Second Sunday Of Lent
What a busy week at St. Paul's this week! Not only do we have two guest choirs, but it is also the kickoff of the Capital Campaign, where members of the newly formed Capital Campaign Committees will be introduced. In addition, the Mission Board will be sharing their slideshow describing their activities and contributions to our ministries.
Pastor Sandberg will also continue her sermon series on giving during Lent. In the Gospel reading this week, we hear Jesus be threatened by King Herod. Despite this, Jesus vows to continue his ministry, knowing full well it could result in his death. Jesus made this decision despite the risk. During our Capital Campaign, will these risks possibly limit our generosity?
We are blessed to be joined by two guest choirs from Wartburg College this week. Dr. Karen Black and her Chapel Choir will be leading music at the 9:00 AM service, and for the first time at the REJOICE service, we will be joined by Dr. Jane Andrews and her Castle Singers, who will be sharing selections from a newly composed "Jazz Mass" by Craig Curry. This piece was commissioned by the Castle Singers this year.
PRELUDE
Recit de Nazard and Basse de Cromhorne from "Suite on the Second Tone" - Louis Nicolas Clerambault
If J.S. Bach held the standard of organ composition in Germany, the music of Clerambault (1676-1750) was among the most celebrated and respected to come out of France. Among his huge list of sacred and secular compositions, Clerambault composed two suites (titled "First Tone" and "Second Tone" respectively), are extremely melodic, imbued with French characteristics of ornamentation, adding character and style to the melodies.
The two movements being played show off two sections of the organ that are particularly colorful. The Recit (Narrative, or Song) de Nazard features the Nazard stop, which is a mutation stop of 2 2/3' in the manuals. Without going too deeply into it, that means that a long with the fundamental 8' pitch of the organ, there is also a pitch sounded an octave and a third higher than the fundamental. This harmonic tone enhances the fundamental and adds a lot of color. The movement alternates between flute tones (which form a bit of a ritornello) and the Nazard stop creating and elaborating on the melody.
The second movement uses one of my favorite stops, the Cromhorne. The Cromhorne is a gentler, mellower reed, its closest resemblance probably being that of a clarinet. As the piece is titled "Basse de Cromhorne," it is featured in the bottom register of the piece, with two flute tones dancing on top, providing both counterpoint and harmonic support from above.
OPENING HYMN
The God Of Abraham Praise
This hymn has an incredibly long and complex history. For the sake of brevity, I won't go into it all, but I'll say that the version we have was penned by Thomas Olivers in 1770. It is actually Jewish in origin; its stanzas are based on the 13 Articles of Faith (essentially the Jewish Creed).
The hymn is not a direct paraphrase, but rather gathered inspiration from the articles. Given its length, we generally sing around four of the included eight stanzas. The stanzas picked for this Sunday not only re-emphasize the covenant Abraham made with God, but also the stanzas that bring us together with this covenant and tie everything together.
HYMN OF THE DAY
Great God Your Love Has Called Us Here
This lovely hymn by Brian Wren centers our worship this weekend. I think the primary message for us is located in stanzas two and five. Pastor Sandberg is preaching on risks that may possibly hamper our generosity during the Capital Campaign. The second stanza describes other things that could impact our giving. We experience pain from broken trust, bound by our own inner chains. Despite our good intentions (evident in the final line of the stanza), a lot of things hold us back.
Stanza five explains all the reasons that we shouldn't limit our generosity. Christ has set us free to live our lives, and we should live and give freely in his name, "offer[ing] all that faith can do while love is making all things new."
COMMUNION HYMN
Restore In Us, O God
This text and tune combination was created by two 20th century powerhouses of hymn writing. Carl Daw is a former president of the Hymn Society of the United States and Canada. His style of text writing is corporate and community based; most of his hymns involve us, the congregation, addressing God, whether in praise or prayer.
The tune writer, Hal Hopson, has had a long, successful career of composing music (and some texts) for the church. In addition to hymn tunes, he is the author of several complete Psalters, hundreds of choral pieces, organ music, and other practical music for all areas of a church music ministry.
