Music Notes: September 30th, 2012

18th Sunday After Pentecost (140th Anniversary)

Special events continue this week at St. Paul's.  After last week's scintillating worship with the Wartburg College Ritterchor, this week we celebrate our 140th Anniversary of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

The worship service is centered around three hymns which will be discussed throughout the blog.  These three hymns trace the chronology of hymnody in the church from the mid 20th century all the way until today.  In addition, our Bells Of Praise choir will be making their debut this Sunday playing the prelude as well as accompanying the chanting of the psalm.

PRELUDE

Carillon Celebration- Douglas E. Wagner

Bells Of Praise, with a few new faces, begin their season with this joyous piece by noted church musician and arranger Douglas Wagner.  While only using three octaves, the music is arranged so that the full extent of the choir is used to great effect.  Lush harmonies which would sound out of place on the organ or another instrument, settle in nicely in the mid range of the bells, creating a lot of color while not overwhelming in the slightest with dissonance.

The piece is in ABA format.  The A sections contain the thick, sonorous chords previously mentioned, interposed with melodic call and response sections between the lower and higher bells.  The B section, with its sudden, abrupt shift into 3/4 time, sets itself apart through its syncopations and use of hemiola (a simple musical device that is easy to explain but difficult to write down.  Ask me if you are curious!).  The piece includes several specialized hand bell techniques, including a "swing" technique where the bells are swung behind the body, and an effect called martellato, where the bells are rung against the surface of the table, creating a sound similar to a marimba or xylophone.

OPENING HYMN

Praise To The Lord, The Almighty

Praise to the Lord comes from the second generation of German chorales, the first being those of Martin Luther and his contemporaries in the mid 16th century.  This came nearly a century later from the pen of Joachim Neander.  Interestingly enough, Neander was associated with the Reformed Calvinist church, which was not known with a strong history of congregational song like the Lutheran church was becoming known for.

The translation of the hymn that most hymnals now contain is that of German poet Catherine Winkworth.  Winkworth takes some significant liberties with the text, particularly in the first verse.  Where the original Neander third line says, "Kommet zu Hauf! Psalter und Harfe, wacht auf!", Winkworth changes this to "Let all who hear, now to this temple draw near."  Even one with no knowledge of German be able to tell that the reference to both psaltery and harp were removed.  Though Winkworth likely altered the text to conform to the cultural standards of the time (the notion of psaltery and harp was very indicative of Renaissance German theology, whereas in the 19th century, the idea of Christian "health" was of utmost importance), it is unfortunate that such a colorful, powerful image of the heavens praising God was removed.

Initially, the plan for this Sunday was to sing an arrangement of this hymn by Paul Bunjes.  Bunjes, who died in 1998, was an active church musician throughout the midwest, especially in Chicago.  His connection to St. Paul's was that he helped consult, design, and build our Zimmer organ in the late 70's.  His arrangement of the hymn was actually written in 1959, and used a more literal translation of Neander's original text.  While it is no longer being used for this Sunday, the organ accompaniment to the hymn will be in the spirit and feel of Bunjes' arrangement.

HYMN OF THE DAY

O Miracle Of Grace

15 years ago, James Fritschel was commissioned by the Droste family of St. Paul's to compose a large, festive piece for the 125th Anniversary of St. Paul's.  The centerpiece of that arrangement, which featured, organ, handbells, adult choir, youth choir, and other elements, was this hymn, of which Fritschel composed the tune.  

Each verse of the hymn references an act of Jesus throughout his life, calling it a miracle.  Whether it is cleansing a soul, giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, releasing a fetttered tongue, or renewing our souls so that we may consecrate them to the Lord, this hymn celebrates these miracles that were done in Jesus' life that we celebrate today.

Due to the structure of the text and the number of syllables each line contains, you'll see the syllabic structure is 6 6 8 4, meaning of the four lines, the  first two have six syllables, the third has eight, and the fourth has four.  The only tune in our ELW hymnal that even comes close to this meter is the tune LEONI (also known as YIGDAL), which is the tune for "The God Of Abraham Praise (see ELW 831)."  However, the LEONI tune is actually 6 6 8 4 D, meaning it is exactly twice as long as the "O Miracle Of Grace" tune.  The text, combined with a unique tune composed by Fritschel for St. Paul's, makes this a very special gift to the congregation.

