Anthem 52

Welcome to Anthem 3 in my attempt to write a new choir anthem every week for a year. I’m Kevin Mulryne and I hope you will enjoy listening to my progress throughout 2024. Please do visit the website Anthem52.com, follow along on x.com - @realanthem52 and send me a message to [email protected].

This week’s anthem has been much easier to write - that doesn’t mean it’s any more successful of course - you’ll have to see what you think.

Here are the words I ended up setting:

O give thanks unto the Lord and call upon his Name:

tell the people what things he hath done.

O let your songs be of him and praise him:

and let your talking be of all his works.

Well, what do you think? Let me know on X.com @realanthem52, as a comment in the show notes for this week at anthem52.com or via email [email protected]

I’ve had a bit of fun putting another progress counter on the front page of the website Anthem52.com this week. You can now check in with how I’m getting on by seeing at a glance little thumbnails of the anthems which have been completed. Guess how many thumbnails there are so far.

I don’t know if I will always opt for contrasting anthems each week but I have a feeling next week might be a bit darker than this week. Relentlessly cheerful is great but maybe needs some contrast.

My first mystery guest might make it onto the episode next week so stay tuned for that. One thing is for sure, she will know a lot more about composing anthems than me.

I hope you will join me next week for a new episode - and a new anthem - only 49 to go - but until then the question remains - will I make it to Anthem 52?

Welcome to Anthem 2 in my attempt to write a new choir anthem every week for a year.

I assumed (there’s my first mistake) that as it was Epiphany this week, the story of the three wise men visiting the stable would be an easy catalyst for a carol, in the same vein as the multiple Advent and Christmas carols I had produced before the turn of the year. I was wrong.

I now realise, looking back over the week, that I was completely exhausted from the return to work and all the other things going on. This is an important lesson for me in creative terms - it’s almost impossible to compose worthwhile music when your brain is tired. Another lesson was to abandon something which isn’t working sooner. After several false starts I ended up setting How Lovely Shines the Morning Light.

How lovely shines the Morning Star! The nations see and hail afar the light in Judah shining. O David's son of Jacob's race, my Bridegroom and my King of grace, for you my heart is pining. Lowly, holy, great and glorious, O victorious Prince of graces, filling all the heav'nly places.

Well, what do you think? Let me know on X.com @realanthem52, as a comment below or via email [email protected]

I’d like to thank my daughter, Charlotte, who has been doing some fantastic work for me as part of her college work experience. She has done some quick and detailed research and critiqued the Anthem 52 website amongst other tasks. Well done to her.

Also, well done and congratulations to Paul Walton and Tim Popple whose kickstarter appeal to launch Descants are for life, not just for Christmas is now fully funded - it’s clearly a collection people are very interested in.

Finally, thank you to everyone who has been in contact this week in any way, including Jamie McQuinn, Bob Keeley and Greg Clinton who commented in various ways. 

I hope you will join me next week for a new episode - and a new anthem - only 50 to go - but until then the question remains - will I make it to Anthem 52?

Welcome to Anthem 1 in my attempt to write a new choir anthem every week for a year. I’m Kevin Mulryne and I hope you will enjoy listening to my progress throughout 2024. Please do visit the website Anthem52.com, follow along on x.com - @realanthem52 and send me a message to [email protected].

Happy New Year to you and yours. These episodes will undoubtedly change and develop significantly during 2024 and I’m not sure exactly what the best way to structure them is but let me know if you have any suggestions.

The experience of writing the first anthem has, unsurprisingly, been both positive and negative. The general topic for the week was pretty obvious as the year turned and here are the lyrics:

The old year now away is fled, the new year it is entered, Then let us now our sins downtread, and joyfully all appear; Let’s merry be this holiday, and let us run with sport and play, Hang sorrow, let’s cast care away—God send us a Happy New Year.

And now with new year’s gifts, each friend unto each other they do send; God grant we may our lives amend, so that the truth may appear. Now like the snake cast off your skin of evil thoughts and wicked sin, And to amend this new year begin—God send us a Happy New Year.

During 2024, I am attempting to write a new choir anthem every week. Follow my progress as I discover what it takes to produce new music to a deadline – will the quality improve? Who can say?

Look out for new episodes – and anthems – every week and give me your feedback on what I manage to produce.

Most importantly – “Will I make it to Anthem 52?”

In this trailer episode, I explain what this podcast is going to be about and invite you to join me on the journey to Anthem 52, at the end of 2024.