1st Sunday of Lent
This past Wednesday at church, we celebrated Ash Wednesday, where we again heard the annual refrain of "For you are dust, and to dust you shall return." It of course also marked the beginning of our forty day journey towards the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. It was a wonderful day at St. Paul's, beginning with Father Mike and Pastor Schneider (playing Jesus and the devil respectively), depicting the temptations of Jesus. Kinderlent began with an amazing turnout, and our Lenten services kicked off with a celebration of Holy Communion, imposition of ashes, wonderful music, and a lovely Lenten message.
While Lent still contains some brief signs of celebration and gratitude, it is also a time for repentance, remembrance, and self-examination. Our music reflects that this week, as we hear the story of Jesus' temptation in the desert for forty days.
HYMNS AND SONGS
O Lord, Throughout These Forty Days (Opening Hymn- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This hymn is a reflection on our Gospel reading for today. The form is unbelievably intuitive, it makes one think why other hymn writers haven't adopted it as directly as it has been here. Each stanza contains two phrases, divided musically by a half cadence. The first phrase of each stanza is a reflection on Christ and his experience while being tempted. The second phrase then puts the focus on us, and shows how we can learn a lesson from Jesus' experiences and use them to succeed on our Lenten journeys.
The first stanza simply shows us to look to Jesus for inspiration. Stanza two is a call for courage as Jesus stood up to the temptations. Stanza three talks about what we "give up" for Lent, and how Jesus is the example of that, and finally, the last stanza, much like the first, asks for Jesus to be with us as we traverse these forty days, so we can all celebrate the resurrection at the end.
Bless Now, O God, The Journey (Hymn of the Day- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This hymn encapsulates the message for the day. The journey through Lent is full of temptation, pitfalls, and danger, and throughout these forty days, we will call upon opposition from barriers that may or may not want to hold us back.
Sylvia Dunstan (1955-1993) is one of my favorite hymn writers from her generation, and she was taken from us far too soon. She left us with a legacy of beautiful, impactful, extremely profound poetry, much of which has been set to music in hymnals and choral anthems. The first two stanzas of this hymn detail the struggles of this Lenten journey. We journey through noise, silence, giving, and taking. Through deserts, water, and mountains, we travel until we find the road that faith is built upon. In stanza three, we are joined by the "divine, eternal lover" who meets us and guides us solidly along the path, not just when we need it, but always. Through the strength and support of God on this journey, we can all travel down our road of faith and arrive unscathed at the end of Lent.
How Long, O God (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
The psalmist, as referenced in stanza one of this hymn, is in fact King David, who penned nearly half of the 150 psalms in the Bible. The psalm itself being referenced is Psalm 13, which begins, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" (Psalm 13:1)
The words "How long?" function as a refrain of sorts in that psalm, and they do here as well. We take this cry of "How long?" and make it our own throughout the Lenten season. Stanza two references temptation as "the evil" lurking "within, without" us, which carries over to stanza three where the grace of God, which seems like the perfect balm during times of trouble, seems so far away. The closing stanza echoes the opening nearly word for word. The only change is at the end, where instead of being "far away from home," we understand that "our God will lead us home."
Seed That On Earth Is Dying (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
This Norwegian hymn comes to us from a pair of professors at the University of Norway in Oslo. The first stanza of this hymn talks about the substantial physical properties of communion elements. Stanza two references baptism, which we are celebrating this Sunday at the REJOICE! service. Baptism and Eucharist are so tightly bonded as two of our most important sacraments in the church. The closing stanza reveals the "seed" as a metaphor for Christ, rising from Earth at the resurrection.
If You But Trust In God To Guide You (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM, Closing Hymn- 7:45 AM)
This is one of the great hymns of hope we have in the hymnal. Georg Neumark penned both the text as well as the chorale (a rarity for such a successful work) in the mid 17th century.
Stanza one alone is such an uplifting promise of faith and hope. Going on, we hear the message that there is no gain in stress or trouble as long as we are in our Savior's keeping.
From beginning to end, this hymn contains enough hope and guidance to sustain us all the way through our Lenten journey. Throughout all of the pain and turmoil we go through, we can always take comfort that we can rest in God's word and good will as long as we sing, pray, and keep God's ways unswerving.
CHORAL ANTHEM
A Lenten Walk- arr. Hal Hopson (Offering- 9:00 AM)
This week the Chancel Choir sings an arrangement of an old American spiritual by Hal Hopson, one of the most prolific composers of gebrauchsmusik (music for use) in the church today. Led by a soloist initially, the piece eventually blooms into a two part structure split between men and women. They each take turns singing the main tune, with the other part singing a counter-melody created by Hopson. A steady timpani beat signifying footsteps, a tolling handbell, and a clarinet line round out the anthem nicely.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Kyrie- Cathy Moklebust (Prelude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
Bells of Praise kicks off the music for our Lenten season this year, featuring a beautiful original handbell piece by Minnesota based composer, church musician, and handbell expert Cathy Moklebust. The piece, titled "Kyrie," is appropriately in a three part form, switching from C minor to the relative Ab major key. The character of this piece is a haunting and somber Lenten beginning.
