Thursday, June 10, 2021

Music for the Third Sunday after Pentecost: June 13, 2021


 

OPENING VOLUNTARY Morning Has Broken (Bunessan)

setting, Franklin D. Ashdown

There is a morning from my childhood on a farm in Wisconsin that I will always remember. I had gotten up early on a late spring morning and walked out behind our barn. I walked through the tall, wet grass and sat on the branch of a tree that had fallen many years before.


I listened to the birds and their cacophony of competing songs. I watched them fly back and forth across the meadow and into the forest. I listened more carefully and realized that I could hear even more birds, softer songs hidden under the louder ones.

A morning in Wisconsin, not far from the field I sat in.

 

Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965), a London writer, wrote this hymn for a morning just like the one I’ve described – and for every other morning, for this was a commissioned text “. . . on the theme of Thanksgiving for each day as it comes. . .”

 

GATHERING HYMN All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name (Coronation) ELW 634

One of the interesting things about this hymn is that it has two authors: Edward Perronet (1729-1792) and John Rippon (1751-1836).

 

Perronet was a French Huguenot who escaped France and settled in England where he eventually became a Methodist minister. After a falling out with the famous Wesleys, he became the Pastor of a Congregational Church near Canterbury.

For Caroline, near Jacksonville, was settled by French Huguenots in 1564. The settlement was destroyed by the Spanish army from St. Augustine. Most of the Huguenots died here or at the famous massacre at Matanzas Bay near St. Augustine. Fort Caroline's exact location is not known.
 

Rippon was one of the most influential Baptist preachers of his generation and was the Pastor of Carter Lane Baptist Church (London) for 63 years.

 

PSALM 20

Not only is there an appointed psalm for each Sunday, but there is also a suggested refrain, in this case The Lord gives victory to the anointed one.

We could have sung a published refrain, but I decided to have a little fun. Focusing on the word victory, I decided to fashion a refrain out of the Easter hymntune Victory to which we normally sing The Strife is O’er, the Battle Done.

 

The refrain is built on the tail end of the hymn tune with the traditional Easter antiphon added on the last time.

 

HYMN OF THE DAY For the Fruit of All Creation (Ar hyd y nos)
ELW 679

 

MUSCIAL OFFERING Seed That in Earth Is Dying 

setting, Bradley Ellingboe

See the text at ELW 330

fruit from my own garden
The poet who gave us this hymn is a Norwegian man named Svein Ellingsen (1929 – April 5, 2020),

Norway’s leading hymnwriter. He wrote many of his hymns, in part, due to his government-sponsored position as a statstipendiat. (The Church of Norway is Lutheran and has been the state church since about 1020.)

Harald Herresthal (b. 1944) wrote the tune. Herresthal was born in Germany but grew up in Norway. He is Professor of Church Music at the Norwegian State Music Academy and is an organist, composer, and author.

 

COMMUNION HYMN God Created Heaven and Earth ELW 738

The creation theme, pulled from the second reading and the gospel reading, continues with this Taiwanese hymn. Some of our singers and ringers recently presented this hymn as part of a worship service for Lutherans Restoring Creation.



 If the hymn is new to you, you can learn the melody by watching our video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_1dZdZwhMs&t=92s

 

SENDING HYMN Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices (O dass ich tausend Zungen hätte)
ELW 833

 

CLOSING VOLUNTARY Now Thank We All Our God (Nun danket alle Gott)

setting, Robert A. Hobby


Sources: Hymnal Companion: Evangelical Lutheran Worship

Wikipedia

 

 

 

Friday, June 4, 2021

Music for the Second Sunday after Pentecost: June 6, 2021

 

OPENING VOLUNTARY A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (EIN FESTE BURG)
setting, John Carter

GATHERING HYMN As We Gather At Your Table (IN BABILONE) ELW 522

HYMN OF THE DAY There's a Wideness in God's Mercy (IN BABILONE) ELW 588

MUSICAL OFFERING Jesus Calls Us (SION'S SECURITY)
Arr. K. Lee Scott

MUSIC DURING COMMUNION Air Bob Moore
from Suite for Piano

SENDING HYMN Day of Delight and Beauty Unbounded (IN DIR IST FREUDE)

CLOSING VOLUNTARY IN DIR IST FREUDE 
setting, Kenneth T. Kosche

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Music for Holy Trinity: May 30, 2021

 
Holy Trinity Szymon Czechowicz 
(1756–1758)



OPENING VOLUNTARY
O Lord, We Praise Thee
(GOTT SEI GELOBET UND GEBENEDEIET)
setting, Kenneth T. Kosche

The organ voluntaries this morning are from Kosche's "Partita on 'O Lord, We Praise Thee.'" A partita is a collection of settings of a particular tune, sort of a set of variations. Each setting is written so that it also stands alone, especially in a church setting where one setting could be used as an opening voluntary, another as an introduction or accompaniment to a hymn, a voluntary during the offering, etc.  Today we'll hear several settings from this partitata - at the beginning of the service, during the distribution of communion, and at the conclusion.