CLOSING HYMN
Bless God, O Now, The Journey
This hymn has a double meaning for us this week. First, we continue the journey of Lent, this beautiful Sylvia Dunstan text not only shows us the way, but it also promises us that we will have a "divine eternal lover" who will guide us along the way.
Additionally, our Capital Campaign kickoff is certainly a significant journey that we are about to undertake. Other "sojourners and pilgrims" have embarked on similar campaigns and have emerged victorious. There is no reason we can't either. Through prayer, worship, community, and guidance, we will be successful.
POSTLUDE
Praeludium in g minor - Nicolaus Bruhns
Bruhns was a Danish-German organist who lived during Bach's time. His music is quite similar in form and function to Pachelbel. This prelude is very ambitious in its form. Similar to Pachelbel's large Prelude in d minor, this composition alternates between rapid passagework in both the manuals and pedals, along with melodic sequences that showcase a large variety of harmonic possibilities available to Bruhns and other composers of the day.
Colleen Tague, an organ and church music major from Wartburg College, will be playing this postlude.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Music Notes: February 17th, 2013
1st Sunday Of Lent
The forty days have begun. We've all heard the spiel... these forty days are a time of repentance, reflection, prayer, and preparation for the Holy three days. At St. Paul's it's also a time to dig deep. Concurrent with this Lenten season is the next step in the Capital Campaign, and during the five Sundays of Lent Pastor Sandberg will be sharing a sermon series on giving.
The first week of Lent signifies the start of a journey. This journey will be reflected in the music this week and represents a journey through both Lent and the Capital Campaign.
PRELUDE
Improvisation on CONSOLATION
Most people know this hymn tune as it is loosely married to the Advent text "The King Shall Come." But it is also associated with a Lenten text that we will sing later today. This improvisation will center around this tune, but there may be other familiar Lenten tunes that make an appearance as well.
OPENING HYMN
Lead Me, Guide Me
This hymn to kick off the Lenten Sundays may initially seem a little too upbeat. But the message of the verses is just what we're looking for during Lent. Guidance. Strength. The power of God. Aid. Help. Again, it serves a dual purpose, as both guidance through the season of Lent as well as the Capital Campaign.
The composer, Doris Akers, is a legend in the field of Gospel music. She lived mainly in the midwest and had a long career as both a gospel musician and church musician. She was proficient as a singer, pianist, choir director, composer, and arranger, all in the Gospel style. The twilight of her career was spent in Minneapolis as Director of Music at Grace Temple Deliverance Center, a non-denominational community church that is still active. She died in 1995.
HYMN OF THE DAY
O Lord, Throughout These Forty Days
I've already spoken on our multiple journeys. Overlooked so far is the journey Jesus is taking in our Gospel reading. He spent forty days praying and fasting, all while being tempted by the devil. The first three stanzas of this hymn comment on the trials of Jesus, sung to him in retrospect. We ask for Jesus to "lend us [his] nerve, skill, and trust," and to "teach us to deny ourselves that we may know God's love."
The final stanza focuses back on to our journey, where we ask for God to be with us through this season and all our days, so that when Easter (our own deaths and resurrections) arrive for us all, we may all join in Heaven's praise.
OFFERING
Prayer For Healing - Molly Ijames (Chancel Choir)
This prayer by noted church composer Molly Ijames (pronounced "eye-ams") can easily be interpreted as a prayer Jesus would have spoken to God as he was in the midst of his desert journey. The piece starts in D minor, and reaches a climax about 2/3rds of the way through, where on the text "... here in my desert place, blossoming rose," the music suddenly and beautifully changes to D major, where it remains for the rest of the piece.
COMMUNION HYMNS
Eternal Lord of Love, Behold Your Church (7:45 AM only)
This tune originally came from the Genevan Psalter, a collection of metrical Psalm settings used throughout Switzerland and other European regions beginning in the 16th century. The tune name, titled OLD 124TH, is so named because this tune was originally used for the metrical setting of Psalm 124.