Wer nur den Lieben Gott- John Behnke (Postlude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This is a tremendous, underrated arrangement of this chorale. The tune is presented in its entirety throughout the piece, accompanied by a driving insistent melodic minor accompaniment.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Music Notes: February 19th, 2012
Transfiguration Sunday
After the Epiphany season where we have heard much about Jesus' healing ministry, we have finally arrived at the Sunday of the Transfiguration, when Jesus and three of his disciples travel to the top of a mountain, where Jesus begins to shine with rays of light. He is approached by the prophets Elijah (whose story we have been following in the OT readings), and Moses (whose epic tale we heard last fall while exploring Exodus), and a voice from the sky speaks down referring to Jesus as his "son," which everyone believed to be God the Father.
This is a wonderful story, and is a pivotal moment for the church in that it is the first (and only?) time in the Gospels where the human element meets God, with Jesus acting as the bridge between Earth and Heaven. Our music this Sunday will comment on the splendor and majesty of Jesus' transfiguration.
HYMNS AND SONGS
O Wondrous Image, Vision Fair (Opening Hymn- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This hymn does a wonderful job of summarizing the Transfiguration story in the first two stanzas. The entire first stanza is one sentence. The "wondrous image" is eventually revealed at the end of the stanza as Jesus on the mountain shining brighter than the sun, something that all the church can envision and rejoice in. The second stanza delves deeper, referencing the prophets who are present and the pivotal moment when God speaks down from the clouds that Jesus is his son.
The third stanza brings us into the present and shows how Jesus manifests the love of God into something tangible for us; the glory that we will see and experience when we meet God in heaven. Stanza four continues with a statement of thanks, and the hymn concludes with a trinitarian statement of faith that we may one day see and experience exactly what Jesus did in his transfiguration.
The tune DEO GRACIAS is a 15th century tune characterized by its distinctive rhythms. It's difficult to describe in print, but as you look at the hymn, you'll see a lot of quarter note-half note rhythms. These may seem unnatural initially, but this style of rhythm is integral to this style of music and will be picked up rather quickly.
Beautiful Savior (Hymn of the Day- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This hymn, much loved by Lutherans world wide, originally came from a late 17th century German choir book. In the 19th century, it was set to a Silesian folk tune and became the hymn we love today.
The transfiguration is reflected primarily in the third stanza. We first hear of the pastoral beauty contained in sunshine, moonlight, and stars, but then the hymn reveals that at the transfiguration, Jesus is shining brighter and purer than any angels heaven can boast.
At the 9:00 AM service, we will be using David Cherwien's arrangement of this hymn as the hymn of day. Featuring organ, flute, and SATB choir, it proclaims the majesty and splendor of this hymn in a truly profound way.
Jesus on the Mountain Peak (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
This hymn is kind of an orphan. It seems that just about every hymnal has this text, but they are all set to a different tune. Brian Wren, one of the finest hymn writers of the 20th century, penned this hymn, and I would be very interested to know which tune he preferred for it. I personally enjoy the tune in the United Methodist Hymnal, but it is virtually impossible for any congregation to sing without a lot of practice.
The tune in the ELW was composed by Mark Sedio, who is Director of Music at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. While rooted in a minor key, each stanza ends with a major half cadence on the word "Alleluia."
Songs of Thankfulness and Praise (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
This is a wonderful "past, present, future" hymn for the transfiguration. It addresses birth and baptism (past) in stanzas one and two ("...branch of royal David's stem in thy birth at Bethlehem."), ("Manifest at Jordan's stream..."), and the future acts of Jesus in stanzas two and three (Wedding at Cana, overcoming sin, etc..).
A key word in this hymn in the word "manifest." It is sung ten total times, including the short refrain-like phrase, "God in flesh made manifest." The adjective meaning that Jesus was, at the time, the empirical, undeniable presence of God on earth. Throughout the hymn, the birth, baptism, and actions of Jesus are all made manifest as well. This is especially evident on transfiguration Sunday, where one of the most important actions takes place and by the transfiguration, God in flesh is truly and literally made manifest.
The tune, named after the birthplace of Mozart and one of the largest cities in Austria (SALZBURG), was composed by Austrian composer Jakob Hintze. The harmonization we have in our ELW hymnal was created by J.S. Bach.
