Each week, you may find information here about the
music 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.
In dir ist Freude – J. S. Bach
The Orgelbüchlein ("Little Organ Book") is a
collection of 46 chorale preludes for organ, which form the first of
Bach's masterpieces with a mature compositional style in marked contrast to his
previous compositions for the instrument.
Each of them treats a known Lutheran chorale with a motivic accompaniment. Bach explored a wide diversity of forms in
the Orgelbüchlein. As stated
by Spitta in his biography of Bach:
A further step towards perfection this
form was taken by Bach when he made the contrapuntal elements in his music a
eans of reflecting certain emotional aspects of the words. Pachelbel had not attempted this; he lacked
the fervid feeling which would have enabled him thus to enter into his subject. And it is entering into it, and not a mere
depicting of it. For, once more be it
said, in every vital movement of the world external to us we behold the image
of a movement within us; and every such image must react upon us to produce the
corresponding emotion I that inner world of feeling.
The tune, “In dir ist Freude”, is one of many balletti
(dance-like songs) written by Giovanni G. Gastoldi (1554-1609), a priest and
composer from Mantua, Italy. It was
originally published in his Balleti a cinque voce (1591),
where it was set to "Alieta vi.a, Amor ciinuita", which like so many
balletti had a "fa-la-la" refrain.
Cantor Johann Lindemann (1549-1631) wrote this text to fit the
tune. It was published in Lindemann's Amarum
Filii Dei Decades Duae (1598).
Catherine Winkworth prepared the English translation for the second
series of her Lyra Germanica (1858). The text confesses with joy the Christian's
security of walking intimately with God through the ups and downs of daily
life. Bach has set the melody in complex
counterpoint which expresses pure joy in virtual abandon.
In dir ist Freude in allem Leide, In Thee is gladness admid
all sadness,
o du süßer Jesu Christ! Jesus,
Sunshine of my heart!
Durch dich wir haben himmlische Gaben, By Thee are given the gifts of heaven,
du der wahre Heiland bist; Thou the true Redeemer
art!
Hilfest von Schanden, retest von Banden, Our souls Thou wakest, our bonds Thou
wird
ewig bleiben. Halleluja. breakest. Hallelujah. Zu deiner Güte steht unser G'müte, Who trust Thee surely hath built
an dir wir kleben im Tod und Leben; securely; through life and death,
nichts kann uns scheiden.
Halleluja. He
stands forever: Hallelujah!
About the Choral Music:
Crown
Him with Many Crowns
The song was originally penned in 1851 by Matthew Bridges (1800-1894), an
Anglican scholar who once wrote a book condemning Roman Catholic theology, and
then later converted to Catholicism. Bridges wrote six stanzas, based upon
Revelations 19:12, “...and on His head
were many crowns.” The text of this hymn
was first published 1852 in The Passion of Jesus, a Collection of Original Pieces Corresponding
with the Five Sorrowful Mysteries in the Rosary of Our Blessed Lady, a collection
of devotional poetry. The prayers of the rosary
are said in sets of ten, each focused on a "mystery" concerning the
life of Christ; the mysteries themselves are in groups of five: the
"Joyful Mysteries" concerning Christ's birth and childhood, the
"Sorrowful Mysteries" concerning His death, and the "Glorious
Mysteries" concerning the Resurrection and events following. (In the 20th
century the "Luminous Mysteries" of Christ's earthly ministry were
added.) Bridges's collection was dedicated to the five Sorrowful Mysteries:
Christ's agony in Gethsemane, His scourging, the crown of thorns, Christ
carrying His cross, and finally the Crucifixion itself. "Crown Him
with many Crowns," therefore, was a reflection on the central mystery of
the original 15 mysteries of the rosary. Bridges employs an unexpected approach
to the topic, however, taking the cruel mockery intended by that original crown
and turning it on its head by contemplating the glorious coronation of Christ
in heaven. Each
verse of Bridge’s poem was to describe of a different kind crown (Many Crowns,
Virgin’s Son, Lord of Love, Lord of Peace, Lord of Years, and Lord of Heaven).
Godfrey Thring (1823-1903) was a devout Anglican clergyman who was
concerned that this popular hymn was allowing Catholic theology to be sung by
protestant congregations. Thring wrote an entirely new
hymn of six verses to serve as a substitute for that of Bridges,
using the same meter and basic plan of successive stanzas extolling Jesus'
lordship over various domains. It
was decided to keep the two versions separate but publish them both in 1874 in
Thring’s hymnbook: Hymns and Sacred Lyrics. Thring’s version was also
published in the Church of England Hymn-Book. The 12 stanzas have been mixed and matched
down through the years. Of the following four verses found in our hymnal, three
were written by Bridges (vs 1,3,and 4) and one by Thring (vs 2).
