January 29, 2017

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:

Singing Songs of Expectation – Robert Powell

“Singing songs of expectation, onward goes the pilgrim band” is a hymn by Bernard Severin Ingemann which was translated by Sabine Baring-Gould for inclusion in The Hymnal 1982 according to the use of The Episcopal Church.  Bernhard Severin Ingemann (1789- 1862) was a Danish novelist and poet. The son of a vicar, he was left fatherless in his youth. While a student at the University of Copenhagen he published his first collection of poems (1811; vol. ii., 1812), which show great influence of German romanticism. He many plays, children’s books, and novels based on figures in Danish history and folklore. While his historical romances show a lack of accuracy, their strong nationality gives them a special interest to the student of Danish culture. In reality they mean the introduction of the historical novel in Danish literature. Known as the fourth great Danish hymn writer (after Kingo, Brorson and Grundtvig), Ingemann is considered less rooted in Biblical dogma and more borne up by a general spiritual and religious interest. A simple naivete runs through them. Especially popular were his Morgen og Aftensange (Morning and Evening Songs), a collection of religious poems of great beauty and spirituality written during 1837–39. Ingemann was regarded the unofficial poet-king of Denmark. Critics cite Ingemann's grace and delicacy, rather than strength, of style, both in prose and poetry.

Singing songs of expectation, onward goes the pilgrim band,
through the night of doubt and sorrow, marching to the promised land.
Clear before us through the darkness gleams and burns the guiding light:
trusting God we march together stepping fearless through the night.

One the light of God's own presence, o'er his ransomed people shed,
chasing far the gloom and terror, brightening all the path we tread:
one the object of our journey, one the faith which never tires,
one the earnest looking forward, one the hope our God inspires.

One the strain the lips of thousands lift as from the heart of one;
one the conflict, one the peril, one the march in God begun:
one the gladness of rejoicing on the far eternal shore,
where the one almighty Father reigns in love for evermore.

Robert Powell (b. 1932) is an American composer, organist, and choir director.  Powell earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana State University with a focus on organ and composition. He studied with Alec Wyton at Union Theological Seminary in New York, and he was also Wyton's assistant at The Episcopal Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. For three years (1965–1968), he served St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire) as Director of Music. Later, Powell was Director of Music and Organist of Christ Church (Episcopal) of Greenville, South Carolina from 1968 to 2003. He has composed in nearly all genres common to church music, including anthems, service music, hymn concertatos, organ music, music for handbell choir, and large-scale oratorios. Powell's conservative, neo-Romantic style stems from his practical approach to composition. According to Powell himself, he writes for "choirs of twenty-five because that's what most choirs are. When you come right down to it, most choirs are not of cathedral ability or size. My pieces are all practical things and useful for specific occasions." His publications appear in The Hymnal 1982 as well as in the catalogs of most of the significant American publishers of church music. According to publisher GIA, Powell is "a composer whose output bridges denominational boundaries and who is able to serve the larger Church. He has made ecumenical sharing a reality–-and always with a genteel touch."  Powell is an active member of the Association of Anglican Musicians and is a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists.

Promised Land – Ralph Simpson

Samuel Stennett (1727-1795), an English Baptist, came from a long line of ministers. He was the son of a Seventh-Day Adventist pastor.  In the 18th century, university education was not easily available to nonconformist families—those who refused to swear allegiance to the Church of England.  Stennett did study at the academy at Miles End with distinction, however.  In spite of his nonconformist religious stance, Stennett was a personal friend to the reigning monarch, King George III.  Stennett was honored in 1763 with a doctor of divinity degree from King’s College, Aberdeen, for his accomplishments.  He served as an assistant to his father in his congregation in 1747 and assumed the position of pastor upon his father’s death in 1758. 

John Rippon, an English Baptist pastor, published in 1787 an influential collection, A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors. Thirty-eight of Stennett’s hymns appeared in this popular collection. Among those was a hymn under the heading of “Heaven Anticipated” with the title of “The Promised Land” in eight four-line stanzas.  The hymn as it appeared in America looked and sounded much different. William Walker’s The Southern Harmony (1835) was the first to include “The Promised Land.” This was one of the most popular of the 19th-century, oblong-tune books with shaped notes.  The tune PROMISED LAND was paired with the text. The Southern Harmony attributes the tune to “Miss M. Durham” but we know nothing else about the composer. The tune has many of the characteristics the traditional folk melodies of the time.  Originally written in a minor mode, Rigdon M. McIntosh, a Southern musician, altered the tune to the major mode, and as was customary among American evangelicals in the 19th century added a refrain beginning with “I am bound for the promised land.” This version was published in 1895 in H. R. Christie’s Gospel Light and has become the standard version for many hymnals since that time.