Be Thou My Vision (Communion Hymn- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This hymn is an intriguing reaction to the transfiguration story. Now that Jesus is in fact God in flesh made manifest, this hymn asks that Jesus use his divine power to guide us through our times of trouble. The final stanza is most reflective of the transfiguration...
"Light of my soul after victory won, may I reach heaven's joys, O heaven's sun! Heart of my own heart whatever befall, still be my vision, of ruler of all!"
CHORAL ANTHEM
I already touched on the Chancel Choir singing David Cherwien's arrangement of Beautiful Savior, but the School Choir is also singing this morning. At the REJOICE service, they will be singing the hymn "Shine, Jesus Shine." As Jesus shines with the brightness of the sun in the Transfiguration, this hymn asks for Jesus to share the hope, love, and light with us.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Fairest Lord Jesus- Gerre Hancock (Prelude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This arrangement of Fairest Lord Jesus takes place in two main parts with an introduction and coda. The first section displays the tune clearly in the krummhorn stop, and the second is a large, expansive, chromatic interpretation that grows to a glorious crescendo. I feel that this particular section is a glorious representation of the Transfiguration in music.
Gerre Hancock (1934-2012) was one of the most respected and admired church musicians and organ improvisers in the United States. He passed away at the end of January, and it is an honor to be able to play one of his pieces this Sunday.
Preludium in D- Johann Pachelbel (Postlude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This is one of Pachelbel's most expansive, colorful preludes he put out. Massive in scope and sound, it has many of the standard characteristics of Pachelbel's longer organ works, namely a large amount of figuration in the hands over a pedal tone. It takes us on an incredible journey, and again, it seem very reflective and indicative of the Transfiguration story.
This is our final week of Epiphany. Beginning next Wednesday, we start our 40 day and night long journey towards the Resurrection of our Lord.
After the Epiphany season where we have heard much about Jesus' healing ministry, we have finally arrived at the Sunday of the Transfiguration, when Jesus and three of his disciples travel to the top of a mountain, where Jesus begins to shine with rays of light. He is approached by the prophets Elijah (whose story we have been following in the OT readings), and Moses (whose epic tale we heard last fall while exploring Exodus), and a voice from the sky speaks down referring to Jesus as his "son," which everyone believed to be God the Father.
This is a wonderful story, and is a pivotal moment for the church in that it is the first (and only?) time in the Gospels where the human element meets God, with Jesus acting as the bridge between Earth and Heaven. Our music this Sunday will comment on the splendor and majesty of Jesus' transfiguration.
HYMNS AND SONGS
O Wondrous Image, Vision Fair (Opening Hymn- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This hymn does a wonderful job of summarizing the Transfiguration story in the first two stanzas. The entire first stanza is one sentence. The "wondrous image" is eventually revealed at the end of the stanza as Jesus on the mountain shining brighter than the sun, something that all the church can envision and rejoice in. The second stanza delves deeper, referencing the prophets who are present and the pivotal moment when God speaks down from the clouds that Jesus is his son.
The third stanza brings us into the present and shows how Jesus manifests the love of God into something tangible for us; the glory that we will see and experience when we meet God in heaven. Stanza four continues with a statement of thanks, and the hymn concludes with a trinitarian statement of faith that we may one day see and experience exactly what Jesus did in his transfiguration.
The tune DEO GRACIAS is a 15th century tune characterized by its distinctive rhythms. It's difficult to describe in print, but as you look at the hymn, you'll see a lot of quarter note-half note rhythms. These may seem unnatural initially, but this style of rhythm is integral to this style of music and will be picked up rather quickly.
Beautiful Savior (Hymn of the Day- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This hymn, much loved by Lutherans world wide, originally came from a late 17th century German choir book. In the 19th century, it was set to a Silesian folk tune and became the hymn we love today.
The transfiguration is reflected primarily in the third stanza. We first hear of the pastoral beauty contained in sunshine, moonlight, and stars, but then the hymn reveals that at the transfiguration, Jesus is shining brighter and purer than any angels heaven can boast.
At the 9:00 AM service, we will be using David Cherwien's arrangement of this hymn as the hymn of day. Featuring organ, flute, and SATB choir, it proclaims the majesty and splendor of this hymn in a truly profound way.
Jesus on the Mountain Peak (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
This hymn is kind of an orphan. It seems that just about every hymnal has this text, but they are all set to a different tune. Brian Wren, one of the finest hymn writers of the 20th century, penned this hymn, and I would be very interested to know which tune he preferred for it. I personally enjoy the tune in the United Methodist Hymnal, but it is virtually impossible for any congregation to sing without a lot of practice.
The tune in the ELW was composed by Mark Sedio, who is Director of Music at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. While rooted in a minor key, each stanza ends with a major half cadence on the word "Alleluia."
