Music for December 13, 2020 + The Third Sunday of Advent

Vocal Music

• Hark! A Herald Voice is Sounding – Roger Price (b. 1955)
• You Are Mine – David Haas (b. 1957)
• Camryn Creech, soprano, Harrison Boyd, baritone.

Instrumental Music

• Magnificat – Joseph Bonnet (1884-1944)
• Prelude on “Winchester New” – Malcolm Archer (b.1952)
• Chaconne – Louis Couperin (c. 1626-1661), transcribed for organ by Joseph Bonnet

The Canticle for this Sunday is Luke 1:46-55, known as The Magnificat, or "Song of Mary". It derives its name from the initial words of the Latin text, Magnificat anima mea Dominum. It was first spoken by Mary on the occasion of her visit to her cousin Elizabeth after the Annunciation. The western church has included it as the canticle at vespers at least since the 6th century, and it continues to be used so today.

Over the centuries all the great composers have supplied choral settings from the simple to the most elaborate. Our opening voluntary this week is The Magnificat by the French organist Joseph Bonnet, written for organ alone based on a theme in the fourth mode which resembles Psalm tone 4. I will perform it according to the ancient practice of alternation, whereby the odd-numbered verses are chanted by a cantor, and the even verses are played on the organ. It was first presented in that fashion for the chanting of the Magnificat by the choir of Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago in the early 20th century during the tenure of Frederick Marriott as Chapel organist.

A student of Alexandre Guilmant, Bonnet served for 22 years as the organist of St Eustache, Paris. He extensively toured Europe and America as a concert organist. His organ compositions were very popular, and his six-volume Historical Organ Recitals, surveying centuries of organ music, was one of American organists’ sources of great music for several generations. It was in that collection that he published his arrangement of Louis Couperin’s Chaconne in G Minor. 

In his notes on the music, Bonnet wrote that the 1658 manuscript of the Chaconne was in the Bibliothè nationale in Paris, but he failed to mention that the manuscript was for harpsichord, not organ. Nevertheless, he treats it as a French-Classic Grand Chœur, beginning and ending on full organ, with three couplets, or interludes, played on a quieter sound.

Two duets will be sung by two of our college students home for Christmas. Harrison Boyd and Camryn Creech will sing the hymn Hark, a Thrilling Voice Is Sounding, set to an old Sacred Heart tune by Roger Price, Professor of Music at The University of Tulsa, and You Are Mine, a hymn by Catholic Composer David Haas.