March 5, 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:

Aus tiefer not – Georg Kauffmann

Martin Luther (1483-1546) is important in the history of hymnody for restoring congregational singing in worship. In addition, Luther wrote hymns and composed hymn tunes. Luther was one of the primary theologians of the Protestant Reformation and established the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany. Lutheranism eventually spread throughout Europe and North America.  Luther had a unique theological perspective: Justification by Faith (salvation is a gift from God and is available through acceptance. It is not attained through 'works.').  Luther's theological views are evident in his hymns.  

Luther wrote both the text and tune of “Aus tiefer not schrei ich zu dir" (From deep affliction I cry out to you), originally "Aus tieffer not schrey ich zu dir" and published it in the Achtliederbuch in 1524, one of several hymnals he published.  The text is based on Psalm 130.

Out of the deep I cry to thee; O Lord God, hear my crying:
Incline thy gracious ear to me, With prayer to thee applying.
For if thou fix thy searching eye On all sin and iniquity,
Who, Lord, can stand before thee?

For this, my hope in God shall rest, Naught building on my merit;
My heart confides, of him possest, His goodness stays my spirit.
His precious word assureth me; My solace, my sure rock is he,
Whereon my soul abideth.

What though our sins are manifold? Supreme his mercy reigneth;
No limit can his hand withhold, Where evil most obtaineth.
He the good Shepherd is alone, Who Israel will redeem and won,
Forgiving all transgression.

Georg Friedrich Kauffmann (1679-1735) was a Baroque composer and organist from southern Germany who composed primarily sacred works for the organ and voice.  Late in his life, Kauffmann started to publish a complete edition of his organ chorales; however, he died of consumption before they had been completely published. His widow completed the publication of the Harmonische Seelenlust.  While they did not make a great first impression, over the next century they became one of the most significant achievements in German organ music, and remained in high demand well into the 19th century.

Partita uber "Christ der du bist der helle Tag" - J. S. Bach

Erasmus Alber (1500-1553) studied at Wittenberg under Luther and Melanchthon. He was a schoolmaster at St. Ursel, near Frankfurt-am-Main, and at Heldenbergen, in Hesse Darmstadt. In 1528, the Landgrave Philip of Hesse appointed him pastor at Sprendlingen and Götzenhain, where he devoted himself specially to the children of his charge. After 11 years' service, the Elector Joachim of Brandenburg appointed him court preacher at Berlin.  In 1542, he became pastor at Stade, in Wetteravia, and while there received the degree of Doctor of Theology from the University of Wittenberg. He had the good fortune to attract the attention of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon, and subsequently became one of Luther's most active helpers in the Protestant Reformation. Not only did he fight for the Protestant cause as a preacher and theologian, but he was almost the only member of Luther's party who was able to confront the Roman Catholics with the weapon of literary satire. In 1542, he published a prose satire to which Luther wrote the preface, Der Barfusser Monche Eulenspiegel und Alkoran, a parodic adaptation of the Liber conformitatum of the Franciscan Bartolommeo Rinonico of Pisa, in which the Franciscan order is held up to ridicule. Of higher literary value is the didactic and satirical Buch von der Tugend und Weisheit (1550), a collection of forty-nine fables in which Alberus embodies his views on the relations of Church and State. After Luther's death, Alberus was for a time a deacon in Wittenberg; he became involved, however, in the political conflicts of the time, and was in Magdeburg in 1550-1551, while that town was besieged by Maurice, Elector of Saxony.  In addition to losing all his own and his wife's property by confiscation and necessary expenditure, he was unable to obtain from the Town Council the payment of his stipend. On May 4, 1553, he applied for the payment of 60 florins to relieve his urgent necessities. The refusal broke his heart, and he returned home to die.