Songs of Thankfulness and Praise (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
This is a wonderful "past, present, future" hymn for the transfiguration. It addresses birth and baptism (past) in stanzas one and two ("...branch of royal David's stem in thy birth at Bethlehem."), ("Manifest at Jordan's stream..."), and the future acts of Jesus in stanzas two and three (Wedding at Cana, overcoming sin, etc..).
A key word in this hymn in the word "manifest." It is sung ten total times, including the short refrain-like phrase, "God in flesh made manifest." The adjective meaning that Jesus was, at the time, the empirical, undeniable presence of God on earth. Throughout the hymn, the birth, baptism, and actions of Jesus are all made manifest as well. This is especially evident on transfiguration Sunday, where one of the most important actions takes place and by the transfiguration, God in flesh is truly and literally made manifest.
The tune, named after the birthplace of Mozart and one of the largest cities in Austria (SALZBURG), was composed by Austrian composer Jakob Hintze. The harmonization we have in our ELW hymnal was created by J.S. Bach.
Be Thou My Vision (Communion Hymn- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This hymn is an intriguing reaction to the transfiguration story. Now that Jesus is in fact God in flesh made manifest, this hymn asks that Jesus use his divine power to guide us through our times of trouble. The final stanza is most reflective of the transfiguration...
"Light of my soul after victory won, may I reach heaven's joys, O heaven's sun! Heart of my own heart whatever befall, still be my vision, of ruler of all!"
CHORAL ANTHEM
I already touched on the Chancel Choir singing David Cherwien's arrangement of Beautiful Savior, but the School Choir is also singing this morning. At the REJOICE service, they will be singing the hymn "Shine, Jesus Shine." As Jesus shines with the brightness of the sun in the Transfiguration, this hymn asks for Jesus to share the hope, love, and light with us.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Fairest Lord Jesus- Gerre Hancock (Prelude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This arrangement of Fairest Lord Jesus takes place in two main parts with an introduction and coda. The first section displays the tune clearly in the krummhorn stop, and the second is a large, expansive, chromatic interpretation that grows to a glorious crescendo. I feel that this particular section is a glorious representation of the Transfiguration in music.
Gerre Hancock (1934-2012) was one of the most respected and admired church musicians and organ improvisers in the United States. He passed away at the end of January, and it is an honor to be able to play one of his pieces this Sunday.
Preludium in D- Johann Pachelbel (Postlude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This is one of Pachelbel's most expansive, colorful preludes he put out. Massive in scope and sound, it has many of the standard characteristics of Pachelbel's longer organ works, namely a large amount of figuration in the hands over a pedal tone. It takes us on an incredible journey, and again, it seem very reflective and indicative of the Transfiguration story.
This is our final week of Epiphany. Beginning next Wednesday, we start our 40 day and night long journey towards the Resurrection of our Lord.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Music Notes: February 12th, 2012
Sixth Sunday After Epiphany
This week, both our Gospel and Old Testament readings involve the healing of lepers. The more intriguing story of the two comes from 2 Kings 5: 1-17 and features the story of Namaan. Namaan, though he was a great man and a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. Namaan was sent to see the prophet Elisha, who instructed Namaan to wash in the Jordan seven times, where his flesh would then be restored and cured of his leprosy. Namaan was frustrated with this, but he regrettably entered the river and found himself clean. Amazed, he became humbled and pledged to be a true servant of the Lord.
HYMNS AND SONGS
We Come To You For Healing, Lord (Opening Hymn- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
Much like Namaan went to God for healing, it is also a need that we have at times. Our bodies, minds, and souls all need some form of healing at some point, and through prayer, we can hope to receive it. Herman Stuempfle, the long time leader of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, penned this lovely hymn with the need for healing in mind. The image of Christ as the great physician is referenced in stanza three, and gives thanks to all the physicians and nurses around that heal our wounds with their God given gifts and willingness to serve.
This text is set to the hymn tune MARTYRDOM, a rather common tune from late 18th century England. It accompanies the Stuempfle text quite nicely, and as the end of stanza four says, we "trust that through our nights and days your grace will heal, sustain."
In All Our Grief (Hymn of the Day- 9:00 AM)
This is a congregational response to Namaan's predicament. Whether it is the leprosy that Namaan suffers from, or any other affliction that we deal with, we are able to turn to God, knowing that he knows all that we do and the pain we all feel.
It can be easy to want to give up, to become vindictive, wallow in self pity, and blame others for certain problems. Stanza two of this hymn pleads that we resist those temptations. Poet Sylvia Dunstan implies that there is in fact a way that love is best served. Given that line is followed by the refrain of the Kyrie, it implies that the way to best serve is to trust in the Lord for all the healing.
The closing stanza continues to encapsulate our need to continually put our trust and faith in God. It's a plea to God himself, that he show us that he is always near and that he will not leave us lost.
