Music Notes: July 21st, 2013

Prelude

The Church Of Christ In Every Age- J. Bert Carlson

In addition to being retired pastor, J. Bert Carlson has worn many hats in his career, such as director of music, piano teacher, tenor soloist, conductor, author, and co-founder of the Chicago Oratorio Society.  Several of his works are included in the Augsburg Organ Library, including this one.

This is one of his more shocking settings in terms of the harmonic structure.  The tune is present throughout, and the jarring harmonic contrast, bordering on poly-tonal, create a lot of excitement.

Opening Hymn

How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord

This lovely modern hymn by British composer Fred Pratt Green explores the work we do, the vigor with which we do it, and the hardships dealt with through the journey.  God gives us strength and energy as we go through the good times (stanza one), and the hard (stanza two).

Stanza three is a very interesting theological statement.  We aren't the only ones with burdens.  The ones who came before us also dealt with hardships, and what we have learned from them influence our lives today.  Despite this, there seems to be a bit of an accusation in this stanza, accusing us of "the casual way we wear your name."  By "obscur(ing with our) faults," we both minimize and forget what those who came before us have done.

All is not lost.  By living our lives in a God-like fashion and staying strong to our convictions, we are honoring those saints, ourselves, and the Son of God who was sacrificed for us so we may live.

Hymn of the Day

The Church Of Christ In Every Age

In many ways, this hymn is about the work we do and how we do it.  As the time continues to pass from generation to generation, our mission may change in part, but generally we work to praise God, support each other, and look towards a bright future while never forgetting about our heritage.

Stanzas two and three are great examples of a statement and response grouping.  Stanza two reminds us of the problems that exist and that we have to deal with.  Throughout the world and in our neighborhoods, people are crying out for help, shelter, and food.  Stanza three answers by calling the servant church to arise to address these problems just as Christ has.

As I have mentioned on this blog before, stanza four has a striking reference to the malaria epidemic ("cure the fever in our blood").  The hymn concludes with a declamatory statement clarifying and strengthening our position on the mission we have to serve.

Communion Hymns

O Christ, What Can It Mean For Us

The key line in this hymn for us this Sunday comes from stanza three... "O Christ, in workplace, church, and home, let none to power cling; for still, through us, you come to serve..."

What Christ's sacrifice means for us is that we are able to give our thanks to God and live out our mission not just for an hour on Sunday, but through our entire lives.  This wonderful Delores Dufner text encapsulates that.

O Christ, Your Heart Compassionate

If we needed more convincing as to the worthiness of Christ's sacrifice, it can be found in Herman Steumpfle's four-stanza call to mission and discipleship.

Stuempfle was a long time pastor in both Pennsylvania and Maryland, as well as being Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lutheran Theological Seminary.  In addition to his inclusion in most of the major denominational hymnals, there are several hymnals dedicated solely to his works.

Closing Hymn

We All Are One In Mission

Frequently throughout the Gospels, Jesus calls his disciples to embark on a mission of spreading the news of repentance and forgiveness.  This call to discipleship is passed on to us, and we profess the news of this "single great commission" through the singing of this hymn.

Rusty Edwards is a rather well known minister and hymn writer, still as active today as he has been his entire career.  After receiving his M.Div from Luther Seminary in 1985, he went on to earn a doctorate in theology from Notre Dame, and now serves as senior pastor at Christ Lutheran Church is Moline, Illinois.

Not only is this hymn appropriate for the mission that we are called to act on by Christ, but it could also be tied to the malaria mission of St. Paul's (also seen in the Hymn of the Day today).  This hymn contains a wonderfully unifying message in the middle of stanza two.  Pastor Edwards states, "Our ministries are different, our purpose is the same: to touch the lives of others with God's surprising grace, so every folk and nation may feel God's warm embrace."  Whether it is working to eradicate malaria or any other goal the church strives to reach, it is all done in the name of God through ourselves and our work.

Postlude

Toccata in Seven

As the title indicates, this is a toccata in 7/8 time.  Generally, a toccata involves a very active rhythmic structure.  Many toccatas for church performance are based on a hymn tune, but this was a free standing composition by Rutter, suitable for both church and concert use.

Set in a three part ABA form, the middle section, with it's slower chords and dialogue between manuals and pedals are surrounded by a rhythmic pattern with clear, square phrases.  Characteristic of the English style of composition, this work features a good deal of modulation, pan-diatonicism (two keys at once), and colorful harmonies.

Reminder: Music Notes will not be published next week due to me being on vacation (aka. unpacking).

