Music for September 14, 2014 + The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Vocal Music

• Lord, For Thy Tender Mercy's Sake – Richard Farrant (c. 1525-1580)

Instrumental Music

• When We Are In Utmost Need, BWV 641 – J. S. Bach (1685-1750)

• Amazing Grace – arr. A. R. Laurence 

• Fugue in G, BWV 576 – J. S. Bach

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

• Hymn 376 – Joyful, joyful, we adore thee (HYMN TO JOY)

• Hymn S-208 – Canticle 8: Song of Moses (plainsong, Tone 1 and Tonus Peregrinus)

• Hymn R-10 – Be still and know that I am God (BE STILL AND KNOW)

• Hymn R184 – “Forgive our sins as we forgive” (DETROIT)

• Hymn R192 – God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name (FREELY FREELY)

• Hymn 690 – Guide me, O thou great Jehovah (CWM RHONNDA)

Today is the 14th day of September, and it's the 14th Sunday after Pentecost (in year 14 of the 2000s). Little things like that fascinate me.

I am starting the service this week with one of J. S. Bach's little gems from his collection of chorale preludes called Orgelbüchlein (Little Organ Book). As the Concordia Publishing House says on its webpage, "If any one collection of organ music can be called common property of organists throughout the world, it is surely the Orgelbüchlein of J. S. Bach. It continues to fascinate and challenge organists and other serious musicians both as pedagogical work and as a collection of music unsurpassed in the inventiveness and spiritual depth." 

The chorale I am playing, Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein (or "When we are in utmost need"), is a short piece, just over 2 minutes long, but is contains one of the most beautifully ornamented melodies in all of Bach's organ music; only "Allein Gott in der Höh" from the "Great Eighteen" comes close. Instead of presenting the melody as a simple hymn tune, as one would sing it, Bach uses the notes as a frame work on which he hangs his ornaments, much in the same way that some would hang baubles on a Christmas Tree, decorating with so many ornaments that the tree (and melody) are almost hidden from view. Albert Schweitzer says the soprano part flows "like a divine song of consolation, and in a wonderful final cadence seems to silence and compose the other parts." This melody, which is well known among Lutheran musicians, is not present in any of our hymnals.

a typical Renaissance Choir

The anthem is also a little gem, which has been variously attributed over the years to a number of 16th century composers. Lord, for thy tender mercy's sake may be by a composer by John Hilton, but our sources all list Richard Farrant, an English composer whose early life, like many composers of his day,  are not well documented. The first acknowledgment of him is in a list of the Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in 1552. It is assumed from that list that his birth was around 1525. In Farrant's twelve years with the Chapel Royal, he was able to participate in  the developments in Latin Church Music, as composers like William Byrd and Christopher Tye were busy expanding and elaborating on the church music of the day. After his work there, he took up a post as organist at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor. It was here that he was able to establish himself as a successful composer, develop the English drama considerably, found the first Blackfriars Theatre, and be the first to write verse-anthems. 

This anthem works well with the Gospel this Sunday, as it has a penitential emphasis, asking for forgiveness, then looking forward to a new life in which 'we may walk with a perfect heart'.