2024 Lancaster Meistersingers Livestream Link

 

Here is the link to the 2024 Meistersingers livestream.  Enjoy! 

"Prince of Peace" Terre Hill Mennonite Chorus

We just enjoyed five school choir programs in six days: three that Jeff directed, one that I directed, and one that our daughter directed. We were busy but we loved every minute of it. This song was one of my favorites from Jeff's high school program. Enjoy!

The Lancaster Meistersingers 2023 Program

 

Hear the whole program here:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqP2hwGm5L8&t=9s

"Never Let Go of Me" Sung by the Terre Hill Mennonite High School Gospel Team

 

Jeff spent hours arranging "Never Let Go of Me" because he really wanted the Terre Hill Gospel Team to sing it as part of their program last year.  

Here is the latest video from the 2023 video project.  Enjoy!  

Link on youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBDSCA91E0s&ab_channel=THMHSchool

Voice Lesson and a Young Artist

This drawing is based on true events.  Every summer, Jeff offers voice lessons to any his of students who are interested.  They become better singers, and it helps the choir. 

 Following the Billy Grahm Rule, he requires any female student to bring her mother or sister along to voice lessons.  So, while Jeff was teaching and his student was singing, her little sister (age 7) was drawing what was happening.  Here is her rendition.

Left to right:  Jeff at the keyboard saying, "good."

Music stand 

Big sister singing a high G    (the top note on the right) 

Second grade little sister artist saying, "Ouch!" 

After the lesson, the artist showed this work of art to her big sister and they were laughing.  Then they showed Jeff.  He loved it asked if he could have it.  She said yes, and here it is.  

Yay for funny students.  

 

"The Revelation Song" Sung by the Terre Hill Mennonite High School Gospel Team

 

"God Is Good" by Jay Stock Performed by the Terre Hill Mennonite High School Gospel Team

 

I've Got a River of Life

 

Here is the first release from the Terre Hill Gospel Team's 2022 video project. Enjoy!  

The Terre Hill Vocal Consort Singing "When You Pass Through the Waters" by Anthony Glick

 
These six seniors graduate from Terre Hill Mennonite High School this week.  Two years ago they began singing together. and last week they recorded "When You Pass Through the Waters" by Anthony Glick.  Thanks to Martin's Snapshots for the videography.  Click on the link below to listen.  

Link to the 2022 Choralfest

 Here is a link to the 2022 Choralfest. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv0FLCuxhlg

Franklin Miller is directing the 230 member mass choir.  

The Music of Heaven

 Jeff was looking for a recording of this song for the all-school chorus to listen to for practicing, and he couldn't find one.  So he had the sight singing class make one for them.  Here it is.  Enjoy!  

The Lancaster Meistersingers 2021 Christmas Program

Click the link below to hear the 2021 Christmas program of the 

The Lancaster Meistersingers.

We had a lovely weekend together!  

 

"Cantate Domino" by Karl Jenkins Performed by the Terre Hill Mennonite High School Gospel Team

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXrc-he677w&ab_channel=THMHSchool

Adoramus Te in the Snow

 

We know the videography on this isn't great, but they had fun singing in the foyer of the school with the snow falling outside behind them anyway. This is the Terre Hill High School advanced theory class. Terrah Weaver, soprano; Jayden Fahnestock, alto; Vince Martin and Danon Rutt, tenor; and Nate Bowman and Jeff Swanson, bass.

Terre Hill Mennonite High School Storms Canada - I Mean, Ontario

We had the privilege of accompanying the Terre Hill Mennonite High School Gospel Team on their choir tour of Canada -- I mean, Ontario.  (You see, once when we were crossing the border into Ontario,  Jeff was handing our passports to the border crossing guy, and a piece of trash flew out when he did.  Jeff felt bad, so he tried to open the door and get out of the car to pick up the trash.  The border crossing guy did NOT like that.   "Get back in the car, sir.  Sir, get back in the car," he said loudly and firmly.  Jeff replied, "Sorry, I dropped a piece of trash on Canada."  So, when we were visiting with our Canadian friends and we told them that story, they told us, "That is SO American of you."  [So we are indeed American, but they aren't Canadian?]  "Americans always say they went to 'Canada.' "  We have been asked by at least one dear Canadian friend -- "Do you say you are from 'America' or do you say that you are from Pennsylvania? "  To which Jeff replied, "I think I would say I'm from America."  And then they tell us to say that we went to "Ontario" or "Manitoba," but not "Canada."  So, okay, we went to ONTARIO.  Is that okay Kyle Gerber?)  

