Water of Life, a celebration in words and music has just been published by the Royal School of Church Music.
The photocopiable service book of music, readings and prayers will be used for RSCM Young Voices Festival events being held throughout the UK this year, but is also suitable for schools and churches to use at any other time.
Water of Life celebrates God’s physical and spiritual gift of water, and includes readings of the story of Noah’s Ark, and the calming of the storm by Jesus on the Sea of Galilee. The service book contains an international range of hymns and songs for upper, as well as arrangements for mixed voice groups. These include Come all you people, from Zimbabwe, and O healing river, a traditional Afro-American spiritual, along with more traditional items such as the much-loved seafarers’ hymn Eternal Father, strong to save. With music from Margaret Rizza, John Barnard and Stuart Townend, it is John Rutter’s popular Gaelic Blessing which brings the service to a close.
The service book also makes an ideal resource for those supporting Sing for Water, a campaign run by WaterAid, an international organisation which provides clean water, safe sanitation and hygiene to the world’s poorest communities. Basic facts and figures about water are included as a reading in the Water of Life service. According to WaterAid, 4,000 children die every day due to diseases caused by dirty water and poor sanitation.
Water of Life is the latest in a series of themed-service books for the annual RSCM’s Young Voices Festivals which take place up and down the country. “Like All God’s People, our previous service book on the theme of diversity, the material is suitable for use in other services, concerts and school assemblies,” says the RSCM’s Colin Davey. “The service book is divided into sections; for example ‘Water to cleanse’ and ‘Water brings eternal life’.”
Everything that a school or church might need is supplied in a choir director’s book priced £25.00 (£18.75 for RSCM affiliated churches and schools). It includes music for singers, and an order of service for the congregation, all of which can be copied or printed as required for local use. There are also training notes, audio demonstration and backing tracks on the accompanying audio CD and CD-ROM. “Publishing the music book and CDs works very well. We know schools and church choirs value having everything in one bundle including the audio tracks,” says Colin Davey.
Water of Life is available from RSCM Music Direct musicdirect@rscm.com, and online via the RSCM Online Shop www.rscm.com/shop