Thanksgiving Music

[samibe]

I've been working on compiling prelude/postlude music for the major christian/US holidays that I can use during the month/weeks leading up to each holiday. I'm having trouble compiling a good list of Thanksgiving music. There are a handful of hymns in the hymnbook that I could use but they aren't specifically Thanksgiving songs (they share the topic but are more generally applicable). The organist at my mom's church has played some secular Thanksgiving songs (arranged or improvised to be pleasant prelude) but I haven't been able to get a list from her. I know she has played 'Count your blessings (instead of sheep)' before, but that's the only one my mom can remember.

What are your favorite Thanksgiving songs (liturgical or secular)? What have you played (or heard played) in November for Thanksgiving/Harvest/Fall at church?

[Leisesturm]

We Plow the Fields and Scatter (All Good Gifts) Old Hymntune
All Good Gifts (from Godspell)
Nun Danket Alle Gott arr. Virgil Fox
" " " " arr. Claude Means
" " " " arr. Sigfrid Karg-Elert
Now Thank We All Our God - Hymn
For The Beauty of the Earth - Hymn
All Things Bright and Beautiful - Hymn
Come Ye Thankful People, Come - Hymn
The Ash Grove (various texts) Hymn

[samibe]

I have most of those in my hymnbook (except for the first two). I'll definitely look up the other arrangements of 'Now Thank We All Our God'. I have an arrangement of 'The Ash Grove' that I had forgotten about. I'll have to pull it out and give it a run through. Thanks.

[myorgan]

A more modern chorus is: Give Thanks (with a thankful heart).

Michael

[afuller5]

Sam,

A couple of other suggestions.

1. "We Gather Together" Tune: KREMSER
2. "For the Fruit of All Creation" Tune" AR HYD Y NOS
3. "Bless This House" Tune: HOME (by May H. Brahe)

The last is not necessarily for Thanksgiving but could be thought of as the blessing to the meal itself.

Later,
Allen

[voet]

There are many settings of Nun danket alle Gott (Now thank we all our God in English).

Here is a link to Karg-Elert's rousing setting from IMSLP (Internet Music Score Library Project): http://ks.imslp.net/files/imglnks/us...n_danket_F.pdf

There are many other settings by different composers of this choral, including a couple of organ arrangements by J. S. Bach. You can find many more settings at IMSLP.

[samibe]

It looks like you may have copied the wrong link into your post. Although, I think I found it. That definitely looks rousing.

[Organplayer66]

Some hymns or songs that come to mind are

• Count your blessings
• Thank you lord for your blessings on me
• Thanks to God For my Redeemer
• Come ye Thankful people, come
• In Thanksgiving let us praise him
• For the fruit of all creation
• Sing to the lord of harvest
• We are so blessed

My church's hymnal has a section for thanksgiving and is where most of those came from.