Come, Ye Disconsolate (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
The lasting message of this hymn is that earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. While on Earth, we can continually use this message as both motivation and strengthening our faith. In stanza three, we get led into the sacrament of the Eucharist, where we are invited to "Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing earth has no sorrow but heav'n can remove."
Day By Day (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM, Opening Song- 11:15 AM)
Abide With Me (Closing Hymn- 7:45 AM, Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
While Henry Lyte's hymn, Abide With Me, is frequently used at funerals, I feel that it has an important place in this Sunday's service. Stanza three is a good example of why. "I need thy presence every passing hour. What but thy grace can foil thy tempest's power?" Whether it is a sickness, a personal struggle, or some other type of inner demon, grace, hope, and faith will always carry us through.
The closing stanza of this hymn is an amazing interpretation of what we hope to view, hear, and experience as we pass through to the promised land. And even as heaven's morning breaks and the vain shadows of earth flee, God will abide with us from everlasting to everlasting.
CHORAL ANTHEM
Evening And Morning- arr. Nick Klemetson (Hymn of the Day- 7:45 AM, Offering- 9:00 AM)
From time to time, I like setting hymns from the ELW so they would be appropriate for the Chancel Choir to sing, and this was one of those hymns that was just calling to be set. The exciting text by the great German hymn writer Paul Gerhardt yielded a lot of great ideas and possibilities.
The arrangement plays out almost like a musicological journey from the late 16th century to today. The first verse is set in the style of a renaissance dance. The open fifths in the organ, the lowered 7th scale degree, and the whistling that the choir will do (imitating a woodwind) are all characteristic of the dance music of that time.
The style of stanza two is rather difficult to explain. At 2:30 of this video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A02VoJFv-jk&feature=related you'll find my inspiration for this stanza. Frequently in renaissance mass settings, composers will occasionally put all voices involved together homophonically to emphasize a certain portion of the text. While it was inspired by a renaissance mass, it still features late 19th century harmonies over the words "Calm all my terrors, blot all my errors."
Verse three jumps ahead about a century, and was inspired by what comes at the 2 minute mark of this piece. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Ltr2uw-Pc This style of writing was common in mid-17th century Germany, with a chorale sung by the highest voices using a technique called augmentation, that is, stretching it out underneath florid contrapuntal writing in the lower voices.
Stanza four comes into the 20th century with a standard rendition of the hymn with a free organ harmonization and a descant on the top, bringing the hymn to its wonderful conclusion.
This will also be the hymn of the day at the 7:45 AM service sung in a standard fashion without the choir.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Two Settings of Evening and Morning- John Eggert, Kevin Hildebrand (Prelude: 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
These are both settings which feature the German chorale from our Offering piece. The first features a flute obbligato with the tune sounding in the tenor range with the schalmei reed on the organ. The second puts the tune in the soprano on top of a waltz like pattern in the accompaniment.
Fanfare on Evening and Morning- John Eggert (Postlude: 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This setting introduces the tune right away and presents it in a quasi-canonical style. The harmonic possibilities of this tune are brought to the forefront here in a very joyful manner.
*******************
This is the final lectionary week of Jesus' healing ministry for the time being. Next week, Jesus will climb the mountain and experience the Transfiguration, during which we will experience and enjoy some of the most wonderful music of the season.
This week, both our Gospel and Old Testament readings involve the healing of lepers. The more intriguing story of the two comes from 2 Kings 5: 1-17 and features the story of Namaan. Namaan, though he was a great man and a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. Namaan was sent to see the prophet Elisha, who instructed Namaan to wash in the Jordan seven times, where his flesh would then be restored and cured of his leprosy. Namaan was frustrated with this, but he regrettably entered the river and found himself clean. Amazed, he became humbled and pledged to be a true servant of the Lord.
HYMNS AND SONGS
We Come To You For Healing, Lord (Opening Hymn- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
Much like Namaan went to God for healing, it is also a need that we have at times. Our bodies, minds, and souls all need some form of healing at some point, and through prayer, we can hope to receive it. Herman Stuempfle, the long time leader of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, penned this lovely hymn with the need for healing in mind. The image of Christ as the great physician is referenced in stanza three, and gives thanks to all the physicians and nurses around that heal our wounds with their God given gifts and willingness to serve.
This text is set to the hymn tune MARTYRDOM, a rather common tune from late 18th century England. It accompanies the Stuempfle text quite nicely, and as the end of stanza four says, we "trust that through our nights and days your grace will heal, sustain."
In All Our Grief (Hymn of the Day- 9:00 AM)
This is a congregational response to Namaan's predicament. Whether it is the leprosy that Namaan suffers from, or any other affliction that we deal with, we are able to turn to God, knowing that he knows all that we do and the pain we all feel.