From the start, the four stanzas focus on heaven. The singer stands on the banks of the Jordan River looking across to the “fair and happy land” of Canaan—a metaphoric mixture of images from the books of Exodus and Revelation. Our true “possessions” lie in Canaan (Heaven) and not on the earthly side of Jordan.  metaphors of the vision, vigor, enthusiasm, and optimism of frontier life moving on to the promised land of Kentucky or Missouri.”

The hymn has appeared in each American Methodist hymnal since Francis Asbury included it in his Supplement to the Pocket Hymn Book (1808).

On Jordan's stormy banks I stand, and cast a wishful eye
to Canaan's fair and happy land where my possessions lie.

There gen'rous fruits that never fail, on trees immortal grow.
There rocks and hills and brooks and vales with milk and honey flow.

All o'er those wide-extended plains shines one eternal day;
there God the Son forever reigns and scatters night away.

No chilling wind nor pois'nous breath can reach that healthful shore;
sickness and sorrow pain and death are felt and feared no more.

When shall I reach that happy place and be forever blest?
When shall I see my Father's face and in his bosom rest?

I'm bound for the promised land, I'm bound for the promised land.
Oh, who will come and go with me? I'm bound for the promised land.

Ralph Simpson (b. 1933) is an organist and composer from Birmingham, Alabama.  He received his Bachelors in organ from Alabama State University, his Masters from Columbia University, and his PhD from Michigan State University.  He taught at Alabama State Teacher’s College and Dillard University.  He was University Organist and Chair of the Music Department at Tennessee State University until his retirement.  He is organist at First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Nashville. His choral and organ compositions feature the melodies of African-American spirituals.

Jerusalem, My Happy Home – Charles Callahan

The authorship of this text is unclear.  The fact that two versions are known, both dating from the latter part of the 16th century, (those of F. B. P. and W. Prid), points naturally to a common source from whence each was taken.  Some hymnals claim the original author is St. Augustine and that F. B. P.’s text in a 16^th or 17^th century manuscript was based on the Augustine text.  Other hymnals say Joseph Bromehead is the author. Still other hymnals attribute the text to James Montgomery.  Although the first stanza is similar to the first stanza of the hymn “Jerusalem, my happy home, O how I long for Thee” from Southern Harmony (1835), the chorus and some other stanzas are not shared by any of the F. B. P. text.

For some centuries the volume known to us as The Meditations of St. Augustine (Liber Meditationum) had been popular, and had widely influenced the thought of the Church. At the time of the Reformation, Roman Catholic and Protestant alike vied in translations of it, in whole or in part. In many editions Cardinal P. Damiani's hymn on Paradise, "Ad perennis vitae fontem," is given as a part of the Manual, and has thus become frequently ascribed to Stanza Augustine. A passage in the Liber Meditationum [ed. Divi Aurelii Augustini Hipponensis Episcopi Meditationes, Soliloquia et Manuale, Venice, 1553, c. 25], …together with Card. P. Damiani's hymn, seems to have been the source of the hymn by F. B. P., as it is certainly of that by W. Prid. 

The version by F. B. P. is in a manuscript book in the British Museum. The manuscript is undated, but is of the latter part of the 16th or the beginning of the 17th century.  In 1601, this hymn, abbreviated to 19 stanzas, was printed in The Song of Mary the Mother of Christ... with the Description of Heavenly Jerusalem (1601). These two versions, if the latter is not derived from the former, must have had one common source, and suggest the possibility of an earlier and probably printed version of the hymn now unknown being the source of both.

W. Prid's hymn on The New Jerusalem is contained in  The Glasse of vaine-glorie: Faithfully translated (out of S. Augustine his booke, intituled Speculum peccatoris) into English by W. P.[rid] (1585).  W. Prid translated direct from the work known to us as St. Augustine's Meditation; and it is highly probable that F. B. P. derived his directly from the same source, or indirectly through the translation of another.

Jerusalem, my happy home, Oh how I long for thee!
When will my sorrows have an end? Thy joys when shall I see?