One of the best writers for children in his day, he has been by some ranked, as a hymn-writer, next to Luther, in the Reformation period. His hymns, 20 in all, were first collected by Dr. Stromberger, and published at Halle, 1857. Being mostly long, and ungainly in style, not many of them have kept a place in the hymn-books, though they have been justly styled "powerful and living witnesses of a steadfast faith and a manly trust in God's Word"

O Christ, who art the Light and Day, Thou drivest night and gloom away;
O Light of light, whose Word doth show The light of heaven to us below.

All-holy Lord, in humble prayer, We ask tonight Thy watchful care.
Oh, grant us calm repose in Thee, A quiet night, from perils free.

Our sleep be pure from sinful stain; Let not the Tempter vantage gain,
Or our unguarded flesh surprise And make us guilty in Thine eyes.

Asleep though wearied eyes may be,     Still keep the heart awake to Thee;
Let Thy right hand outstretched above Guard those who serve the Lord they love.

Behold, O God, our Shield, and quell The crafts and subtleties of hell;
Direct Thy servants in all good, Who Thou hast purchased with Thy blood.

O Lord, remember us who bear The burden of the flesh we wear;
Thou who dost o'er our souls defend, Be with us even to the end.

All praise to God the Father be, All praise, eternal Son, to Thee,
Whom with the Spirit we adore Forever and forevermore.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period.  He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organization, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France.  Bach's compositions include the Brandenburg concertos, the Mass in B minor, The Well-Tempered Clavier, two Passions, keyboard works, and more than 300 cantatas, of which nearly 100 cantatas have been lost to posterity.  His music is revered for its intellectual depth, technical command, and artistic beauty.  Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected throughout Europe during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognized as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the nineteenth century.  During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, Bach was recognized by several prominent composers.  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven,  Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann, and Felix Mendelssohn were among his admirers; they began writing in a more contrapuntal style after being exposed to Bach's music.  Beethoven described him as "Urvater der Harmonie", the "original father of harmony".  He is now generally regarded as one of the main composers of the Baroque period and as one of the greatest composers of all time.  A highly devout Christian, Bach signed all of his compositions “soli Deo Gloria”  (to God alone be the glory).  

This setting of "Christ, der du bist der helle Tag" (Christ, You Are the Bright Day) is a quite early Bach work, likely dating to the composer's years in Lüneberg.

Christ is the World’s Light – J. Bert Carlson

The Reverend Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000) was a British Methodist minister and hymnwriter.  His hymns reflect his rejection of fundamentalism and show his concern with social issues. They include many that were written to supply obvious liturgical needs of the modern church, speaking to topics or appropriate for events for which there were few traditional hymns available. His hymns appear in hymn books of various denominations, but most notably in Hymns and Psalms, the hymn book of the Methodist Church of Great Britain, and the United Methodist Hymnal used in the United States.

Christ is the world’s light, Christ and none other;
Born in our darkness, he became our brother.
If we have seen him we have seen the Father:
Glory to God on high!

Christ is the world’s peace, Christ and none other;
No one can serve him and despise another.
Who else unites us one in God the Father?
Glory to God on high!

Christ is the world’s life, Christ and none other;
Sold once for silver, murdered here, our brother.
He who redeems us reigns with God the Father.
Glory to God on high!

Give God the glory, God and none other;
Give God the glory, Spirit, Son, and Father.
Give God the glory, God with us our brother;
Glory to God on high!

J. Bert Carlson (b. 1937), retired pastor, holds a master of music from Duquesne University School of Music and has served as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Whiting, NJ since 1997. Carlson wears many diverse hats as a piano teacher, organ recitalist, tenor soloist, musical director, and conductor as well as cofounder of the Chicago Oratorio Society and clinician for numerous workshops with an emphasis on choral methods, organ and hymn composition. His prodigious list of publications includes anthems, vocal songs, organ works, and piano works.

