November 20, 2016

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.  

About the Organ Music:

Crashing Waters at Creation – David McCarthy

This hymn celebrates the “crashing waters” at creation, the “parting waters” of the Exodus, the “cleansing waters” at the Jordan, and the “living water” never ending. It is regarded by most as one of Sylvia Dunstan’s greatest hymns. Sylvia Dunstan (1955-1993) was a prolific writer but she died at age 37, four months after being diagnosed with liver cancer. Her most substantial collection, In Search of Hope and Grace, is published by GIA.  She attributed her love of song to her grandparents [with Methodist and Salvation Army backgrounds], who kept song alive in the family and entrusted Sylvia’s formal musical education to one of the nuns at the local convent. Sylvia began writing songs in the early seventies and soon after met Sister Miriam Theresa Winter, who encouraged her to write songs based on Scripture. In 1980, Sylvia was ordained by the Hamilton Conference of the United Church of Canada. During her career she served as a minister, a prison chaplain, and editor of a Canadian worship resource journal, Gathering.  She left behind a ministry that combined a compassionate concern for the needy and distraught with a consuming love of liturgy.

Crashing waters at creation, ordered by the spirit’s breath,
First to witness day’s beginning from the brightness of night’s death.

Parting water stood and trembled as the captives passed on through,
Washing off the chains of bondage – channel to a life made new.

Cleansing water once at Jordan closed around the one love-told,
Opened to reveal the glory ever new and ever old.

            Living water, never ending, quench the thirst and flood the soul.
            Well-spring, Source of life eternal, drench our dryness, make us whole.

David McCarthy was born in Winnipeg, Canada. He has degrees in music from McGill University, the Eastman School of Music, and Houghton College, is a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists, and a member of the AGO's Board of Examiners. He is the organist and choir director at Incarnation Episcopal church in Penfield, NY. He teaches music (organ, composition, history, and theory) privately and at the Rochester Institute of Technology. David performs repertoire and improvisations in concert regularly around the Northeast, and was a semifinalist in the 2016 National Competition for Organ Improvisation.

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come – James Ross Root

“Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” is considered to be one of the most choice Thanksgiving hymns in all of hymnody.  It was written or the English harvest festivals, a movable feast varying with the harvest time in the various villages.  Its author, Henry “Dean” Alford (1810-1871), is generally regarded as one of the most gifted Christian leaders of the nineteenth century, distinguishing himself as a theologian, scholar, writer, poet, artist, and musician.  It was as a Greek scholar that he attained his greatest distinction.  His four-volume edition of the Greek Testament, on which he labored for twenty years, became the standard critical commentary of the later nineteenth century.  As a member of the new Testament Revision Committee, he made a notable contribution to biblical knowledge on both sides of the Atlantic.  Hymnology was one of Henry Alford’s major interests, and he translated and composed numerous hymns, which he published in hi Psalms and Hymns (1844), The Year of Praise (1867), and Poetical Works (1852 and1868). Of these many works, only “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” is still in general use.  The hymn first appeared in Alford’s Psalms and Hymns, in 1844.  It was originally titled “After Harvest” and was accompanied by the text “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:6).  The hymn originally contained seven stanzas, but only four have remained in common usage.  It is said that at the end of a hard day’s work, as well as after every meal, it was customary practice for Dean Alford to stand to his feet and give thanks to God for the blessings just received or enjoyed during the day.  This spirit of perpetual gratitude is clearly evidenced throughout this hymn.

The composer of this tune, “St. George’s, Windsor”, was George J. Elvey, who served as the organist for forty-seven years at the historic, royal chapel at Windsor Castle in England.  He originally composed the music for James Montgomery’s text “Hark! the Song of Jubilee,” published in E. H. Throne’s Selection of Psalms and Hymn Tunes in 1858.  In 1861, this tune first appeared wedded to Henry Alford’s text in the well-known Anglican Church hymnal, Hymns Ancient and Modern.  It has found a place in nearly every published hymnal to the present time.

George Elvey was knighted by Queen Victoria, in 1871, for his many years of faithful service to the royal family as well as for his various musical publications, including several oratorios, anthems, and collections of service music.

Come, ye thankful people, come,  raise the song of harvest home;

all is safely gathered in,  ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
come to God's own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God's own field, fruit as praise to God we yield; 
wheat and tares together sown are to joy or sorrow grown; 
first the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear; 
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be. 

For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take the harvest home; 
from the field shall in that day all offenses purge away, 
giving angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast; 
but the fruitful ears to store in the garner evermore. 

Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring thy final harvest home;
gather thou thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin,
there, forever purified,  in thy presence to abide;
come, with all thine angels, come, raise the glorious harvest home.

Ross James Root received Bachelor Degrees in Music Education and Music Theory from MacPhail College of Music at the University of Minnesota, and a Master's in Music Theory from Northwestern University. He has taught in the Minnesota public schools and served as Assistant Professor of Music at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota. His performance career includes concerts on organ, piano, marimba and vibraharp.

About the Piano Music:

Simple Gifts – Joseph Martin

          Jeremy Page, piano

"Simple Gifts" is a Shaker song written and composed in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett (1797-1882).  Brackett, a lifelong resident of Maine, first joined the Shakers at Gorham, Maine, when his father's farm helped to form the nucleus of a new Shaker settlement.   “Turning” refers to a form of Shaker dance.  Shaker worship included a form of round dance.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free                           

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,                      

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,             

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,                                                         

To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,                                      

To turn, turn will be our delight,                                                    

Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.