The three best parts about being in ONTARIO are as follows. 

1.  Singing with the Countryside Choir, directed by Rosemary Eberly Lebold 

2.  Seeing Niagara Falls half frozen

3.  Eating maple sugar candies 
I even bought some extra to share with my students.  

Oh, Jeff says there are two more.
4.  Canadians seem to have a healthy appreciation for classical choral music
5.  And. . . they have a refreshing habit of providing vegetarian options at meals.  Thank you.  Thank you, Ontarians? 

Shalom Mennonite School's Spring Program

Shalom Mennonite School

SPRING CONCERT

Fishin’ Mission

Kindergarten

I will Make You Fishers of Men…………………..Harry D. Clarke

Fishin’ Mission…………………….Deana and Jeff Swanson


Grades 1 and 2

Go and Make Disciples……………….Troy and Genie Nilsson

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus………..Duffield/Webb

Who Did Swallow Jonah?..............Traditional

Grades 3 and 4

Jesus Saves (We have heard the joyful sound)  (768)................Owens/Kirkpatrick

I Was Sinking………………Rowe/Smith  

Who Built the Ark…………….Traditional

Grades 5 and 6

There’s a Call (767)...............Charles H. Gabriel

Like a River (804)................Havergal/Mountain

Sing!  Together Psallite!.....................Bach/Liebergen

Music Elective Class

My Shepherd Will Supply My Need………………………Traditional/Virgil Thomson

Adoramus Te……………...Palestrina/Leavitt 

Grades 7 and 8

Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth………………...Harmonia Sacra

Three a cappella Latin Settings…………..Jerry Estes

Master the Tempest is Raging………...Baker/Palmer

Keep Your Lamps……………………….Andre Thomas

Here I Am, Lord……………..Daniel L. Shutte 



All School Songs

Shall We Gather at the River (start with 7 and 8 on stage).....Robert Lowry

Guide My Feet…………………….Traditional/Hal Hopson


Shalom……………………….Teresa Jennings

A Joyful, Joyful Post About My Hubby's Choir

The video above won't work, but THIS will. Click here. :-)

You are invited to attend the Terre Hill Mennonite High School Spring Choral Programs this Saturday and Sunday, April 27th and 28th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Terre Hill gym.  The full school chorus will be presenting the premier of Lyle Stutzman's arrangement of the fourth movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, "Joyful, Joyful."  

Another Suggestion for a Christmas Program

                                     Once in Royal David's City

This is another lovely Christmas song which I had not previously known.  It can be found in the new Hymns of the Church hymnal.  We are planning to sing this at Shalom for our Christmas program.  The little soloist guy does a great job of exploding those "d"s.

Another Rare, Free, and Interesting Piece of Christmas Music

Soooooo . . . for any teachers or choirish-type people who might still be looking for something fresh and not overused for Christmastime, here is another Christmas hymn that I have found.  It is called In Bethlehem 'Neath Starlit Skies, and can only be found, in its pure hymn form,  in the old Methodist Hymnal.  We are planning to sing this at Shalom Mennonite School at our concert in December.  I checked CCLI and it is no longer under copyright. Pretty neat piece . . . little tonality shift on the third line  . . . free . . . oh, and the Methodists and the Mennonites are fellow Arminians. (Ha ha, you weren't expecting that now were you?)   

I will post a video link immediately after this post.  

-Jeff

In Bethlehem 'Neath Starlit Skies

And here is the interesting, antiquated Christmas hymn of the week . . . .