This text by Anglican hymn writer Thomas Cain comments greatly on the contrast between death and life. Each stanza has a reference to something dead or dying that quickly grows or revives.
CLOSING HYMN
Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer
This is yet another wonderful song of journey and guidance. It is also a powerful testimony to the effectiveness of this hymn tune, CWM RHONNDA. This Welsh tune is perhaps best known to the hymn "God of Grace and God of Glory," which is a text overflowing with joy and praise. This text, while also joyful, is much more subdued and introspective as we seek help and guidance on our voyage. Yet it is equally effective when set to this tune.
POSTLUDE
CWM RHONNDA - J. Bert Carlson
While I would normally play Paul Manz's wonderful setting of this hymn tune, it quotes Handel's Hallelujah Chorus (not the best choice for Lent), so I made it a mission to find a new setting.
This setting by J. Bert Carlson is very similar to the Manz setting in terms of form. It has a ritornello that surrounds the four separate statements of the tune. Near the end of the piece, it takes a wonderful harmonic twist into Bb Major, before finally returning to its original key and a wonderful conclusion.
The forty days have begun. We've all heard the spiel... these forty days are a time of repentance, reflection, prayer, and preparation for the Holy three days. At St. Paul's it's also a time to dig deep. Concurrent with this Lenten season is the next step in the Capital Campaign, and during the five Sundays of Lent Pastor Sandberg will be sharing a sermon series on giving.
The first week of Lent signifies the start of a journey. This journey will be reflected in the music this week and represents a journey through both Lent and the Capital Campaign.
PRELUDE
Improvisation on CONSOLATION
Most people know this hymn tune as it is loosely married to the Advent text "The King Shall Come." But it is also associated with a Lenten text that we will sing later today. This improvisation will center around this tune, but there may be other familiar Lenten tunes that make an appearance as well.
OPENING HYMN
Lead Me, Guide Me
This hymn to kick off the Lenten Sundays may initially seem a little too upbeat. But the message of the verses is just what we're looking for during Lent. Guidance. Strength. The power of God. Aid. Help. Again, it serves a dual purpose, as both guidance through the season of Lent as well as the Capital Campaign.
The composer, Doris Akers, is a legend in the field of Gospel music. She lived mainly in the midwest and had a long career as both a gospel musician and church musician. She was proficient as a singer, pianist, choir director, composer, and arranger, all in the Gospel style. The twilight of her career was spent in Minneapolis as Director of Music at Grace Temple Deliverance Center, a non-denominational community church that is still active. She died in 1995.
HYMN OF THE DAY
O Lord, Throughout These Forty Days
I've already spoken on our multiple journeys. Overlooked so far is the journey Jesus is taking in our Gospel reading. He spent forty days praying and fasting, all while being tempted by the devil. The first three stanzas of this hymn comment on the trials of Jesus, sung to him in retrospect. We ask for Jesus to "lend us [his] nerve, skill, and trust," and to "teach us to deny ourselves that we may know God's love."
The final stanza focuses back on to our journey, where we ask for God to be with us through this season and all our days, so that when Easter (our own deaths and resurrections) arrive for us all, we may all join in Heaven's praise.
OFFERING
Prayer For Healing - Molly Ijames (Chancel Choir)
This prayer by noted church composer Molly Ijames (pronounced "eye-ams") can easily be interpreted as a prayer Jesus would have spoken to God as he was in the midst of his desert journey. The piece starts in D minor, and reaches a climax about 2/3rds of the way through, where on the text "... here in my desert place, blossoming rose," the music suddenly and beautifully changes to D major, where it remains for the rest of the piece.
COMMUNION HYMNS
Eternal Lord of Love, Behold Your Church (7:45 AM only)
This tune originally came from the Genevan Psalter, a collection of metrical Psalm settings used throughout Switzerland and other European regions beginning in the 16th century. The tune name, titled OLD 124TH, is so named because this tune was originally used for the metrical setting of Psalm 124.