We're marching through Emmanuel's ground;
We soon shall hear the welcome trumpet sound,—
Oh, there we shall with Jesus dwell, And never part again:

What, never part again? No, never part again,
No, never part again, No, never part again,
Oh, there we shall with Jesus dwell, And never part again.

Charles Callahan (b. 1951) is one of America’s leading organist-composers.  A native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, he is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and Catholic University of America.  In recognition of his service to the church and his commissioned compositions for Papal visits to the U.S., he was awared the Papal Honor of Knighthood in the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in 1999.  In addition to compositions and performances, Charles Callahan is a noted educator and author whose two books on American organ-building have become standard reference works.

About the Choral Music:

Heaven’s Gonna Be My Home – Michael Barrett

Michael Barrett has written many gospel style songs.  “Heaven’s gonna be my home” was written in collaboration with J. Paul Williams, lyricist, and arranged by Brant. Adams.  This arrangement incorporates parts of “Unclouded Day” by Josiah Alwood (1828-1909), a United Brethren in Christ circuit rider, who spent many years traveling on horseback to his appointments. 

            Heaven’s gonna be my home. Allelu, someday I’m going there.  I’ll cross the river.

            Heaven’s gonna be my home, allelu, that land beyond compare.

            No more cryin’, no more tears, no more sorrow, no more fear,

            And every cloud shall disappear, oh, heaven’s gonna be my home.

            Oh, they tell me of a home far beyond the sky.  Oh, sing alleluia.

            They tell me of a home so far away.

            Oh, they tell me of a home far beyond the sky. Oh, sing alleluia,

            Oh, they tell me of an unclouded day.

            Oh, the land of cloudless day, oh the land of an unclouded day.

            Oh, they tell me of a home far beyond the sky. Oh, sing alleluia,

            Oh, they tell me of an unclouded day.

            Heaven’s gonna be my home, Alleluia. 

            Heaven’s gonna be my home one fine day.

            Oh, they tell me of a home far beyond the sky.

                        Heaven’s gonna be my home; some day I’m goin’ there.

            Oh, they tell me of a home far away, far away.

                        Heaven’s gonna be my home, that place beyond compare.

            Oh, they tell me of a home far beyond the sky.

                        Heaven’s gonna be my home; Some day I’m goin’ there.

            No more sickness, no more pain, no more dyin’, no more shame.

            I’ll hear the Savior call my name. Oh, heaven’s gonna be my home.

About the Hymns:

How Great Thou Art

"How Great Thou Art" is a based on a Swedish poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859–1940) in Sweden in 1885.  “O Store Gud” (O Great God) is a paraphrase of Psalm 8 and has nine verses.  It was sung in the underground church in Sweden in the late 1800s when the Baptists and Mission Friends were persecuted.  Boberg himself gave the following information about his inspiration for this hymn:

It was that time of year when everything seemed to be in its richest colouring;; the birds were singing in trees and everywhere.  It was very warm; a thunderstorm appeared on the horizon and soon thunder and lightning.  We had to hurry to shelter.  But the storm was soon over and the clear sky appeared.  When I came home I opened my window toward the sea.  There evidently had been a funeral and the bells were playing the tune of “When eternity’s clock calling my saved soul to its Sabbath rest”.  That evening, I wrote the song, “O Store Gud”.

Boberg first published "O Store Gud" in the “Mönsterås Tidningen” (Mönsterås News) on 13 March 1886.The poem became matched to an old Swedish folk tune and sung in public for the first known occasion in a church in the Swedish province of Värmland in 1888.   It was soon published in additional hymn collections and was translated into German and Russian.

British Methodist missionary Stuart Wesley Keene Hine (1899-1989)  heard the Russian translation of the German version of the song while on an evangelistic mission to the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine, near the Polish border, in 1931. Upon hearing it, Hine was inspired to create his English paraphrase known as “How Great Thou Art".   According to Michael Ireland, "Hine and his wife, Edith, learned the Russian translation, and started using it in their evangelistic services.  Hine also started re-writing some of the verses --- and writing new verses (all in Russian) --- as events inspired him."  Hine finalized his English translation in 1949

When the Billy Graham team went to London in 1954 for the Harringay Crusade, they were given a pamphlet containing Hine's work.  They worked closely with Hine to prepare the song for use in their campaigns. They sang it in the 1955 Toronto campaign, but it didn't really catch on until they took it to the Madison Square Garden in 1957. According to Cliff Barrows (Dr. Graham's longtime associate), they sang it one hundred times during that campaign because the people wouldn't let them stop.   

