Music for April 15, 2018 + The Third Sunday of Easter

Vocal Music 

• Come, Ye Faithful – Reginald. S. Thatcher (1888-1957)

Instrumental Music 

• Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands – Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780)
• Deck Thyself, My Soul, With Gladness – Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg (1718-1795) 
• Let Heaven and Earth Rejoice – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

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

• Hymn 182 - Christ is alive! Let Christians sing (TRURO) 
• Hymn 417 - This is the feast of victory (FESTIVAL CANTICLE)) 
• Hymn 193 - That Easter day with joy was bright (PUER NOBIS) 
• Hymn R18 - Come, let us with our Lord arise (SUSSEX CAROL) 
• Hymn 295 - Sing praise to our creator (CHRISTUS, DER IST MEIN LEBEN) 
• Hymn 325 - Let us break bread together (LET US BREAK BREAD) 
• Hymn 180 - He is risen, he is risen (Unser Herrscher) 
• Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9 - Jeff Ostrowsk 

Do you ever watch the late night talk shows, and find that, while their conversations are vaguely current, it's like they are a couple of weeks behind the times? Then you click on the information button on the screen and find that, sure enough, this is The Tonight Show from a month earlier. Sometimes the networks repeat a recent program that was really good but may have missed a larger audience.

That's what's going on today.

Most of the choral and instrumental music you are hearing today got their first exposure at our Easter Vigil, a wonderful service that (unfortunately) many of you missed. (We'll work on that next year, right?)

The anthem is the best known work of  English composer Reginald S. Thatcher. Born in Salisbury, Thatcher received his education at the Royal College of Music and at Worcester College, Oxford, England. His career consisted of a series of music school appointments, including director of music at Harrow Public School, the Royal Naval College and principal of the Royal Academy of Music. From 1954 to 1960 Thatcher was president of the Royal College of Organists. He also served on the editorial committee of The BBC Hymn Book (1951). In 1952 Thatcher was knighted for his contribution to British music and Culture.

He also has one hymn-tune in the Hymnal 1982, which is used for  39. Jesus, Redeemer of the world and 394. Creating God, your fingers trace.

Supper at Emmaus, Caravaggio,1601,
Oil on canvas, National Gallery, London

The text for the anthem is by Eighth-century Greek poet John of Damascus. Written around 750 and inspired by the Song of Moses in Exodus 15, this text is from John's poem for the Sunday after Easter.

John's father, a Christian, was an important official at the court of the Muslim caliph in Damascus. After his father's death, John assumed that position and lived in wealth and honor. At about the age of forty, however, he became dissatisfied with his life, gave away his possessions, freed his slaves, and entered the monastery of St. Sabas in the desert near Jerusalem. One of the last of the Greek fathers, John became a great theologian in the Eastern church. He defended the church's use of icons, codified the practices of Byzantine chant, and wrote about science, philosophy, and theology.