Music for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost: June 28, 2020

Opening Voluntary to Jordan Came the Christ, Our Lord

(Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam)

Martin Luther’s baptism hymn was in Lutheran Book of Worship but does not appear in Evangelical Lutheran Worship. The hymn was written as a complement to Luther’s teachings on baptism in his Catechisms.

The voluntary opens with a chorale prelude setting (a fughetta) by Friedrich Wilhelm Zachau (1663-1712) which is followed by a sung stanza in a standard setting. This is followed by a vocal 2-part setting with syncopated counterpoint, and finally a fourth stanza that adds the organ’s oboe stop to the voices for a triumphant finish.

Thank you to Jane Kilby and Cindy Harkrider for singing this morning!

Fountain at Palms Presbyterian Church
Jacksonville Beach, FL

Gathering Hymn Baptized and Set Free (Duke Street)

ELW 453

It would be easy to call this a contemporary hymn and stop there, but it actually has the feel of a folk hymn. We Lutherans love our Bach chorales and hymn fantasias, but we also love to sing with guitars around a campfire – and that’s what this song reminded us of as we gathered to prepare the hymns for our pre-recorded worship service. In fact, after singing it we broke into a rousing rendition of “Pass It On.”

But this hymn is also suitable for Sunday morning worship as it reminds us of the importance of water in both our physical and spiritual lives - naming Jesus as the one who frees us, the Holy Spirit as the one who gives us life, and God as the one who fulfills all of our needs.

Hymn of the Day Be Thou My Vision (Slane)

ELW 793

Sending Hymn God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens (Holy Manna)

ELW 771

This tune probably comes from many sources, but William Moore is credited with the version we know today. It first appeared in 1825, published in Cincinnati in a collection titled Columbian Harmony. Holy Manna, with the text Brethren, We Have Met to Worship, has opened the Big Singing in Benton, Kentucky for more than 100 years.

 

My youngest brother, André Cruz, is an amateur astronomer and a photographer. He took this photo last January.

Closing Voluntary Holy Manna

setting, John Carter

John Carter’s piano arrangements run a full range of styles. Here the hymn we just sang is given a distinctly American feel. In fact, the word “hoedown” comes to mind. It’s one of my favorites!

sources: 
Hymnal Companion to the Lutheran Book of Worship, Marilly Kay Stulken
Hymnal Companion: Evangelical Lutheran Worship

Music for the Third Sunday after Pentecost: June 21, 2020

Opening Voluntary The Summons – Will You Come and Follow Me

(Kelvingrove) setting, Charles Callahan

Jesus’ charge to his disciples in today’s gospel reading is a troubling one. We find echoes of it in this text by John L. Bell – “Will you risk the hostile stare, should your life attract or scare?” In the hymn (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 798), the singer resolves to follow Jesus, to travel in his company, and to move, live, and grow in him.  May we all do the same.

The hymntune, Kelvingrove, has its roots in Scotland and we usually sing it with a Celtic lilt – a contrast to the reflective setting we hear today.

Gathering Hymn Give to Our God Immortal Praise (Duke Street)

ELW 848

Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) is probably the most famous writer of early English hymns. He has 10 text in ELW, compared to 19 by Martin Luther. (For comparison, The Hymnal 1982 – the hymnal of the Episcopal Church) has 17 hymns by Watts and 9 by Luther.)

The tune, Duke Street, is also English and named after a street in Lancashire where the composer, John Hatton (d. 1793), lived. You can find this street on Google Maps! Enter “Duke Street, Lancashire, UK.)

Psalm Refrain Let Us Break Bread Together (Break Bread Together)

ELW 471

I don’t normally comment on the psalm but do so here to say that today’s refrain is pulled from one of the best known African American hymns. Its history is uncertain, and the author’s name has long been lost. It ends with, “Lord, have mercy on me” – a cry that is as familiar to the psalmist as it is to all of us.

Hymn of the Day How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord

ELW 580

Pastor H. Alfred Weltzin
1915-2001

We are singing the text from ELW, but the tune is Weltzin, written by me and named for the pastor who confirmed me at Bad Axe Lutheran Church in rural Wisconsin. You can read more about my growing up years at Bad Axe in this post: http://smljax.blogspot.com/2019/06/what-kind-of-lutheran-am-i.html

Sending Hymn How Firm a Foundation (Foundation)

ELW 796

 Closing Voluntary Chorale Prelude and Chorale on Es ist das Heil

Gerhard Krapf (1924-2008), Etlich christlich Lieder, Wittenberg, 1524

Krapf came to America in 1953. His life before then includes being drafted in the German military in 1942, then being captured by the Russians in 1945. He taught organ at the University of Iowa and the University of Alberta. Read a more detailed biography here: https://www.lorenz.com/more-information/meet-our-composers/composers?itemId=Composer:238

I love his organ works because they always take surprising harmonic and rhythmic turns.

Sources:
Isaac Watts portrait: Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=308062

Evangelical Lutheran Worship

The Hymnal 1982

Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship

Music for the Second Sunday after Pentecost: June 14, 2020

During this time of a pandemic, our services are being premiered on our YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkaDHCDK26DaOTqxX21qiXA

A service bulletin is available on our website at www.stmarksjax.org.