George Beverly Shea's recording of the beloved hymn ranks number 204 on the top recordings of the 20th century according to the Recording Industry Association of America.  It was voted the United Kingdom's favourite hymn by BBC's Songs of Praise.^[2] "How Great Thou Art" was ranked second (after "Amazing Grace") on a list of the favorite hymns of all time in a survey by Today's Christian magazine in 2001.

Evangelist Billy Graham indicated: “The reason I like 'How Great Thou Art' is because it glorifies God. It turns Christian’s eyes toward God, rather than upon themselves. I use it as often as possible because it is such a God-honoring song.”

Soon and Very Soon

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of Andraé Crouch (1942-2015) in the gospel music field during the last fifty years. Few have had such a sustained level of accomplishment and recognition in gospel music — seven Grammys, six Dove awards, an Oscar nomination, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998, and much more. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004. A San Francisco native who grew up in the Church of God in Christ, Crouch wrote his first gospel tune at age 14. By 1960, he had formed the Church of God in Christ Singers, a group that featured Billy Preston on keyboards.  He started another group, Andraé Crouch & the Disciples, in 1965, eventually signing to a contemporary Christian label, Light Records. Crouch brought a contemporary pop and R&B melodic sensibility to gospel, making him uniquely suited to appeal to both black and white audiences during the early days of the countercultural "Jesus movement" and also bringing him attention beyond the church.  Throughout his life, Crouch struggled with dyslexia, sometimes memorizing words by the shapes of their combination of letters. He often drew simple pictures to help him comprehend words and write songs.  Crouch's sister, Sandra Crouch, served as his spokeswoman, and the siblings were pastors at the New Christ Memorial Church in San Fernando, Calif., carrying on a work begun by their parents.

“Soon and very soon” (1978) is based on Revelation 21:3-4: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.   >He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” (KJV)

Come Let Us Join Our Friends Above

When Charles Wesley penned and later -- with his brother John -- printed these words, he was not imagining they might be sung as a processional hymn on All Saints Day at Westminster Abbey or Coventry Cathedral. Indeed, such would have been out of the question. "Man-made" hymns such as this were not permitted in worship in the Church of England during his lifetime.

But more than this, as the text of this hymn shows, Charles had a vision of sainthood that was at once more inclusive and more demanding than any impressive public ritual one day a year could express. Charles and his brother John were both convinced that sainthood was the intended destiny not of just a few, but indeed of all Christians. God's intention in salvation is nothing less than to make saints of us all. God's desire for us is not simply to forgive us of our sins, nor even to work in our hearts and lives to deliver us entirely from the power of sin, but rather to work in us and with us "a complete salvation" that will "perfect us in love" in this life.

This hymn isn't and could not be for Wesley "special music for special worship on a special day." It was an "anthem for a lifetime," intended to be sung regularly by the early Methodists in society meetings, class meetings, and in daily life as a constant invitation to "join our friends above who have obtained the prize, and on the eagle wings of love to joys celestial rise."

January 22, 2017

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:

What Poor, Despised Company – Don Hustad

Ralph Hudson (1843-1901) was born in Napoleon, OH. He served in the Union Army in the Civil War. After teaching for five years at Mt. Vernon College in Alliance he established his own publishing company in that city. He was a strong prohibitionist and published The Temperance Songster in 1886. He compiled several other collections and supplied tunes for gospel songs, among them Clara Tear Williams' "All my life long I had panted" (Satisfied).

What poor despised company Of travelers are these,
Who walk in yonder narrow way, The world they cannot please?

His yoke is easy, his burden's light, I find it so, I find it so,
He leadeth me by day and by night, Where living waters flow.

Ah, these are of a royal line, All children of a King;
Heirs of immortal crowns divine, And lo, for joy they sing.

But why keep they that narrow road, That rugged, thorny maze?
Why, that's the way their Leader trod, They love and keep his ways.

Why must they shun the pleasant path, That worldings love so well?
Because that is the road to death, The open road to hell.

What, is there then no other road To Salem's happy ground?
Christ is the only way to God, None other can be found.

I'd rather be the least of them, Who are the Lord's alone,
Than wear a royal diadem, and sit upon a throne.