About the Choral Music:

We Will Walk in the Light – Don Besig

Don Besig was a public school music teacher for over thirty years in western New York. He taught at all levels and since his retirement has continued to serve as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator. Recognizing a need for choral music written especially for student singers and volunteer church choirs, he began composing for his own choral groups in 1960. He is also the recipient of several ASCAP Plus Awards Don is a graduate of Ithaca College and a member of Phi Mu Alpha and ASCAP. He and Nancy Price collaborate to write music and lyrics. 

This gospel style anthem is based on 1 John 1:7

          We will walk in the light.  We will walk in the light.

            Yes, we will walk in the light of the Lord.

            Through every night and every day, we will surely find our way

            When we walk, walk in the light, the light of the Lord.

            Sometimes when the road is rough and long,

            We feel like everything in life just seems to be wrong.

            When we feel afraid, and touble is all around us,

            We need God’s light to keep us strong!

            When we’re lost and don’t know what to do,

            We’ll find our Savior right beside us, helping us through.

            Everywhere we go, wherever the road may lead us,

            God’s light is shining strong and true!

About the Hymns:

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Walter C. Smith based this text on 1 Timothy 1: 17: "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever." The six-stanza text was published in Smith's Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life (1867) and, after having been revised by Smith, in W. Garrett Horder's Congregational Hymns (1884). Further revisions were made by the Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee.
"Immortal, Invisible" is a strong text of praise to God, who created and sustains the lives of all his creatures. The text focuses on the Creator of the universe, the invisible God whose visible works in nature testify to his glory and majesty. "Light" is the prevailing image in stanzas 1, 2, and 4 (see also Ps. 104:2); our inability to see God is not because of insufficient light but because the "splendor of light hides [God] from view."

Walter Chalmbers Smith (1824-1908) was educated at the University of Aberdeen and New College, Edinburgh, and became a Presbyterian pastor in the Free Church of Scotland in 1850. He served four congregations, including the Free High Church in Edinburgh (1876¬-1894). Moderator of his denomination in 1893, Smith was a man of wide interests. His poetry was published in some six volumes entitled Poetical Works (1902), and his hymn texts were published in Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life (1886).

On Eagle’s Wings

Michael Joncas (b. 1951) was ordained in 1980 to the Roman Catholic priesthood, and has served since 1991 on the faculty of the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota.  He has written three books, more than a hundred published articles, and has compiled more than 20 collections of liturgical music. Father Joncas was visiting a friend at the major seminary in Washington. One evening, Father Joncas’ friend got word that his father had suffered a fatal heart attack. Father Joncas wrote “On Eagle’s Wings” in the days that followed and it was was sung for the first time publicly at the friend’s father’s wake service.  The song is based on Psalm 91 and Isaiah 4031:, its lyrics drawing from the Scripture’s descriptions of God’s protection and providence.  

Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies

The 18th-century Englishman Charles Wesley (1707-1788) wrote, according to eminent 20th-century hymnologist Erik Routley, “more than 8,989 poems with over 6,000 of them qualifying as ‘hymns.’” That’s 3.4 poems per week, Routley added, “assuming him to have died in the act of writing.” Judging solely by quantity, Wesley can be matched by few sacred poets in history. The quality and depth of theology found in these hymns, however, is why hymnologist Routley dubbed Wesley “the first and, surely for all time, the greatest evangelical hymn writer.” From the beginning of their movement, Methodists included many of his texts in their hymnals. Of the 980 hymns included in the English Methodist Hymn Book (1904), 440 are by Charles Wesley. The next edition in 1933 still used 243 of his poems. 

Of the many great hymns by Charles Wesley, “Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies” is considered one of his best. It is one of the greatest morning hymns in our language, but it is more. It is a glorious hymn to Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, the Light of the World.  Originally titled “A Morning Hymn,” this hymn first appeared in the Wesley collection Hymns and Sacred Poems (1740) in three stanzas as well as other collections prepared by the Wesley brothers. In Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861), it was first paired with RATISBON, the tune that most often accompanies the text today. 