COMMUNION HYMNS

O God Our Help In Ages Past (9:00 only)

This Isaac Watts paraphrase of Psalm 90 is a wonderful reflection on the past, present, and future of the church.  There is no greater example of this than in the first line of the hymn, "O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come."  Not only does this line begin the hymn, but it also begins the closing stanza, creating a beautiful sense of symmetry and a circular form.

In between, most of the stanzas reflect on the past.  The use of past tense language ("your saints have  dwelt secure," "Before the hills in order stood..." etc...) reflect this.  One of the more interesting images reflects on the omniscience and omnipresence of God, being that a thousand ages for us are but a mere evening for God.  

As Saints Of Old

In a community like Waverly which has a strong history of being a farm community, I thought this hymn would be a very worthwhile addition to the anniversary service.  In the very first stanza, we hear how just as those from previous generations harvested their goods for the benefit of the community, we now do the same thing today.

It extends beyond farming.  In the closing two stanzas, we hear how all of us can give what we can offer for the good of the world.  The church of Christ is calling us to do so, and is a fine foreshadow to the closing hymn today.

Open Now Thy Gates Of Beauty

This is yet another Winkworth translation from the late 17th century.  This is a hymn that can typically be used at the opening of worship, but it is also appropriate for communion time (see stanza two discussion later).

The opening stanza concludes with a wonderful petition, "O how blessed is this place, filled with solace, light, and grace."  Stanza two begins with language that could easily be used as one approaches the communion table, "Gracious God, I come before thee; come thou also unto me."  As we continue, stanza three references the previous hymn, where we hear a metaphor for the planting and growing of fruit, where our soul brings forth precious fruit and guides us along God's pathway.  The hymn concludes with yet another communion reference, calling it the "fountain of life," claiming it the balm for all our woes.

CLOSING HYMN

The Church Of Christ In Every Age

Our opening hymn was (originally) an arrangement from the 1950's of Praise To The Lord arranged by a person who played a huge part in designing our organ.  The Hymn of the Day was composed by a former director of the Wartburg Choir, who was commissioned by St. Paul's to to compose this hymn for the 125th anniversary of the church.

For the closing hymn, my summer project was to create an arrangement specifically for the 140th Anniversary of St. Paul's.  In choosing a text, The Church Of Christ In Every Age instantly rose to the top, as it is very indicative of of generational worship.  Unfortunately, due to time constraints, the opening choral dialog and choral stanzas will not be used, but I wanted to include here the text that I composed to open the anthem...

"Welcome to this place, where love and faith are found.

Where worshipers can find a place to gather.

The church of Christ, through every age and generation,

continues to grow, celebrating the glory of God."

The first, third, and fifth stanzas of the arrangement will be sung to close worship this Sunday, featuring my newly composed organ accompaniment to those stanzas as well as a choral descant and closing 'Amen' to conclude the arrangement.

POSTLUDE

Toccata from Symphony No. 5- Charles Marie Widor

This monumental organ piece is a standard for church organists far and wide.  Typically reserved for Easter morning, I felt the scope and importance of the 140th Anniversary would be an appropriate use of the piece.

Just like the prelude, it is also in a clear ABA form.  Like you would expect from a typical toccata, the motor rhythm throughout both hands is prevalent throughout, supported by a solid stepwise pattern in the bass.  The B section consists of a lot of the similar motives from the A section, but it travels through many major and minor tonalities, just as the development section of a Sonata form would.  

Obviously this piece was designed to take advantage of the massive organ at Saint Sulpice, where Widor was organist.  Despite our organ being much smaller, the piece is actually quite effective on our organ as well.

Music Notes: September 23rd, 2012

17th Sunday After Pentecost

This is a very special week here at St. Paul's.  At the 9:00 AM service on Sunday, we are privileged to be joined by the Wartburg College Ritterchor, the college's men's ensemble, directed by Dr. Lee Nelson.  Having Ritterchor here at St. Paul's further strengthens the bond between St. Paul's and Wartburg College.  As an ELCA church, having an associated ELCA college only blocks away is a wonderful boon for us.  The resources they provide for us are immeasurable.

The Gospel reading for this week continues directly from last week's, where Jesus declared that he was to suffer through his own passion and death.  This week, he continues on this path, where not only does he prophesy his death again, but also his resurrection three days later.

