Music for January 1, 2017 + The Holy Name of Jesus

There will be no choir this Sunday

Instrumental Music

• Das alte Jahr vergangen ist [The old year now hath passed away] BWV 614 – Johann Sebastian Bach
• Jesus, Name Above All Names/O, How I Love Jesus – arr. Mark Hayes
• Praise the Name of Jesus – arr. Fred Bock
• In dir ist Freude [In Thee Is Gladness] BWV 615 – Johann Sebastian Bach

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

• Hymn 450 - All hail the power of Jesus’ name (Coronation)
• Hymn 644 - How sweet the name of Jesus sounds (St. Peter)
• Hymn 250 - Now greet the swiftly changing year (Sixth Night)
• Hymn R26 - Jesus, name above all names (Hearn)
• Hymn R98 - How Majestic Is Your Name (How Majestic) 
• Hymn R28 - Emmanuel (McGee)
• Hymn R37 - Father, we love you (Glorify Your Name)
• Hymn 477 - All praise to thee, for thou, O King divine (Engleberg)

Jesus publicly received his Holy Name when he was presented
at the Temple and circumcised, under the Law

According to the liturgical calendar, the first of January, while still part of the twelve days of Christmas, is known as The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. The celebration is held eight days after Christmas to commemorate the naming of the child, because the Gospel of Luke tells us, "at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb."

I've included many hymns and songs this Sunday which exult the name of Christ. Two of the piano voluntaries are settings of contemporary songs extolling Jesus' name.

This is, of course, also New Year's Day. While not a liturgical feast day, there is indeed music written for the church's observance of the day. Two of the most famous pieces for New Year's Day come from Johann Sebastian Bach's Orgelbuchlein. I'll be playing both of them for this Sunday's single Eucharistic service at 10:15. The opening voluntary is rather melancholy, with its intensely chromatic, highly ornamented melody of the chorale Das alte Jahr vergangen ist [The old year has passed] played slowly in the right hand on one keyboard while the left hand and feet accompany on another manual and the pedal board.

The other piece, played at the close of the service, is much more jubilant and bright. In Thee is Gladness is a hymn by  Johann Lindemann written for a balletto (dance tune) by Giovanni G. Gastoldi, a priest and composer from Mantua, Italy. Only the first four notes of the chorale are used as a recurring motif used as an ostinato during the piece, along with the "short-short-short-long" rhythm of the ultra short melodic fragment that also appears throughout the hymn.