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.
Joy
to the World – Michael Bedford
Our
Christmas season would hardly seem complete without the singing of Joy to
the World, the most joyous of the carols. Yet Isaac Watts, its author,
never intended it to be a Christmas carol at all. Rather, it was a part of his Psalms
of David Imitated, published in 1719, which contained paraphrases of many
of the Psalms in New Testament language.
The story of the hymn, Joy to the World, is the
story of the author, Isaac Watts (1675-1748), who is universally acknowledged
as "The Father of English Hymnody". He has earned the title, not
because he was first to write English hymns, but because he gave impetus to
hymnody and established its place in the worship of the English church. For over one hundred years, congregational
singing had been strictly limited to the Psalms of the Old Testament in poetic
form. Many of these rhymed Psalms were so unnatural that Samuel Wesley, father
of the famous brothers Charles and John, called them "scandalous
doggerel," and his opinion was shared by many.
The birth of Isaac Watts to a dissenting deacon and the
daughter of a Huguenot refugee was followed by fourteen years of persecution
and hardships for the entire family. Perhaps this suffering was responsible for
Isaac Watts’ ill health, for he grew only to a height of just over five feet
and was weak and sickly all his life. Though
weak in body, the boy was strong in mind and spirit and early in life showed
promise of poetic capability. After one Sunday morning service, Isaac, then
fifteen years old, complained of the atrocious worship in song. One of the
deacons challenged him: "Give us something better, young man." His
answer was to write hundreds of hymns that are still sung today.
Joy to the World is the
"imitation" of the last half of Psalm 98. The author transformed the
old Jewish psalm of praise for some historic deliverance into a Christian song
of rejoicing for the salvation of God that began to be manifested when the Babe
of Bethlehem came "to make his blessing flow far as the curse is
found." This is one of the most joyous hymns in all Christendom because it
makes so real what Christ’s birth means to all mankind. The tune to which the hymn is sung is
attributed to George Frederick Handel and bears resemblance to phrases of his
great oratorio, Messiah. Notably the first four tones match the
beginning of the chorus, "Lift Up Your Heads."
About the Handbell Music:
Rocking – Douglas Warner
Vicki
Carson, handbells
This carol is of Czech origin. It was collected in the early 1920
by a Miss Jacubickova as 'Hajej, nynjej' and translated (very loosely) by Percy
Dearmer, for The Oxford Book of Carols in 1928. Dearmer was a clergyman
and socialist with a keen interest in contemporary concerns, social gospel and
rescuing neglected English carols and introducing European carols. The final
line of Dearmers's version has not appealed to everyone, and some have sought
to change it, e.g. to 'Son of God and Son of Man.' The tune for the carol has a
close resemblance to that of another traditional lullaby, 'Twinkle, twinkle,
little star', and it is possible that this carol originally accompanied cradle
rocking, a custom which began in German churches in medieval times and spread from
there across Europe. The carol was popularised in the English speaking world by
a recording made in the 1960s by Julie Andrews.
Little Jesus, sweetly
sleep, do not stir;
We will lend a coat of fur,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you:
See the fur to keep you warm,
Snugly round your tiny form.
We will lend a coat of fur,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you:
See the fur to keep you warm,
Snugly round your tiny form.
Mary's little baby,
sleep, sweetly sleep,
Sleep in comfort, slumber deep;
We will rock you, rock you, rock you,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you:
We will serve you all we can,
Darling, darling little man.
Sleep in comfort, slumber deep;
We will rock you, rock you, rock you,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you:
We will serve you all we can,
Darling, darling little man.
Douglas E. Wagner, a
native of Chicago, Illinois, is an international recognized composer and
arranger. With thirty years as a high school music educator and administrator
behind him, Mr. Wagner now devotes all of his time and energy to writing,
editing and their allied activities. He is an A.S.C.A.P. award-winning
composer, an editor for a major publishing company, and has served several
denominations as a church musician.
2,500 titles by Douglas E. Wagner have been published
since 1973, included works for choir (sacred and secular), concert band, orchestra,
handbell ensemble, organ, piano, instrumental
solo, and voice. Fifteen million copies of his music have been sold to date.
Still, Still, Still – Sondra Tucker
Rings
& Strings
Still,
still, still,
One can hear the falling snow.
For all is hushed,
The world is sleeping,
Holy Star its vigil keeping.
Still, still, still,
One can hear the falling snow.
Sleep, sleep, sleep,
'Tis the eve of our Saviour's birth.
The night is peaceful all around you,
Close your eyes,
Let sleep surround you.
