Music for August 7, 2022 + The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Vocal Music

• Simple Song – Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
• Jim Sikorski, tenor, Grace Tice, oboe

Instrumental Music

• Impromptu on “Adoro te Devote” – Rachel Laurin (b. 1961)
• Gabriel’s Oboe – Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)
• Quasi Allegro – César Franck (1822-1890)

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

• Hymn R5 God is here! (ABBOT’S LEIGH)
• Hymn 421 All glory be to God on high (ALLEIN GOTT IN DER HÖHE)
• Hymn 637 How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord (LYONS)
• Hymn From North and South (LASST UNS ERFREUEN)
• Hymn 68 Rejoice! rejoice, believers (LLANGLOFFAN)
• Psalm 50:1-8 – Tone IIa

Simple Song

My friend Jim Sikorski is coming to Kingwood to sing for us this Sunday. He is singing "A Simple Song" from Leonard Bernstein's Mass. (For some background on why the Jewish Bernstein would write a setting of the Catholic Mass, see my notes from an earlier column here.)

Jim has been in Houston for over 40 years, and during that time, he has sung with the Houston Grand Opera chorus, Theatre Under the Stars, and, and 43 consecutive seasons, he has sung the National Anthem for the Houston Astros. (You can imagine how I feel about that! Go, 'Stros!)

Gabriel's Oboe

Another friend of mine is coming to play oboe on "A Simple Song," so while here, I thought I would get Grace Tice to play one of my favorite oboe pieces, Gabriel's Oboe, originally written by the composer Ennio Morricone for the film "The Mission." The score for that movie was nominated for an Oscar, and Morricone recieved a Golden Globe for his music for that film.

Since it's appearance in 1986, this tune has become a standard of instrumental and vocal repertoire. Sarah Brightman, Il Divo, Yo Yo Ma, and a host of others have recorded it. Our handbell choir played an arrangement of it in May of 2018. I'm sure you remember.

Impromptu on Adoro te Devote

Today I am playing an organ piece by one of the hottest names in organ music from Canada, the talented organist and composer Rachel Laurin. After her studies at the Montreal Conservatory, she became Associate Organist of Raymond Daveluy at St-Joseph’s Oratory, Montreal (1986-2002), and from 2002 to 2006, she was Titular Organist at Notre Dame Cathedral, Ottawa. She now devotes herself to composition, recitals, master classes and lectures.

She has performed organ recitals in major cities in Canada, the United States, and Europe (including the University of House), and has made more than twelve recordings, including two CDs devoted to her own compositions. She has composed hundreds of works for various solo instruments, voice, instrumental ensembles, choir, and orchestra. In 2020, the American Guild of Organists granted her the AGO “Distinguished Composer Award” in recognition of her important contribution to the organ repertoire.

Quasi Allegro

Last week I talked about the French Composer Cesar Franck, his 200th birthday, and his collection call "L'Organiste." Today I play another piece from that collection for the closing voluntary.