Music for February 25, 2016 + The Second Sunday of Lent

Vocal Music

• Take Up Your Cross – Richard Corp (b. 1951)
• Mass for Three Voices – William Byrd (1539/40?-1623)

Instrumental Music

• Suite Breve: Cantilène – Jean Langlais
• Suite Breve: Plainte – Jean Langlais

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

• Hymn 142 - Lord, who throughout these forty days (ST. FLAVIAN)
• Hymn 675 - Take up your cross, the Savior said (BOURBON)
• Hymn 707 - Take my life, and let it be (HOLLINGSIDE)
• Hymn R217 - You satisfy the hungry heart (GIFT OF FINEST WHEAT)
• Hymn 401 - The God of Abraham praise (LEONI)
• Psalm 22:22-30 Tone IIa

This Sunday the choir will sing parts of the Mass for Three Voices by William Byrd at the 10:15 Service.

The greatest English Renaissance composer and one of the finest English composers of all times, William Byrd was born in London around 1540. Not much is known of Byrd’s early life. Two of his older brothers were listed as choristers at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, but there is no listing for young William. Scholars surmise that he was a boy chorister in the Chapel Royal, the choir of the royal family, although his name does not appear on any list of members. He studied with Thomas Tallis, the father of the English anthem, and composer John Sheppard. Scholars also believe that after his voice changed, Byrd remained with the Chapel Royal as assistant organist and choir trainer for the boy choristers.

A faithful Catholic, Byrd experienced both musically and personally the effects of the tremendous religious upheavals in 16th and 17th century England. Byrd lived under the reigns of five monarchs:

1. Henry VIII (1491-1547), a Catholic until his 1530’s differences with the Pope over his marriage; 
2. Edward VI (1537-1553), a Protestant; 
3. Mary Tudor (1516-1558), a Catholic; 
4. Elizabeth I (1533-1603), who steered a middle course between Protestantism and Catholicism
5. James I, a Protestant (1603-1625). 

With the accession of each monarch came a change in procedures and practices, greatly affecting the style, content and language of the music that was performed.

His tenure under Elizabeth I was a fruitful one. Although Byrd was a Catholic, Elizabeth esteemed his music highly, most probably saving him from the severe persecution that befell other Catholics.  He composed an anthem, Look and bow down, set to Elizabeth’s words. He wrote an anthem honoring the 20th anniversary of her accession to the throne, and he wrote the first known madrigal in her praise, This sweet and merry month of May.  It was during this time that he wrote three Latin masses which are among his most popular works—the Mass for Three Voices (1593-1594), the Mass for Four Voices (1592-1593), and the Mass for Five Voices (1595). The were probably written for the private Catholic services that were held in secret, meant not to be sung by a choir, but by solo voices, as the homes where the recusant Catholics met would not have room for an entire choir.

The anthem this Sunday is by the contemporary English composer and conductor Ronald Corp. He is founder and Artistic Director of the New London Orchestra and the New London Children's Choir. Corp is Musical Director of the London Chorus, a position he took up in 1994, and is also Musical Director of the Highgate Choral Society. Born and raised in Wells, Somerset, Corp studied music at Oxford University. Ronald Corp was awarded an OBE for services to music in the Queen’s 2012 New Year Honours

The text is perfect for this Sunday, as it is references the Gospel Reading:  “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." The middle section comes from Psalm 51.

The organ music comes from the Suite Brève by Jean Langlais. Born in great poverty in rural Northwest France, he was blind by age two, and his musical talent became evident when he sang in the choir of the local church. At ten he was sent to the National Institute for Blind Children in Paris, where he began to study the organ. From there, he progressed to the Paris Conservatoire, obtaining prizes in organ and composition. By 1945 he was organist at one of Paris's great churches, St. Clotilde. It was here that he wrote today's voluntaries in 1947.

The communion voluntary, the lyrical "Cantilene," is based on an original modal theme heard on a reed stop in the pedal and accompanied by soft chords., which reinforce the modal character (neither Major nor Minor key) of the melody. The next section plays of the melody canonically between high and low registers, simultaneously using the two melodies in the pedal. The third section has the melody once again in the pedal, but with an add flute obbligato in the treble register. It's not easy. Pray for the organist.

The opening voluntary is the piece that follows "Cantilene" in the suite. Titled "Plainte," it sounds like just what it is, a "lamentation," an expression of sorrow. It is dark and moody, and fitting for the season of Lent.