Joseph Martin (b. 1959 ), a native of North Carolina, earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. Subsequently he earned a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at the University of Texas, Austin. Joseph taught for five years in the Piano Pedagogy Department of the University of Texas.. He is a member of the staff of Shawnee Press as Director of Sacred Publications, with responsibilities for overseeing the editorial and creative direction of the company’s sacred publications and also coordinating the recording and production aspects of future sacred publishing efforts. Joseph has performed solo piano recitals and has been the featured artist with symphony orchestras in the United States and Mexico. As winner of the Nina Plant Wideman Competition, he performed with the Guadalajara Symphony Orchestra. His solo recital in Ex-convento del Carmen was broadcast nationally throughout the country. Though he continues to perform in concert, he now devotes his efforts to playing in churches and for conferences of church musicians Recognized throughout the United States for his many choral compositions, over 1200 compositions are currently in print and the list continues to grow.

About the Choral Music:

Thanks – Carroll McGruder

Rev. Carroll L. McGruder (1946-2015) was elected the Bishop of the First United Pentecostal Church in 2006, where he previously served as Senior Pastor for 25 years.  Prior to his arrival in Kennett, McGruder served as Pastor of the Bethel Temple Apostolic Church in Twin Falls, Idaho, and the Windfall Pentecostal Church in Windfall, Indiana.  McGruder was a gifted songwriter, having written 300+ songs which have been recorded by such groups as The Cathedrals, The Florida Boys, The Hoppers, The Crabb Family, and Gold City. 

            Thanks, thanks, I give You thanks for all You’ve done.

            I am so blessed, my soul is at rest, O Lord, I give you thanks.

            Thank You, Lord, for the strength You give to simply carry on

            Through life’s toils and tests, the worst and the best; never left alone.

            Always right beside me, You hear me when I pray;

            And since I first began You’ve been my dearest friend,

            I give You all the praise.

            Even in the bad times, everything’s goin’ wrong;

            Even on the mountain His loving presence makes me strong.

            Each and every moment, and each and every day,

            I’m gonna sing and shout, don’t let the rocks cry out;

            I give You all the praise.

About the Hymns:

For the Beauty of the Earth

Folliott Piermont (1835-1917) was born in Bath, England and was a lay member of the Anglican Church. Following his graduation from Queen's College, Cambridge, he taught the classics for a time at Somerset College, later becoming a freelance writer. During his 82 years of life, Pierpoint published seven volumes of poems and hymn texts, many of them showing his love for nature. He is most remembered for this beautiful hymn, For the Beauty of the Earth.

Piermont was about 29 years old when he wrote the text for this joyful hymn.  It was a lovely day in late spring.  While enjoying the surrounding area of his native city of Bath, in England, he was inspired by the beautiful countryside with its winding cool and peaceful river, Avon, in the distance. The tuneful songbirds, the wind whispering over a vibrantly colored hillside, all seemed to be praising the Creator with their unrestrained gladness and peace.  Overwhelmed with emotion, he expressed his feelings of gratitude in the penning of this sacred song.  The text was inspired by Hebrews 13:15:  "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."  It first appeared in 1864 in a book of Eucharistic hymns and poems entitled Lyra Eucharistica, Hymns and Verses on The Holy Communion, Ancient and Modern, with other Poems with the title "The Sacrifice of Praise".

Give Thanks

"Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart" was written by Henry Smith in 1978. Following the introduction of the song during a worship service at the Williamsburg New Testament Church in Virginia, a military couple reintroduced it to a congregation in Germany. The song eventually caught the attention of executives at Integrity Music. When Integrity's Hosanna! Music copyrighted the song in 1986, the author was unknown. After the Give Thanks album was released, the song was brought to the attention of Smith, who contacted Integrity with authorship information. Integrity later included songwriting credits on all subsequent releases, along with a writer-publisher agreement. As of 2010, the song has been recorded by over 50 companies and published in songbooks around the world.  "Give Thanks" is one of Don Moen's more recognizable songs, having been translated into various other languages, including Russian, Afrikaans, and Swedish.

While in college, a spiritual revolution in Henry Smith’s life brought him to Richmond to attend Union Theological Seminary. Then his eyes went bad. In 1978, Henry returned from seminary to his home church as a lay person. He had to take odd jobs to support himself as his career choices were limited by a degenerative eye disease.  Nevertheless, he remembers “being extremely thankful” during that time in his life. He had discovered that in the darkest winter there was within him an invincible summer.  A sermon on 2 Corinthians inspired him to write this song.    “Give thanks. And when we admit we’re weak, only then will His strength become operative and be made perfect in us. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”  Henry eventually lost his sight, but not his gratitude for God’s unfailing love. He has written over 100 other songs to fit Scripture passages. Today he runs Outback, a recording studio in Mechanicsville, Virginia.

Now Thank We All Our God

Martin Rinkart (1586-1649) was the Bishop of Eilenberg, Germany during the Thirty Years’ War.  Since Eilenberg was a walled city, it became a place of refuge for fugitives of the war, and also a place of famine and disease due to overcrowding.  In 1637, at the height of their misery, Rinkart was the only clergyman left in the city who could perform the 40 or 50 daily burial services, one of which was for his wife.   The city was sacked three times by invaders.  During this time, Rinkart managed to write 7 dramas and 66 hymns.  The hymn “Nun danket alle Gott” was originally titled “Tisch-Gebetlein” (a little prayer before the meal).  This humble prayer of thanksgiving is laid out simply and beautifully in the first verse.  This verse of thanks is followed by a verse asking for strength in time of trial and a doxology.   The tune, “Nun Danket” is named for Rinkart's text, has been associated with it ever since they were published together by Johann Crüger (1598-1662) in his Praxis Pietatis Melica (1647).