Sleep, sleep, sleep,
'Tis the eve of our Saviour's birth.
Dream, dream, dream,
Of the joyous day to come.
While guardian angels without number,
Watch you as you sweetly slumber.
Dream, dream, dream,
Of the joyous day to come
One can hear the falling snow.
For all is hushed,
The world is sleeping,
Holy Star its vigil keeping.
Still, still, still,
One can hear the falling snow.
Sleep, sleep, sleep,
'Tis the eve of our Saviour's birth.
The night is peaceful all around you,
Close your eyes,
Let sleep surround you.
Sleep, sleep, sleep,
'Tis the eve of our Saviour's birth.
Dream, dream, dream,
Of the joyous day to come.
While guardian angels without number,
Watch you as you sweetly slumber.
Dream, dream, dream,
Of the joyous day to come
This arrangement incorporates “Schafe können sicher weiden” (Sheep
May Safely Graze), which is the most familiar movement of the cantata, Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd (The
lively hunt is all my heart's desire), BWV
208, a secular cantata composed in 1713 by Johann Sebastian Bach for
the 31st birthday of Duke Christian of
Saxe-Weissenfels. Although
written in a secular context, this movement is often used in sacred settings,
drawing on the many Biblical references to sheep.
Sondra Tucker (b. 1957) is Director of Music and
Organist at Christ Church Presbyterian in Bellaire, Texas, where she directs
all musical ensembles of the church. She is a graduate of the University of
Arkansas and the University of Memphis, and holds the AAGO and Choir Master
certifications from the American Guild of Organists. Her published compositions
include music for handbells, choir, and organ. She self-publishes flute
ensemble music through her own QuickSilver Publications. Ms. Tucker is in demand
as a handbell clinician throughout the country.
Silent Night – Cynthia Dobrinski
Jubilation
Ringers/Alexa Rowan, violin
180 years ago the carol "Stille Nacht! Heilige
Nacht" was heard for the first time in a village church in Oberndorf,
Austria. The congregation at that Midnight Mass in St. Nicholas Church listened
as the voices of the assistant pastor, Fr. Joseph Mohr (1792-1848), and the
choir director, Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863), rang through the church to the
accompaniment of Fr. Mohr's guitar. On
that Christmas Eve, a song was born that would wing its way into the hearts of
people throughout the world. Now translated into hundreds of languages, it is
sung by untold millions every December from small chapels in the Andes to great
cathedrals in Antwerp and Rome.
Today books, films and Internet sites are filled with fanciful tales purporting to tell the history of "Silent Night." Some tell of mice eating the bellows of the organ creating the necessity for a hymn to be accompanied by a guitar. Others claim that Joseph Mohr was forced to write the words to a new carol in haste since the organ would not play. A recent film, created for Austrian television places Oberndorf in the Alps and includes evil railroad barons and a double-dealing priest, while a recent book by a German author places a zither in the hands of Franz Gruber and connects Joseph Mohr with a tragic fire engulfing the city of Salzburg. You can read claims that "Silent Night" was sung on Christmas Eve in 1818 and then forgotten by its creators. Of course, the latter are easily discounted by manuscript arrangements of the carol by both Mohr and Gruber which were produced at various times between 1820 and 1855.
Today books, films and Internet sites are filled with fanciful tales purporting to tell the history of "Silent Night." Some tell of mice eating the bellows of the organ creating the necessity for a hymn to be accompanied by a guitar. Others claim that Joseph Mohr was forced to write the words to a new carol in haste since the organ would not play. A recent film, created for Austrian television places Oberndorf in the Alps and includes evil railroad barons and a double-dealing priest, while a recent book by a German author places a zither in the hands of Franz Gruber and connects Joseph Mohr with a tragic fire engulfing the city of Salzburg. You can read claims that "Silent Night" was sung on Christmas Eve in 1818 and then forgotten by its creators. Of course, the latter are easily discounted by manuscript arrangements of the carol by both Mohr and Gruber which were produced at various times between 1820 and 1855.
The German words for the original six stanzas of the
carol we know as "Silent Night" were written by Joseph Mohr in 1816,
when he was a young priest assigned to a pilgrimage church in Mariapfarr,
Austria. His grandfather lived nearby, and it is easy to imagine that he could
have come up with the words while walking thorough the countryside on a visit
to his elderly relative. The fact is, we have no idea if any particular event
inspired Joseph Mohr to pen his poetic version of the birth of the Christchild.
