Music for January 31, 2016 + The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Vocal Music

• Thy Perfect Love – John Rutter (b. 1945)

Instrumental Music

• Suite Brève: Cantilene – Jean Langlais (1907-1991)
• Variations on “Liebster Jesu” – Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748)
• Suite Brève: Dialogue sur les mixtures – Jean Langlais 

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

• Hymn R49 - Let the whole creation cry (Llanfair)
• Hymn R155 - Though I may speak with bravest fire (Gift of Love)
• Hymn 440 - Blessed Jesus, at thy word (Liebster Jesu)
• Hymn 576 - God is love, and where true love is (Mandatum)
• Hymn R226 - Ubi Caritas (Taizé)
• Hymn 530 - Spread, O spread, thou mighty word (Gott Sei Dank)

The English composer John Rutter writes wonderfully approachable and finely crafted choral music. Christmas could hardly happen without his settings of both traditional and original carols. And for decades church choirs have been singing his lyrical anthems on religious texts. One such anthem is this Sunday's offertory, Thy Perfect Love. Based on a 15th century English prayer, the anthem begins with a soprano soloist who presents the poem in its entirety. Then the whole choir sings the prayer in four part harmony, without organ. The hymn sounds easy, but the descending chromatic chords are tricky to sing in tune and on pitch! Pray for the choir.

Jean Langlais

The organ music comes from the Suite Brève by Jean Langlais. Born in great poverty in rural Northwest France, he was blind by age two, and his musical talent became evident when he sang in the choir of the local church. At ten he was sent to the National Institute for Blind Children in Paris, where he began to study the organ. From there, he progressed to the Paris Conservatoire, obtaining prizes in organ and composition. By 1945 he was organist at one of Paris's great churches, St. Clotilde. It was here that he wrote today's voluntaries in 1947.

The opening voluntary, the lyrical "Cantilene," is based on an original modal theme heard on a reed stop in the pedal and accompanied by soft chords., which reinforce the modal character (neither Major nor Minor key) of the melody. The next section plays of the melody canonically between high and low registers, simultaneously using the two melodies in the pedal. The third section has the melody once again in the pedal, but with an add flute obbligato in the treble register. It's not easy. Pray for the organist.

The last piece, "Dialogue sur les mixtures," has fast, repeated chords moving rapidly from the neutral key of C Major to A-flat and back again, with lively echoings between the different manuals (keyboards) of the organ.

Music for January 24, 2016 + The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Vocal Music

• How Lovely Are the Messengers – Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
• Love Ye the Lord (Ombra Mai Fu, Largo from Xerxes) – G.F. Handel (1685-1759), Kenne McKee, Soprano

Instrumental Music

• Sonata II: I. Grave/Adagio – Felix Mendelssohn
• Sonata II: II. Allegro Maestoso e vivace – Felix Mendelssohn

Congregational Music (all hymns from the Hymnal 1982.)

• Hymn 493 - O for a thousand tongues to sing (Azmon)
• Hymn 533 - How wondrous and great thy works, God of praise! (Lyons)
• Hymn 632 - O Christ, the Word Incarnate (Munich)
• Hymn 321 - My God, thy table now is spread (Rockingham)
• Hymn 711 - Seek ye first the kingdom of God (Seek Ye First)
• Hymn 539 - O Zion, haste, thy mission high fulfilling (Tidings)

Felix Mendelssohn was a brilliant pianist and organist, a fine string player and an inspirational conductor, but it is for his compositions that he is remembered today. He began composing early, too; by the time he was seventeen Mendelssohn had composed twelve string symphonies, his first symphony for full orchestra, a String Octet, and the wonderful overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

By the time he was 22, he was commissioned to write his first oratorio. He chose the great New Testament figure, St. Paul, probably because it offered tremendous dramatic possibilities.

Given Mendelssohn’s high regard for the choral masterpieces of Bach, Handel and Haydn, it is no surprise to find that St Paul is modelled on similar lines, with an integrated scheme of recitatives, arias and choruses. His use of chorales to demarcate important points in the story and to reflect on the action is clearly influenced by the Passion music of Bach. (When he was still only twenty, Mendelssohn conducted the first public performance of the St. Matthew Passion since Bach’s death.) Handel’s influence is also evident in the dramatic use of the chorus, which at times is central to the action, as for instance when the outraged mob calls for Paul to be killed, whilst at other times it provides appropriate commentary on the unfolding events. Of course, the work is full of Mendelssohn’s own innovations, the most striking of which is his use of a four-part chorus of women’s voices – used only once in the whole piece – to represent the voice from heaven, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?’.