Music Notes: July 14th, 2013

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Prelude

Children of the Heavenly Father - arr. John Ferguson

Many of you know that John Ferguson is my original organ teacher and mentor.  Most of my hymn playing and anything else I do on the organ was and is inspired by him.  

Compared to other masters of congregational song and hymn festivals (Paul Manz, David Cherwien, et al...) his output for solo organ is not as large, but this piece is particular truly encapsulates his style.  The first time I read through it, I noticed how natural it felt to play due to me being so influenced by his style.  The planing triads on top of the tune in a solo 4' flute in the pedal just comes second nature to me due to my training.

Opening Hymn

O God, Our Help In Ages Past

Isaac Watts' famous paraphrase of Psalm 90 takes center stage here.  Watts, the "father of English hymnody," actually composed a complete metrical, poetic psalter, but this is by far his most famous effort.

The concept here is that of an everlasting, ever living God who created all things, oversees all things, and renews all things (help in ages past, hope for years to come).  Multiple stanzas talk about the concept of creation, specifically the two that are being depicted in the prelude.  While the creation aspects are important, they are a means to an end.  The true message here is that God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and will be with us through all our trials, adventures, and tasks as we move forward.

Hymn of the Day

Holy Spirit, Truth Divine

One common structure for composing a hymn is to start each stanza with the same phrase, only changing one small adjective.  Each of these adjectives are then expanded upon in the rest of the verse.  This is evident right away in the conclusion of the first line.  Truth dawns, love glows, power fortifies, and peace stills.  The final stanza, with the word "right," is a little difficult to understand.  "King within my conscience reign," refers to the piece of the Holy Spirit that is inside of all of us.  

Interestingly enough, the word "reign" interrupts the rhyme scheme.  The text author, Samuel Longfellow, was born in 1819 in Portland, Maine.  In the far Northest US at the time, an English accent would likely still predominate, even as late as 1850.  Said with such an accent, the word "reign" would likely be closer to "rine," which would of course rhyme with di-"vine."  Details like this are very important when an anomoly in a hymn is detected.

Offering

Here I Am, Lord - arr. Jack Schrader (Summer Choir)

Many people have arranged this much loved hymn by Dan Schutte.  These three verses are expertly crafted into an arrangement that paints the text (for example, the piano part on the word "stars") beautifully.  Three part mixed arrangements (two women's parts, one men's), are very difficult to write.  Most of the time, the voicing doesn't work correctly and the men's part ends up being too high.  That is not the case here though.  The optionally written bass part only supports it and is an excellent addition when it is able to be added.

Communion Hymns

Children of the Heavenly Father

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.

My Life Flows on in Endless Song

In addition to being a hymn writer, Robert Lowry, perhaps best known for his hymn Shall We Gather At The River, was also a professor of literature and a Baptist minister.  While this hymn was written in the 1870's, it wasn't used very frequently until the 1980's when it was recorded by several well known Catholic church musicians including Marty Haugen and David Haas.  The refrain as we find it today was not originally the refrain, but rather stanza two.  The recording by Haugen and Haas made use of it as a refrain, and it has caught on in the new generation of print hymnals.

Closing Hymn

My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less

This hymn was composed by Edward Mote (1797-1874), a cabinet maker by trade, who later became a pastor in Sussex.  The hymn was actually inspired by a different scripture entirely, from Jesus' parable of the wise and foolish builders, which describes two men, one who built their house on rock, and the other on sand.  When the rains came, the house on the rock survived, but the house in the sand sunk.  Christ is used as a metaphor for this lesson.

Most of the time at St. Paul's, we sing this hymn to the tune MELITA (Eternal Father, Strong to Save).  On the same page is this text attached to a different tune.  William Bradbury composed this tune, as well as the tune to Jesus Loves Me.  Interestingly enough, both of those tunes share similar characteristics (2 identical phrases in the verse, and a refrain).  I find this tune, with its simple, straightforward harmonies, to be much more appropriate for the "solid" nature of this text.

Postlude

Improvisation on the Eighth Psalm Tone - Everett Titcomb

The "eighth psalm tone" is not from the ELW, but rather from the English Hymnal, 1906.  Psalm singing in the Episcopal tradition is different than what we do; it is longer and more complex.  Everett Titcomb, noted English composer, has created a wonderful, expansive setting based on a sixteen note pattern.  The piece travels through several keys and registrations before arriving at a glorious ending.

