Music Notes: May 27th, 2012

Day of Pentecost

The colorful, exciting story of the first Pentecost will be told again this Sunday.  Some may be hearing it for the first time.  Others may have heard it many times, but there is a good chance they might pick up on something they have never heard before.  The reading from Acts where the worshipers speak in tongues is intriguing, dramatic, and certainly shocking for those who were present. 

How would we react to the Holy Spirit enveloping us?  Would we fall in a heap and begin babbling incoherently?  It is certainly a violent, emotional reaction. 

Interestingly enough, the Gospel reading for this Sunday is quite a bit more reserved.  Where he hear of the direct presence of the Holy Spirit in Acts, in the Gospel we hear Jesus merely telling of the Holy Spirit which would soon be sent.  While it is coming and not in fact here, Jesus certainly elevates its importance, where he says, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”

It’s certainly mysterious and thought provoking.  Has this prophecy, as it were, been fulfilled yet?  Has the Holy Spirit guided us to the truth yet?  How will we know when it happens?  People claim all the time that they have been visited by the Holy Spirit. They give their own prophesies, their own messages, their own warnings.  The majority of times, these people are shunned by society. 

It’s an interesting paradox that isn’t exactly fit to be discussed here.  However, it can be difficult to refute the feeling one feels of the Holy Spirit when singing in church.  The feeling of dozens or hundreds of voices joining together in song is described as spirit-filled by many worshipers.  In the last 10 years, and particularly with the birth of the ELW hymnal, we have been blessed with music of many languages and cultures.  Our opening hymn this week, Gracious Spirit, Heed Our Pleading, was originally Swahili, a Bantu language spoken from Kenya to Mozambique.  Though we are not singing the original Swahili this Sunday, the characteristics of the language and culture are alive in the music from the same source.

This recent emergence of world music could easily be the result of new energy brought on by the Holy Spirit.  It is impossible to tell whether the changing culture of church tradition is a fad not meant to last, or in fact the influx of a new energy inspiring us to move in new directions. 

Jesus promised us answers, but gave us no details of the arrival of them.  But we do know that he has promised to send us the Holy Spirit for guidance.  And he promised the spirit would be united with himself and the Holy Father, forming the Trinity which we will celebrate next week on Holy Trinity Sunday.  

HYMNS AND SONGS

O Holy Spirit, Root of Life (Opening Hymn- 7:45 AM)

Pentecost texts are some of the oldest in the world.  Hildegard of Bingen (1098(?)-1179) is significant for being not only one of the earliest, commonly known mainstream composers, but even more so that she was easily the most famous female composer working before 1600.  Jean Janzen reworked one of Hildegard's many poems into this Pentecost text.  One can still see influences of Hildegard's original text in the paraphrase, due to the nature imagery, metaphor, and strong descriptors that were characteristic of Hildegard's works.

The tune is only a little newer than the text, as it came into widespread sacred use in the late 16th century through the adaptation by Michael Praetorious.  PUER NOBIS has gone on to become one of the most singable renaissance dance tunes in current use. 

Gracious Spirit, Heed Our Pleading (Opening Hymn- 9:00 AM)

I touched on this briefly in my introduction.  More specifically, this hymn was written as a hymn of unity in 1965, signifying the unification of Evangelical Lutheran Churches into one Church in Tanzania.  Though the hymn was written for a specific occasion, it contains petitions that are applicable to the whole church at virtually any time.

Stanza one, for example, calls for our rebirth through the Holy Spirit.  Through this rebirth, the hymn asks for strength and continual growth in stanza two.  Stanzas three and four are very much based in academics.  Our graduating seniors could and should take these words to heart, praying to God that their thinking and speaking in future academic endeavors be done with a Christ-like humility and compassion.

The tune was chosen by William Niwagila for his text, and comes from a Ugandan community.  Interestingly enough, our four part harmonization in the ELW was created by Swedish composer Egil Hovland.  Though a bit outside of what we normally see from him, it's a perfect harmony for four part singing, which we will sing a capella in worship this Sunday.  

Spirit Of Gentleness (Hymn of the Day- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)

Pentecost normally conjures up the images of fire, a dramatic overtaking of the body by the Holy Spirit.  As I mentioned, it could be a dramatic, shocking encounter.  "Spirit of Gentleness," as you may guess by the title, focuses on the calmer aspects of the Holy Spirit.  In the refrain, we hear a similar petition to that in the opening hymn.  The Holy Spirit stirs us from placidness and gives us new life.

Each stanza places a significant event from Christian history into the concept of the Holy Spirit, indicating that it is an omniscient, omnipresent entity.  Stanza one has themes of creation, two centers on the peril of Moses and the Israelites, three is Christ-focused, spanning from birth to death and beyond, and the concluding stanza finishes the hymn by quoting several scriptures related to the Day of Pentecost.  The hymn is wonderfully crafted, and equally suited for either organ or piano leadership.