This text by Anglican hymn writer Thomas Cain comments greatly on the contrast between death and life. Each stanza has a reference to something dead or dying that quickly grows or revives.
CLOSING HYMN
Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer
This is yet another wonderful song of journey and guidance. It is also a powerful testimony to the effectiveness of this hymn tune, CWM RHONNDA. This Welsh tune is perhaps best known to the hymn "God of Grace and God of Glory," which is a text overflowing with joy and praise. This text, while also joyful, is much more subdued and introspective as we seek help and guidance on our voyage. Yet it is equally effective when set to this tune.
POSTLUDE
CWM RHONNDA - J. Bert Carlson
While I would normally play Paul Manz's wonderful setting of this hymn tune, it quotes Handel's Hallelujah Chorus (not the best choice for Lent), so I made it a mission to find a new setting.
This setting by J. Bert Carlson is very similar to the Manz setting in terms of form. It has a ritornello that surrounds the four separate statements of the tune. Near the end of the piece, it takes a wonderful harmonic twist into Bb Major, before finally returning to its original key and a wonderful conclusion.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Music Notes: February 10th, 2013
Transfiguration Sunday
Of the "lesser festivals," Transfiguration Sunday is one of my favorites. The entire concept is so intriguing. You can count on one hand the number of times a human being witnesses God in the Bible, and this is one of the most memorable and stunning occurrences. Imagine Peter, James, and John, taken to the top of the mountain, only to witness the prophets and God himself show themselves to Jesus, enveloping him in a cloud of white. What a wonderful, awe-inspiring moment.
PRELUDE
How Great Thou Art - arr. Sharon Elery Rogers (Bells of Praise)
After a one-week delay due to the weather, Bells of Praise is finally able to make their spring debut with one of the most beloved hymns of all time. In using such a well known tune, Sharon Elery Rogers does a lovely job in providing a variety of textures, handbell techniques, and the use of chimes for a portion of the melody. This has been a wonderful challenge for the choir, and they have risen to the occasion beautifully.
OPENING HYMN
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (7:45 AM only)
I have always had a love/hate relationship with this hymn. On one hand, I absolutely love the tune and how singable it is. On the other, I've always had difficulty with this text. It took me a long time to embrace the idea that God was "inaccessible, hid from our eyes." I always struggled with this, feeling that the idea of God, despite the lack of an empirical presence, should be accessible to anyone.
Despite this concept being Biblically based (1 Timothy: 1-17 "To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, only God, be honor and glory forever and ever, Amen.") I feel that this accessibility, or lack thereof, is rooted in our own minds. Is the light experienced at the Transfiguration really a light that we could all experience, see through, be accessible to our eyes? That's a question that can likely never be answered.
Jesus On The Mountain Peak (9:00 AM only)
There are few hymns that don't have a consistent tune associated with them that cross over various hymnals, but this is one of them. I'm not sure this wonderful Brian Wren text has a tune that exists in more than one hymnal. Interestingly enough, the ELW hymn tune associated with it (BETHOLD) is one of the easiest to sing. It was composed by Mark Sedio, Director of Music and Cantor at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, MN. Despite being cast in a minor key, each stanza ends on a major half cadence on the word "Alleluia."
HYMN OF THE DAY
Beautiful Savior
This Silesian folk tune is another that is much loved among Lutherans, especially in this part of the country, where Lutheran college grads spent four years and countless alumni gatherings singing F. Melius Christiansen's lovely setting.
The region of Silesia no longer exists, but most of it is occupied by what is now Poland. Unfortunately, there is little information on the origin of this hymn, nor who first translated it into English. The structure is symmetrical in that the interior and exterior stanzas are hymns of praise to the creator, and the interior stanzas proclaim said creation, by describing the meadows, woodlands, stars, and tying them to Jesus, who is said to shine fairer and brighter than all of these things. What a wonderful message for the Transfiguration.
