Music for June 3, 2022 + Pentecost

Vocal Music

• Veni Creator Spiritus – Stephen Sturk (b. 1950)
• Come, Holy Ghost – Thomas Attwood (1795-1838)
• Psalm 104:25-35, 37 – setting by William Crotch (1775-1847)

Instrumental Music

• Tongues of Fire (Pentecost Dance) – Alfred V. Fedak (b. 1953)
• Come, God Creator, Holy Ghost – Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748)
• Improvisation on “Veni Creator Spiritus” – Alfred V. Fedak

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

• Hymn 509 - Spirit divine, attend our prayers (NUN DANKET ALL UND BRINGET EHR)
• Hymn 20 - Now Holy Spirit, ever One (WAREHAM)
• Hymn - Through north and south (LASST UNS ERFREUEN)
• Hymn R90 - Spirit of the Living God (IVERSON)
• Hymn R168 - If you believe and I believe (Traditional, Zimbabwe)
• Hymn 511 - Holy Spirit, ever living (ABBOT’S LEIGH)

Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day we commemorate the appearance of the Holy Spirit on the disciples after Christ ascended into heaven. It is considered the birthday of the church, and a major holiday in the history of the church.

One of the oldest and most widely used hymns in the Christian church is Veni, Creator Spiritus, with a text attributed to Rabanus Maurus (776-856) and a chant melody from around the same time. This text and/or tune permeates our music this morning.

Veni Creator Spiritus

This anthem by the California composer Stephen Sturk begins with the original chant in Latin, sung simply as is fitting for a chant. Interspersed with the hymn are verses of Psalm 36 set to the same chant, but this time in a rhythmic setting, much like a modern hymn.

Stephen Sturk is cofounder and artistic director of the Pacific Academy of Ecclesiastical Music (PACEM), music director at Saint Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Temecula, California, as well as composer in residence at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral and conductor of Cappella Gloriana in San Diego. He previously was artistic director of the San Clemente Choral Society, and from 1993 to 1997 he served on the faculty of the University of San Diego, where he was director of the Choral Scholars Program. Prior to settling in California in 1991, Sturk was music director of the New York Motet Choir and associate conductor of the choirs at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. From 1980 to 1983, he was director of The Juilliard Singers at The Juilliard School. 

Come, Holy Ghost

Thomas Attwood wrote this now classic English anthem in 1834, after he had left St. Pauls and begun teaching at the Royal Academy of Music. While the music is newly composed by Attwood, it uses a translation of the Latin text by Maurus.

The son of a musician in the royal band, Attwood was born in London. At the age of nine he became a chorister in the Chapel Royal. In 1783 he was sent to study abroad at the expense of the Prince of Wales (afterwards George IV), who had been favorably impressed by his skill at the harpsichord. After two years in Italy, Attwood proceeded to Vienna, where he became a favorite pupil of Mozart. On his return to London in 1787 he held for a short time an appointment as one of the chamber musicians to the Prince of Wales. In 1796 he was chosen as the organist of St Paul's Cathedral, and in the same year he was made composer of the Chapel Royal. Soon after the institution of the Royal Academy of Music in 1823, Attwood was chosen to be one of the professors. He wrote an anthem for the coronation of William IV, and was composing a similar work for the coronation of Queen Victoria when he died on March 24, 1838. Attwood's funeral took place at St. Paul's Cathedral. He is buried in the Cathedral, in the crypt, under the organ.

Tongues of Fire (Pentecost Dance)
Improvisation on “Veni Creator Spiritus” 

The opening and closing voluntaries are by the American organist and composer Alfred Fedak. He recently retired as Minister of Music and Arts at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Capitol Hill in Albany, New York, but continues to teach at SUNY Schenectady. On June 1, 2021, he assumed the post of organist at First Reformed Church of Scotia, New York. 

The opening voluntary (Tongues of Fire) has a driving rhythm in the left hand, with the 'E' below middle C heard repeatedly throughout the entire piece. The first part is the dance movement, signifying the tongues of fire. Then the volume gets softer as the chant tune Veni Creator Spiritus appears, still as a dance.

Fedak uses the same chant tune in more traditional form in his Improvisation on “Veni Creator Spiritus” which I'm playing for the closing voluntary. Listen for a rippling melody which starts softly buts comes roaring into prominence before the plainchant enters in the pedals. It certainly sounds like a roaring fire!