So the hymn, The Time Is Far Spent was sung in church the other day. It’s kind of a quirky hymn and not one that is sung very often. For one, the lyrics have this old English vibe feel. Examples: “Ere long with the righteous in glory will end?” or “What tho if the favor of Ahman posessing?”. Secondly, I know of very few hymns that references Ahman, aside from Adam Ondi Ahman. I don’t know if many church members are familiar with the doctrine of “Ahman”, so I could see why choristers would shy away from picking the hymn.
The melody is very pretty, since it’s an old German folk hymn. And that’s what got my attention. Anyway, I spent some of today coming up with a new arrangement. I think it has promise; it definitely sounds more contemporary. At this time, I’m unsure if I’d prefer it to be strictly a piano arrangement or if the lyrics should be sung on top. The lyrics don’t necessarily flow with the way I’m restructuring the flow of the music. I’ve thought about changing the lyrics a little bit to make it more appropriate to sing. I’m still undecided.
Since I’m down in San Diego for the weekend, I’m unable to record it. But when I get to my home studio I’ll do a quick demo of the piano and upload it.
-J