Joel Raney’s (b. 1956) taste for gospel music began in a rural
Baptist church in Alabama, an influence that shows strongly in his work to this
day. Joel's interest in music of all kinds has led to everything from classical
and jazz performance to pop vocal arranging. He has conducted Broadway
productions, and has been honored for outstanding musical direction of theater
in both Chicago and Los Angeles. Since 1988 he has worked as a composer and
producer of commercial music in Chicago and has written soundtracks for more
than 2000 television and radio commercials, plus numerous scores for short
films. Joel is a choral and keyboard
clinician, and performs throughout North America as a piano soloist and in
duo-concert with organist Jane Holstein.
He has over 200 titles in print, including choral anthems, musicals and
cantatas, handbell compositions, piano solos, and instrumental works.
Crown him with
many crowns, the Lamb upon the throne.
Hark! How the
heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake my soul,
and sing of him who died for thee,
And hail him as
thy matchless king through all eternity.
Crown him the
Lord of life, who triumphed o’er the grave,
And rose
victorious in the strife for those he came to save;
His glories now
we sing who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal
life to bring, and lives that death may die.
Crown him the
Lord of years, the potentate of time,
Creator of the
rolling spheres ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer,
hail! For thou has died for me;
Thy praise shall
never, never fall throughout eternity.
And crown him Lord of all.
Joy
in the Morning – Natalee Sleeth
Natalie Allyn Sleeth (née Wakeley) (1930-1992) was born in Evanston, Illinois. In
1934, she began to study the piano at the early age of four. In 1952, she
received an Academic major in music theory and a BA in music theory at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She married a Professor of Homiletics, Reverend Ronald E. Sleeth. In her later
life she received an honorary doctorate from West Virginia Wesleyan College in
1959, and from Nebraska Wesleyan College in 1990. An organist, she wrote over
180 selections for church and school. She
was a member of the Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX.
Joy,
there’ll be joy, there’ll be joy in the morning on that day,
For
the daylight will dawn when the darkness is gone.
There’ll be peace
evermore, there’ll be peace on the earth once more,
Every
heart and voice will again rejoice, there’ll be peace evermore.
And
the glory of the Lord will shine upon us,
And
the glory of the Lord will bring the truth divine.
There’ll
be love and forgiveness everywhere,
And
the way of the Lord will that day be restored,
There’ll
be love, sweet love everywhere.
There’ll be love
and forgiveness,
There’ll
be peace and contentment,
There’ll be joy, joy, joy, joy, joy!
Hallelujah,
from Messiah – G. F. Handel
Georg Friederich Handel (1685-1759) became a musician and
composer despite objections from his father, who wanted him to become a lawyer.
Handel studied music with Zachau, organist at the Halle Cathedral, and became
an accomplished violinist and keyboard performer. He traveled and studied in
Italy for some time and then settled permanently in England in 1713. Although
he wrote a large number of instrumental works, he is known mainly for his
Italian operas, oratorios (including “Messiah”, 1741), various
anthems for church and royal festivities, and organ concertos, which he
interpolated into his oratorio performances. He composed only three hymn tunes,
one of which still appears in some modern hymnals. A number of hymnal editors,
including Lowell Mason, took themes from some of Handel's oratorios and turned
them into hymn tunes.
Handel's reputation in England, where he had lived since 1712, had been established through his compositions of Italian opera. He turned to English oratorio in the 1730s in response to changes in public taste; Messiah was his sixth work in this genre. Although its structure resembles that of opera, it is not in dramatic form; there are no impersonations of characters and no direct speech. Instead, Jennens's text is an extended reflection on Jesus Christ as Messiah. The text begins in Part I with prophecies by Isaiah and others, and moves to the annunciation to the shepherds, the only "scene" taken from the Gospels. In Part II, Handel concentrates on the Passion and ends with the "Hallelujah" chorus. In Part III he covers the resurrection of the dead and Christ's glorification in heaven.
Handel wrote Messiah for modest vocal and instrumental forces, with optional settings for many of the individual numbers. In the years after his death, the work was adapted for performance on a much larger scale, with giant orchestras and choirs. In other efforts to update it, its orchestration was revised and amplified by (among others) Mozart. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the trend has been towards reproducing a greater fidelity to Handel's original intentions, although "big Messiah" productions continue to be mounted. A near-complete version was issued on 78 rpm discs in 1928; since then the work has been recorded many times.