The world is fortunate, however, that he didn't leave it behind when he was
transferred to Oberndorf the following year (1817). On December 24, 1818 Joseph Mohr journeyed to
the home of musician-schoolteacher Franz Gruber who lived in an apartment over
the schoolhouse in nearby Arnsdorf. He showed his friend the poem and asked him
to add a melody and guitar accompaniment so that it could be sung at Midnight
Mass. His reason for wanting the new carol is unknown. Some speculate that the
organ would not work; others feel that the assistant pastor, who dearly loved
guitar music, merely wanted a new carol for Christmas. Later that evening, as the two men, backed by
the choir, stood in front of the main altar in St. Nicholas Church and sang
"Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" for the first time, they could hardly
imagine the impact their composition would have on the world.
Karl Mauracher, a master organ builder and repairman
from the Ziller Valley, traveled to Oberndorf to work on the organ, several
times in subsequent years. While doing his work in St. Nicholas, he obtained a
copy of the composition and took it home with him. Thus, the simple carol,
began its journey around the world as a "Tyrolean Folk Song."
Two traveling families of folk singers from the Ziller Valley, similar to the Trapp Family Singers of "The Sound of Music" fame, incorporated the song into their repertoire. According to the Leipziger Tageblatt, the Strassers sang the song in a concert in Leipzig in December 1832. It was during this period, several musical notes were changed, and the carol evolved into the melody we know today. On another occasion, according to an historical plaque, the Rainer Family sang the Christmas carol before an audience which included Emperor Franz I and Tsar Alexander I. In the year 1839, the Rainers performed "Stille Nacht" for the first time in America, at the Alexander Hamilton Monument outside Trinity Church in New York City.
Two traveling families of folk singers from the Ziller Valley, similar to the Trapp Family Singers of "The Sound of Music" fame, incorporated the song into their repertoire. According to the Leipziger Tageblatt, the Strassers sang the song in a concert in Leipzig in December 1832. It was during this period, several musical notes were changed, and the carol evolved into the melody we know today. On another occasion, according to an historical plaque, the Rainer Family sang the Christmas carol before an audience which included Emperor Franz I and Tsar Alexander I. In the year 1839, the Rainers performed "Stille Nacht" for the first time in America, at the Alexander Hamilton Monument outside Trinity Church in New York City.
Joseph Bletzacher, the Court Opera singer from Hannover, reported that by the 1840s, the carol was already well known in Lower Saxony. "In Berlin," he says, "the Royal Cathedral Choir popularized it especially. It became in fact the favorite Christmas carol of the artistically appreciative King Frederick William IV of Prussia, who used to have the Cathedral Choir sing it for him during the Christmas season each year." During his lifetime, Franz Xaver Gruber produced a number of orchestral arrangements of his composition. The original guitar arrangement is missing, but five other Gruber manuscripts of the carol exist. The manuscript by Joseph Mohr (ca. 1820) is for guitar accompaniment and is probably the closest to the arrangement and melody sung at Midnight Mass in 1818.
Perhaps this is part of the miracle of "Silent
Night." The words flowed from the imagination of a modest curate. The
music was composed by a musician who was not known outside his village. There
was no celebrity to sing at its world premiere. Yet its powerful message of
heavenly peace has crossed all borders and language barriers, conquering the
hearts of people everywhere.
About the Hymns:
O
Come, all Ye Faithful
The original text consisted of four Latin verses, and it was with these that the hymn was originally published. John Francis Wade (1711=1786) had written the hymn in Latin in 1744, and was first published in 1751. The Abbé Jean-François-Étienne Borderies wrote an additional three verses in the 18th century; these are normally printed as the third to fifth of seven verses, while another,
anonymous, additional Latin verse is rarely printed. The text has been translated innumerable times, but the most used version today is the English "O Come, All Ye Faithful". This is a combination of one of Frederick Oakeley's translations of the original four verses and William Thomas Brooke's of the three additional ones, which was first published in Murray's Hymnal in 1852. Oakeley originally titled the song “Ye Faithful, approach ye” when it was sung at his Margaret Church in Marylebone before it was altered to its current form.
O
Come, O Come, Emmanuel
The pre-history of the text stretches back to the origins
of the O Antiphons, which were in existence by, at the latest, the eighth
century. They were paraphrased
extensively by the English poet Cynewulf in a poem written before the year
800. While "O come, O come,
Emmanuel" is often linked with the 12th century, the earliest surviving
evidence of the hymn's text is in the seventh edition of Psalteriolum
Cantionum Catholicarum, which was published in Cologne in 1710. That hymnal
was a major force in the history of German church music:
first assembled by Jesuit hymnographer Johannes Herringsdorf in 1610 and receiving
numerous revised editions through 1868, it achieved enormous impact due to its
use in Jesuit schools.