OFFERING
Epiphany Carol - Bruce Neswick (Chancel Choir)
This unison anthem was composed by Bruce Neswick, who is currently on the faculty at Indiana University. This anthem contains four stanzas, each describing a different Epiphany story (the wise men, baptism, wedding at Cana, and transfiguration). The first three stanzas are all set to different music, reflecting the mood of each text. The exterior stanzas are dance-like and rhythmic. Verse two, describing the baptism, is soaring, majestic, and melodic, and verse three is based on plain chant, sung in a psalm tone-like fashion.
Despite being in unison, this has been quite a challenge for the Chancel Choir, but like always, they come through brilliantly.
COMMUNION HYMNS
How Good Lord, To Be Here
Each stanza of this Armitage Robinson hymn references the Transfiguration in one way or another. Especially profound is the opening of the third stanza ("Fulfiller of the past and hope of things to be..."), as well as the mention of the mountain in both verses four and five.
Musically, a particular characteristic of SM (short meter) tunes, it begins with two short phrases, followed by a longer third. The contour of the melody with the natural harmonic progressions makes a very singable tune.
O Splendor Of God's Glory Bright (9:00 AM only)
When the average church-goer sees dots on a page with no stems, they get a little apprehensive. "These don't look like notes." "How do you sing this?" "I can't sing this."
First two statements: perfectly valid. The third? It makes me furrow my brow a bit. Hymns based on plainchant are some of the most beautiful, singable, and inspirational in the entire hymnal. It seems they would have to be given that the texts have survived in use for 1500, 1600, even 1900 years.
CLOSING HYMN
I Want To Walk As A Child Of The Light
As Jesus was enveloped and overtaken by this light, this hymn is our petition that we too embrace this light in order to follow Jesus. Kathleen Thomerson, recently retired from Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Austin, TX, has created a lovely bit of prose, that despite having no rhyme scheme, is wonderfully singable to its chant-like melody. As stanza three carries more of an Advent theme, it will be omitted at this service, but the first two verses comment nicely on Transfiguration themes, that the light of Christ may shine in our hearts.
POSTLUDE
Now Thank We All Our God - Egil Hovland
Egil Hovland, esteemed Norwegian composer, passed away this week at the age of 88. He was a remarkable composer in that, despite dozens of compositions, no two are quite the same in style or structure. He had a brilliant ability to write proficiently in any style, doing supreme justice to any source text or tune he was composing to. A prolific organist, he served at a mid-sized church in Norway for over 40 years, all while composing works frequently for the church and concert stage.
This toccata based on Now Thank We All Our God is one of Mr. Hovland's most exciting compositions. The tune is featured in a canon between the top voice and the pedal. The piece builds to a stunning coda, which climaxes with a large ascension of parallel triads.
Of the "lesser festivals," Transfiguration Sunday is one of my favorites. The entire concept is so intriguing. You can count on one hand the number of times a human being witnesses God in the Bible, and this is one of the most memorable and stunning occurrences. Imagine Peter, James, and John, taken to the top of the mountain, only to witness the prophets and God himself show themselves to Jesus, enveloping him in a cloud of white. What a wonderful, awe-inspiring moment.
PRELUDE
How Great Thou Art - arr. Sharon Elery Rogers (Bells of Praise)
After a one-week delay due to the weather, Bells of Praise is finally able to make their spring debut with one of the most beloved hymns of all time. In using such a well known tune, Sharon Elery Rogers does a lovely job in providing a variety of textures, handbell techniques, and the use of chimes for a portion of the melody. This has been a wonderful challenge for the choir, and they have risen to the occasion beautifully.
OPENING HYMN
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (7:45 AM only)
I have always had a love/hate relationship with this hymn. On one hand, I absolutely love the tune and how singable it is. On the other, I've always had difficulty with this text. It took me a long time to embrace the idea that God was "inaccessible, hid from our eyes." I always struggled with this, feeling that the idea of God, despite the lack of an empirical presence, should be accessible to anyone.
Despite this concept being Biblically based (1 Timothy: 1-17 "To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, only God, be honor and glory forever and ever, Amen.") I feel that this accessibility, or lack thereof, is rooted in our own minds. Is the light experienced at the Transfiguration really a light that we could all experience, see through, be accessible to our eyes? That's a question that can likely never be answered.
