Music for January 6, 2019 Epiphany of Our Lord

Prelude: Chorale Prelude on Wie schön leuchtet    Paul Manz

Paul Manz (1919-2009) is highly regarded by modern Lutherans for his organ and choral compositions. He is also credited with originating the modern hymn festival.

This composition is based on the same tune as our Hymn of the Day. It utilizes the organ’s softer flute sounds and (hopefully) will sound like sparkling stars.

Gathering Hymn: Brightest and Best of the Stars (Morning Star) ELW 303

“We Three Kings” will be sung in many churches today. In that “carol” each mythical king tells the nature of the gifts he brings. I chose “Brightest and Best” because it puts the focus on the gifts we might bring, especially our worship and prayers.

Hymn of the Day: O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright (Wie schön leuchtet) ELW 308

Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608)
Lutheran Minister and author
of the Hymn of the Day

It would be hard to find a hymn more “Lutheran” than this one. It is so ingrained in Lutheran liturgy that it has earned a nickname – “Queen of the Lutheran Chorales.” (The “King” is Wachet auf.)

This chorale’s most notable characteristic is its rhythmic dance quality – a quality it holds despite irregular metre and rhyming scheme.  If you center the text on page by the rhyme scheme, using either German or English, the words form the outline of a communion chalice.

Musical Offering: What Star Is This with Beams so Bright     arr. Healey Willan

sung by the Festival Choir

Communion Hymns:

Once in Royal David’s City (Irby) ELW 269
What Child Is This (Greensleeves) ELW 296

Sending Hymn: As With Gladness Men of Old (Dix) ELW 302

Postlude: Love Has Come (Un Flambeau)

Un Flambeau is a French Christmas carol sung with the words, “Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella. . .” See ELW 292 for a modern text by Ken Bible that speaks of light and love.