St Margaret's Church Prestwich

St Margaret’s and St George’s churches both have pipe organs. St Margaret’s also has a grand piano, a choir, and full sets of two types of hymn books. We are not given to singing worship songs. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that kind of music in worship, but they are better suited to churches with a drumkit, guitars, electronic keyboard, and a singer with a mic to lead the song. Horses for courses.

Stuart Townend is a talented composer of worship songs, and we sing some of them in our churches, such as “In Christ Alone”, and “How deep the Father’s Love for Us”. Townend’s music is often written flexibly, with the possibility of more traditional presentations (piano and voice) in mind.

Based on Luke 14:15-24, the Parable of the Great Banquet, “Vagabonds” is about grace and mission, relentlessly calling all to God’s banquet:

1.Come, all you vagabonds, Come all you ‘don’t belongs’ Winners and losers, Come, people like me. Come all you travellers Tired from the journey, Come wait a while, stay a while, Welcomed you’ll be.	3. Come those who worry ‘Bout houses and money, And all those who don’t have A care in the world; From every station And orientation, The helpless, the hopeless, The young and the old. Chorus
2.Come all you questioners Looking for answers, And searching for reasons And sense in it all; Come all you fallen, And come all you broken, Find strength for your body And food for your soul.	4. Come all believers And dreamers and schemers, And come all you restless Just searching for home; Movers and shakers And givers and takers, The happy, the sad And the lost and alone.
Chorus: Come to the feast, There is room at the table. Come let us meet in this place. With the King of all kindness Who welcomes us in, With the wonder of love, And the power of grace. The wonder of the love, And the power of grace.	5. Come self-sufficient With wearied ambition, And come those who feel At the end of the road. Fiery debaters And religion haters, Accusers, abusers, The hurt and ignored. Chorus

I used the word ‘relentlessly’ above. The music supports this. Written in ⁶₈, with the occasional ³₈ bar thrown in, the accompaniment is indeed relentless, and the singer must know the text well in order to keep up. You can listen to “Vagabonds” – and join in – here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoUeQsPYjRM

June is the month of Music Sunday, and our Director of Music, Organist and members of the choir call you to join us in our weekly feast of song. Everyone has a voice. Everyone can sing. There is no audition process to joining our choir, nor any expectation that you are able to read music. Come along and use your voice alongside us.

Carol P