Music for November 27, 2016 + The First Sunday of Advent

Vocal Music

• Advent Processional – Richard Proulx (1937-2010)

Instrumental Music

• “Sleepers, Wake!” A Voice Astounds Us – Wayne L. Wold (b. 1954)
• “Sleepers, Wake!” A Voice Astounds Us – Jacobus Kloppers (b. 1937)
• “Sleepers, Wake!” A Voice Astounds Us – Emma Lou Diemer (b.1927)

Congregational Music (all hymns from the Hymnal 1982.)

• Hymn 57 - Lo! he comes with clouds descending (Helmsley)
• Hymn 56, st. 1-2 - O come, O come, Emmanuel (Veni, veni, Emmanuel)
• Hymn 73 - The King shall come when morning dawns (St, Stephen)
• Hymn 59, stanzas 1, 2, 5 - Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding (Merton)
• Hymn 324 - Let all mortal flesh keep silence (Picardy)
• Hymn 61 - Sleepers, wake!” A voice astounds us (Wachet auf)
• Psalm 122 - Lœtatus sum (ToneVIIIa)

There are two hymns which are usually sung on the first Sunday of Advent, and we will sing both of those today. One is a hymn which I introduced to Good Shepherd 19 years ago during my first Advent Season here. That is number 57 - Lo! he comes with clouds descending. (You can listen to it here, and you should, because it is just a grand way to start Advent. )The other is one that we have rarely sung, so I am going overboard on the tune in that I am playing three different contemporary settings of the tune. (I also play J. S. Bach's chorale setting of the tune, which, in my opinion, is one of the most perfect organ and choral pieces ever written. I often play it on this first Sunday of Advent, and I am giving it a bye this Advent, though, honestly, it is so perfect, I think it could be played every year. But I digress.)

Jacobus Kloppers

All three of these organ pieces are by living organists (no dead poets today!), and two of them are no strangers to these pages. (You can click on the names at the bottom of this post to see what other music we have done by Emma Lou Diemer and Wayne Wold.) The name that is both new to this blog and to me is Jacobus Kloppers. At first glance, I assumed this was another German organist - probably from the 18th century. I was wrong.

Jacobus Kloppers is a Canadian organist and composer in Edmonton, Alberta, where he's lived since 1976, when he moved from his native South Africa. He is organist/choirmaster at St. John the Evangelist (Anglican) in Edmonton. He served on the faculty of the Music Department at The King’s University College (currently The King’s University) in Edmonton until his retirement in 2013. He is also an Adjunct Professor in Keyboard at the University of Alberta (a position he has held since 1997). His compositions (around 70) include organ solo works for liturgical and concert use, an organ concerto, alto-saxophone concerto, as well as various anthems and choral music.

His setting of "Wachet Auf" (the German title of the choral, which basically means "wake up!" is much more lyrical than both the opening and closing voluntaries. The melody is presented in the right hand, using the oboe sound on the organ, accompanied by a flowing flute accompaniment in the left hand.