All members of the New Berlin community are invited to participate in a virtual choir performance of “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” for Memorial Day Weekend. The final video will be included in Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church’s worship video for May 24 and posted on YouTube. It will also be available to pastors in the community who wish to include it in their worship that weekend.
“Eternal Father, Strong to Save” is commonly known as “The Navy Hymn.” It has a long history of being sung as a hymn-prayer for protection from peril and danger as well as a proclamation of God’s ever-present grace and love in the midst of distress. It seems particularly fitting to sing this hymn together, and yet apart, this year.
Steps for recording:
- Download the music and accompaniment below.
If needed, also download the rehearsal track for your part. - Have headphones or earbuds available for doing the recording. – this is really important.
- Find somewhere quiet, especially important is to not have TV or radio noise.
- Find a way to play the accompaniment through your headphones/earbuds while you are also recording. Some examples, have your partner record on their phone while you listen on yours or use a computer that can play the audio and record your video at the same time.
- Record yourself singing all verses while listening to the full accompaniment recording. This ensures that you are singing in the same tempo as the accompaniment, and as everyone else is singing.
- Announce your name and part on the recording before you start playback.
- Say aloud “3, 4” when you hear “1,2,3,4” on the accompaniment recording.
- Be sure though that the playback of the accompaniment is going through the earbuds/headphones.
- If you and a family member often sing together, please record separately if you can to make the final audio mix easier to do.
- Name the recording EternalFather.Jane.Doe.Soprano, replacing Jane.Doe with your name and Soprano with your part.
- Submit the file with your recording: http://bit.ly/MELCWorshipDropbox