Don Hustad (1918-2013) was one of the giants of Christian music of the 20th century. Hustad had a distinguished ministry and a life-long profession as a recording artist, composer, arranger, teacher, conductor, hymnal editor, and author.  He began work as staff musician of Chicago's WMBI in the early 1940s, worked with soloist George Beverly Shea on a weekly broadcast called "Club Time," and served for some 20 years as organist for a popular radio broadcast "Songs in the Night." He taught at Olivet Nazarene College in Kankakee, Illinois from 1946 to 1950, at which time Hustad was appointed director of the Sacred Music Department at Moody Bible Institute—a position he held until 1961.  During his 11-year tenure at Moody he developed the Moody Chorale into a superior choral ensemble that achieved fame nationally and internationally.   In 1961 he became Crusade organist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and directed the Crusader Men Choir in the "Hour of Decision" broadcasts.  His publications include over 100 articles and five books.  Throughout his career, Hustad devoted considerable energy to music arranging and hymnal editing, serving as editorial consultant and musical advisor to Hope Publishing Company. Among his editorial contributions are fourteen hymnals and songbooks, as well as dozens of collections.  In 1989, Hustad was awarded Fellow of the Hymn Society for his outstanding contribution to American hymnody.  In 2008, he was honored by the American Choral Director's Association Southern Division Conference for his contributions to church music. He earned diplomas as an Associate of the American Guild of Organists (AAGO) and a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists (FRCO), London, UK.

Only Thine – Lani Smith

The text of “Only Thine” is by R. A. John, who wrote 78 hymn texts in German and English.  The tune was written by E. S. Lorenz, and it was first published in Songs of Revival Power (1907)

 Edmund Simon Lorenz (1854-1942) was the son of Edward Lorenz, a German-born shoemaker who turned preacher, served German immigrants in northwestern Ohio, and was editor of the church paper, Froehliche Botschafter, 1894-1900.  Edmund graduated from Toledo High School, taught German, and was made a school principal. A self-taught musician, he moved to Dayton to become the music editor for the United Brethren Publishing House at age 19. He graduated from Otterbein College (B.A.), studied at Union Biblical Seminary, , then went to Yale Divinity School where he graduated (B.D.) in 1883. He then spent a year studying theology in Leipzig, Germany. He was ordained by the Miami [Ohio] Conference of the United Brethren in Christ. He served as pastor of the High Street United Brethren Church in Dayton  and as president of Lebanon Valley College.

In 1890, he founded the Lorenz Publishing Company of Dayton, to which he devoted the remainder of his life. For their catalog, he wrote hymns, and composed many gospel songs, anthems, and cantatas, occasionally using pseudonyms such as E.D. Mund, Anna Chichester, and G.M. Dodge. Monthly subscription services for church keyboardists and choirs were among the company's first publications, all of which E.S. edited. These magazines were incredibly successful and provided the foundation on which Lorenz intially expanded.  He edited three of the Lorenz choir magazines, The Choir Leader, The Choir Herald, and Kirchenchor. For pastors and church musicians, he wrote several books stressing hymnody: Practical Church Music (1909), Church Music (1923), Music in Work and Worship (1925), and The Singing Church (1938). He wrote 195 hymn texts, over 40 hymn tunes, and compiled over 20 hymnals.  In 1936, Otterbein College awarded him the honorary D.Mus. degree and Lebanon Valley College the honorary LL.D. degree.

The sweetest songs I fain would offer Unto Thy glory, Savior mine!
The grandest gifts my hands could proffer, Should, Lord, be thine and only thine.
And all for which my soul has striven, And all that life has ever given,
Only thine, only thine, All should be, O Savior, mine!

The fairest flow’rs that e’er were bidden To grace the dewy morn in spring,
The treasured gold the earth has hidden, I fain, O Lord, to thee would bring.
And all that fortune has afforded And all that zeal and toil rewarded,
Only thine, only thine, All should be, O Savior, mine!

The rarest gems, the priceless treasure That flashed and burned in royal crown,
My heart aflame would bless the pleasure Before thy throne to lay it down.
And wealth and might should tell the story Of thee and thy eternal glory;
Only thine, only thine, All should be, O Savior, mine!

I cannot sing the Master’s chorals That grandly thro’ the ages roll;
I have not wealth of pearls or corals— I can but bring my ransomed soul;
For this thy sacred side was riven, For this thy holy life was given;
Only thine, only thine, I would be, O Savior, mine!

