This song concatenates Matthew 23:37 and Matthew 21:8, just a few days beforehand. It is intended for use on Palm Sunday, and is a radical departure from the traditionally upbeat tone of that service.
It should be played just fast enough not to be mournful, and no faster, reflecting Jesus' own thoughts and feelings as he anticipates the tragedy and triumph of the week to follow. The midi file is too fast, but better that than too slow. The song ends on a D major chord, anticipating the triumph of Easter Sunday.
The second verse and chorus are specifically written for Australia, obviously. In other parts of the world, they should best be replaced by words written by the congregation, or as a second best they can simply be omitted.
Accompaniment is best kept to a minimum. I have used a synthesizer playing the chords (just as written, using a "spacey" synth patch) and a viola playing the melody. I think a pipe organ using a quiet flute stop for the chords (just hold a root position triad continuously, changing when the chord changes) and a solo reed stop for the melody would sound superb. Use the softest reed you have, but any imbalance between the volume of the two stops would IMO add a quite appropriate feeling of the violence to come. YiCaa
Listen to a midi file - played a little too fast!
For this music in Lilypond format see http://www.wikisophia.org/wiki/User:Andrewa/Palm_Sunday.
Palm Sunday
Words and music by Andrew Alder
Jerusalem
How I long to gather you into my arms
Bless'd city of God, the prophets you kill
How you need my love
Palms spread before the donkey's feet
While yet in the temple of God
The priests deal and haggle like thieves in the street
What when they face their Lord?
Jerusalem
How I long to gather you into my arms
Bless'd city of God, the prophets you kill
How you need my love
Mountains and fields yield riches untold
While yet in the city's dark ways
Old men and young children trade poison for gold
What when they face their Lord?
Australia
How we long to gather you into our arms
Bless'd nation of ours, the truth you deny
How you need our love
Australia
How we long to gather you into our arms
Bless'd nation of ours, the truth you deny
How you need our love
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