Scripture references may be found throughout, ranging from books of prophecy to a literal incarnation account in Luke and a theological incarnation account in John. The Rev. Carlton Young, editor of theUM Hymnal (1989), points out a reference to John 1:9 concerning the “true light” in line two. Stanza one continues with direct references to Isaiah 2:6 and Malachi 4:2 in line three about the “Sun of Righteousness.” The “Day-star” in line six is a direct reference to Isaiah 14:12 and 2 Peter 1:19. 

Routley explores two interesting ideas about this hymn in his book, Hymns and the Faith (1968). First he points out that the idea of worshipping the sun was a pagan religion. By referencing Christ as the “Sun of Righteousness,” Christianity has put “back on the right track religious instincts which had gone astray.” The other idea concerns the very first word of the hymn. Routley states that “God, whose glory fills the sky” would not have been anything out of the ordinary. He continues that “Christ, whose glory fills the sky” is an “epic” idea that until this hymn had not been present in Christian thinking or writing. Christ is no longer a being that can only be at one place at one time, but he is one with God in his omnipresence and omniscience. Routley rightly proclaims, “Never was written a more thoroughly and richly happy hymn than this.”

Feberuary, 26, 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:

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling – Paul Manz

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. 

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.

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?” 

“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.”

Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down; 
fix in us thy humble dwelling; all thy faithful mercies crown! 
Jesus thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art; 
visit us with thy salvation; enter every trembling heart. 

Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast! 
Let us all in thee inherit; let us find that second rest. 
Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be; 
end of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty. 

Come, Almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive; 
suddenly return and never, nevermore thy temples leave. 
Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above, 
pray and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love. 

Finish, then, thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be. 
Let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee; 
changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place, 
till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise. 

Paul Manz (1919 – 2009), was an American composer for choir and organ. His most famous choral work is the Advent motet "E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come", which has been performed at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, Cambridge. His most famous organ works are his volumes of neo-Baroque chorale preludes and partitas. Paul Manz long served the church as recitalist, composer, teacher and leader in worship. He was the director of the newly established Paul Manz Institute of Church Music, and was Professor Emeritus of Church Music at Christ Seminary Seminex at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Paul Manz concertized extensively in North America.  As a performer, Manz was most famous for his celebrated hymn festivals. Instead of playing traditional organ recitals, Manz would generally lead a "festival" of hymns from the organ, in which he introduced each hymn an organ improvisation based on the hymn tune in question. The congregation would then sing the hymn with his accompaniment. Many volumes of these improvisations have been written out and published and are played by church organists throughout the world.

The esteem and respect with which Paul Manz is regarded can be seen in the many honors he received. He was twice named one of the “Ten Most Influential Lutherans,” served as National Councilor of the American Guild of Organists and is listed as one of the “101 Most Notable Organists of the 20th Century.”  The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago presented him with the distinguished "Confessor of Christ Award"; The Chicago Bible Society presented him with the “Gutenberg Award; and the Lutheran Institute of Washington, DC honored him with the first “Wittenberg Arts Award.”

Prelude on "In Heavenly Love Abiding" - Murray Bradshaw

Anna Laetitia Waring was a child prodigy, born in Wales in 1823. She learned Hebrew as a child and read the Old Testament in its original language daily. Although raised a Quaker, she joined the Anglican Church of England as an adult.  She published two works that contained dozens of her hymns, Hymns and Meditations in 1850 (in which “In Heavenly Love Abiding” appears) and Additional Hymns in 1858. She was also involved in prison ministry and the Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society.  Her hymn texts, particularly for “In Heavenly Love Abiding”, express strength and faith in times of struggle.

In Heavenly Love abiding, No change my heart shall fear,
And safe is such confiding, For nothing changes here.
The storm may roar without me, My heart may low be laid,
But God is round about me, And can I be dismayed?

Wherever He may guide me, No want shall turn me back;
My Shepherd is beside me, And nothing can I lack.
His wisdom ever waketh, His sight is never dim, —
He knows the way He taketh, And I will walk with Him.

