Music Notes: December 9th, 2012

2nd Sunday of Advent

I am going to continue to work on my brevity in Music Notes again this week.  We'll see if we can keep it to under two printed pages.

The primary message in our Advent scriptures this week is "prepare the way."  We hear it in Malachi, the Canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79), and the Gospel reading later in Luke.  The music reflects this, featuring the great preparatory Advent hymn "Prepare the Royal Highway" as well as a paraphrase of the Zechariah canticle in the form of "Blessed Be The God Of Israel."

PRELUDE

3 Settings of Comfort, Comfort- Flor Peeters, Gerald Near, and Egil Hovland

These three short settings all interpret this dance like tune from the Genevan Psalter (1551) in different ways.  Flemish composer and organist Flor Peeters offers the most straightforward setting, with Brahms-ian echoes of the tune sounding on different areas of the organ.  Near's setting is the most expansive, using a canonical motive interspersed with the tune throughout.  Finally, Hovland's setting is the shortest and most intriguing, using only two musical lines over a perpetual pedal point.  One line plays the tune with no alterations, while the other decorates and colors the tune while using fragments from it.  It is quite striking to hear what Hovland accomplishes with a minimum of material.


OPENING HYMN

Blessed Be The God of Israel

Carl Daw created this paraphrase of the Canticle of Zechariah, set to the tune FOREST GREEN.  The paraphrase is very effective in that it is able to shorten the scripture while still maintaining, and in many ways, enhancing the meaning of it.  The beginning of the third stanza contains the words "prepare the way," which is the primary Advent message for this Sunday.

HYMN OF THE DAY

Prepare the Royal Highway

The combination of this text and this Swedish folk tune created one of the more charming combinations in the hymnal.  The celebratory text with the dance like tune meld together wonderfully.  The scriptural references here are plentiful, quoting not only our Luke 3 Gospel reading this Sunday, but also portions of all the other Gospels as well as Psalm 24.  There's even a reference to the fulfillment of the prophesy referenced in Zechariah in the refrain, "Hosanna to the Lord for he fulfills God's Word."  Thanks to stanza two, this hymn is even appropriate for Palm Sunday. 

OFFERING

And The Glory of the Lord (Messiah)- G.F. Handel

While the Chancel Choir will be doing this with strings and harpsichord at the Advent Festival, we've decided to do it here as well accompanied by the organ.  This short chorale happens near the beginning of the work, and is preceded by a tenor solo on the text "Every valley shall be exalted."  Like many of Handel's works in 3/4, there is a prevalent use of hemiola throughout.  As that is difficult to explain on paper, come find me and ask if you are curious!

COMMUNION HYMNS (9:00 AM only)

Comfort, Comfort, Now My People

The primary source of this hymn is the first several verses of Isaiah 40 (which will also play a large part of the Advent Festival).  As mentioned previously, the tune is sourced from the Genevan Psalter from 1551.

What Feast Of Love

Delores Dufner penned this text to recognize both Holy Communion and to show the image of the Light of Christ coming to earth.  The exterior stanzas use imagery of bread and wine, and the interior second stanza is the light stanza.  It is set to the old English tune GREENSLEEVES.  Dufner, a nun of the Order of St. Benedict (hence the OSB usually listed after her name), is widely published as both a hymn writer and librettist.

O Lord How Shall I Meet You

Paul Gerhardt is one of the most prolific hymn writers to come out of the Reformation.  Nearly a dozen of his several hundred hymns still survive today in the ELW alone.  While most Advent hymns have some aspect of anticipation in them, none may have more than this one.  For the first several stanzas, we struggle to understand why we are even worthy of seeing the descended Lord when he comes.  Though the first two lines of the concluding stanza contain some rather strong language, I think the ultimate goal of it is that we can see just how holy and wonderful the coming Christ is.

CLOSING HYMN

There's a Voice In The Wilderness Crying

This service just wouldn't be complete without hearing about preparing the way for God one more time!  This mid-20th century tune has many characteristics of 19th century tune writing, complete with a primarily diatonic, step-wise melody, with cadences in the dominant twice.

There is a very crucial phrase that continues from stanza two to stanza three.  The word "But" at the beginning of the third stanza is a very important clue for this.  At the conclusion of the second stanza, we speak the realization that we are all to fall and perish like flowers, but at the beginning of the third, we hear that the Word of the Lord will last forever.

POSTLUDE

Prepare the Royal Highway- Paul Manz

Much like his well known improvisation on "God of Grace and God of Glory," Paul Manz's improvisation on this hymn implores a ritornello structure surrounded by statements of the tune in the tenor range of the trumpet.  Our St. Paul's organ trumpet is just strong enough to proclaim the tune with the grandeur that the piece calls for.