Music for March 31, 2019 + The Fourth Sunday in Lent

Vocal Music

• Just as I Am – Richard DeLong (1951-1994)

Instrumental Music

• Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir – Johann Pachelbel
• Prelude in E Minor – Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

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

• Hymn 690 - Guide me, O thou great Jehovah (CWM RHONDDA)
• Hymn R90 - Spirit of the living God (IVERSON)
• Hymn 686 - Come, thou fount of every blessing (NETTLETON)
• Hymn - Deep River, my home is over Jordan (NEGRO SPIRITUAL)
• Hymn R147 - Softly and Tenderly (THOMPSON)
• Hymn 411 - O bless the Lord, my soul! (ST. THOMAS(WILLIAMS))
• Psalm 32 – Psalm tone IIa

"Every head bowed, every eye closed."

If you grew up anywhere near the "Bible Belt" or every attended a revival in a Baptist Church (read "evangelistic meeting"), you've heard this term, offered at the end of the altar call, while the preacher or evangelist encouraged those with deep, dark sins to repent and give their life to the Lord. He often would ask the choir to sing (yet another) stanza of the quintessential invitational hymn, Just as I am. That hymn was used so much by so many song leaders that many recovering evangelicals have grown to hate that hymn.

Richard DeLong

Yet the text itself is a strong witness to the grace of God, who loves us and welcomes us just as we are. The text, when removed from its familiar tune "Woodworth," takes on a new strength and hope. That is just what happens with this Sunday's anthem, set to a new melody by the late Dallas composer Richard DeLong. DeLong, originally from Ohio, received the degree of Bachelor of Music from Ashland College and the degrees of Master of Music and Master of Sacred Music from Southern Methodist University. His teachers included Robert Anderson, Larry Palmer, Lloyd Pfautsch, Roger Deschner, and Carlton Young.

When I first met Dick he was director of music at East Dallas Christian Church, where he had transformed a rather pedestrian choir into a stellar choral group. Later he served as Director of Music for St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plano, Texas where his choir had been chosen to perform dozens of world premiere performances. DeLong was very active at the national level with both the American Guild of Organists and the American Choral Directors Association.

The Opening voluntary is the second of two settings of the German chorale, Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir. The text is a metrical setting of Psalm 130. (Out of the depths have I called unto thee).

The communion voluntary is an unusual choice for church, as it is by Frédéric Chopin, a well known composer, but one who did not write any religious music. The Prelude in E Minor is from his Opus 28, written when he was around 28 years old. The prelude is one of the composer's saddest works, with its slow melody that hovers around one note while the accompaniment slowly pulses along. By Chopin's request, this piece was played at his own funeral,