Stars Were Gleaming

I love this song so much, so when it's finally the right year to teach it I get really excited.  This year (after approval) I started teaching the song with two extra verses that were written by Elder Spencer J. Condie (emeritus and currently serving as the Nauvoo Temple President).  I am not sure exactly when he wrote them, I have had them since about 1991, I remember that he told me that he felt like there should be additional words about Christ.  I wish I were half as eloquent as he was when he told me.  Here they are (don't judge me for my punctuation errors!):

In the stable we are able,
to behold the infant there.
Baby Jesus, Mary sees us
as she give him tender care.
Every nation hears salvation,
in sublimest contemplation
for he is the Son of God!

He will heal us and reveal us
all his Heavenly Father's light.
He will know us, he will show us,
he will lead us through the night.
Always blessing, sins redressing,
every tongue will be confessing,
that he is the Son of God!

With this song, all four verses, There was Starlight on the Hillside, and Shine On, we are ready to sing in Sacrament meeting, all songs about light. The light that leads to Christ, the light of Christ, and the light we can share with others.  Merry Christmas!

Jan. 8, 2015
I had a question last Christmas asking for authenticity to confirm that Spencer J. Condie wrote the two verses above.  If your bishop or primary presidency needs authentication send me an email and I will make sure that you can get that.  Sadly, it doesn't seem like enough to take my word for it.  Elder Condie and family lived on Tannenweg at the same time we did.  They lived on the same side of the street as we did and were two houses down.

A Primary Theme Song

I think every primary has a theme song, and as soon as I explain you will know exactly which one is yours.
When I was in our previous ward (before the split) the kids requested "Once there was a Snowman" every Sunday.  Sometimes two or three times a Sunday.  It was their theme song.  I got really tired of singing that song every single week.  Anytime the kids could request songs, it was always that song!
When the ward split I tried not to sing that song very often.  Today I offered to sing it with the kids and they commented that we never sing anymore.  So I told them that was the theme song of the other ward.  Then I said I didn't know what our ward's theme song was and a bunch of kids at the same time said "Hie to Kolob".  That's true.  That's our song.  It's requested every week.  Sometimes multiple times, even though we have already sung it. 
I imagine every primary has a song like that.  What's yours?

The Very Best Praise

Today after church I checked my FB page and this is what I found:

Mati, Aaron gave you the best compliment I think any music leader could ever receive: "Today in primary when we were singing, I felt like I was drinking a milkshake.". Translation: singing time is as good as ice cream. Wow. That's high praise.

What a great day!  I taught the last verse of The Spirit of God.  I will have the picture of that up soon.  I have spent the afternoon working on my pioneer dress (we are having a pioneer Christmas for the ward party).

The Spirit of God

My primary president has been asking me to teach this song since last year about this time.  I feel bad that it took this long.  We didn't work it into the primary program so it had to wait until that was over.  It turns out that I wish I had listened to her and taught it right away.  The kids still aren't great with Shine On, but they picked this up so fast they sounded program ready by the end of singing time!  Sometimes the kids really do such a great job that I am speechless and amazed at how quickly they fill the room with the spirit.
I had a lot of opinions back and forth about the "Hosanna" bit.  I decided to go for it after my president and I talked about the little kids who couldn't read and would be able to use it for the time being to put that word together in their head.  In a few weeks, the hose and Anna will be replaced with the word and pictures of angels. 

I would like to highly recommend teaching this song because it was so popular right away and the kids sang their hearts out.  The truth is though, what I recommend is listening to the primary president when she feels that a song needs to be taught.  This has been an amazing teaching experience for me.

Shine On

I really love this song.  I have loved it since I was a little girl.  I like the image of holding my light in my hand for all to see.  I started teaching this song about the middle of October.  The first thing I noticed is that the notes are a lot higher than I remembered.  I don't have a super high voice anymore and it's hard to hit the notes.  The second thing was the kids seemed to struggle with it.  Two weeks ago I used our CTR beanbag and we played the game where one child waits outside while another hides the beanbag in the room, then the kids sing louder or softer to help them find the beanbag.  That gave us a lot of repetition with the song and the kids are singing it better.  I want to include it with our Christmas songs for Sacrament meeting so that all our songs are themed around light.
One of the teachers said they needed more words on the cards.  More words got me thinking, so when I went to do The Spirit of God last week, I went with a poster. 

Stake Conference this week

Stake Conference is one of my favorite Sundays!  I get to sit with my family and soak up the spirit and the talks.  I'm getting ready to teach "The Spirit of God" and the primary president's request, so another week is welcome.  I remember learning it for the program in the early 1980's, and the chorister had a visual of a garden hose and a picture of a girl which makes "hose" "Anna".  I can't decide if I am going to use that, and the only reason I would is because I have never forgotten that very memorable visual aid!  I can still see it in my head 30 years later!

Due to overwhelming request: Halloween Songs

I'm a Mean Old Witch With a HAT!

Halloween! (Both songs)

There's No Such Thing as a Witch

This week we have a primary activity and we are going to sing these to the parents.  I would have to say by far the kids love "A mean old witch with a Hat" and "Halloween" (The one with witches sailing through the sky).  I remember singing these in primary when I was a little girl.  My kids love them, and my primary kids too!  My son told me this is the first year we have ever sung them, and I'm glad I finally pulled them out.  

I hope you create fond memories of these songs too!

Use the link below to access the google doc with the sheet music.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RRvyKUYFmFHnxfboNm5v8FYufItXfQkQAP2uGGPj68g/edit?usp=sharing

I know one of the pages is upside down.  That's your Halloween trick!  

You can fix it when you print it out!