Lani Smith (1934-2015) is an organist best known for his church music compositions. He has been composing for nearly fifty years, and his compositions include choral, organ and piano pieces. He is a regular contributor to the Lorenz Corporation’s keyboard magazines The Church Pianist, The Organist, The Organ Portfolio, and The Sacred Organ Journal, as well as the choral magazines The SAB Choir and The Volunteer Choir.  He served as an editor, composer, and arranger on the Lorenz Publishing editorial staff between 1967 and 1982. During this time, he received composing and arranging credits for over 1000 works.

O wie selig – Johannes Brahms

Simon Dach (1605-1659) attended the Cathedral school at Königsberg, the Town school at Wittenberg, and the Gymnasium at Magdeburg. In 1626, he returned to Königsberg, where, after studying philosophy and theology at the University, he for some time acted as a private tutor. In 1633, he was appointed assistant in the Cathedral school, and in 1636 Conrector. In 1639, he became Professor of Poetry in the University, was five times Dean of the Philosophical Faculty. Dach was virtually an invalid, and nearly broke down under the hard labour and poor pay of his early tutorial work at Königsberg.. In his later years the effects of the Thirty Years' War made themselves visible in Königsberg by depression of trade and famine. In 1648, he lost his wife by death, and in 1649 many of his fellow professors fell victims to the pestilence. During the last year of his life, he suffered from a lingering consumption. These facts explain the sombreness of much of his verse. In 1636, he joined in forming the Poetical Union of Konigsberg  and was its poetic soul. He was the most important poet of the Königsberg School, and one of the first lyric poets of his time happy in expression, pure in style, and true hearted. But of his poems (some 1360 in all, many of which were "occasional" pieces for the Electoral House of Brandenburg, and for private friends) very few retain popularity. Dach's hymns, some 165 in all, appeared in broadsheet form, in H. Alberti's Arien, 1638-1650, and in the Königsberg Hymnbooks, 1639-1690. They deservedly place him amongst the best hymn writers of his time, and win him the distinction of being one of the most lovable, most profound and most elegant of the more contemplative hymn writers. Their personal and subjective character, and the fact that so many are hymns of preparation for death, have prevented all but a few from finding a place in modern hymnals.

“O wie selig seid ihr dooh, ihr Frommen [Eternal Life.]” was printed at Danzig, 1635, with music by J. Stobaus, as the Musikalisches Ehrengedächtniss of Hiob Lepner, Burgomaster of the Königsberg Altstadt.  It is a fine hymn, founded on Revelations 14:13-14. “O how blest are ye beyond our telling” is a good and full translation by Winkworth (1863).  The most familiar translation is by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “O how blessed are ye whose toils are ended.”

Oh, how blest are ye whose toils are ended,  

Who through death have unto God ascended!
Ye have arisen From the cares which keep us still in prison.

We are still as in a dungeon living, Still oppressed with sorrow and misgiving;
Our undertackings Are but toils and troubles and heart-breakings.

Ye meanwhile are in your chambers sleeping,

Quiet, and set free from all our weeping;
No cross or sadness There can hinder your untroubled gladness.

Christ has wiped away your tears forever;
Ye have that for which we still endeavor;
To you are chanted Songs that ne'er to mortal ears were granted.

Ah, who would, then, not depart with gladness
To inherit heaven for earthly sadness?
Who here would languish Longer in bewailing and in anguish?

Come, 0 Christ, and loose the chains that bind us:
Lead us forth and cast this world behind us.
With Thee, the Anointed, Finds the soul its joy and rest appointed.

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was a German composer and pianist.  Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria. In his lifetime, Brahms's popularity and influence were considerable; following a comment by the nineteenth-century conductor Hans von Bülow, he is sometimes grouped with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven as one of the "Three Bs".
Brahms is often considered both a traditionalist and an innovator. His music is firmly rooted in the structures and compositional techniques of the Baroque and Classical masters. He was a master of counterpoint, perfected in the Baroque period, and of thematic development, characteristic of the Classical era. Brahms aimed to honor the "purity" of these established "German" structures and advance them into a Romantic idiom, in the process creating bold new approaches to harmony and melody. While many contemporaries found his music too academic, the diligent, highly constructed nature of Brahms's works was a starting point and an inspiration for a generation of composers.

