Music for August 17, 2014 + The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

Instrumental Music

• Guitar selections by Rosendo Reyna
• Rondo in G - John Bull/Richard Ellsasser (1926-1972)

Congregational Music (all hymns from the Hymnal 1982 with the exception of those marked “R” which are from Renew.

• Hymn 410 -Praise, my soul, the King of heaven (LAUDA ANIMA)
• Hymn 421 – All glory be to God on high (ALLEIN GOTT IN DER HÖH)
• Hymn 530 - Spread, O spread, thou mighty word  (GOTT SEI DANK)
• Hymn R 201 - Be still, for the spirit of the Lord (BE STILL)
• Hymn R 226 - Ubi Caritas (Taizé)
• Hymn 371 - Thou, whose almighty word (MOSCOW)
• Psalm 67 - mode IVa, 

We are fortunate to have guitarist Rosendo Reyna playing for us  at the 10:15 Service on August 17th. A graduate of Southern Methodist University with a Masters in Music, he has been on the faculty of Lone Star College, Kingwood as guitar instructor since 2002. He will be playing several classical guitar selections, starting with an extended prelude before the service. Thanks to Lynn and Mike Boyd for making his visit possible

The only thing I am playing on the organ is the closing voluntary which has always proved to be a favorite with congregations everywhere. It’s the Rondo in G, attributed to the English Tudor composer John Bull, but mostly written by Richard Ellsasser, an American concert organist, composer, and conductor, who was primarily active during the 1940s, 50’s and 60’s. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 14, 1926, the young Ellsasser was a musical prodigy who, at the age of seven, toured the eastern United States as an organist with various symphony orchestras. He made his New York organ debut in 1937. At the age of 19 he became the youngest person in history to have played, from memory, all 250+ organ works of J. S. Bach.

Ellsasser later went on to study at Oberlin College, Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory (from which he obtained his Bachelor of Music degree), the School of Theology at Boston University, and the School of Religion at the University of Southern California (where he earned a Master’s Degree in Theology). Ellsasser also earned a Doctorate from Boston University.

For many years, Ellsasser was Minister of Music at Wilshire United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, California, where he later created and directed a series of music festivals. In later years, he became Minister of Recitals at the First Congregational Church in Los Angeles. In 1967, he suffered a stroke, which forced him into retirement. He died August 9, 1972 in New York.