Feb. 23, 2014

Each week, you may find information here about the organ music and hymns in the traditional worship services at First United Methodist Church in Lewisville, Texas.  Some of this information is original; much of it is "borrowed" from other sources such as Wikipedia, GBOD, and hymnary.org.  It is my hope that this information will enhance your understanding and enrich your worship experience.  

About the Organ Music:

Lord of All Hopefulness – Derek Healey

Joyce Torrens (1901-1953), who wrote under the name of Jan Struther, became famous for a newpaper column in which she presented herself in the character of Mrs. Miniver, a briskly sensible and humerous middle-class woman whose spirit seemed to embody a certain sort of plucky Englishness.  Mrs. Miniver was turned into an Oscar-winning film in 1942, which was crucial in the effort to gain public support of American entry into World War II, with its portrayal of the hardships suffered by an English family during the Bitz.  This hymn was written in 1929 at the request of Torren’s London neighbor, Canon Percy Deamer of Westminster Abbey, for his new edition of Songs of Praise.  Deamer was delighted by its success, stating that he “lately returned from a service of university students, who have speedily made it their favorite”.

, where it became crucial to the effort to gain public support for American entry into WWorld War II. With its portrayal of the hardships suffered by an English family during the Blitz. 

This hymn was written in 1929 at the request of Torren’s London neighbor, Canon Percy Dearmer of Westminster Abbey, for his new edition of Songs of Praise.  Deamer was delighted by its success, stating that he “lately returned from a service of university students, who have speedily made it their favo

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares can destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

This contemporary setting is from a suite by Dr. Derek Healey, who was born in England in 1936 and studied composition with Herbert Howells at the Royal College of Music. In 1969, Healey moved to Canada where he received his doctorate from the University of Toronto and where he subsequently taught at the Universities of Victoria, Toronto and Guelph. Ten years later he became Professor of Musical Composition at the University of Oregon at Eugene. Since retiring he resides in Brooklyn.  Healey has written about his style and influence: "The first pieces with which I am satisfied were written in the Neo-Classic style, a style which appealed to me coming from an organist's background; the composers I particularly liked were Hindemith and Milhaud. After some four or five years I became concerned with the strict limitations of classicism and this resulted in a period in Italy where I studied the techniques of the Second Viennese and Post-Webern schools with Boris Porena and Goffredo Petrassi. The techniques of these composers have stayed with me ever since as a continuum on which to place other current interests, the most important of these being ethnic music (N.W. Canadian and other Pacific based musics) and also techniques learnt from electronic music.”

South African Trilogy – Darryl Hollinger

The history of South Africa under white British rule is marked by the existence of one of the most brutal systems of racial segregation that the world has ever known. A system by the name of “Apartheid”, literally meaning “separateness” in the Afrikaans language, made Africans of color aliens in their homeland. The laws of Apartheid forced millions to live in impoverished townships where they were denied the most basic human rights. Apartheid, under which the white minority held power over the entire population, was met with strong internal and external resistance, prompting global boycotts of sales and trade with South Africa. The most powerful form of resistance, however, was the refusal of South African blacks to remain prisoners in their own land.  Throughout every stage of the struggle, the “liberation music” both fueled and united the movement. Song was a communal act of expression that shed light on the injustices of apartheid, therefore playing a major role in the eventual reform of the South African government.

This setting features three of the songs from the protests against apartheid: “Siyahamba”,  “Haleluya! Pelo Tsa Rona”, and “We Shall Not Give Up the Fight”.

Siyahamba is a South African hymn that became popular in North American churches in the 1990s. The title means "We Are Marching" or "We are Walking" in the Zulu language.  It is said to have been composed around 1950 by Andries van Tonder, an elder of the Judith Church.   The original composition was in Afrikaans (with the title "Ons marsjeer nou in die lig van God") and was subsequently translated into Zulu by Thabo Mkhize.

Siyahamba ekukhanyen' kwenkhos
(We are marching in the light of God)

Haleluya! Pelo Tsa Rona is a traditional South African hymn about Holy Communion which expresses the gathering of the community and the celebration of Holy Communion to prepare for mission and service.

Haleluya! Pelo tsa rona
Di tha bi le ka o fe la
Ke Mo re na Je su, ya re du me let seng
ya re du me let seng, ya re du me let seng
Ho tsa mai sa e van ge di

Hallelujah! We sing your praises,
All our hearts are filled with gladness.
Christ the Lord to us said: I am wine, I am bread.
I am wine, I am bread, give to all who thirst and hunger.

Now he sends us all out, strong in faith, free of doubt,
Strong in faith, free of doubt. Tell to all the joyful Gospel.

We Shall Not Give Up the Fight  is a South African protest song that came to Europe via Tanzania. It reflects the determined faith and unity of those who fought against apartheid.

We shall not give up the fight
We have only started
Together we’ll have victory
Hand holding hand

Daryl Hollinger is my former classmate at the University of Montevallo and is a worship consultant, composer and author.  Until recently, he was the Dean of the Chapel, Organist and adjunct faculty member at Lancaster Theological Seminary.  He is minister of music at First Congregational Church in Stockton, California, and has been active as a church musician for over thirty years.  