Part II closes with the chorus "Hallelujah", in the key of D major with trumpets and timpani. This chorus is often performed out of context, especially around Christmas and Easter. The choir introduces in homophony a characteristic simple motif on the word, playing with the interval of a second, which re-appears throughout the piece. Several lines from the Book of Revelation (Revelation 19:6,16, Revelation 11:15) are treated differently, as in a motet, but unified by "Hallelujah" as a conclusion or as a countersubject in a fugal section. The line "for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth" is sung by all voices, first in unison, then in imitation with Hallelujah-exclamations interspersed. The second line "The kingdom of this world is become" is sung in a four part setting like a chorale. The third idea "and he shall reign for ever and ever" starts as a fugue on a theme with bold leaps, reminiscent in sequence of Philipp Nicolai's Lutheran chorale Wachet auf. As a countersubject, the words "forever – and ever" assume the rhythm of the Hallelujah-motif. The final acclamation "King of Kings...and Lord of Lords" is sung on one note, energized by repeated calls "Hallelujah" and "forever – and ever", raised higher and higher (the sopranos and the trumpets part), up to a rest full of tension and a final solemn "Hallelujah".
In many parts of the world, it is the accepted practice for the audience to stand for this section of the performance. The tradition is said to have originated with the first London performance of Messiah, which was attended by King George II. As the first notes of the triumphant Hallelujah Chorus rang out, the king was so moved that he rose to his feet and remained standing until the end of the chorus. Royal protocol has always dictated that when the monarch stands, everyone in the monarch's presence is also required to stand. Thus, the entire audience and orchestra stood when the king stood during the performance, initiating a tradition that has lasted more than two centuries.
There is another story told about this chorus that Handel's assistant walked in to Handel's room after shouting to him for several minutes with no response. The assistant reportedly found Handel in tears, and when asked what was wrong, Handel held up the score to this movement and said, "I thought I saw the face of God."
Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah!
The
kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ.
And
He shall reign forever and ever, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!
About the Vocal Solo Music:
The Trumpet Shall Sound, from Messiah –
G. F. Handel
Randall
Capshaw, bass
Coming late in Handel’s
Messiah, “The Trumpet Shall Sound”, with
its rousing opening fanfare and serenely gleaming lyrical passages is one of
this beloved oratorio’s emotional highlights, charged with hope, mystery and
awe.
The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible;
And we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
And this
mortal must put on immortality.
About the Hymns:
Christ
the Lord is Risen Today
"Hymn
for Easter Day" was written by Charles Wesley in 1739 for the inaugural
service at the Foundry Meeting House, London's first Wesleyan chapel. As with many of the most popular hymns,
"Christ the Lord Is Risen Today" has survived the centuries thanks to
a successful marriage of lyrics and music.
The tune first circulated in 1708 with the Lyra Davidica hymnal,
but no composer has ever been acknowledged. It was first published in A
Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists, John Wesley's hymnbook
first published in 1780. Charles Wesley's original text does not include the
song's most distinctive characteristic—the "Alleluia!" that ends each
line. An unknown editor added the alleluias later.
“Alleluia”, meaning "Praise the Lord,"
prominently leads off Psalms 106, 111, 112, 113, 117, and 135 in the Hebrew
hymnal. In the years immediately
following Christ's resurrection, “alleluia”
particularly connoted praise for Jesus' victory over death. Early Christians began greeting each other on
Easter with the now-familiar call and response: "Alleluia! He is risen!"
"Alleluia! He is risen indeed!" Alleluia
is meant to convey emphatic joy, thanksgiving, and triumph.
John
captures the triumph in Revelation 19 with his vision of the great multitude in
heaven roaring, "Alleluia!" Jerome,
translator of the Latin Vulgate,
conveyed the joy when he wrote that Christian houses of worship in the fourth
and fifth centuries shook from the intense alleluias shouted by believers.
Roman Catholics and Anglicans refrain from speaking or singing alleluia during Lent, but they reintroduce
the word into their liturgies to express their thanksgiving on Easter morning. Even
in nonliturgical churches, alleluia
retains a kind of liturgical significance. Bernard Lord Manning, a hymnologist,
historian, and observer of Methodism during the early 20th century, explained
how hymns like "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today" functioned as a
liturgy for John and Charles Wesley's spiritual descendants.
But in the evening at the chapel [the Dissenting church],
though I was uncertain about the prayers, there was no gamble about the hymns. I knew we should have Charles Wesley's
Easter hymn, "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today," with its 24
"Alleluias": and we did have it. Among any Dissenters worth the name that hymn
is as certain to come on Easter Day as the Easter Collect in the Established
Church. And mark this further—those 24
"Alleluias" are not there for nothing: the special use of
"Alleluia" at Easter comes down to us from the most venerable
liturgies. Our hymns are our liturgy, an
excellent liturgy. Let us study it, respect it, use it, develop it, and boast
of it.
