Thanksgiving Eve
Welcome to a special edition of Music Notes! Our Thanksgiving Eve service is this evening, and it is chock full of wonderful, praise-filled music that deserved its own entry this week.
HYMNS AND SONGS
Litany Of The Saints (Opening Processional)
This Litany essentially combines many facets of what you would find in a traditional liturgy. The first line contains the framework for the Kyrie, which is normally sung to open the service. Basic principles of the Old and New Testaments are covered, as is the birth and life of Christ, the Creed, and the principles of baptism, which we are celebrating tonight. The entire litany is sung in a call and response style, with the congregation responding to the petitions of the cantor.
Now Thank We All Our God (Opening Hymn)
Few hymns identify with Thanksgiving more than this timeless text, with a translation by Catherine Winkworth. In Germany, it is actually the national song of thanksgiving, and the very first line (in its original language) is one of the most easily deciphered by a non-German speaking crowd... "Nun Danket alle Gott, mit Herzen, Mund, und Händen (Now thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices)." The first line of stanza two feels like a wonderful table grace, and stanza three, like many other theology-packed hymns, contains a Trinitarian reference.
The tune, originally attributed to Johann Cruger, has been used in a variety of ways since the 17th century. Its original version can be seen by looking at ELW 839, and was used in a similar form by J.S. Bach in at least two of his cantatas. In 1840, Felix Mendelssohn established the now common harmonization of the tune when he included it in his Symphony No. 2.
O Day Full Of Grace
This beautiful Scandinavian hymn has a special place in my heart, especially the alternate text we are singing tonight. The entire hymn depicts the creation, blossoming, and flourishing of the world. The stanza one line, "Bring light from our God that we may be abundant with joy this season" is a beautiful testament to Thanksgiving.
Stanza two begins the true narrative of the story. Never before in text or tune has a sunrise been so beautifully depicted. This sunrise is, of course, the light brought to us thanks to the birth of Christ ("...when God in our flesh was given"). Christ brightened the dawn with light and power, spread over the darkest heavens, rose over the world, and drove all the gloom from our hearts.
The world bursts into life in stanzas three and four. Trees, birds, and all of nature bursts into song, celebrating the wonderful bounty we have all been blessed with.
Beautiful Savior (Communion Hymn)
This Silesian folk tune is another that is much loved among Lutherans, especially in this part of the country, where Lutheran college grads spent four years and countless alumni gatherings singing F. Melius Christiansen's lovely setting.
The region of Silesia no longer exists, but most of it is occupied by what is now Poland. Unfortunately, there is little information on the origin of this hymn, nor who first translated it into English. The structure is symmetrical in that the interior and exterior stanzas are hymns of praise to the creator, and the interior stanzas proclaim said creation, by describing the meadows, woodlands, stars, and tying them to Jesus, who is said to shine fairer and brighter than all of these things.
For The Fruit Of All Creation (Communion Hymn)
Fred Pratt Green's lovely 20th century hymn is a beautiful example of a hymn of thanksgiving. The first and third stanzas both use the conclusion, "Thanks be to God," as a conclusion to each petition. The conclusion of the final stanza is one of the more profound, thought provoking phrases in the hymnal... "For the wonders that astound us, for the truths that still confound us, most of all, that love has found us, thanks be to God."
Let All Things Now Living (Communion Hymn)
Concluding our triptych of Thanksgiving Folk tunes is ASH GROVE, the tune made famous by Benjamin Britten. It is interesting that such a joyful, cheerful hymn tune was once set to the poem of a man visiting his recently deceased wife's grave.
This text by Katherine Davis is anything but sad. This is a joyful hymn of thanks, again, to the creator of all things. God fashioned, made, and protected us, and still guides us to this day. Stanza one also contains several Biblical references, including a reference to the pillar of fire in Exodus 12, guiding us along our way. Our Thanksgiving service concludes with the line, "...with glad adoration a song let us raise 'till all things now living unite in Thanksgiving to God in the highest hosanna and praise!"
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
SCHÖNSTER HERR JESU- Gerre Hancock
The title of this arrangement of Beautiful Savior is the German word of the first line of the hymn, "Fairest Lord Jesus." The organ setting is in two sections with a coda. Each section begins with a rising and descending dissonant figure, followed by two full statements of the tune. The first statement is more straightforward, soloed out with a running accompaniment, while the second setting is fuller, with mixtures, reeds, and grows to the coda. The pieces concludes where it starts, with the first two bars of the tune being stated in the pedal.
Gerre Hancock is one of the most respected and well-known improvisers on the organ in the country. His compositional output is quite large, and is one of the leaders of the 20th century evolution of the hymn festival.
N.B.- Unless I can change it in time, I believe the title of this piece in the bulletin is an error. It may be listed as "Herzliebster Jesu," which actually references the hymn "Ah, Holy Jesus." Management regrets this error. :) I got my German adjectives twisted around.
Toccata on NUN DANKET ALLE GOTT- Egil Hovland
This is one of Norwegian composer Egil Hovland's most boisterous, energetic pieces. The tune of "Now Thank We All Our God" in canon between the very top voice and the pedal, surrounded by a complex series of arpeggios and chordal flourishes. The piece grows to a sometimes dissonant, but always glorious conclusion.
I sincerely hope you enjoy and are fulfilled by our Thanksgiving Eve service today. Stay tuned for this week's normal edition of Music Notes some time Friday as we begin the liturgical year by celebrating Advent.
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