Music for August 28, 2016 + The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Rally Day

Vocal Music

• Bread of the World – Carlton Young, arr. (b. 1926)

Instrumental Music

• Gather Us In – arr. Donald M. Verkuilen III (21st C.)
• Let Us Break Bread Together - Charles Callahan (b. 1951)
• Shine, Jesus, Shine – David Blackwell, arr. (b. 1961)

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 R37 - Father we love you  (Glorify your name )

Hymn 598 - Lord Christ, when first thou cam’st to earth (Mit Freuden zart)

Hymn 376 - Joyful, joyful, we adore thee (Hymn to Joy)

Hymn R149 - I, the Lord of Sea and Sky (Here I am, Lord)

Hymn R206 - Holy, holy (Holy holy)

Hymn R247 - Lord, the light of your love is shining (Shine, Jesus, Shine)

Psalm 112 - Beatus vir (Tone V)

For our first Sunday back after three months vacation we are singing a simple setting of a Southern melody. The tune CHARLESTON was first found in The United States Sacred Harmony in 1799; it's become very popular in the last 40 years as the tune for the text "All who love and serve your city," as found at hymn 571 in our hymnal. But it is the text for the communion hymn "Bread of the world in mercy broken," (Hymn 301 in our book) that Carlton Young pairs with this tune. He treats the first stanza with choir in unison, but on the second stanza, the tonality changes to a minor mode and the tenors and basses sing together in unison. The trebles join for the second half and at the conclusion of the second (and final) stanza, he has the choir return to the first stanza in the original major key in canon.

Carlton R. (Sam) Young

Carlton Young has had more influence on what the United Methodist have sung in the last half century than probably anyone since John and Charles Wesley started the movement in the 18th century. He has had the unique distinction of serving as editor of two revisions of the Methodist hymnal: THE METHODIST HYMNAL, 1966; and THE UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL, 1989. Dr. Young, known to his friends as "Sam", has served on the church music faculties at three major United Methodist Schools: Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University; Scarritt College; and Candler School of Theology, Emory University. Known more for his scholarly efforts than for his compositions, he has, however, arranged or written many hymns and choral pieces. His harmonization of "What Wondrous Love is This" is used in the accompaniment edition of our hymnal.

Donald Verkuilen III

The organ voluntaries today are proof that hymnody is not a dying tradition. I present two organ voluntaries on hymns written since 1980. Gather Us In is found in the Renew hymnal in our pews, and is a rollicking gathering song for worship. Marty Haugen, the writer of both tune and text, is an American who is a member of the United Church of Christ. His hymn is now in over 25 hymnals worldwide. This toccata is by Donald Verkuilen, the organist-choir master at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and was chosen for inclusion in Bayoubuchlein, a collection of organ works based on contemporary hymns published by and for the 2016 National Convention of the American Guild of Organists which was held here in Houston this past May.

The closing voluntary is an organ arrangement of one of our church's favorites, Shine, Jesus, Shine. It is arranged by the English organist and composer David Blackwell. He studied music at Edinburgh University, Scotland, and then pursued a career in music publishing, finishing his career as Head of Music Publishing at Oxford University Press. He now works as a freelancer composer, editor, and journalist.