Music for June 11, 2023

Instrumental Music

• All Glory Be to God on High – James Coe (b. 1953)
• Jesu, Meine Freude – Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow (1663-1712)
• Postlude on “Hymn to Joy” – Gordon Young (1919-1998)

Congregational Music (all hymns from The Hymnal 1982.)

• Hymn 493 O for a thousand tongues to sing (AZMON)
• Hymn 421 All glory be to God on high (ALLEIN GOTT IN DER HŐH)
• Hymn 558 Faith of our Fathers (ST. CATHERINE)
• Hymn 535 Ye servants of God (PADERBORN)
• Hymn 686 Come, thou fount of every blessing (NETTLETON)
• Hymn 376 Joyful, joyful, we adore thee (Hymn to Joy)
• Psalm 55 – Tone VIIIa

The choir is off for the summer.

All Glory be to God on High

The opening voluntary is another set of variations on the chorale  Allein Gott in der Hoh, which we are using as our hymn of praise (hymn 421) during June. As I told you last week, the hymn "Allein Gott" is the metrical setting of the Gloria, so it's use as the hymn of praise is entirely appropriate.

This set of variations is in four sections. The first movement is the straight-forward chorale, not unlike a four-part hymn setting. The second movement hovers around the notes of the chorale, giving you an impression of the hymn-tune without actually playing it. The third movement is in canon. You'll hear the melody in the top line (the soprano voice) then one measure later in the tenor line. The final movement has the melody in the alto line with the soprano line playing a dance-like counter melody, while the left hand employs a leaping bass line to propel the chorale forward.

These variations have been composed by Florida composer James Coe, who retired as organist/director of music at St. Luke's Lutheran Church and School, Oviedo, Florida after 46 years of service.

Jesu, Meine Freude

F. W. Zachow

The offertory and communion music come from another set of variations on a German Chorale, but this time by a baroque German organist, Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow. Zachow was the organist of Liebfrauenkirche in Halle an der Saale, Germany, when a young boy, just under the age of seven, was brought to him for instruction in music. That boy was George Frederick Handel, and there can be no doubt that Zachow took great interest in his pupil, who, a biographer of Handel tells us, "pleased him so much that he never thought he could do enough for him."

 Handel always spoke of his old master with the deepest respect; visited him at Halle for the last time in 1710; and after his death sent frequent remittances' to Zachow's widow.

Jesu, Meine Freude is the tune for hymn 701 in our hymnal, "Jesus, all my gladness." The tune was written in 1750 by Johann Cruger for the text by Johann Franck. The text addresses Jesus as joy and support, versus enemies and the vanity of existence. 

Postlude on "Hymn to Joy"

Beethoven's hymn tune from the last movement of his last symphony is the basis of this grand postlude. It is a work I have been playing since I was a junior in high school. (Since I am retiring this summer, you can do the math.) It's not terribly difficult, and isn't complicated music to listen to, which is precisely why I think brides have been quick to choose this as a processional for their weddings. 

Gordon Young was the organist at First Presbyterian Church, Detroit, for many years while publishing many choir anthems and volumes of organ music which were tasteful, usable and popular with Protestant churches to this very day. We have sung his anthems at Good Shepherd.

In this setting of the famous hymn, he uses a "blue" note in the familiar melody, which I was always quick to point out to brides choosing music that it was NOT a wrong note, and I was playing it correctly. See if you can hear it in the first iteration of the tune.