About the Choral Music:

Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart – Shirley McRae

Anglican priest and professor Edward Hayes Plumptre (1821-1891) composed “Rejoice, ye pure in heart” as a processional hymn for a choir festival in one of England’s majestic places of worship, Peterborough Cathedral.   Plumptre was a distinguished scholar of his day. Educated at University College, Oxford, he then became a fellow at Brasenose College, Oxford, receiving his ordination in the Anglican Church in 1846. After serving as a clergyman, he became chaplain and professor of New Testament exegesis at King’s College, London, and dean of Queen’s College, Oxford. His most prominent position as a clergyman was that of dean of Wells Cathedral.

Of the original 11 stanzas, five or six stanzas appear in most hymnals.  Omitted stanzas refer to this processional in martial terms as warriors who “march in firm array.” This kind of imagery is not only consonant with the times, but also reflects the theology of the Anglican Communion that views its role on earth as the “Church Militant” while the church in heaven is the “Church Triumphant.”   Hymnologist William Reynolds noted that it “was not unusual for a cathedral processional to take from ten to thirty minutes, and the hymn that was sung by both the choir and the congregation needed to have enough stanzas for this.”   It was first published in the third edition of Plumptre's Lazarus and Other Poems (1868) and in the Appendix to Hymns Ancient and Modern (1868).

Shirley W. McRae is Professor Emerita at the Rudy E. Scheidt School of Music, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, where she taught for 25 years and served as coordinator of music education for seven years. McRae is a widely known specialist in Orff Schulwerk, an innovative approach to teaching music to children, and has taught certification courses at the University of Wyoming, Central Connecticut State University, Samford University, the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, University of Central Florida, and the University of Memphis. She also presents numerous in-service workshops in cities in the United States and Canada and has presented sessions at national conferences of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association and at state and regional MENC meetings. She has long been active in adult and children's choirs, serving as children's choir director at Evergreen Presbyterian Church in Memphis, and is an active clinician in choir festivals and regional summer seminars (Lake Junaluska and Montreat, in North Carolina). She was a member of the editorial board of The Chorister. McRae has published extensively, with articles in church and music education journals. Also a composer and arranger, she has published nine books of folk and original songs arranged for treble voices and Orff instruments. A major work, Directing the Children's Choir: A Comprehensive Resource, was published in 1991 by Schirmer Books and covers all aspects of the choir program, establishing a philosophical base as well as providing many practical ideas.  She was the 1991 recipient of the Dean's Faculty Creative Achievement Award at the University of Memphis.

            Rejoice, ye pure in heart; rejoice, give thanks and sing;

            Your glorious banner wave on high, the cross of Christ your King.

            Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice give thanks and sing.

            Your clear Hosannas raise, and Alleluias loud;

            While answering echoes upward float like wreaths of incense cloud.

            Hosanna!  Alleluia! Sing praise to Christ your King.

            Praise God who reigns on high, the Lord whom we adore,

            The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one God forevermore.

            Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, give thanks and sing.

About the Hymns:

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was a prolific hymn writer of the 18th century. Coming from a musical family, he left a lasting legacy of congregational song.  The youngest of 18 children, Charles possessed prodigious talents that soon blossomed. Little did he know that “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” would rise to become one of the most popular and consistently vocalized Christian songs.  Writing hymn texts that are solidly based on the Scriptures gives them an appeal across denominational lines. It is estimated that during his lifetime, Wesley penned more than 9,000 poems of a spiritual nature, 6,000 of which are hymns. What really set Charles apart from other hymn writers was his effective use of scriptural allusions, providing a spiritual roadmap whereby individuals could imagine a Christ-centered life. His writings were passionate and well-crafted, conveying the true essence of Christian teaching. 

Both John and Charles were instrumental in changing the spiritual environment of Britain during the 18th century. In doing so, they formed the bedrock of what Methodism has become worldwide. Their unwavering devotion to expressing Christian spirituality through hymns has impacted individuals across all denominational lines.  We are fortunate to be the recipients of the poetic genius of Charles Wesley. He influenced Methodism more than any other hymn writer. Upon hearing of Charles’ death, an elderly Londoner asked, “Who will write poetry for us now?” A substantial number of his writings were completed while riding on horseback to his evangelical meetings.  Scholars suggest that he was able to compose about 10 lines of verse daily for 50 years. Charles’ brother John sometimes served as editor to his hymns. John’s typical response was, “some were good, some were mediocre, and some were exceptional.” John can also be credited with improving the singability of Charles’ hymns.