It can be easy to want to give up, to become vindictive, wallow in self pity, and blame others for certain problems. Stanza two of this hymn pleads that we resist those temptations. Poet Sylvia Dunstan implies that there is in fact a way that love is best served. Given that line is followed by the refrain of the Kyrie, it implies that the way to best serve is to trust in the Lord for all the healing.
The closing stanza continues to encapsulate our need to continually put our trust and faith in God. It's a plea to God himself, that he show us that he is always near and that he will not leave us lost.
Come, Ye Disconsolate (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
The lasting message of this hymn is that earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. While on Earth, we can continually use this message as both motivation and strengthening our faith. In stanza three, we get led into the sacrament of the Eucharist, where we are invited to "Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing earth has no sorrow but heav'n can remove."
Day By Day (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM, Opening Song- 11:15 AM)
Though the words to this poem were written over 120 years ago, this is a prayer that is still relevant and worthwhile today, and I feel that it would have been very meaningful for Namaan following his healing. Anyone that is suffering from potential peril needs to hear these words. There is really nothing I can add to further clarify and enlighten this poem, so I think I will just include the entire third stanza below, and hope that this can be a verse you may some day choose to commit to memory and pray to yourself during times of trial.
Oh what joy to know that you are near me
when my burdens grow too great to bear;
Oh, what joy to know that you will hear me
when I come, O Lord, to you in prayer.
Day by day, no matter what betide me,
you will hold me ever in your hand.
Savior, with your presence here to guide me,
when my burdens grow too great to bear;
Oh, what joy to know that you will hear me
when I come, O Lord, to you in prayer.
Day by day, no matter what betide me,
you will hold me ever in your hand.
Savior, with your presence here to guide me,
I will reach at last the promised land.
Abide With Me (Closing Hymn- 7:45 AM, Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
While Henry Lyte's hymn, Abide With Me, is frequently used at funerals, I feel that it has an important place in this Sunday's service. Stanza three is a good example of why. "I need thy presence every passing hour. What but thy grace can foil thy tempest's power?" Whether it is a sickness, a personal struggle, or some other type of inner demon, grace, hope, and faith will always carry us through.
The closing stanza of this hymn is an amazing interpretation of what we hope to view, hear, and experience as we pass through to the promised land. And even as heaven's morning breaks and the vain shadows of earth flee, God will abide with us from everlasting to everlasting.
CHORAL ANTHEM
Evening And Morning- arr. Nick Klemetson (Hymn of the Day- 7:45 AM, Offering- 9:00 AM)
From time to time, I like setting hymns from the ELW so they would be appropriate for the Chancel Choir to sing, and this was one of those hymns that was just calling to be set. The exciting text by the great German hymn writer Paul Gerhardt yielded a lot of great ideas and possibilities.
The arrangement plays out almost like a musicological journey from the late 16th century to today. The first verse is set in the style of a renaissance dance. The open fifths in the organ, the lowered 7th scale degree, and the whistling that the choir will do (imitating a woodwind) are all characteristic of the dance music of that time.
The style of stanza two is rather difficult to explain. At 2:30 of this video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A02VoJFv-jk&feature=related you'll find my inspiration for this stanza. Frequently in renaissance mass settings, composers will occasionally put all voices involved together homophonically to emphasize a certain portion of the text. While it was inspired by a renaissance mass, it still features late 19th century harmonies over the words "Calm all my terrors, blot all my errors."
Verse three jumps ahead about a century, and was inspired by what comes at the 2 minute mark of this piece. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Ltr2uw-Pc This style of writing was common in mid-17th century Germany, with a chorale sung by the highest voices using a technique called augmentation, that is, stretching it out underneath florid contrapuntal writing in the lower voices.
Stanza four comes into the 20th century with a standard rendition of the hymn with a free organ harmonization and a descant on the top, bringing the hymn to its wonderful conclusion.
This will also be the hymn of the day at the 7:45 AM service sung in a standard fashion without the choir.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Two Settings of Evening and Morning- John Eggert, Kevin Hildebrand (Prelude: 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
These are both settings which feature the German chorale from our Offering piece. The first features a flute obbligato with the tune sounding in the tenor range with the schalmei reed on the organ. The second puts the tune in the soprano on top of a waltz like pattern in the accompaniment.
Fanfare on Evening and Morning- John Eggert (Postlude: 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This setting introduces the tune right away and presents it in a quasi-canonical style. The harmonic possibilities of this tune are brought to the forefront here in a very joyful manner.
*******************
This is the final lectionary week of Jesus' healing ministry for the time being. Next week, Jesus will climb the mountain and experience the Transfiguration, during which we will experience and enjoy some of the most wonderful music of the season.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Music Notes: February 5th, 2012
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
First of all, I apologize that the blog is a day late this week. Yesterday was my wife Stephanie's birthday, so I essentially switched my Thursday duties to Friday, including the blog. Please accept my apologies if you checked yesterday and were disappointed.