Green pastures are before me, Which yet I have not seen;
Bright skies will soon be o'er me, Where the dark clouds have been.
My hope I cannot measure, My path to life is free,
My Savior has my treasure, And He will walk with me.

Murray Bradshaw (b. 1930) studied at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and received his PhD from the University of Chicago.  He is former Chair of Musicology at UCLA, and the author of several books and scholarly editions of music, including The Origin of the Toccata (1972), The Falsobordone: A Study in Renaissance and Baroque Music (1978), and Early Sacred Monody (4 vols; 1985-). His translation and study of Giovanni Luca Conforti's Breve et facile maniera s'essercitarsi(1593) appeared in 1998, and an earlier facsimile edition and translation, with Edward J. Sohnlen, of Girolamo Diruta's Il Transilvano (1593, 1603) appeared in 1983 and 1984. Cavalieri's Rappresentatione di anima e di corpo (1600), the first dramatic composition sung throughout, appeared in 2007 as the fourth volume of his series on "Early Sacred Monody." He has published numerous articles in many scholarly journals as well as compositions for the organ. He also served as the general editor of "Musicological Studies and Documents" and the "Miscellanea" series for the American Institute of Musicology.  He is organist at the 43^rd Church of Christ Scientist, Woodland Hills, California.

Prelude on "St. Thomas" - Healey Willan

“I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord” (1801) is perhaps the earliest hymn still currently used that was composed by a citizen of the United States. The author, Timothy Dwight (1752-1817), was one of the outstanding leaders of his time. Dwight was the grandson of the Calvinist preacher Jonathan Edwards. He demonstrated a precocious spirit at a young age, reading the Bible at age 4, learning Latin during grammar school and entering Yale College at age 13.  Graduating from Yale at 17, he taught grammar school in New Haven and then became a tutor at Yale. Dwight obtained a preacher’s license and served as a chaplain during the Revolutionary War with George Washington. Hymnologist Albert Bailey notes Dwight’s sermons and songs were an inspiration for the soldiers he served.

After the war, Dwight became a Congregational minister in Fairfield, Conn.  Dwight supplemented his insufficient pastoral salary by opening a private academy. The success of this academy led to his election in 1795 as president of Yale College.  Dwight left a legacy of improved scholastic standards at Yale College, serving not only as the school’s president, but also as professor of literature, oratory and theology, and college chaplain. He is credited with fostering a revival among the students through his sermons in the college chapel, a revival that spread to other New England colleges.

Dwight’s literary accomplishments were many. He may be best known today for his 1797 revision of Isaac Watts’ 1719 Psalms of David, to which he added 33 of his own texts. “I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord,” published in the 1801 revision of Watts’ Psalms of David, is the only remaining text from Dwight’s Watts, prepared at the request of the General Association (Congregational) of Connecticut, that has survived. The original eight stanzas have been reduced to four or five in most hymnals. This paraphrase of a portion of Psalm 137 appeared originally under the title, “Love to the Church.”

I love thy kingdom, Lord, the house of thine abode, 
the church our blest Redeemer saved with his own precious blood. 

I love thy church, O God! Her walls before thee stand 
dear as the apple of thine eye, and graven on thy hand. 

For her my tears shall fall, for her my prayers ascend, 
to her my cares and toils be given, till toils and cares shall end. 

Beyond my highest joy I prize her heavenly ways, 
her sweet communion, solemn vows, her hymns of love and praise. 

Sure as thy truth shall last, to Zion shall be given 
the brightest glories earth can yield, and brighter bliss of heaven. 

