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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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