This week in the lectionary, Jesus continues his healing ministry. After healing Peter's mother-in-law of her fever, that night Jesus found people lined up at his door with various types of ailments. After healing them all, he and his newly found disciples went to a secluded area by themselves, where they made the decision that they would travel from city to city spreading their ministry.
While healing is once again an important element of our worship this week, I believe that the newly discovered power that Jesus and the disciples have to make a true difference is even more prevalent of an issue. As our Isaiah reading says this week, "The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth." This scripture also inspires much of our music this week.
HYMNS AND SONGS
Praise To The Lord, The Almighty (Opening Hymn, 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM, Scripture Song- 11:15 AM)
This German chorale by Joachim Neander is one of the most loved and admired hymns in the repertoire today. Interestingly, it wasn't nearly as popular in its day as it is today. Compared to a lot of the other chorales from its time, it didn't receive nearly as much treatment by composers.
The opening stanza sets a beautiful tone for the beginning of worship, as everyone within range comes together and joins in the adoration of the Lord. The second stanza has the primary scriptural reference for today, as we hear that God lifts us up on wings like eagles like in Isaiah 40:30. Also, everything we need has been sent to us by the gracious ordaining of God.
The healing nature of God is touched on in stanza three, where in line two we hear that God's goodness and mercy will be daily attending us. While it isn't in our scripture for this week, there is a reference to the opening verses of Psalm 150, "All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him."
As the transition from the LBW to the ELW happened, a lot of changes were made. One of the biggest was the switch to language that was both more contemporary and more inclusive. This hymn is an example of language being made more contemporary. If you have access to both versions, you'll see what I mean. Words like "thee," "thy," and "hath," have been replaced with more contemporary equivalents. While this can sometimes cause hymns to lose some of their luster, I don't feel that it affects this one in any serious manner.
O Christ, The Healer (Hymn of the Day- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This hymn puts the message of this Sunday into our contemporary society, as we ask for strength and power to act as healers in our community at large. It isn't just healing from sickness that this hymn by English priest Fred Pratt Green addresses, but it is healing from war as well, as we see in stanza three.
Many great tunes come out of the Southern Harmony tradition. For example, the tunes for "What Wondrous Love" and "On Jordan's Stormy Banks" come out of this American songbook. This tune, titled DISTRESS, contains many of the characteristic features of these tunes: mainly stepwise motion, and the use of the pentatonic scale.
In The Singing (Communion Hymn- 7:45 AM)
The refrain of this lovely hymn is quite a simple benediction, "Jesus Christ, be the bread of grace, be the wine of peace." The verses encapsulate all the actions and feelings one might experience in the taking of the Eucharist. From the singing, to the silence, the open, expectant hands, and even the healing (from stanza two), the Eucharist is truly a communal, unifying experience, bringing us together with each other and with Christ.
To Be Your Presence (Closing Hymn- 9:00 AM)
Just as Jesus showed his "compassion and listening" to his disciples and those needing healing, this hymn shows us that it is our mission to show the face of compassion and the ear of listening to our society. We're called to feed the poor, shelter the homeless, to be the hands of justice, uphold what is right, and to do all these things in the name of Christ.
The tune by Charles Villiers Stanford is one of the most singable and enjoyable tunes in the hymnal. With its ambiguous ending, it can either lead directly into the next stanza or be an ending in itself.
CHORAL ANTHEM
When Jesus The Healer- Fred Smith (Choral Anthem- 9:00 AM)
Friends of the Lord is joining us this week, and they will be both singing and acting, telling and showing us the stories of Jesus healing ministry. We'll hear how he restored sight and hearing to the blind and deaf, gave feeling back to a paralyzed man, and finally sent his disciples out to minister to the world.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
LOBE DEN HERREN- Paul Manz (Prelude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This setting of "Praise To The Lord" by Paul Manz is a standard solo trumpet setting, but since St. Paul's organ isn't fully equipped for playing trumpet tunes, I will be registering it slightly differently. Regardless of the registration, you'll be hearing the chorale played in G major over a march-like accompaniment.
2 Settings of LOBE DEN HERREN- Ulrich Baudach, Max Reger (Postlude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
These two settings are both different from the prelude, and very different from each other. The first is by a contemporary German composer and is rather obscure. Only fragments of the tune can be heard at any given time. The second setting by Max Reger, is a little more straightforward, with the tune being presented in the higher registers, contrasted by a melodic variant in the pedal. The setting builds to a dramatic, powerful conclusion.
That's it for this week! I'm sorry again for the delay, and next week we'll be returning to the normal Thursday schedule.