Today the choir will sing one of the oratorio’s best-loved choruses, How lovely are the messengers, which refers to Paul and Barnabas as ambassadors of the Christian Church. It is written in much the same form as Handel would have used, with each section of the choir introducing the main theme in a contrapuntal setting.

And speaking of Mendelssohn, the presentation hymn is a German chorale that was harmonized by Felix Mendelssohn himself. In fact, he used this chorale (the tune, not the text) in his other famous oratorio, Elijah. There is much less movement in the harmonic voices and the harmonization sounds much more 19th-century than a chorale harmonized by Bach. If Bach had arranged it, the basses would be singing at least twice as many notes.

The aria that one of our choral interns, Kenne McKee, will sing at communion is not from an oratorio of Handel, but from one of his many operas, Xerxes. The secular Italian text has been replaced by Richard Row with this text made suitable for church.

Music for January 17, 2016 + The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Vocal Music

• Thanks Be to God – Marty Haugen (b. 1950)

Instrumental Music

• Voluntary in C Major – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
• Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness - Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg (1718-1795)
• March in G – George Frideric Handel

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

• Hymn 440 - Blessed Jesus, at thy word (Liebster Jesu)
• Hymn R90 - Spirit of the Living God (Iverson)
• Hymn 132 - When Christ’s appearing was made known (Erhalt uns, Herr)
• Hymn 339 - Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness (Schmücke dich)
• Hymn 371 - Thou, whose almighty word (Moscow)

Martin Haugen

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we approach the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, I wanted to do something to support his ideals of equality and justice for all. One of my favorite anthems in that vein is the anthem Thanks Be to God from a one-act theatre piece by Marty Haugen called AGAPÈ - The Stories and the Feast. Loosely based on the structure of the mass, AGAPÈ utilized music from many cultures and the prophetic voices of our day to bring alive a story of struggle, hope, and celebration among God's people. This work was inspired by King's famous "I have a dream" speech.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!

From this speech, Haugen wrote these words, including the hymn of the Civil Rights Movement, We Shall Overcome. :

Thanks be to God when people care,
Thanks be for friends and loved ones,
Thanks be to God forever and ever.Thanks be to God for food and homes,
Thanks be for health and laughter,
Thanks be to God forever and ever.Thanks be to God when hatred ends,
Thanks be for peace and safety,
Thanks be to God forever and ever.Teach us the way of your peace, kindle your fire within us,
Give us a vision of a world where people care for each other.
We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall over come some day.Deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall overcome some day.
© 1993 by G.I.A. Publications, Inc., 7404 So. Mason Ave, Chicago, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission.  

The Good Shepherd Choir will be joined by the St. Gregory choir. The children get to sing  We Shall Overcome while the adults repeat the petitions for wisdom, courage, and vision. There is something very real and raw about hearing those children and youth sing those words that meant so much to another generation, another culture.

The communion voluntary is a pastorale setting of the communion hymn, Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness. It is written by  Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg, a man whose vocation was public service, but his avocation was music. Marpurg began his public career as a private secretary in Paris where he associated with such eminences as Voltaire and Rameau. In 1763 Marpurg became director of the lottery in Berlin, a position he maintained until his death. In his spare time he delved into music criticism, composition, theory, and history. He wrote the preface to the first edition of Bach's Art of Fugue (1751/52)wrote one of the first theories of Bach's fugal style. His writings on music theory far outpaced his composing of music. This prelude is an example of a small volume of organ music he wrote.

Music for January 10, 2016 + The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Vocal Music

• When Jesus Came to Jordan – Southern Folk Hymn

Instrumental Music

• Christ, Our Lord, to Jordan Came, BWV 684 and 685 – J. S. Bach
• Fugue in G (The ‘Gigue’ Fugue)  BWV 577 – J. S. Bach

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

• Hymn 76 - On Jordan’s banks the Baptist’s, cry (Winchester New)
• Hymn R157 - We believe in God Almighty (Divinum Mysterium)
• Hymn 297 - Descend, O Spirit, purging flame (Erhalt uns, Herr)
• Hymn - Shall We Gather at the River (Hanson Place)
• Hymn 135 - Songs of Thankfulness and Praise (Salzburg)

What?" you ask. "Didn't we just hear about Jesus' baptism in Advent?"

