Music Notes: August 21st, 2011

10th Sunday After Pentecost, Year A

Throughout this summer at St. Paul's, we've been following the semi-continuous readings from the Revised Common Lectionary for our worship.  This week we move into Exodus, where we'll hear the story of the Hebrew midwives defying Pharaoh in order to save the young children from a certain death.  One of these infants, the baby Moses, is placed among the reeds of the Nile river, where he was later found and raised by Pharaoh's daughter.

In our Gospel reading from Matthew, the disciple Peter tells Jesus that he is the Messiah, the son of the living God.  Jesus replies God has led Peter to that conclusion, and that he will build his church upon that rock, that foundation.  He is then handed the keys to heaven from Jesus, essentially saying he will be welcome there forever on.  He then swears all his disciples to secrecy that he is the Messiah.


HYMNS AND SONGS


The Church's One Foundation


This is the opening hymn for all of our traditional worship services this week.  The text was composed by Samuel John Stone (1839-1900) in in the 1860's, and has a high influence from our Gospel reading today.  Throughout the hymn, the "church" is referred to in the feminine, symbolizing the union with Jesus, whom has built her up, provided the foundation, and enriched her for eternity by the shedding of his body and blood.  The hymn also alludes briefly to the Apostle's Creed in stanza five.  In line two, the phrase "mystic sweet communion" refers to the communion of saints from the creed.  The saints themselves are referenced both in stanza three and in the final line of the hymn, "...that we like saints before us, may see you face to face."  The strong tune, AURELIA, was composed by Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876), one of the most prolific hymn tune writers from the 19th century.  He is the grandson of one of the founders of Methodism, Charles Wesley.

If you're at church this Sunday, note the unique harmony (inspired by my mentor Dr. John Ferguson) you will hear during stanza three, "Though with a scornful wonder, the world sees her oppressed, by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed..."  These words were indeed controversial in their time, and can still inspire debate.  The hymn does make clear though that while we may be in turmoil now, the "morn of song" will come to us eventually.

Our Father, By Whose Name

This is the Hymn of the Day at all of our traditional worship services.  As we read Exodus this week, we hear how parents and caregivers were willing to possibly sacrifice their own selves to save their children.  As Moses is sent down the Nile in a basket, he arrives in the arms of a gentle, loving mother who nurtures him, allowing him to eventually grow into greatness.

Arranged in a Trinitarian pattern, this hymn by F. Bland Tucker (1895-1984) shows how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit nourish the children of our world.  God watches over and blesses the mothers and fathers as they shepherd their children.  Jesus, once an innocent child himself, traveled the land blessing children, allowing them to behold his presence and grow in his grace.  The Holy Spirit nourishes the love in our hearts and gives us all the compassion to creates "dwelling place(s) of peace" for all of our young ones.

Jesus Loves Me!


This timeless text by Anna B. Warner (1820-1915) is one of the Communion hymns at our 5:30 PM Saturday evening service.  It follows the ideals from stanza two of our Hymn of the Day this week, showing how Jesus is a comforting presence for not only the children of the world, but for everyone.  The hymn was originally written as a poem to comfort a dying child, and in its full form, contains seven stanzas.  The stanzas referring directly to the illness of the child are generally omitted in most hymnals, and though our ELW hymnal doesn't, other hymnals use additional stanzas composed by other poets.

Come To Me, All Pilgrims Thirsty

Also used during Communion at our 5:30 PM Saturday service, it has a similar message to the Jesus Loves Me.  Though most of the hymn doesn't refer specifically to Eucharist, the stanza two line, "Drink the cup of life I offer; at this table be my guest," was certainly written with Communion in mind.  Stanza six again makes a direct reference to the capacity of Jesus to comfort children, "Come to me, abandoned, orphaned; lonely ways no longer roam."  The composer, Delores Dufner (b. 1939), continues to write hymns to this day.  She has published over 150 hymns.  It is set to the well-known Sacred Harp tune, BEACH SPRING.

My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less

This hymn will be used at all of our services this week.  It will be the closing hymn at our 5:30 PM Saturday, 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday services, and a communion hymn at our 7:45 AM service.  Again, it references our Gospel reading for the day, depicting Jesus as the "solid rock" which the church can and does stand on.  The hymn was composed by Edward Mote (1797-1874), a cabinet maker by trade, who later became a pastor in Sussex.  The hymn was actually inspired by a different scripture entirely, from Jesus' parable of the wise and foolish builders, which describes two men, one who built their house on rock, and the other on sand.  When the rains came, the house on the rock survived, but the house in the sand sunk.  Christ is used as a metaphor for this lesson.

The Heart Of Worship

This song, the opening song of our 10:30 contemporary service, is the title track to Matt Redman's album released in 1999.  Matt Redman is an English worship leader and song writer, currently residing in the UK.  For a brief period, he was centered in Atlanta, GA.  As the opening song, it's functioning as a call to worship, as heard in the first verse, "... longing just to bring something that's of worth, that will bless your heart."  There is a brief reference to Jesus Loves Me in stanza two, where it states, "Though I'm weak and poor, all I have is yours..."