Jesus On The Mountain Peak (9:00 AM only)
There are few hymns that don't have a consistent tune associated with them that cross over various hymnals, but this is one of them. I'm not sure this wonderful Brian Wren text has a tune that exists in more than one hymnal. Interestingly enough, the ELW hymn tune associated with it (BETHOLD) is one of the easiest to sing. It was composed by Mark Sedio, Director of Music and Cantor at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, MN. Despite being cast in a minor key, each stanza ends on a major half cadence on the word "Alleluia."
HYMN OF THE DAY
Beautiful Savior
This Silesian folk tune is another that is much loved among Lutherans, especially in this part of the country, where Lutheran college grads spent four years and countless alumni gatherings singing F. Melius Christiansen's lovely setting.
The region of Silesia no longer exists, but most of it is occupied by what is now Poland. Unfortunately, there is little information on the origin of this hymn, nor who first translated it into English. The structure is symmetrical in that the interior and exterior stanzas are hymns of praise to the creator, and the interior stanzas proclaim said creation, by describing the meadows, woodlands, stars, and tying them to Jesus, who is said to shine fairer and brighter than all of these things. What a wonderful message for the Transfiguration.
OFFERING
Epiphany Carol - Bruce Neswick (Chancel Choir)
This unison anthem was composed by Bruce Neswick, who is currently on the faculty at Indiana University. This anthem contains four stanzas, each describing a different Epiphany story (the wise men, baptism, wedding at Cana, and transfiguration). The first three stanzas are all set to different music, reflecting the mood of each text. The exterior stanzas are dance-like and rhythmic. Verse two, describing the baptism, is soaring, majestic, and melodic, and verse three is based on plain chant, sung in a psalm tone-like fashion.
Despite being in unison, this has been quite a challenge for the Chancel Choir, but like always, they come through brilliantly.
COMMUNION HYMNS
How Good Lord, To Be Here
Each stanza of this Armitage Robinson hymn references the Transfiguration in one way or another. Especially profound is the opening of the third stanza ("Fulfiller of the past and hope of things to be..."), as well as the mention of the mountain in both verses four and five.
Musically, a particular characteristic of SM (short meter) tunes, it begins with two short phrases, followed by a longer third. The contour of the melody with the natural harmonic progressions makes a very singable tune.
O Splendor Of God's Glory Bright (9:00 AM only)
When the average church-goer sees dots on a page with no stems, they get a little apprehensive. "These don't look like notes." "How do you sing this?" "I can't sing this."
First two statements: perfectly valid. The third? It makes me furrow my brow a bit. Hymns based on plainchant are some of the most beautiful, singable, and inspirational in the entire hymnal. It seems they would have to be given that the texts have survived in use for 1500, 1600, even 1900 years.
CLOSING HYMN
I Want To Walk As A Child Of The Light
As Jesus was enveloped and overtaken by this light, this hymn is our petition that we too embrace this light in order to follow Jesus. Kathleen Thomerson, recently retired from Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Austin, TX, has created a lovely bit of prose, that despite having no rhyme scheme, is wonderfully singable to its chant-like melody. As stanza three carries more of an Advent theme, it will be omitted at this service, but the first two verses comment nicely on Transfiguration themes, that the light of Christ may shine in our hearts.
POSTLUDE
Now Thank We All Our God - Egil Hovland
Egil Hovland, esteemed Norwegian composer, passed away this week at the age of 88. He was a remarkable composer in that, despite dozens of compositions, no two are quite the same in style or structure. He had a brilliant ability to write proficiently in any style, doing supreme justice to any source text or tune he was composing to. A prolific organist, he served at a mid-sized church in Norway for over 40 years, all while composing works frequently for the church and concert stage.
This toccata based on Now Thank We All Our God is one of Mr. Hovland's most exciting compositions. The tune is featured in a canon between the top voice and the pedal. The piece builds to a stunning coda, which climaxes with a large ascension of parallel triads.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)