“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” was first published in a collection of hymns entitled Hymns for those that Seek, and those that Have, Redemption in the Blood of Christ (1747). The incipit (opening line) was a play on the opening line of John Dryden’s (1631-1700) poem “Fairest Isle, All Isles Excelling” set to music by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) in the generation before Charles Wesley was born.  The hymn is written around a progression of thoughts: (1) our prayers for the Holy Spirit, (2) praying for the return of our Lord through the second coming, and (3) prayers for the finalization of his new creation. Stanza 2 expresses the Wesleyan concept of the “second rest.” When Charles referred to this in his hymns, it specifically applies to the “second birth,” “second blessing,” “second gift.” All of these are directed toward achieving full “sanctification” or “Christian perfection.” This is an important theological tenet of Methodist preaching from the very beginning.

There is no better way of describing the culmination of adhering to the biblical teachings of Christ, than in stanza four of this hymn. Wesley’s phrase, “changed from glory into glory” is almost a direct quotation from 2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV). Wesley describes that day in heaven when “we take our place, till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.”

Seek Ye First

"Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God." was written in 1972 by Karen Lafferty.  The following is an excerpt from an interview in Reformed Worship magazine.

I was raised in a Christian home, but like many young people I wanted to discover life for myself and did some drifting. I was working as a nightclub entertainer in New Orleans when a friend came to visit me and got me back on the right track. I decided to pursue entertainment for the time being—to try to be salt and light in the entertainment world. So I moved to California.  Soon I did find a church, Calvary Chapel, and at my first service I met a lot of other young musicians.  At this time "Maranatha! Music" was part of Calvary Chapel. It was very small yet and had produced only one album, An Everlasting Jesus Music Concert. At the chapel we had a special fellowship for musicians which taught us principles on how to serve through music. Most of us were especially interested in contemporary Christian music, music that would reach young people.  I stayed with Maranatha! Music for about eight years. In 1980, and out of that relationship came Musicians for Missions. Youth with a Mission is very involved with the idea of cross-cultural missions. Even though we dealt with a subculture of young people who all liked the same kind of music, there were still many cultural differences. I felt I had to live outside of the U.S. to really learn what it is to be in another country. And under the umbrella of Youth with a Mission, I was able to organize Musicians for Missions.

Back in 1971, I had quit my entertainment job and was trying to support myself with teaching guitar lessons. I had three students! When my savings were all gone and I had no money to make my car payments, I became very discouraged and confused.  One evening I went to a Bible study at church, and we talked about Matthew 6:33.1 was tremendously encouraged and challenged by the words about Christ's kingdom. So I went home, wrote the tune, recorded it on a tape recorder, and then sang this little descant part.  I taught the song at church the next week, and it caught on right away. The Lord really paved the way for me with that song. "Seek Ye First" has opened doors for me all over the world. And because it's in so many hymnbooks, about 40 percent of my mission support comes from that song!

Take My Life and Let It Be

Frances R. Havergal (1836-1879) originally composed her text in eleven couplets as a hymn of "self-consecration to Christ" on February 4, 1874. She told the following story about writing this hymn:

I went for a little visit of five days [to Areley House, Worcestershire, in December 1873]. There were ten persons in the house, some unconverted and long prayed for, some converted but not rejoicing Christians. [God] gave me the prayer, "Lord, give me all this house." And He just did! Before I left the house, everyone had got a blessing. The last night of my visit. . . I was too happy to sleep and passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own consecration, and these little couplets formed themselves and chimed in my heart, one after another, till they finished with "Ever, only, all, for Thee."

The text is a "catalog" hymn that lists aspects of our lives and offers them in Christ's service.  "Take My Life and Let It Be" was first published in the 1874 appendix to Charles B. Snepp's Songs of Grace and Glory (1872). A twelfth couplet was added at some later point, producing the six stanzas published in the Psalter Hymnal.

Although her formal education was sporadic because of poor health, Havergal learned six foreign languages, including Greek and Hebrew, and was well read in many subjects. She began writing poetry at an early age and was also an accomplished singer and pianist. The daughter of a clergyman, she had a conversion experience at the age of fourteen and was confirmed in the Church of England in 1853. Taking seriously her own words "take my silver and my gold," she sent all her jewelry to the Church Mission Society to be sold. She also supported other charitable organizations. Her more than one hundred hymns were originally published in leaflets and later gathered into seven collections: Ministry of Song (1869), Twelve Sacred Songs for Little Singers (1870), Under the Surface (1874), Loyal Responses (1878), Life Mosaic (1879), Life Chords (1880), and Life Echoes (1883), as well as in one large volume, Poetical Works (1884).