Music for Easter 2022

Vocal Music

• Tell the News – David Ashley White (b. 1948)
• Alleluia – Rick Sowash (b. 1950)
• I Know that My Redeemer Liveth (Messiah) – G. F. Handel (1685-1759)

Instrumental Music

• Let Heaven and Earth Rejoice – J. S. Bach (1685-1750)
• Prelude in G, BWV 541 – J. S. Bach

Congregational Music (all hymns from The Hymnal 1982.)

• Hymn 179 - “Welcome, happy Morning!” (FORTUNATUS)
• Hymn 207 - Jesus Christ is risen today (EASTER HYMN)
• Hymn 180 - He is risen, he is risen! (UNSER HERRSCHER)
• Hymn - Doxology (LAAST UNS ERFREUEN)
• Hymn 193 - That Easter day with joy was bright (PUER NOBIS)
• Hymn 210 - The day of resurrection (DIADEMATA)
• Psalm 118 – Tone VIIIa

My friend David Ashley White has written an Easter anthem for choir and organ that sounds like it came out of the 19th century shaped-note tradition. (We talked about that tradition several months ago, here.) It is a rugged original tune with an equally athletic organ accompaniment. This was commissioned by the Mississippi Conference on Church Music and Liturgy in 2003

The communion anthem is an a cappella setting of the single word, "Alleluia." It was written by Cincinnati composer Rick Sowash, and published last year for choirs struggling to meet and rehearse in the pandemic. Written for two voices (women and men), it is an ingenious canon where the women begin with the melody, and men come 4 beats later, singing an exact duplication of the treble part. I thought it would be easy for the choir, but it has taken us one year to learn it! It is much harder than it looks!

The communion solo is that perennial favorite from Messiah, I Know that my Redeemer Liveth. Handel's masterpiece includes several movements that become required listening during the seasons of the church year. This beautiful soprano solo was last sung in 2020, at our virtual Easter service. Amy Bogan will again sing it in person for us this year.

I'm playing two pieces by Bach for Easter. The opening voluntary is actually an arrangement of a choral piece from his cantata for Trinity Sunday, but it's so festive and it's theme "Let Heaven and Earth Rejoice" is perfect for Easter. And the closing voluntary is the Prelude in G, with it's opening passage that just shoots upward like a rocket, reminding me of the resurrection.