Music for the Second Sunday of Easter: April 28, 2019

Pastor Sarah Locke

Pastor Daniel is on vacation this week so we welcome Pastor Sarah Locke to preach and preside. Pastor Sarah serves as the Lutheran-Episcopal Chaplain and campus pastor for Jacksonville Campus Ministry (JCM) at the University of North Florida. She also serves as the assisting priest at Redeemer Episcopal Church.

Prelude: Theme and Variations on “Now the Green Blade Rises” (Noël Nouvelet)

Wayne L. Wold (ELW 379)

The hymn bears an Easter text in our hymnal, but it actually dates from the 15^th century in France where it was a Christmas carol! Short and sweet is the order of the days for this set of variations that happily explores the organ’s palette with principals, strings, flutes, and reeds – ending with a trumpet tune.

Gathering Hymn: Christ Is Risen! Alleluia (Morgenlied) ELW 382

The first time I ever sang this hymn was March 23, 2008 when it was requested by a much-loved choir member, Margaret Walker.  I had never heard it, so I was surprised to learn that many in the choir were familiar with it.

Margaret Walker sang in the choir at St. Mark’s over 6 decades. In 2012 we celebrated the feast of her

Margaret in her usual place.

nativity with a special hymn sung to the tune Ein feste Burg. Margaret died in 2016.

We sing of Margaret on this day

and thank you that she leads us.

She sings, so we our voices raise,

led in a song most glorious.

Her natal star appears,

removing all our fears.

This be our one desire,

please set our hearts afire,

to sing like Margaret of the Choir!

Hymn of the Day: Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain (Gaudeamus pariter) ELW 363

Musical Offering (Festival Choir): Easter Carol Alfred V. Fedak

This is another French melody even older (13^th century) than Noël Nouvelet. The arranger pairs it with a text by Charles Wesley.

Communion Hymn: O Sons and Daughters, Let Us Sing (O filii et filiae) ELW 386

Some people might freak out a little when they see we are singing all nine stanzas – but they are all critical for the day. Stanzas 5-8 retell the story in the gospel reading. Since we are singing this during communion, we should have ample time to finish! I have written about cutting stanzas from hymns in an earlier blog post which you can read here: http://smljax.blogspot.com/search?q=making+the+cut

Sending Hymn: Thine Is the Glory (Judas Maccabeus) ELW 376

The tune’s first incarnation was in an oratorio, “Judas Maccabeus,” by George Frederic Handel. “See, the Conquering Hero Comes!” includes choir, organ, and orchestra. If you wonder how a piece of music translates from oratorio into hymnody, you can hear a performance of this piece as Handel first composed it at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM6nw8L5YnU

Postlude: Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands (Christ lag in Todesbanden) J. S. Bach (ELW 370)

This is the most Lutheran piece of music we will hear today! J. S. Bach’s chorale prelude on the Christ lag in Todesbanden comes from Orgelbüchlein, his collection of preludes on 46 tunes that span the liturgical year.

Sources:

Hymnal Companion: Evangelical Lutheran Worship

Wikipedia