Let Us Ever Walk With Jesus – Don Freudenburg

“Lasset uns mit Jesu zichen” was written by Sigismund von Birken (1626-1681) and first published in Neilige Karwochen Nürnberg in 1653. It was translated into English in 1910 by J. Adam Rimbach, who relates the following story: 

The first hymn I ever translated was “Lasset uns mit Jesu ziehen.” The inspiration to do it came as follows: At the convention of the Central District in La Porte, Ind., in 1900, Dr. F. Pieper preached the opening sermon and, after doing so, had that hymn sung. I had never heard it sung before, and I immediately fell in love with it. The next month I opened a school in my congregation in Ashland, Ky., and my wife taught that hymn to the children. They, too, were delighted with it and sang it lustily, and with their help we introduced it in the church, where it also met with great favor. But many of the people, including all the children, sang it much as a parrot will talk, without understanding what they were saying. For they did not understand German. So I thought to myself: “It is a pity we haven’t that hymn in English,” and one Sunday afternoon, having just finished memorizing my evening sermon, which was English, I tackled that hymn myself. And, lo! the heavenly Muse came to my assistance, and within an hour or two I had something like a translation completed. I sent a copy of it to Rev. F. W. Herzberger of St. Louis, who was the editor of a forerunner of the Young Lutherans’ Magazine, and he graciously printed it. From there it found its way into our hymn-book; first into a small book of 200 hymns and then into the larger book (The Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1912).

Let us ever walk with Jesus, Follow His example pure,
Flee the world, which would deceive us And to sin our souls allure.
Ever in His footsteps treading, Body here, yet soul above,
Full of faith and hope and love, Let us do the Father's bidding.                                               Faithful Lord, abide with me; Savior, lead, I follow Thee.

Don Freudenburg (1939-2007) was Minister of Christian Growth and Music at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Monroe, NY, from 1987 until 2005.  He composed a variety of choral and organ pieces, many of which were published.  His compositions were frequently featured in the Organist’s Companion and the Keyboardist’s Year, two monthly church music publications. 

About the Hymns:                   

Rejoice, the Lord is King

Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley.  As a hymn-writer Charles Wesley was unique. He is said to have written no less than 6500 hymns, and though, of course, in so vast a number some are of unequal merit, it is perfectly amazing how many there are which rise to the highest degree of excellence. His feelings on every occasion of importance, whether private or public, found their best expression in a hymn. His own conversion, his own marriage, the earthquake panic, the rumors of an invasion from France, the defeat of Prince Charles Edward at Culloden, the Gordon riots, every Festival of the Christian Church, every doctrine of the Christian Faith, striking scenes in Scripture history, striking scenes which came within his own view, the deaths of friends as they passed away, one by one, before him, all furnished occasions for the exercise of his divine gift.  The saying that a really good hymn is as rare an appearance as that of a comet is falsified by the work of Charles Wesley; for hymns, which are really good in every respect, flowed from his pen in quick succession, and death alone stopped the course of the perennial stream.

“Rejoice, the Lord is King” was first published in John Wesley's Moral and Sacred Poems (1744) and is currently found in 484 hymnals.  The text rejoices in the kingship of Christ whose rule extends "o'er earth and heaven". All will bow the knee to Christ when he returns in glory to judge "the living and dead". The refrain line based on Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice,” is the keynote of the entire text.

Have Thine Own Way, Lord

Jeremiah 18:3-6 sets the scene for this hymn:  "Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel."

The hymn was inspired in 1902 by a simple prayer of an elderly woman at a prayer meeting: "It really doesn't matter what you do with us, Lord -- just have your way with our lives . . .."   The author, Adelaide A. Pollard (1862-1934) was born in Iowa.  She moved to Chicago where she became a teacher in girls' schools. In addition, she developed a fine reputation as an itinerant Bible study teacher. Later, she worked with two evangelists, one who developed a healing ministry, and the other who focused on the imminent return of Christ.  Pollard had a strong desire to be a missionary in Africa. When this plan was not fulfilled, she taught at a Missionary Training School at Nyack-on-the-Hudson. She finally made it to Africa for a brief period before World War I, but she spent the war years in Scotland. After returning to the United States, she continued her ministry even though she was in poor health.

"Have Thine Own Way, Lord" was composed during a time when Miss Pollard was trying to raise funds to make a trip to Africa. Her unsuccessful attempt to do this left her experiencing a "distress of soul." This crisis of the soul and the simple prayer of an elderly lady provided a setting for personal reflection on the will of God for her life. After the prayer meeting, she returned home and wrote the hymn as we sing it today.

Go Forth for God

"Go Forth for God" exhorts believers to "go forth for God" to the world in peace”, "in love", "in strength", and "in joy", using phrases from Romans 12:9-21 and 1 Thessalonians 5:13b¬22-.   John R. Peacey (1896-1971) wrote the original text to this hymn in 1968. The 1987 Psalter Hymnal version of the text, however, is a result of revisions made by Peacey in 1970 and by the editors of the English Hymnal supplement, English Praise (1975). Educated in theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge, Peacey was ordained in the Church of England in 1923. In addition to serving several churches in England, he was also headmaster and principal of the Bishop Cotton School in Simla, India (1927-1945), and principal of Bishop's College in Calcutta, India (1935-1945). Peacey concluded his career at Bristol Cathedral (1945-1966). Written mainly during his retirement years, his hymn texts were published posthumously in Go Forth for God (1981).