Happy Easter!

Now a break from my usual blogging topics.
Today is Easter Sunday. For me, this is more than a day to colour eggs and eat chocolate... and I have no problem with either of those activities. (In fact, I enjoy both. In further fact, when I stop typing, I've got some chocolate waiting for me!) For me, this is a renewal of hope and a festival of new life. It's not the Spring, but the Resurrection.

Here the Risen Christ pulls Adam and Eve (representing all humanity) from their tombs.

And one of my favourite Easter hymns:

Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain
            By: John of Damascus
Come, you faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought his Israel
Into joy from sadness,
Loosed from Pharaoh’s bitter yoke
Jacob’s sons and daughters,
Led them with unmoistened foot
Through the Red Sea waters.

This the spring of souls today:
Christ has burst his prison
And from three days’ sleep in death
As a sun has risen;
All the winter of our sins,
Long and dark, is flying
From his light, to whom is given
Laud and praise undying.

Now the queen of seasons, bright
With the day of splendor,
With the royal feast of feasts
Comes its joy to render;
Comes to gladden faithful hearts
Which with true affection
Welcome in unwearied strain
Jesus’ resurrection!

For today among his own
Christ appeared, bestowing
His deep peace, which evermore
Passes human knowing.
Neither could the gates of death
Nor the tomb’s dark portal
Nor the watchers nor the seal
Hold him as a mortal.

Alleluia! Now we cry
To our King immortal,
Who, triumphant, burst the bars
Of the tomb’s dark portal
Alleluia! with the Son
God the Father praising
Alleluia! yet again
to the Spirit raising.


Here is a trombone choir from Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The next to last melody, with begins with the soprano trombone, is the hymn I've selected above. The Moravian Church tries to use only trombones to accompany their worship music. I played their all-night Easter vigil in Nazareth, PA quite a few years ago.