The familiar tune called Veni Emmanuel was first
linked with this hymn in 1851, when Thomas Helmore published it in the Hymnal
Noted, paired with an early revision of Neale's English translation of the
text. The volume listed the tune as being "From a French Missal in the National
Library, Lisbon." The
pairing of the hymn text with the Veni Emmanuel tune was an extremely
significant combination. The hymn text was embraced both out of a Romantic interest in poetic beauty and medieval exoticism and out
of a concern for matching hymns to liturgical seasons and functions rooted in
the Oxford Movement in the Church of
England. The Hymnal Noted, in which the words and tune were first
combined, represented these goals. This hymnal consisted entirely of versions of
Latin hymns, designed for use as Office hymns within the Anglican Church
despite the fact that Office hymns had no part in the authorized liturgy. The
music was drawn chiefly from plainchant, as was the case with the Veni
Emmanuel tune for "O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”
Angels
We Have Heard on High
"Angels We
Have Heard on High" is a Christmas carol of French origin in the public domain. The
song commemorates the story of the birth of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of Luke, in which shepherds outside Bethlehem encounter a
multitude of angels singing and praising the newborn child. People began to chant the phrase "Gloria
in excelsis Deo" in Christmas Eve worship services as early as 130 A.D. In medieval times, French shepherds had a Christmas Eve
tradition of shouting "Gloria in excelsis Deo" to each other as they
watched over their sheep flocks on their respective hills in southern France. A Latin chorale version may
have inspired the traditional French Christmas carol 'Les Anges dans nos
Campagnes,' which Edward Shippen Barnes used in the 1800s to arrange the first
version of 'Angels We Have Heard on High'. The most common English version that was
translated in 1862 by James Chadwick, the Roman
Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle,
northeast England. 'Angels We Have Heard on High' was first
published in English as part of an 1862 book called Crown of Jesus Music.
But the version that has become popular worldwide was published later, in 1916,
in the book Carols Old and Carols New.
Hark!
The Herald Angels Sing
The carol we now know as "Hark! the herald angels
sing" did not start life as such, and required at least four people to
bring it to its current form. Wesley's original, written as a Christmas Day
hymn and first published in 1739, is made up of ten four-line verses, rather
than the longer eight-line verses with refrain which we have now. It is interesting to note that in the
original version of Wesley's, the heavens ring with the phrase "Glory to
the King of kings," echoing Luke's "Glory to God in the highest
heaven." George Whitfield, who had
been a student with Wesley, changed this to "Glory to the newborn
King" in 1753. His fairly revolutionary Calvinist position was not
compatible with Wesley's gentler reforming approach, which eventually bore
fruit in the Methodist movement that he and his brother John inspired,
Whitfield maintained the four-line verses of Wesley's original, but changed the
angels' emphasis: "Glory to the newborn King" means something
slightly but significantly different from "Glory to the King of kings."
In the Gospel account, the angels praise God, whereas in "Hark! the herald
angels sing," they are inaccurately described as praising Jesus. Furthermore, Luke does not say that the angels
"sing," and so it may well be that this reinterpretation by Whitfield
has emphasized the popular but unscriptural picture of angels singing the
Gloria. ("While shepherds watched" also implies that they sang.) Whitfield also cut the final verses, which
are now largely forgotten:
Come, desire of nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman's conquering seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head.
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman's conquering seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head.
Now display thy saving power,
Ruin'd nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to thine.
Ruin'd nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to thine.
Adam's likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp thy image in its place.
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.
Stamp thy image in its place.
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.
Let us thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the life, the inner man:
O, to all thyself impart,
Form'd in each believing heart.
Thee, the life, the inner man:
O, to all thyself impart,
Form'd in each believing heart.
There
is some real theological insight in these neglected verses. First of all we notice
the Advent antiphon "Come, desire of nations, come," followed by a
reference to the Fall, with the serpent bruising the heel of humanity and Adam
bruising its head (Genesis 3:15). Wesley cleverly alters the meaning, asking
that the serpent in us (sin) should be bruised (defeated) by Christ, the second
Adam, who reinstates us as beloved sons and daughters of God. In the
restoration of sinful humanity to a state of grace through the incarnation of
Christ, the joining of divine and human nature is also achieved. Consequently,
that which was lost (salvation) is gained and a new life is granted to all
believers.
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