The story continues when Jesus discovers the disciples arguing amongst themselves about who of them is the most worthy (interesting, hmm?).  Jesus approaches them and puts them in their place, saying "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all."  He then plucks a child from the crowd and puts it among them, saying "whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."

This is the second example in the last month of Jesus using a child to demonstrate the proper way to live one's life, putting children first.  It gave birth to many examples of music and hymnody that are used today.

PRELUDE

Prelude in G major, BWV 568- J.S. Bach

J.S. Bach is arguably the greatest composer of all time for the organ, and possibly across all mediums as well.  His organ works can be divided into two broad types, those which are chorale based (ie. an organ piece organized around a specific melody), and those which are "free," or freely composed (ie. not based on an existing melody or other source material).

Just about any of his works titled "prelude," "fugue," "toccata," "chaconne," "ricercar," etc... are free works.  Many of them are paired, but this prelude is an orphan, with no corresponding fugue, toccata, or other work.  Centered in G major, it contains a very succinct, clear ABA form.

OPENING HYMN

Let The Whole Creation Cry

Stopford A. Brooke, an Irish Chaplain and prolific writer, penned the words to this hymn in the 1870's.  As far as I can tell, this is his one and only hymn that remains in usage today, of only just about a dozen total.

This hymn is a paraphrase of Psalm 148, where everything in the universe is praising and shouting glory to God.  Rarely is there a hymn, or a psalm, that maintains a single focus all the way from beginning to end.  It can do so because the subject manner it addresses is virtually limitless.  Every living, breathing entity in the world has the ability to praise God, and this hymn lists a good many of them.  Particularly, the people of the church are listed at the beginning of stanza three, with line two pointing out the integral role of children in worship, a practice that hearkens to Jesus' teachings today.

At the 9:00 AM service, Ritterchor will be singing stanza one of this wonderful hymn of praise, with the congregation joining for the two concluding stanzas.

HYMN OF THE DAY

Lord, Whose Love In Humble Service (7:45 AM only)

Both of our hymns of the day today come from the same time period and very similar sources.  This hymn, used at the 7:45 AM service, is from the Sacred Harp hymnal, the hymnal used since its publication in 1844 until today at hundreds of Sacred Harp community sings around the country.

In addition to Jesus' words regarding children this week, he also preaches to his disciples on the importance of servanthood.  In a way, by saying his prophesy of his future death, he is declaring himself as a servant to us.

That is the subject of this hymn.  Just as Jesus bore himself to the needs of us, so must we bring ourselves to worship with all of our hearts and souls.  Using stanza three as a conclusion, we pray for vision to see the sacrifices Jesus made for us in order to become better servants of God and the Word.

Loving Spirit (9:00 AM only)

While The Sacred Harp played an integral part of the history of early American hymnody, the Southern Harmony hymnal, published 9 years earlier, played as equal of a part.  Where Sacred Harp has been edited frequently throughout the 20th century, Southern Harmony has remained unchanged since 1854.

This Southern Harmony tune is paired with a text that was commissioned in 1986 for the annual Hymn Society Conference.  A text that is very appropriate for Pentecost, it is based on the Holy Spirit entering, watching over us, drawing us to it, and putting its sign of grace and peace on us.

The interior stanzas describe this spirit as a mother, father, friend, and lover.  Just as a mother enfolds and feeds us, a father protects and carries us, and a friend comforts us, the Holy Spirit does all of these things as well.  The closing stanza is a recapitulation of the first, bringing it full circle.

OFFERING

Rise Up, O Men, Of God- arr. Kenneth Jennings (Wartburg College Ritterchor)

This hymn has been altered to fit more modern tastes (with the alteration "Rise Up, O Saints Of God" (see ELW 669)), but here it is presented in its original form, in an arrangement by long time conductor of the St. Olaf Choir, Kenneth Jennings.  This is a wonderful showpiece for men's choir, featuring rich, four part harmonies that are unbelievably effective when they are sung with gusto and spirit.

COMMUNION HYMNS

Thy Holy Wings (9:00 AM only)

The two communion hymns are meant to be a pair.  The first, sung to a Swedish folk tune, uses God as a metaphor for a bird, holding us within his wings and comforting us in our times of need.  Thanks to this comfort, it enables us to be better servants of God, to serve each other and our children, as once again mentioned in stanza three.

Children Of The Heavenly Father (9:00 AM only)

The second hymn in this duple is much more well known, and continues the message of comfort and support, particularly for children.