God Of Tempest, God Of Whirlwind (Communion Hymn- 7:45 AM)

By contrast to the Hymn of the Day, "God of Tempest, God of Whirlwind" depicts Pentecost as that dramatic, tempestuous event that we all associate with.  With words like "tempest," "whirlwind," "blazing," "burning," "earthquake," and "thunder," there's no question in how this text depicts Pentecost.

This Herman Stuempfle hymn does a very similar thing to our opening hymn; it uses the Holy Spirit as a catalyst to send us out into the world and do good.  It calls for us to branch out from our "sheltered comfort" and encourages us to do good not just inside the four walls of the church, but in the world at large.  When we shake loose our lethargy and break the chains of sin, it enables us to set ourselves free in order to heal the earth.

This strong text is accompanied by an equally strong tune.  The 19th century Welsh tune CWM RHONNDA is most commonly associated with the hymn "God of Grace and God Of Glory," but is equally appropriate for this strong Pentecostal text.

Now The Silence (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)

In the past, I've mentioned "Thine The Amen, Thine The Praise" as being a "stream of consciousness" hymn.  There may a central idea, but its contents are seemingly randomized and thought up on the fly as though someone were just rambling.  "Now the Silence" by Jerry Vajda has similar characteristics with the central theme of the Eucharist.  It starts with the prayers of intercession, words of institution, the Eucharist itself, the combining of the elements inside us (compared to a wedding), concluding with one of the more obscure and profound Trinitarian statements.

The tune is both characteristic and unique for Carl Schalk.  Schalk tunes are typically comprised of flowing quarter notes and modulating melodies.  This tune modulates, but instead is comprised of quarter/eighth note couplets.  Taken at a certain tempo, the tune certainly has a "drinking song" quality to it, but the appropriate tempo is slower, in order to enhance the clarity of this intriguing text.

Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)

What an intriguing set of verses this is.  Particularly stanza two... it may be one of the most humble, respectful requests for God's guidance I've ever come across.  We ask for God to make himself known, but we want to make sure that he doesn't work too hard to do so.  We don't need prophets, the rending of the veil of clay, or angel visitors to take the dimness of our souls away, but rather just the Love of God, which we always have.

The tune here is about as characteristic as a 19th century hymn tune can be.  Homophonic structure, square phrases, and characteristic harmonic movement makes this arrangement a classic example of late classical, early romantic part writing.

Now To The Holy Spirit Let Us Pray (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)

While not known very well by most worshipers, this Martin Luther leise translation may be one of his most famous going all the way back to the 16th century.  Only the first stanza is attributed to Luther, the rest were compiled from other unknown sources.

In characteristic Luther style, the words are joyful, uplifting, and catechetical.  They are set to a German tune arranged by Johann Walter, a prolific writer of chorales in the 16th century.  While the third and fourth lines may be initially difficult to negotiate, it has a wonderful, dance-like quality and affirms the sending, committal nature of the text.

CHORAL ANTHEM

Gracious Spirit, Dwell With Me- K. Lee Scott (Offering- 9:00 AM)

Several composers have set this text and tune combination, but K. Lee Scott's setting is probably the most well known and widely performed.  This is likely due to its deceptive simplicity, it's singable, two part structure, and accessible organ part.

The piece follows the standard unison, women, men formula, with the final stanza being cast in a two part canon.  Several facets of this piece use the text and music cohesively to great effect.  The lowered seventh in the organ part on the word "tenderly," do in fact create a very tender sound.  In addition, the aforementioned two part canon comes together to unison on the text "'Gainst all weapons hell can wield be thou my strength and shield," a very powerful petition.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Veni Creator Spiritus- Libby Larsen (Prelude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)

This is one of my favorite organ pieces.  Libby Larsen, Minnesota composer, has crafted this plainchant into a beautiful organ prelude.  At a contrast to the smoothly moving plainchant are the sixteenth note passages over the top.  The quietly moving scales and arpeggios throughout the piece are evocative of the Holy Spirit.  The composition and organization of the piece are custom made for the organ, and is a beautiful representation of the instrument.

Three Choral Preludes on Pentecost Hymns- J.S. Bach (Postlude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)

The first two of these preludes are based on Veni, Sancte Spiritus (or Veni Creator Spiritus) which was transformed by Martin Luther into Komm, Schopfer Gott.  The first is a canon tune with the melody in the soprano and bass respectively, and the second is in more of a toccata style, with the tune in the pedal underneath a florid running counterpoint.

The final piece is a fughetta based on NUN BITTEN WIR (Now To The Holy Spirit).  The piece will be performed twice, once as written, and again with baroque ornamentation and enhancements.