Music for August 18. 2019

Vocal Music

• Lord God of Abraham – Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), Richard Murray, bass

Instrumental Music

• Sonata II: Grave/Adagio – Felix Mendelssohn
• Sonata II: Allegro Maestoso e Vivace – Felix Mendelssohn
• Ave Verum Corpus – Gerald Near (b. 1942)

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

• Hymn 366 - Holy God, we praise thy Name (GROSSER GOTT)
• Hymn 691- My faith looks up to thee (OLIVET)
• Hymn 495 - Hail, thou once despised Jesus (IN BABILONE)
• Hymn 490 - I want to walk as a child of the light (HOUSTON)
• Hymn 324 - Let all mortal flesh keep silence (PICARDY)
• Hymn R 291 - Go forth for God (GENEVA 124)
• Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18 – Tone VIIIa

I love the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. I think I could play nothing but Bach and not grow weary of him. After Bach, I love playing the music of Felix Mendelssohn. It's quite a jump going from the 18th century Baroque to the 19th century Romantic period, but there are some very strong connections.

Felix Mendelssohn, By James Warren Childe
- watercolor painting, Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=123195

By the time Felix came along, the music of J. S. Bach was all but forgotten, a relic of a bygone era that was considered more math than music. When Felix was 14 years old, his maternal grandmother presented him with a hand-copied manuscript score of J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion. She recognized in this little-known work one of the most deeply spiritual works ever composed; and it had a profound effect on the young boy. He conceived an idea of presenting the entire work, and five years later, he himself conducted the first full performance of this masterwork in over 100 years.

The idea of writing a large choral work also captivated Mendelssohn's imagination, for in his short life, he wrote three oratorios, Paulus, Elias, and Christus (which remained unfinished). It is from Elias (Elijah) that we draw today's offertory.

At this place in the story, Israel is in a great drought. The prophet Elijah is accused of causing Israel’s troubles but he charges that the people have brought their problems on themselves by worshipping false gods. Elijah challenges the priests of the god Baal. In a scene that would be perfect for the reality tv shows of today, the priests pray to Baal as Elijah prays to his God. Baal’s failure to answer is symbolized by dramatic silences. Elijah mockingly demands that the priests call him louder. This happens for the third time, but still there is no answer. When Baal fails to end the drought, Elijah exhorts the people of Israel to turn their prayers to the one true God.  A consuming fire from the heavens convinces everyone to turn again to God, and they launch prayers for rain. At first it only brings a little white cloud and then, finally, the longed-for waters that “laveth the thirsty land,” symbolized by a downward rush of musical scales.

During the last years of his life, Mendelssohn paid further homage to J.S. Bach by preparing an edition of the latter's organ works (published in London in 1845-46). Mendelssohn's own Six Sonatas for organ, op. 65 (of which I play two movements this morning) not only renewed interest in the organ repertoire, and especially that of Bach, but also prompted the composition of new works for organ by other major composers.