Technically, no. We heard Luke 3:7-18 in church on Advent III, which tells of John's message and prophecy of Christ's baptism, but the story ended there, with verse 18. Today we continue that story with Jesus' actual baptism, and the voice from heaven saying “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

So THAT'S the reason you've recently sung some of the same hymns and heard the same anthem as you will this week. We remember Christ's baptism, and in doing so, remember our own, when God claims us as his own, his beloved.

The River Jordan figures prominently in today's hymns, anthem, and organ music. The choir will sing the hymn When Jesus Came to Jordan to be Baptized by John, by Fred Pratt Green, the prolific British Methodist pastor and hymn writer. The Rev. Mr. Green wrote this text to help explain the "why" of Jesus' baptism. It has been paired with a tune from the American songbook Southern Harmony of 1854. We will be singing a simple, austere version of this hymn-tune with bells and an ostinato (a continually repeated musical phrase or rhythm) sung by the men of the choir.

Baptism of Christ by Lambert Sustris (1515-1584)

The opening and communion voluntaries are two distinctly different treatments of the same Lutheran Chorale by Johann Sebastian Bach.  In the early 1730s, Bach began publishing volumes of music for Keyboard called Clavierübung, which is German for "Keyboard Practice." In 1739 the third volume came out which consisted mainly of hymns for the Catechism (a summary of the principles of Christian religion used for the instruction of Christians). Unlike the other Clavierübung volumes I and II, this include some works for organ (Pedaliter) as well as keyboard (Manualiter). The opening prelude is Bach's first setting of the tune (which can be found in our hymnal at hymn 139) for two keyboards and pedal. In the bass there is an incessant flow of sixteenth notes which depicts the running waters of the Jordan River. In the right hand, there are two lines of music which rise and fall, intertwining with each other. Hermann Keller suggests that this represents Christ and John the Baptist in the baptismal act. 

The other chorale prelude, played at the beginning of communion, is in a slightly higher key and in 3/4 time rather than 4/4 time. This little fugue uses only the first eight notes of the chorale as the subject, but inverts that theme for the counter-subject. Again Hermann Keller suggests that the three entries of the subject and the three inversions, represent the three immersions at baptism.

Hymn 76 - On Jordan’s banks the Baptist’s, cry (Winchester New) - Yes, we sang this hymn in December, but it so perfectly fits this Gospel reading that we are singing it again. The tune, Winchester New, was referred to by one of my musician friends this week as "death by quarter notes."  Unfair! I think it is a stately tune that fits the words quite well, and fully half the editors of hymnals that included this text agree with me as they use this tune for these words.

Music for the Sundays after Christmas

December 27, 2015 + The First Sunday after Christmas

Instrumental Music

• The First Noel – David Huntsinger 
• Joy to the World (based on Antioch by Handel).
• Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella (French Carol).

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

• Hymn 107    Good Christian friends, rejoice (In dulci Jubilo)
• Hymn 96      Angels we have heard on high (Gloria)
• Hymn 82      Of the Father’s love begotten (Divinum Mysterium)
• Hymn 497    How bright appears the Morning Star (Wie schon leuchtet)
• Hymn 99      Go, tell it on the Mountain (Go Tell It On the Mountain)

January 3, 2016 + The Second Sunday after Christmas BAPTISM

Vocal Music

• Unto Us a Boy Is Born – arr. David Willcocks

Instrumental Music

• How Brightly Shines the Morning Star -  Johann Christoph Bach
• Jesu, dulcis memoria – Charles Callahan
• Gigue on “In Dulci Jubilo” – Gordon Young

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

• Hymn 109    The first Nowell the angel did say (The First Nowell)
• Hymn 295    Sing praise to our creator (Christus, der ist mein Leben)
• Hymn 119    As with gladness men of old (Dix)
• Hymn 324    Let all mortal flesh keep silence (Picardy)
• Hymn 124    What star is this, with beam so bright (Puer nobis)