With hymns such as "Children of the Heavenly Father," Lina Sandell has placed herself into the hearts of Christian worshipers young and old, creating one 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.

CLOSING HYMN

Lord, Whose Love In Humble Service, v. 4 (7:45 AM only)

The closing stanza of this hymn sends us out into the world from worship into service, to serve children, youth, and adults in the name of God.

POSTLUDE

Fugue in C major- J.S. Bach

You may remember that I played a Fugue in C major last week, only by Pachelbel.  This Fugue by Bach is quite a bit longer, with more voices, and more development in the motivic material.  While the contrapuntal writing of Pachelbel is brilliant, the fugal writing of Bach is truly masterful, a miraculous display of precision and use of material.  It truly takes a lot of creativity and inspiration to be able to start a fugue subject on an 8th rest, rather than a note.  In the second measure of the subject, the syncopations creating amazing chances for suspensions, which Bach uses to great degree.

Music Notes: September 16, 2012

16th Sunday After Pentecost

This week marks yet another critical moment in Jesus’ ministry of discipleship.  For the first time in the Gospels, we hear the disciple Peter refer to Jesus as the Messiah.  The other disciples first say that he may be Elijah, John The Baptist, or another prophet.  Peter takes the next step and says without hesitation, “You are the Messiah (meaning “the anointed one”).” 

With his announcement of this, Jesus tells him and his disciples that they are to tell no one, and he begins to explain of the suffering that he will need to endure as the Messiah.  Peter rejected this and stood up to Jesus in front of the disciples.  Jesus responded in kind, calling Peter “Satan” and telling him that he was thinking of only earthly things, and not the divine.  He then brought the crowd in with the disciples, challenging them that if they wanted to follow him, they should do so by taking up their own crosses. 

PRELUDE

Ricercar in C- Johann Pachelbel

The origin of the term “Ricercar” is rather complex and involved.  It can mean several things depending on the time period and country of origin of the composer. 

In its simplest terms, a ricercar is a predecessor of what would become a fugue, that is, a motive, or melody, that is imitated and repeated throughout a longer work. 

Pachelbel’s Ricercar has just these characteristics, set in a three part form.  The first two parts are symmetrical in nature, with the first motive ascending chromatically, and the second motive descending.  The third section contains a subject that is much brisker and brighter, while at the same time superimposing fragments from the first two sections.

OPENING HYMN
 
Lift High The Cross
For as high of quality as this text and tune has, it is surprisingly under-used in the Lutheran Church.  The use of this hymn is much more prevalent in the Presbyterian, Catholic, and Anglican/Epsicopalian churches.  George Kitchin, the author of the text, was raised and trained in the Anglican Church of England, and later went on to become the Dean of the Durham Cathedral in Durham, England.

The title of the hymn, “Lift High The Cross,” is a direct allusion to Jesus’ command to take up their crosses and follow him.  Unlike other hymns that deal with this subject, Lift High The Cross comes off as a triumphant march of praise and joy.  The acknowledgment of the suffering of Jesus is present here in stanza three, which is a stark contrast from what Peter initially said.  Ultimately, the singer of this hymn is at peace with, and fully understands the idea of discipleship and is grateful for the opportunity to have it.

HYMN OF THE DAY

In Christ Called To Baptize

The tune of this hymn is more commonly known as the tune to “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.”  This tune, a Welsh traditional tune, translates well to other possible texts, including this text by Ruth Duck.  This is a fine example of setting a new text to an older, well known, well established tune, a practice used by a new hymnal edited and compiled by James Abbington of Emory University, titled “New Wine, Old Wineskins.” 

The first three verses of this hymn mention and discuss three important aspects of Jesus’ ministry and our calling as Christians.  Through baptism, we share in Christ’s death and are reborn, giving thanks with each of our breaths.  Through communion, although we are all individuals, we share in one bread and one table proclaiming Christ as the head of that table and the origin of the meal.  Finally, through witness, of both Christ and each other, we are able to offer our lives to give with compassion for all of God’s people.

The closing stanza calls for unification of us as Christians, and asks God to equip us with the proper tools and faith to better serve Christ.

