Music for October 2, 2016 + The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Vocal Music

• For Everyone Born – Brian Mann, arr. Tom Trenney
• Locus Iste – Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)

Instrumental Music

• Benediction, Op. 33, No. 4B – Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933)
• Sarabande from Suite No 7 in G minor - HWV 432– George Friderick Handel (1685-1759)
• Allegro in G Major – Christian Heinrich Rinck (1770-1846)

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

• Hymn R49 - Let the whole creation cry (Llanfair)
• Hymn 704 - O thou who camest from above (Hereford)
• Hymn 424 - For the fruit of all creation (East Acklam)
• Hymn R173 - O Lord, hear my prayer (Jean Berthier)
• Hymn 551 - Rise up, ye saints of God! (Festal Song)
• Psalm 37 - Noli aemulari

I was asked to lead a reading session of new choral music for a meeting of Chorister's Guild last May, and one of the pieces was an anthem based on a new hymn in the recent Presbyterian hymnal, Glory to God. I immediately fell in love with it, because the beautiful, lilting melody was paired with a strong text about justice. The hymn, by noted New Zealand hymnwriter Shirley Erena Murray, affirms that God’s hospitality transcends the barriers erected by human society and that we who have been created in God’s image are called to live in ways that reflect our Creator’s values: justice and joy, compassion and peace.

For everyone born, a place at the table,
for everyone born, clean water and bread,
a shelter, a space, a safe place for growing,
for everyone born, a star overhead,

Refrain: and God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy, compassion and peace:
yes, God will delight when we are creators
of justice, justice and joy!

For woman and man, a place at the table,
revising the roles, deciding the share,
with wisdom and grace, dividing the power,
for woman and man, a system that’s fair, Refrain

For young and for old, a place at the table,
a voice to be heard, a part in the song,
the hands of a child in hands that are wrinkled,
for young and for old, the right to belong, Refrain

For everyone born, a place at the table,
to live without fear, and simply to be,
to work, to speak out, to witness and worship
for everyone born, the right to be free, Refrain

text: Shirley Erena Murray, © 1998 Hope Publishing Company

 I include the whole text because I think we, as Christians, need to be reminded of our duty to create peace. Martin Luther King said “True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.” Too often justice is seen as a liberal concept. It is not; it is a Christian concept.

The music is by a Mann named Brian (see what I did there?), of whom I know nothing about. Hard to believe in this day and age of instantaneous electronic information I couldn't find anything. But the arrangement, which is stunning, is by Tom Trenney, Minister of Music at First-Plymouth Church (United Church of Christ) in Lincoln, Nebraska.  There he directs four adult choirs, plays the organ,

Tom Trenney

preaches sermons, (the congregation is not ready for one of MY sermons) and directs a Concert Series. In 2006, Trenney became the first organist to be awarded First Prize and Audience Prize in the American Guild of Organists’ National Competition in Organ Improvisation. Since that time he has performed all across the continent. This coming year he will serve as choral clinician at Montreat Worship and Music, Lutheridge Worship and Music, the National Convocation of The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, and Atlanta’s midwinter Choristers Guild Festival.


His creative touch is heard in the second stanza about gender equality when he gets to the line "dividing the power."  The choir has been singing in unison, but when he gets to "dividing," he separates the men (tenors and basses) and the women (sopranos and altos) before dividing the two parts into four. Finally, the four parts come together again on a strong, fortissimo "system that's fair!"

J.C.H.Rinck

The postlude is by a composer who is new to me, but certainly not "new." Johann Christian Heinrich Rinck was a noted composer for organ in his day, but the sad fact is he came along after the time of Bach, and the glory of the instrument had begun to wane. He was a part of the Classical Period (roughly 1750-1825), which began to eschew the organ and harpsichord in favor of the piano. Think of it - none of the Big Names of the Classical period (Haydn, Mozart, Clementi, Beethoven or Schubert) wrote anything of merit for the organ, if at all. But churches still needed organist, and for the organ student of the time, Rinck was a big contributor with his 'Practical Organ School,' a standard work in six volumes  and numerous Chorale Preludes.