GATHERING HYMN All Glory Be to God on High (ALLEIN GOTT IN DER HÖH)
ELW 410
This hymn is a metrical setting of Gloria in excelsis. The tune is based on plainchant, but this metrical version by Nikolaus Decius (1485-1541) is recognized to be one of the first hymns that came from the reformation. I recently read somewhere that is one of the most widely known and sung of Lutheran hymns throughout the world.

HYMN OF THE DAY Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! (NICAEA)

MUSICAL OFFERING Oh, Love, How Deep  Richard A. Williamson
The text is by Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) and can be found at ELW 322.
sung by the Festival Choir

MUSIC DURING THE DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION
Bicinium and Chorale on O Lord, We Praise Thee (GOTT SEI GELOBET UND GEBENEDEIET)
Kenneth T. Kosche
A bicinium is a piece of music with two parts and a chorale is a hymn-like setting. There are many ways a hymn could be harmonized and this setting has some subtle surprises.

SENDING HYMN Go to the World (SINE NOMINE) 
ACS 991
This familiar tune gets is paired with a text by Sylvia Dunstan (1955-1993). It calls us to preach and baptize, to be the ones God sends into the world.

CLOSING VOLUNTARY Finale on 
O Lord, We Praise Thee (GOTT SEI GELOBET UND GEBENEDEIET)
Kenneth T. Kosche

St. Mark's is worshiping in-person and online. Join us virtually on Sunday morning at 9:30 eastern time.

https://youtu.be/nf6HpQEu7ao


Sources: Wikipedia and Evangelical Lutheran Worship
Holy Trinity photo: By Szymon Czechowicz - www.ldm.lt, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9046414





Thursday, May 20, 2021

Music for Pentecost: May 23, 2021


OPENING VOLUNTARY O Holy Spirit Enter In (Wie schön leuchtet)
setting, Edwin T. Childs

GATHERING HYMN Come Down, O Love Divine (Down Ampney)
ELW 804

HYMN OF THE DAY O Spirit of Life (O Heiliger Geist) ELW 405

MUSICAL OFFERING Breathe on Me
Aaron David Miller

MUSIC DURING COMMUNION O Day Full of Grace (Den signede dag) setting, Raymond H. Haan

SENDING HYMN God of Tempest, God of Whirlwind (Cwm Rhondda) ELW 400

CLOSING VOLUNTARY Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord (Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott


Saturday, May 1, 2021

Music for the Fifth Sunday of Easter: May 2, 2021


OPENING VOLUNTARY Where True Love and Charity Abide (Ubi caritas)
setting, Gerald Near

GATHERING HYMN Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee (Hymn to Joy)
ELW 836

HYMN OF THE DAY Like the Murmur of the Dove's Song (Bridegroom) ELW 403

MUSICAL OFFERING I Am the Vine Allen Pote



MUSIC DURING COMMUNION Now to the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray (Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist) Dietrich Buxtehude

SENDING HYMN Awake, O Sleeper, Rise from Death (St. Anne)

CLOSING VOLUNTARY TBA









Saturday, April 24, 2021

Music for the Fourth Sunday of Easter: April 25, 2021


OPENING VOLUNTARY Joyous Spirit
Valerie Stephenson 
St. Mark's Ringers
Some of our ringers at Lutheridge Handbell Weekend
pre-pandemic

GATHERING HYMN I Know That My Redeemer Lives (Duke Street)
ELW 619

PSALM The King of Love My Shepherd Is (St. Columba) ELW 502
A metrical setting of the 23rd psalm.

HYMN OF THE DAY Lord, Who the Night You Were Betrayed (Song 1)
ELW 463

MUSICAL OFFERING Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Roland E. Martin
Festival Choir
Festival Choir 2017



MUSIC DURING THE DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION
Thee We Adore, O Blessed Savior (Adoro te devote)
setting, Healey Willan

SENDING HYMN When in Our Music God Is Glorified (Engelberg) 
ELW 851

CLOSING VOLUNTARY Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices
(O dass ich tausend Zungen hätte)
setting, Jeffrey Blersch

Today's service concludes with the Recognition of Music Ministers in the Church.


Saturday, April 10, 2021

Music for the Second Sunday of Easter: April 11, 2021

 


OPENING VOLUNTARY Toccata in A Minor 
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621)

GATHERING HYMN Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain (Gaudeamus pariter)
ELW 363

PSALM 133 Miren qué bueno 
ELW 649
The refrain is sung in Spanish and the stanzas in English.

HYMN OF THE DAY Show Me Your Hands, Your Feet, Your Side 
(Twenty-fourth)
This hymn comes from outside of ELW. The text by Sylvia Dunstan (1955-1993) is sung to familiar American tune.

MUSIC DURING THE DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION
Three Alleluias (based on Plainchant melodies) 
Charles Callahan (b.1951)

SENDING HYMN That Easter Day with Joy Was Bright (Puer nobis)
ELW 384

CLOSING VOLUNTARY Fugue in C Major (Jig Fugue)
Dietrich Buxtehude (ca. 1639 - 1707)




Music for the 17th Sunday after Pentecost September 20, 2026 Today we have a guest preacher, the Rev. Emily Harkins. She serves as the Lead ...