Music Notes: July 7, 2013

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

Adagio on the Star Spangled Banner - John Knowles Paine

Seeing as it is Fourth of July weekend, I thought it would be fun to play a few movements of John Knowles Paine's large concert piece on the Star Spangled Banner.  Paine was one of the first American composers to achieve success in large scale orchestral music (Amy Beach, who was discussed a couple weeks ago, was another).

The Adagio is the third movement, and it puts the melody in the pedal underneath a pastoral-esque, contrapuntal string texture.  The melody has some slight alterations, and I'm not too sure why.  Regardless, the melody we all know is clearly present and audible.

Opening Hymn

Earth And All Stars

This hymn was composed jointly by Herbert Brokering and David Johnson to celebrate the 75th anniversary of St. Olaf College.  There's reference to the stormy Minnesota weather ("Hail, wind and rain! Loud blowing snowstorm."), St. Olaf's music program (Trumpet, pipes, cymbals, harp, lute, lyre, cellos (also referencing Psalm 150)), builders and workers (limestone (most St. Olaf buildings were built out of the native limestone), beam, hammers, workers), and the students, teachers, and others that make up the community.

Though the hymn was written for a specific occasion at a specific place, it has a universal joy that can be celebrated anywhere.  It is particularly appropriate here in Waverly, where we have a college very similar in many ways to St. Olaf (minus the limestone!).  

In honor of Independence Day, I usually attempt to incorporate a certain familiar American tune into this hymn.  While the circumstances normally in place will not be here this week (choir), I will still try my best to make it work!

Hymn Of The Day

Immortal, Invisible

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.

It wasn't until I read a passage from Exodus that I started to make sense of this concept.  Through that passage, I realized that even though we all may desire to lay our eyes on God at some point, there's really no reason to.  Faith should be able to overcome all and provide all the justification we need.

Communion Hymns

The Son Of God, O Christ

Earlier, our hymn of the day cast an old text into a brand new tune.  This hymn takes a new text by Edward Blumenfield and  set to a slightly older early 20th century tune.  Though it was composed in the 20th century, this tune carries many of the characteristics of 19th century hymn tune writing.  The melody itself is a little on the uninteresting side, but combining it with a beautiful four part harmony makes the tune come alive.

The first two stanzas of this hymn start in the past, where Jesus' recruitment of his disciples formed the basis of Christianity.  Fast forward to our time, where Christ dares us to follow boldly in his name and continue the work throughout the world.

Blest Be The Tie That Binds

If you are a frequent partaker in the theater, you may know that this hymn plays a very crucial part in Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize winning play, Our Town.  The words certainly are reflective of a small community with close ties.

John Fawcett, the author of this text, was a British pastor and theologian.  The story behind this hymn is both interesting and inspiring.  Pastor Fawcett was a much loved pastor in the very small English town of Wainsgate.  He had a growing family and his meager salary was hardly sufficient for supporting them.  In 1772 he received a call to one of the largest Baptist churches in London, and chose to accept.  However, the reaction to his leaving was so strong and fervent that he elected to stay.  In commemoration of this, he crafted this hymn, whose first stanza reads,

"Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.  The unity of heart and mind is like to that above."  It has gone on to become one of the paramount hymns of Christian love and unity.

Closing Hymn

This Is My Song

Part two of the tryptych is a combined text from two twentieth century poets, Lloyd Stone (st. 1-2) and Georgia Harkness (st. 3).  This is probably the most well-known "national" hymn that doesn't necessarily declare an allegiance to a specific country.  Rather, it is an ecumenical (if you will) prayer for unity within and among nations of the world.  Stanza two sums up the aura of the hymn perfectly...

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine,
(sounds rather pompous so far, yes?)
BUT other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
and skies are ev'rywhere as blue as mine.
So hear my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine.

It is set to the tune FINLANDIA, originally a chorale from symphonic poem of the same title by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.  Though that was where it originated, this tune has become so attached to this text that it is nearly impossible now to separate the two.

Postlude

Fugue on the Star Spangled Banner - John Knowles Paine

This fugue is based on the first phrase of the Star Spangled Banner.  After the initial two measures, a long stretch of eighth notes fill out the rest of the subject.  The fugue is a pretty standard four voice texture, with three in the hands and one in the pedal.  

A unique and intriguing musical moment happens at the end.  A harmonic sequence travels down chromatically and eventually arrives at a large pedal cadenza, which proceeds to ascend and descend, lowering a half step each time.  It eventually arrives at a long pedal trill, which leads to a complete statement of the melody as a coda to the entire piece.