OFFERING

Softly and Tenderly- arr. Will Connor (Heidi Harms, vocalist)

Softly and Tenderly comes from a group of hymns I call, “Old time goodies.”  These are those hymns generally written in America from anywhere from 1850-1920.  Back when I was in Atlanta, I would play a Vespers service every week at a local retirement home.  Every week I would pick songs for them, and generally, if it wasn’t an “Old time goodie,” they wouldn’t want to sing it.  Through doing that, it allowed me to arrive at a particular affinity for this music.

This particular arrangement is rather straight forward when it comes to the vocal part.  The text, of course, revolves around going home to Jesus and following him.  Of note is the piano part, which is both contemplative, yet very complex when it comes to imitation and design.

COMMUNION HYMN

What A Fellowship, What A Joy Divine (7:45 AM only)

This is a wonderful hymn that we have used frequently in the past.  Everything I have said in the past about the history and lineage of this hymn of course still applies.  What has come into question during past usages of this hymn is the tempo of it.  Another “Old time goodie,” its standard way of performing it is rather brisk, with a beat that moves along quite quickly.  I however, prefer to perform it a little more slowly and contemplatively, allowing the words and the lines to settle and absorb. 
For this particular Sunday, I’ve decided to go back to a more traditional rendition, which will be done at the 7:45 AM service.

CLOSING HYMN

The Spirit Sends Us Forth To Serve (7:45 AM only)

As a close to the 7:45 service, we will be doing stanza one of this hymn by Delores Dufner.  After hearing the message of discipleship and following of Jesus, this hymn calls us to go and serve in Jesus’ name, bringing glad tidings to the poor and proclaiming God’s favor to the world.

Praise And Thanks And Adoration (9:00 AM only)

The closing hymn at 9:00 AM is another example of a new text being set to an older tune, although even this “new” text was written in the late 17th century.  The tune, the German dance FREU DICH SEHR, dates from the mid 16th century, and is likely even older. 

This text is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving.  Like other hymns, the true intention of this one is contained not in the title, but rather in the second line, where we are giving thanks for God choosing “to serve creation.”  The second half of stanza one is a petition that Jesus guide our ways along his and follow his footsteps.  Stanza two continues and concludes this thought, as our faith is renewed due to all of Jesus’ life and actions.

POSTLUDE

Fugue in C Major- Johann Pachelbel

Where the prelude is a rather primitive example of Pachelbel’s imitative style, this three voice fugue is quite a bit more advanced.  Played exclusively on the manuals, it would be suitable for performance on other keyboard instruments as well. 

The subject is a rather long sequence of notes, beginning with a long note followed by a series of sequential 16th notes.  Despite being only three voices, the complexity of the counterpoint makes it sound like much more.

Music Notes: Sunday, September 9th

15th Sunday After Pentecost

This is rally Sunday here at St. Paul's.  Our Chancel Choir is back in the choir loft (boy I missed them!), and we will be having our annual church picnic following services.  Speaking of the services, the worship times are going back to our normal non-summer times, which are Sunday morning at 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM, and the REJOICE service at 11:15 AM.  The Saturday evening service will remain the same time.

In our scripture this week, we hear the story of Jesus traveling to Tyre, where he encounters a Syrophoenician (Gentile) woman.  The woman has a daughter who is plagued by a demon, and she is desperate to be healed by Jesus.  As a response, Jesus metaphorically says that even the children should be fed before the dogs.  The woman, despite her fear and desperation, cleverly responds by saying that even the dogs can feed on the crumbs dropped by children.  Jesus acknowledges this, and says that her daughter is healed.  This seminal moment marks the beginning of Jesus' ministry to the Gentiles.

PRELUDE

Adagio from Symphony no. 5- Charles Marie Widor

Most notable as the organist an Saint Sulpice for over 60 years, C.M. Widor was one of the finest organists of his time.  Many of his students, including Louis Vierne, Marcel Dupre, Darius Milhaud, and others, went on to great careers in composition and organ playing (Dupre succeeded him at Saint Sulpice).

Widor is possibly most well known for his collection of organ symphonies.  With the Saint Sulpice organ at his disposal, he had an array of colors and timbres that rivaled a full orchestra.  His symphonies reflect this.

This adagio from his most well known 5th symphony involves a low flute solo (played in the pedal), accompanied by strings in the manuals.  Despite our organ being significantly smaller than Widor's, the color palate still matches quite well.

OPENING HYMN

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee- arr. John Ferguson (arrangement at 9:00 AM only)

This glorious hymn by Henry van Dyke sets the mood perfectly for the festive nature of our Rally Day Worship this week.  This hymn of praise brings us together as we worship.  The first stanza uses the metaphor of a flower unfurling and drawing towards the sun as our hearts unfold and praise God.

