We would be in the Green category under other circumstances right now, although we have been in Yellow at times. I say we would be because this part of the province is under a state of emergency with a stay at home order. Of course there is lots of confusion about what this actually means, so we still head out for exercise even though we don't venture out for much more other than groceries.
Yesterday we went for a ramble along the water in Prince Edward County, in a spot where we were totally alone. It is remote enough that we didn't hear human-made sound, let alone see other members of our species. The skies were overcast yet it was still beautiful. We sat in a rocky alcove by the shore to drink our tea and eat a muffin.
We did lament the lack of snow and the unsettling mild temperature. What was happened to Winter? I commented to Ruth that the absence of actual Winter weather is making the lock-down tougher . And then we talked about how few hymns there are which actually celebrate the season. The ones which do acknowledge Winter tend to describe it as bleak, cruel, bitter, and a time when creatures which can skedaddle do so.
Where are the hymns and carols which celebrate the transformation which snow brings to landscapes, or the delight of ice covering bodies of water? The obscure hymn above is as close as I could find. Yet, a cardinal or a blue jay on a snow-laden branch stirs deep joy in me. Canadians thrill at sledding down a hill, or skiing, or skating across a frozen pond. Our unofficial national sport is hockey and we excel at winter sports in the Olympics. So why portray Winter as grim, the enemy, instead of a gift from God, the Creator.
There are a number of musicians and music-lovers who read the blog, and a few who are part of worship teams. Do you know of upbeat hymns about Winter? What experiences of the season would you include in a positive Winter hymn? What tune might we use with original lyrics, if the music wasn't written for a Winter hymn?
I'd love to hear from you on this one!
Sidney Conservation Area Photo: Ruth Mundy
2 comments:
I won't comment on the music aspect of your blog - I'm as far from being a musician as Trump is from being a decent human being.
But I will say that I am continually disappointed each winter. I genuinely hope for a ton of snow, not because I'm waxing my skis in anticipation - my downhill skiing days are long past - but because I feel happier with lots of the white stuff.
Nothing better than trudging through the snow on a cold day and having a warm beverage afterward. I used to know a fanatical marathon runner who often did his longest runs during blizzards and icy conditions. I'm happy to just go out for a walk.....and throw snowballs at Leaf fans.
I guess if I want to experience real winter, I can always head back to Saskatchewan. Not sure if the rest of the family would like that idea.
I'm with you on this Roger. We're watching a Norwegian murder mystery series called Wisting which is set in the Winter. The snow has made us nostalgic for Northern Ontario, although climate change has altered the weather there as well. Thanks.
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