Let There Be Praise


This high energy song, written by Melodie and Dick Tunney in the 1980's, has been covered by many Gospel artists, including Sandi Patty and Elizabeth Bluehorse.  Though the song actually contains several verses, this Sunday we will just be repeating the chorus several times as a way to actively welcome God into our presence.

The Wise May Bring Their Learning


This hymn is from the very first edition of the Borning Cry hymnal, composed and compiled by John Ylvisaker.  It has a very gentle 3/4 lilt, which lends almost a dance-like quality to the mellow, E-major tune.  The hymn evokes ideas of the potential for children in our world.  Even though children may not have much at their disposal initially, they have love, praise, and the ability to walk the Holy ways of God.  This reflects on our reading from Exodus this week.  When Moses was sent down the river by his caregivers, even though he was just a baby, he had unlimited potential to bring something special to the world, just like every child born and raised today.

We Are An Offering

This gentle ballad by Dwight Liles, composed in 1984, explains how we don't just give offerings to God in the form of cash and checks.  We do it with our voices, the lifting of our hands and lives, giving all that we have and all that we are to God.

Bread of Life from Heaven


This hymn exists today thanks to a variety of people and sources.  The entire text was composed by Susan Briehl (b. 1952) who was Executive Director of Holden Villiage, after serving for eight years as campus pastor of Pacific Lutheran University.  For the tune, Marty Haugen took an Argentinian folk song to use as the refrain, while composing an original theme for each of the verses.  In order to be authentic to the source material, this hymn should be sung in a Latin-American style, possibly accented with a conga and shakers.  In our case though, we'll be presenting it as more of a lyric ballad in order to further allow the words and music to meld together into more of a uniform message.  At our service, the verses will be sung by our worship team, with the congregation joining in on the refrain.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC


Prelude: Six Preludes- Johann Pachelbel


German composer Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706), was one of the great organ masters of the 17th century.  In addition to over 100 chorale settings, he wrote a variety of preludes, fugues, toccatas, ricercars, and other works, most of which are very accessible to any organist.  These six preludes all showcase his "melo-harmonic" style, through the use of suspensions, ornaments, and occasional rapid scale passage work.

Offering: Piano Sonata in F Major, K. 332- W.A. Mozart
                I. Allegro


This sonata as a whole was the third in a group of three sonatas, K. 330-332, in 1783 (The Sonata, K. 331 is well known for it's Turkish Rondo in the third movement).  It is believed they were written in Vienna, but they could have also been penned while Mozart was in Salzburg, where he was actually introducing is new wife Constanza to his father, Leopold (the elder Mozart was not particularly happy with this arrangement!).

In form, the first movement of this sonata is a very clear Sonata form, with an easily identifiable exposition, recapitulation, and development.  It also showcases Mozart's signature alberti bass figuration underneath a tune that, while not when of Mozart's most memorable or singable, has a lot of wit and youth contained within.

Postlude: Built on a Rock- Flor Peeters

This piece is based on the old Danish hymn, "Built on a rock the church doth stand," penned by Nicolai Grundtvig (1783-1872).  This hymn refers directly to our Gospel reading of the day.  In Flor Peeters' setting of this strong minor tune, he employs a lot of open fifths and fourths to signify the solid foundation that the church is placed on.  The tune is shared through the hands and the pedal, and closes with a strong D-major cadence.

RECOMMENDED LISTENING


Great Hymns of Faith, vol. 2- The St. Olaf Choir, Anton Armstrong, conductor


This CD includes 18 well known hymns, presented in both traditional and rather elaborate choral settings.  Tracks to note are the two arrangements by John Ferguson.  First, "The Church's One Foundation" is the fully realized choral setting of the hymn which influenced both my introduction and playing of stanza three.  Second is Dr. Ferguson's arrangement of "Jesus Loves Me," which was composed and dedicated to the conductor, Anton Armstrong, for use at the funeral of his father.  This album can be purchased at www.stolafrecords.com


Mozart: Piano Sonatas K. 310, K. 331 "Alla Turca" & K. 332; Fantasia in D minor- Mitsuko Uchida, pianist


Ms. Uchida, one of the finest interpreters of Mozart in the world, offers this CD of piano music which includes the sonata I'll be playing this morning.

Samuel Sebastian Wesley: Anthems- Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, Christopher Robinson, conductor


S.S. Wesley is perhaps best known as the composer of the tune AURELIA, the tune used for the hymn The Church's One Foundation.  He also wrote many choral anthems, several of which are included here, including the beautiful "Thou wilt keep Him in perfect peace." 


The Heart Of Worship- Matt Redman (digital download)


This CD includes the title track "The Heart of Worship," which opens our 10:30 AM contemporary service this week.  In addition, you'll find 11 other inspiring praise anthems.