Opening Voluntary Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ
(I Trust, O Christ, in You Alone)

Lutheran Book of Worship 395

Geystliche Lieder, published in 1545, is known as the finest hymnal of the Reformation period. The volume includes many hymns by Martin Luther – who also wrote the preface.

Also included is this hymn whose tune first appears around the same time. Like many hymns of that era, the composer’s name is lost to history and the authorship of the text is questionable.

Still, we can consider it as one of the first Lutheran hymns.

Its selection was inspired by today’s reading from the Hebrew Scriptures, a story of Abraham and Sarah receiving the promise of a son. Famously, Sarah laughs. God still fulfills the promise and we know that we can also rely on God’s promises. As the first stanza of Allein zu dir concludes, “I trust, O Lord, your promise true.”

The prelude presents this hymn in three ways: first the organ plays the chorale with the melody heard clearly in a solo voice; second, the hymn is sung with its English translation, third as a chorale prelude by Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706).

Gathering Hymn We All Are One in Mission (Kuortane)

ELW 576

Rusty Edwards is a retired Lutheran pastor and a prolific hymnwriter. This hymn pairs one of his texts with a tune from Kuortane, a province of Finland. Five hymns by Rusty Edwards appear in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.

Hymn of the Day In Christ Called to Baptize (St. Denio)

ELW 575

Sending Hymn God Is Love, Adored by Heaven (Blaenwern)

Timothy Rees (1874-1939) was Bishop of Llandaff, located in Wales. We recently sang his text Holy Spirit, Ever Dwelling. (ELW 582) God Is Love is paired with the Welsh tune Blaenwern.

The text has been altered to use expansive language for God and inclusive language for humankind.

Closing Voluntary Fanfare and Trumpet Voluntary David Lasky

Our organ’s festival trumpet is featured in this postlude.

Sources:

https://books.google.com/books?id=v5Oz7vPCQXoC&pg=PA284&lpg=PA284&dq=what+is+geystliche+lieder&source=bl&ots=sn0dUWv9hJ&sig=ACfU3U3nDmDiEi8Mh8xfz3nbywPI4q3jrg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjI4ZuS7vfpAhVpQTABHbEyDtAQ6AEwCXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=what%20is%20geystliche%20lieder&f=false

Hymnal Companion to the Lutheran Book of Worship

A Lesson for Today from St. Cecilia

Have you ever known someone who was hired to do a job for which they were completely unqualified?

How St. Cecilia Got Her Job

Such is the case with the patron saint of musicians, a young woman named Cecilia who was born in the second century. 

There are different versions of the story, but most agree that she was born into a noble Roman family and became a Christian, desiring to maintain her virginity until the day she died.  This didn’t stop her parents from arranging her marriage to Valerian, a pagan man.

As it turns out, they married and she converted him to Christianity. Then they were both martyred.

As far as we know, she didn’t play an instrument and was not a gifted singer. There is this:

            But bright Cecilia raised the wonder higher;

                        When to her organ, vocal breath was given,

            An angel heard, and straight appeared,

                        Mistaking earth for Heaven.                     John Dryden, 1687

Most people think John Dryden just made that up, but isn’t that a poet’s prerogative?

So how did St. Cecilia come to be the patron saint of musicians, with thousands of choirs named after her?

As her wedding ceremony began (like thousands of women being forced into a marriage she didn’t choose), Cecilia sang in her heart to God.

What Does Cecilia Have to Teach the Church Today?

In this time of Covid-19, many are concerned about what music will be like when we once again gather in our churches. Singing is an important part of worship. For Lutherans, assembly song is the primary vehicle of praise when we gather on Sunday morning – and just about any other time!

For some of us there will be no singing or music of any kind.  For others, soloists will sing the hymns. In some places, a pianist or organist might play a voluntary.

This is where we can take our cue from blessed Cecilia. We too can sing in our hearts to God.

When the organ swells, open the text and sing in your heart to God.

When a soloist opens her mouth to sing “Amazing Grace,” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” or some other beloved hymn you know really well, sing in your heart to God.

While a guitar accompanies a melody played on the flute, sing in your heart to God.

As you gather with your community of siblings in Christ, sing in your heart to God.

This Is Not the End

Know this. We will not only sing in our hearts forever. Eventually the choirs will gather, the hymnals will come out, brass instruments will pierce the silence and we’ll lift our voices, together singing praise to God who reigns above – and it will be a foretaste of that day when we gather around the throne, joined with the angel throng, to sing, “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!”

What are the hymns you are really looking forward to singing? Please comment below!

Note: Cecilia’s day does not appear on the ELCA calendar of lesser festivals and commemorations, but other Christians observe her feast day on November 22^nd.

Paintings from Wikipedia
Credits in order:

By Raphael - Photo of art work made by Paul HermansDate: picture taken on 2012-04-26, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19285261

By Carlo Saraceni - Web Gallery of Art:   Image  Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15397726

By Orazio Gentileschi - scan of painting, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6516217