Music Notes: June 17th, 2012

Third Sunday After Pentecost

Last week, Music Notes was titled 'A Celebration of Creation And The Gift Of Land.'  This lay led worship stepped outside of the Lectionary and used scriptures and messages with the theme of stewardship in mind.  This week we return to the Lectionary, and interestingly enough, the Gospel of Mark gives us a nature-themed metaphor for contemplation.

Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to someone scattering seed on the ground in the parable of the mustard seed.  The seed grows, but we may not necessarily understand why.  The mustard seed may be one of the smallest seeds in the world, but when it sprouts and grows, it becomes a grand plant that even gives shelter and comfort to birds and other animals.

In addition, this Sunday we are celebrating the ordination anniversaries of both of our pastors.  Both Pastors Schneider and Sandberg were ordained 35 years ago this year, and several pieces of music have been requested by them and are dedicated to them.

One last thing... you may or may not have noticed that physical copies of Music Notes are being placed in a manila envelope on the music bulletin board.  The form of those packets are slightly different than the form here.  In the physical Music Notes, I put the order of the entries in the order they appear in the service, and here online, I separate them into categories.  This week, I've decided to switch the online version to match the print version, describing the elements in the order that they appear in the service.  So I'll start by describing the prelude, finish with the postlude, and everything else will be in between.

PRELUDE

"Aria" from The Goldberg Variations- J.S. Bach

The Goldberg Variations is one of Bach's best known works, and was originally published in 1714.  On the title page of the original publication, it is described as a work for "harpsichord with two manuals."  The two manuals distinction is very important.  The work is significantly more difficult to perform on the modern piano, due to the awkward hand crossing that needs to take place in a large portion of the movements. 

What can be done on a multi-manual harpsichord can also be done on a multi-manual organ, so I will be playing the Aria there this week.  While most scholars agree that the work as a whole is a set of variations, they cannot seem to come to a consensus on whether or not the Aria is the theme itself, or actually the first variation.  Regardless of its intent, it is in the form of a Sarabande (a slow dance in 3/4 time with an emphasis on beat 2), using a variety of ornaments to decorate the melody.  Each section repeats.

For the ordination anniversary, Pastor Sandberg requested that I play Bach for the prelude, and since I have been studying and learning the Goldberg Variations on my own, it seemed appropriate that I present it this week.  I will hopefully play some of the other variations throughout the summer.

OPENING HYMN

What Is This Place

This Danish hymn has been requested by Pastor Schneider for quite awhile now.  It initially took me awhile to warm up to it, but the idea of a mere building that comes alive with the spirit of God and its congregants has proven itself to provide a rather profound, moving hymn.

A nod to the Gospel is given in stanza two, where the word of God is sown in us like a small seed.  This word is remembered and spoken in the walls of the church, and the "free, redeeming word" of God lives and flows through the church.

We've discussed the "word" portion of "word and sacrament," and in stanza three, the hymn acknowledges the sacrament of Eucharist as well.  Again, this gift is received inside the four walls of the church, and the justice and peace of God is handed out to us as we depart.

Musically, this is a joyful, sprightly homophonic chorale.  Unlike the German chorales of its day, there is far less interior movement and counterpoint.  Rather, the harmonies stay quite simple, employing only one secondary dominant (4th measure from the end).  The melody is in three parts, with the first two parts being identical, and the third extended section leading to the final cadence.

HYMN OF THE DAY 

For The Beauty Of The Earth

Most singers probably know this text as set by John Rutter in his choral anthem of the same name.  This text, composed around 1850, is known to church goers as set to the hymn tune DIX, composed in 1838. 

The purpose of this hymn is two fold... first, it recognizes all of the glory in the world, whether it is nature (beauty of earth and skies), time (wonder of each hour, day, and night), the senses (joy of ear and eye, mystic harmony linking senses), family (human love, family, friends), or gifts from God.  Second, the refrain gives thanks for all of these as we raise our sacrifices of praise to God.

"Sacrifice of praise" is quite an interesting phrase.  One normally thinks of a sacrifice as something they have to relinquish for the good of something else.  It hardly seems like a "sacrifice" to give praise to God.  The phrase may be a little antiquated, but the message still remains poignant.

COMMUNION HYMNS

Seed That On Earth Is Dying

The title of this hymn is a perfect example of the necessity of reading the beyond the first line and on to the second.  "Seed that on earth is dying" is a title that doesn't bear much hope.  If you continue to read, you see the second line is "rises to bear much fruit," much like the mustard seed, so tiny and frail, can blossom into a majestic plant.

This Norwegian hymn comes to us from a pair of professors at the University of Norway in Oslo.  In addition to the seed being born, the grapes crushed in the vessel are also referenced.  Taken together, these form our communion elements.  To close the hymn, the "seed" is used as a metaphor for Christ, rising from the earth at the resurrection.


Let Us Ever Walk With Jesus

This is a hymn of praise and ultimate faith, chosen by Pastor Schneider for this service.  This was written in the 1650's, right in the midst of the Reformation.  Whether it is military and political turmoil then, now, or any time, walking with Jesus is one of those everlasting ideas that exemplifies faith and trust.  Many hymns reference taking a walk with Jesus (In The Garden, for example), but this is one of the most faith and hope-filled in our hymnal. 

This text actually shares many characteristics with a lot of African American spirituals.  In the middle of stanza two for example, we see the line "Though today we sow no laughter, we shall reap celestial joy."  The idea is that no matter how down or hopeless things may seem in our earthly place and time, there is always the promise of joining the Kingdom of God if we keep our faith.

Musically, this hymn is similar to other German chorales from the mid 18th century.  Where some of the Reformation-era chorales are more rhythmic and dance-like, this has a flowing, mostly step-wise melody with a sound, singable harmony supporting it.  This is more in the style of what would become the standard in the late 18th/early 19th centuries.

Children Of The Heavenly Father

With hymns such as "Children of the Heavenly Father," and "Day By Day," Lina Sandell has placed herself into the hearts of Christian worshipers young and old, creating two of the most timeless, relatable texts in all of hymnody.

Though Sandell penned these texts, they may not have been successful and widely known if it weren't for the Swedish troubador Oskar Ahnfelt.  He traveled through both Sweden and Norway with a 10-string guitar, singing Sandell's hymns and sharing his ministries.  He was even endorsed by Swedish King Karl XV, who declared that these songs should be shared throughout the entire kingdom.  He later assisted in the publishing of Sandell's texts, which paved the way for them to be included in hymnals throughout the world.

This hymn was chosen by Pastor Sandberg for inclusion this morning.

POSTLUDE

Fugue in C Major- Johann Pachelbel

This is one of Pachelbel's most virtuosic and active fugues.  Set in three voices, the subject is a rhythmic succession of eighth and sixteenth notes, traversing up and down the entire keyboard.  The subjects come fast and furious throughout the entire piece, with very little time dedicated to any type of development.  As is common with many fugues from this time period, the subjects begin overlapping nearer and nearer to each other in a compositional technique known as stretto.