Music for the First Sunday in Lent: March 1, 2020

Opening Voluntary Four Variations on The Glory of These Forty Days

(Erhalt uns, Herr) setting, Jacob B. Weber

Think of today’s prelude as a preview of the Gathering Hymn. Paul Westermeyer, one of the leading experts on Lutheran hymnody calls Erhalt uns, Herr one of our “sturdies and most durable” tunes – and he’s right! Bold registrations signal our readiness for the Lenten journey – the third variation is even marked “March-like.”

Gathering Hymn The Glory of These Forty Days (Erhalt uns, Herr)

Looking for a community to walk with you on the Lenten journey?
Look for a cross draped with a purple cloth. You are welcome
at St. Mark's!

Evangelical Lutheran Worship 320

We don’t often hear of people fasting during the Lenten season, but if you are looking for examples to model your fast on, there are several here – first Jesus himself, then Moses, Elijah, and Daniel.

We don’t know who authored the text of this hymn, but Christians have been singing since at least the 11^th century.

Hymn of the Day A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Ein feste Burg)

ELW 505

If you’ve been waiting for the chance to sing this favorite hymn in the isometric pattern, then you don’t want to miss church this Sunday! We also sing the rhythmic version at St. Mark’s which is closer to the version that Martin Luther wrote. The move from the rhythmic version to the isometric one took a couple of centuries – and Lutheran chorales weren’t the only victims, it also happened to psalm tunes from the Calvinist tradition.

Many people like to call the version that we sing today the “traditional version,” but it’s a fact that it doesn’t show up in print until 200 years after the Reformation began.

This video shows the difference between the two. First hear the rhythmic version, melody only, played by a solo trumpet. Second, hear the four-part version played on the organ’s principal stops. Incidentally, the trumpet you hear is the one from the original 1984 Zimmer organ, a gift to St. Mark’s by Lydia Kreuger.

Musical Offering (sung by the Festival Choir) Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days

Linda Cable Schute

The composer borrowed an English folk tune (The Turtle Dove) and paired it with a text by Claudia Frances Hernaman (1838-1898), author of more than 150 hymns, many of which she wrote for children. “The Turtle Dove” gives her composition the feel of a traditional hymn. The second verse features tenors and basses singing the melody while the sopranos and altos provide a gentle counter melody. Like much of the music in today’s service, the concluding statement asks Jesus to “abide with us” as we journey through the season of Lent.

Communion Hymns

I Want Jesus to Walk with Me (Sojourner) ELW 325

Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song (Les Petites Soeurs) ELW 808

Sending Hymn Praise and Thanks and Adoration (Freu dich sehr)

ELW 783

Closing Voluntary A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Ein feste Burg)

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)

The Windows at St. Mark’s

The top graphic and the video show some of the stained-glass windows from St. Mark’s. Our windows came from Nobis Studios in Oakland, Florida. They are made in the “faceted-glass” style which dates to the Middle Ages when chunks of glass were embedded in cement. The materials have changed, but the beauty of the original style has been retained.

Do you like to sing?
New voices are always welcome in the Festival Choir! Each Sunday we lead the hymns and sung portions of the liturgy in addition to preparing a special musical offering. For more information, contact Tony Cruz or any choir member.

Sources: Wikipedia
Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship edited by Paul Westermeyer, published by Augsburg Fortress

Music for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany: February 9, 2020

Opening Voluntary Beach Spring Evangelical Lutheran Worship 712

Setting, Wayne L. Wold

In today’s Prayer of the Day we ask, 

“. . .by your Spirit show us the things we ought to do, and give us the grace and power to do them. . .” A similar sentiment is echoed in Albert Bayly’s “Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service.” God’s love makes us aware of the needs of others, “stirring us to ardent service.” How do we come to this stirring? We come to it by worship that sends us out in God’s name.

Albert Bayly (1901-1984) was an English Congregationalist minister. “Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service” was the conference hymn for the Second National Conference on the Churches and Social Welfare, held in Cleveland, in 1961.

Gathering Hymn Lord of Light (Abbot’s Leigh)

ELW 688

John Newton’s hymn “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken” was long sung with a hymntune named Austria; however, that tune fell out of favor when it came to be associated with the Nazis. This tune, by Cyril V. Taylor (1907-1991) was written as an alternative in the village of Abbot’s Leigh, in England.

Hymn of the Day Gather Us In (Gather Us In)

ELW 532

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth. . .” In stanza three, Marty Haugen’s hymn affirms our call to be the salt of the earth. It’s an odd and varied mix of people called for this task - the lost, forsaken, blind, lame – just the kind of people that some might prefer to exclude from a kingdom. The hymn reminds us that God’s kingdom is for the here and now.

It has been 14 years since we dedicated ELW with the sculpture.
Photo by Bill Daugherty

Musical Offering Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun setting, Nancy K. Raabe

Sung by the Festival Choir
You’ll recognize this tune right away as Tallis Canon, generally a hymn sung in the evening with the text, “All praise to thee, my God, this night.” Nancy Raabe has cleverly turned it into a tune equally at home in the morning.

Nancy Raabe is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Marshall, Wisconsin.

Communion Hymns

Light Shone in Darkness (Lux in tenebris) ELW 307

Mark Sedio, Cantor at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, is one of my favorite composers of modern church music and he wrote this tune (according to Paul Westermeyer) with a Gaelic sea chanty in mind – and it works. Don’t believe me? Follow this link to the opening scene of Les Miserables. Turn down the volume, and sing Lux in tenebris with a driving rhythm. It fits!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyqURSNx-KY

We Are Called (We Are Called) ELW 720

Sending Hymn Rise, Shine, You People (Wojtkiewiecz)

ELW 665

Closing Voluntary Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (Lobe den Herren)

setting, Paul Manz
See the text and tune at ELW 858

Do you love to sing, especially in service to the gospel of Jesus Christ and his church? New voices are always welcome in the Festival Choir. Please help us lead the church’s song at St. Mark’s! Contact Tony Cruz or any choir member for more information.

sources:
Wikipedia
Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Paul Westermeyer, Augsburg Fortress

Music for Presentation of Our Lord: February 2, 2020

Opening Voluntary Change Ring Prelude on “Divinum Mysterium”

St. Mark’s Ringers
Setting, Fred Gramman

Gathering Hymn Let All Together Praise Our God (Lobt Gott, ihr Christen)

ELW 287

Hymn of the Day In His Temple, Now Behold Him (Regent Square)

ELW 417

Musical Offering Song of Simeon Orlando Lassus, arr. Mark Schweizer

Sung by the Festival Choir

Communion Hymn

Of the Father’s Love Begotten (Divinum Mysterium) ELW 295

Communion Voluntary

Divinum Mysterium setting, Wilbur Held

Sending Hymn O Lord, Now Let Your Servant (Kuortane)

Setting, Mark Sedio

Do you love to sing, especially in service to the gospel of Jesus Christ and his church? New voices are always welcome in the Festival Choir. Please help us lead the church’s song at St. Mark’s! Contact Tony Cruz or any choir member for more information.

Illumination artwork credit: By Unknown - National Library of Wales, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44768050