Music for Sunday, June 25, 2017 + The Third Sunday after Pentecost

Vocal Music

• Let There Be Peace on Earth – Mark Hayes (b. 1953), arr., Bruce Bailey, soloist

Instrumental Music

• Chorale prelude on Herr Jesu Christ (hymn 3) – Gerald Near
• Chorale Prelude on Es ist das Heil (hymn 298)– Dietrich Buxtehude
• Postlude on St. Dunstan’s (hymn 564) – Gerald Near

Congregational Music (all hymns from the Hymnal 1982 with the exception of "I have decided," which is from Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African American Hymnal.)

• Hymn 524 - I love thy kingdom, Lord (ST. THOMAS (WILLIAMS))
• Hymn 296 - We know that Christ is raised and dies no more (ENGLEBERG)
• Hymn 679 - Surely it is God who saves me (THOMAS MERTON)
• Hymn 676 - There is a balm in Gilead (BALM IN GILEAD)
• Hymn - I have decided to follow Jesus (INDIAN FOLK MELODY)
• Hymn 530 - Spread, O Spread, thou mighty word (GOTT SEI DANK)
• Psalm 69:8-11, 18-20  - Salvum me fac (tone IVe)

This Sunday Bruce Bailey is singing the song Let There Be Peace On Earth, written in 1955 by the husband/wife team of Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller in 1955. It was initially written for the International Children's Choir of Long Beach, California, and is still their theme song.

Mark Hayes

This beautiful arrangement by the contemporary pianist Mark Hayes uses the updated lyrics which change the gender specific terms Father/He/Brother to gender neutral terms (where "father" is replaced with "creator", and "brother" is replaced with "family" or "each other"), The gender-neutral lyrics have been copyrighted by the original licensing agent of the song. 

You can read the lyrics and a brief history of the song by checking out the History of Hymns blog written by Michael Hawn, who just retired as professor of sacred music at Perkins School of Theology, SMU, in Dallas.

None of the tunes used in the organ voluntaries today are particularly well-known among our congregation. The communion voluntary uses a chorale melody associated (among Lutherans) with the text "Salvation now has come for all." In our hymnal it is used for the baptism hymn "All who believe and are baptized" (Hymn 298). The tune was written in the 16th century by Hans Leo Hassler. Since this chorale text focused on essential Lutheran theology (Man is saved by grace, not works), the tune was often used as the basis for both organ and choral works. 

Gerald Near

 2017 marks the 75th birthday of American composer Gerald Near, a composer with broad appeal to musicians in all liturgical denominations. With an extensive catalogue of compositions, he has added to the literature of organists, harpsichordists, and choirs. He is particularly adept at writing organ music based on hymn-tunes and chant-tunes. I play two such works today, beginning with a short chorale-based prelude on the tune found in our hymnal at #3. It is straight-forward; the melody is heard quite plainly in the right hand on a distinctive solo stop, without any ornamentation.

The closing voluntary begins with a fanfare, then a complete statement of the great hymn, "He Who Would Valiant Be," with a tune written by Charles Winfred Douglas.