This
melodic liturgy conveys the triumphant joy that is ours on Easter morning. Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He Lives
Alfred H. Ackley (1887-1960) was the son of a
Methodist preacher and musically gifted man, who gave Alfred his foundation in
music at an early age. Ackley studied cello, harmony, and composition in New
York and London. Ackley went on to
graduate from Westminster Theological Seminary in Maryland, and was ordained as
a Presbyterian minister. He served as pastor in several states of the United
States, and worked for a few years with evangelist Billy Sunday and the
Rodeheaver Music Company. Ackley's musical endeavors were so appreciated that
he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Sacred Music degree by John Brown
University in Arkansas.
One particular morning, Easter Sunday in 1932, Rev. Ackley was preparing for his services of the day. As he was shaving, he tuned in to the radio in time to hear a special Easter broadcast. “Good morning!” The well-known preacher began. “It’s Easter! You know folks, it really doesn’t make any difference to me if Christ be risen or not. As far as I am concerned His body could be as dust in some Palestinian tomb. The man thing is, His truth goes marching on!” Rev. Ackley was furious. “It’s a lie!” he shouted at the radio set, forgetting that the speaker could not hear him. Mrs. Ackley did hear him, however, and questioned, “Why are you shouting so early in the morning?”
“Didn’t you hear what that good-for-nothing preacher said?” he replied. “He said it didn’t matter whether Christ be risen or not!”
Rev. Ackley, in telling the story later, said that he preached that Easter Sunday quite differently than he had ever preached before, but at the end of the day, still felt that he had not yet said everything he wanted to say. His wife said, “Listen here, Alfred Ackley, it’s time you did that which you can do best. Why don’t you write a song about it and then maybe you’ll feel better. You’ll have something that will go on telling the story.” That night, Rev. Alfred Ackley wrote the words and composed the melody. The hymn first appeared in Triumphant Service Songs, a hymnal published by the Rodeheaver Company in 1933.
One particular morning, Easter Sunday in 1932, Rev. Ackley was preparing for his services of the day. As he was shaving, he tuned in to the radio in time to hear a special Easter broadcast. “Good morning!” The well-known preacher began. “It’s Easter! You know folks, it really doesn’t make any difference to me if Christ be risen or not. As far as I am concerned His body could be as dust in some Palestinian tomb. The man thing is, His truth goes marching on!” Rev. Ackley was furious. “It’s a lie!” he shouted at the radio set, forgetting that the speaker could not hear him. Mrs. Ackley did hear him, however, and questioned, “Why are you shouting so early in the morning?”
“Didn’t you hear what that good-for-nothing preacher said?” he replied. “He said it didn’t matter whether Christ be risen or not!”
Rev. Ackley, in telling the story later, said that he preached that Easter Sunday quite differently than he had ever preached before, but at the end of the day, still felt that he had not yet said everything he wanted to say. His wife said, “Listen here, Alfred Ackley, it’s time you did that which you can do best. Why don’t you write a song about it and then maybe you’ll feel better. You’ll have something that will go on telling the story.” That night, Rev. Alfred Ackley wrote the words and composed the melody. The hymn first appeared in Triumphant Service Songs, a hymnal published by the Rodeheaver Company in 1933.
Sing with All the Saints in Glory
The
first time this hymn appeared was in 1873, where it was published in the first
edition of William J. Irons’ Psalms and Hymns for the Church. This collection of hymns was supposed to
provide hymns for offering, epistles, and gospels, and also was labeled for use
as an Advent and Lenten hymn. Though
these are the official uses that are named for the hymn, often times this hymn
is sung for Easter. The hymn “Sing with
All the Saints in Glory” is found in several different denominations of the
Christian faith, and each one has the hymn listed in a different section of the
hymnal. Though each denomination,
Catholic, Lutheran, and Methodist, have this hymn in their collections, the
Methodist church has been publishing this hymn for the longest time in their
hymnals. “Sing with All the Saints in
Glory” has been published in a Methodist hymnal since 1878, only three years
after the second edition of the hymns original publication. Perhaps one of the reasons for the great
popularity of this hymn can be traced to the very recognizable tune written by
none other than Ludwig Van Beethoven.
The tune “Hymn to Joy” was originally composed by Beethoven for J.C.F.
von Schiller’s “Ode to Joy,” which Beethoven wrote for a full chorus in the
fourth movement of his Ninth Symphony.
Born in England in 1812, William J. Irons was the son
of Joseph Irons, who happened to be a good friend of John Newton, who wrote Amazing
Grace. In 1835, Irons took Holy Orders
and became involved in the ecclesiastical debates that were raging on during
his time. He published numerous documents on the topic in the form of sermons,
pamphlets, and letters, which all accumulated into his work, The Bampton
Lectures, which was written in 1870. The work covered Christianity as it
was taught by St. Paul. W.J. Irons’ hymn writing began during his curacy at St.
Mary Newington, from 1835-1837, and continued until his death in 1883.
No comments:
Post a Comment