First of all, I apologize that the blog is a day late this week. Yesterday was my wife Stephanie's birthday, so I essentially switched my Thursday duties to Friday, including the blog. Please accept my apologies if you checked yesterday and were disappointed.
This week in the lectionary, Jesus continues his healing ministry. After healing Peter's mother-in-law of her fever, that night Jesus found people lined up at his door with various types of ailments. After healing them all, he and his newly found disciples went to a secluded area by themselves, where they made the decision that they would travel from city to city spreading their ministry.
While healing is once again an important element of our worship this week, I believe that the newly discovered power that Jesus and the disciples have to make a true difference is even more prevalent of an issue. As our Isaiah reading says this week, "The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth." This scripture also inspires much of our music this week.
HYMNS AND SONGS
Praise To The Lord, The Almighty (Opening Hymn, 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM, Scripture Song- 11:15 AM)
This German chorale by Joachim Neander is one of the most loved and admired hymns in the repertoire today. Interestingly, it wasn't nearly as popular in its day as it is today. Compared to a lot of the other chorales from its time, it didn't receive nearly as much treatment by composers.
The opening stanza sets a beautiful tone for the beginning of worship, as everyone within range comes together and joins in the adoration of the Lord. The second stanza has the primary scriptural reference for today, as we hear that God lifts us up on wings like eagles like in Isaiah 40:30. Also, everything we need has been sent to us by the gracious ordaining of God.
The healing nature of God is touched on in stanza three, where in line two we hear that God's goodness and mercy will be daily attending us. While it isn't in our scripture for this week, there is a reference to the opening verses of Psalm 150, "All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him."
As the transition from the LBW to the ELW happened, a lot of changes were made. One of the biggest was the switch to language that was both more contemporary and more inclusive. This hymn is an example of language being made more contemporary. If you have access to both versions, you'll see what I mean. Words like "thee," "thy," and "hath," have been replaced with more contemporary equivalents. While this can sometimes cause hymns to lose some of their luster, I don't feel that it affects this one in any serious manner.
O Christ, The Healer (Hymn of the Day- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This hymn puts the message of this Sunday into our contemporary society, as we ask for strength and power to act as healers in our community at large. It isn't just healing from sickness that this hymn by English priest Fred Pratt Green addresses, but it is healing from war as well, as we see in stanza three.
Many great tunes come out of the Southern Harmony tradition. For example, the tunes for "What Wondrous Love" and "On Jordan's Stormy Banks" come out of this American songbook. This tune, titled DISTRESS, contains many of the characteristic features of these tunes: mainly stepwise motion, and the use of the pentatonic scale.
In The Singing (Communion Hymn- 7:45 AM)
The refrain of this lovely hymn is quite a simple benediction, "Jesus Christ, be the bread of grace, be the wine of peace." The verses encapsulate all the actions and feelings one might experience in the taking of the Eucharist. From the singing, to the silence, the open, expectant hands, and even the healing (from stanza two), the Eucharist is truly a communal, unifying experience, bringing us together with each other and with Christ.
To Be Your Presence (Closing Hymn- 9:00 AM)
Just as Jesus showed his "compassion and listening" to his disciples and those needing healing, this hymn shows us that it is our mission to show the face of compassion and the ear of listening to our society. We're called to feed the poor, shelter the homeless, to be the hands of justice, uphold what is right, and to do all these things in the name of Christ.
The tune by Charles Villiers Stanford is one of the most singable and enjoyable tunes in the hymnal. With its ambiguous ending, it can either lead directly into the next stanza or be an ending in itself.
CHORAL ANTHEM
When Jesus The Healer- Fred Smith (Choral Anthem- 9:00 AM)
Friends of the Lord is joining us this week, and they will be both singing and acting, telling and showing us the stories of Jesus healing ministry. We'll hear how he restored sight and hearing to the blind and deaf, gave feeling back to a paralyzed man, and finally sent his disciples out to minister to the world.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
LOBE DEN HERREN- Paul Manz (Prelude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This setting of "Praise To The Lord" by Paul Manz is a standard solo trumpet setting, but since St. Paul's organ isn't fully equipped for playing trumpet tunes, I will be registering it slightly differently. Regardless of the registration, you'll be hearing the chorale played in G major over a march-like accompaniment.
2 Settings of LOBE DEN HERREN- Ulrich Baudach, Max Reger (Postlude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
These two settings are both different from the prelude, and very different from each other. The first is by a contemporary German composer and is rather obscure. Only fragments of the tune can be heard at any given time. The second setting by Max Reger, is a little more straightforward, with the tune being presented in the higher registers, contrasted by a melodic variant in the pedal. The setting builds to a dramatic, powerful conclusion.
That's it for this week! I'm sorry again for the delay, and next week we'll be returning to the normal Thursday schedule.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)