The middle stanza is wonderfully pastoral as we reflect on the works of God around us.  We see God everywhere we look in the world... earth and heaven, stars and angels, field, forest, meadows, etc... even in the birds of the air and the flowing fountains of the earth call us to rejoice in God.  The closing line of the hymn, "teach us how to love each other," is a very poignant message as it relates to the Gospel reading.  Initially, it didn't seem like Jesus was willing to help the woman, but the moment he did ushered in one of the greatest ministries the world has ever seen.

At 9:00 AM, our Chancel Choir will be debuting and will lead this hymn using the choral setting by John Ferguson.  We will also be joined by the St. Paul's Brass Quartet and Dr. Karen Black from Wartburg College for this arrangement.

HYMN OF THE DAY

O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing

Charles Wesley will forever be known as one of the primary founders of Methodism.  Despite being an exquisite preacher and hymn writer, Wesley had a struggle with his faith around the middle of his life.  After overcoming that, he wrote this hymn a year later as a recognition of his renewal of faith.

Originally it was 18 stanzas, and was published as such in every Methodist resource up until 1983.  The version we have is arranged as follows... our stanzas 1-3 were originally stanzas 7-9, stanza 4 was originally stanza 11, stanza 5 was originally stanza 13, and the closing stanza in the ELW was actually the opening stanza in the original hymn.

Of all the stanzas here, stanza 4 is most applicable to our Gospel lesson.  When the daughter of this "humble, poor" woman was healed through Jesus' actions, it went a remarkable distance towards closing the gap between the Jews and Gentiles.

OFFERING

Alleluyas- Simon Preston (9:00 AM only)

While spending most of his early career as a church musician in England, Simon Preston has gone on to become a prolific recording artist and composer.  His "Alleluyas" is probably his most well known composition.

Based on a stanza from "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence," the form of this piece is very complex, but there are several motives that tie together to create a cohesive whole.  The most prevalent is a major seventh interval that pervades most of the melodic motives throughout.

At times rough and jagged, and other times equally tranquil and beautiful, the piece is very much in the style of Olivier Messaien with its dissonance and color.

COMMUNION HYMNS

Now The Silence (9:00 AM only)

In the past, I've mentioned "Thine The Amen, Thine The Praise" (see ELW 826) as being a "stream of consciousness" hymn.  There may be a central idea, but its contents are seemingly randomized and thought up on the fly as though someone were just rambling.  This is some profound rambling here.  Jaroslav Vajda has combined various aspects, feelings, and emotions 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 (stated in reverse).

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 much slower, in order to enhance the clarity and to reflect on this intriguing text.

O Christ, Our Light, O Radiance True (9:00 AM only)

The Nurnberg Song Book, published in 1676, was the source for many German chorales that are found in our hymnal today.  Being set here in 6/4 time, it creates a free, dance like quality, allowing this hopeful text to shine through.

I can imagine that for the Jews of Jesus' time that they viewed the Gentiles as "lost" people.  Stanza two references the "wanderers lost in error's maze."  It's a very intriguing metaphor.  While the "deep delusion" that the hymn mentions may be going too far for many of us, we all travel away from our faith at some points and need to be led back.

The majority of the hymn continues with this message, while at the conclusion we see their vision intertwine with ours, creating "a single voice uplifted."

CLOSING HYMN

Let Streams Of Living Justice 

While we introduce a new liturgy this weekend, in lieu of a post communion canticle, we will do a closing hymn each week.  This text calls for peace and justice to come to the earth, uniting us all as a people.  Stanza two contains possibly the only hymnal reference to knitting and looming, as we "weave our varied gifts together" and enroll us on the "loom of time" until our "thread of life is run."  God is then of course described as the "great weaver of our fabric."

POSTLUDE

HYMN TO JOY- Wayne Wold

When I have talked about doing improvisation in the past, I've mentioned the term "ritornello" before.  A ritornello is a common device used during improvisation, and it is also used brilliantly during this joyous postlude.  Interestingly enough, the HYMN TO JOY tune is never really presented in full, but the chord progression and general feeling of the ritornello indicate that the hymn tune was the source material.  The most obvious use of the tune is near the conclusion, as the trumpets blare out the third motive of the melody.