Healey Willan (1880-1968) was an Canadian organist and composer.  He composed more than 800 works including operas, symphonies, chamber music, a concerto, and pieces for band, orchestra, organ, and piano, but is best known for his religious music.  Willan was born in England, and he began musical training at age eight, with studies at St. Saviour's Choir School in Eastbourne.  He earned, by examination in organ playing, harmony, counterpoint, history and orchestration, the Royal College of Organists' Associateship in 1897 and Fellowship in 1899. The Anglo-Catholic Tractarian movement led to an Anglican revival of plainsong, and in 1910, Willan joined the London Gregorian Association (which strove to preserve and revive "plain-chant").  In 1913, Willan emigrated to Canada.  In 1921, he become Precentor of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Toronto), where he remained until his death.  St. Mary Magdalene, under Willan, became a North American mecca for choral and Anglican church musicians.  In 1920, the Toronto Conservatory (now the Royal Conservatory of Music) appointed Willan Head of its Theory Department.  In 1934, he founded the Tudor Singers, which he conducted until it disbanded in 1939.  From 1937 to 1950, Willan was University of Toronto Professor of Music and Organist. When the Order of Canada was established in 1967, it named Willan a Companion. In Britain, it was customary for the Archbishop of Canterbury to occasionally grant very distinguished English cathedral musicians the Lambeth Doctorate, Mus. D Cantaur; in 1956, Willan, "the Dean of Canadian composers", became the first non-English church musician to be so honoured.  People who remember Willan from his time at St Mary Magdalene's like to moderate his somewhat dourly pious public image by quoting him: "English by birth; Canadian by adoption; Irish by extraction; Scotch by absorption."

About the Choral Music:

Take My Heart – Roger Summers

Roger Summers wrote both the words and music for this anthem for treble voices.

            Take my heart, dear Lord, fill it with your love.

            Teach it faithfulness that is from above.

            Take my heart, dear Lord, it is all I have,

            I give my heart to you.

            Lord, my heart I offer, filled with love for you.

            Use it in your service; I give it to you.

            Take my hands, dear Lord, let them work for love.

            Teach them gentleness that is from above.

            Take my hands, dear Lord, they are all I have,

            I give my hands to you.

            Lord, my hands I offer, let them work for you.

            Use them in your service; I give them to you.

            Take my life, dear Lord, may it show your love.

            Teach me how to share what is from above.

            Take my life, dear Lord, it is all I have,

            I give my life to you.  

About the Hymns:

I Love to Tell the Story

"I Love to Tell the Story" is a well-known hymn which was written as a poem by an English evangelist, Katherine Hankey (1834-1911). Hankey was the daughter of a wealthy banker and was associated with the Clapham sect of William Wilberforce, a group of prominent evangelical Anglicans from the Clapham area. This group helped to establish the British and Foreign Bible Society, promoted the … abolition of slavery, and was involved in improving the lot of England's working classes. Hankey taught Bible classes for shop girls in London, visited the sick in local hospitals, and used the proceeds of her writings to support various mission causes. Her publications include Heart to Heart (1870) and The Old, Old Story and Other Verses (1879).

Hankey had a serious spell of sickness while in a mission in Africa. During her long days of convalescence, she wrote a long on the life of Jesus in 1866 in two parts. The first part was a poem of fifty stanzas, titled "The Story Wanted" (dated January 29, 1866) and second part titled "The Story Told" (dated November 18, 1866)

Certain verses were taken from Part I. by Dr. W. H. Doane in 1867 to make the popular and familiar hymn beginning, "Tell me the old, old story". From Part II. certain verses were selected to make the hymn, "I Love to Tell the Story".

The tune was composed by William G. Fischer and appeared in Fischer's Joyful Songs, Nos. 1 to 3 published in 1869 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Methodist Episcopal Book Room.

Apart from the context of the larger poem, some of the couplets of this text appear rather shallow or repetitious; thus the Psalter Hymnal includes only the original stanzas 1, 3, and 4. But the entire original poem provides a fine autobiographical testimony to Hankey's evangelical fervor, which she expressed in her writings and in her support of foreign and home missions (she taught church school classes to the rich and poor of London). The text simply affirms the Christian's zeal to "tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love" to the unsaved as well as to the saved, here on earth and in glory.

Pass it On

If you are a baby boomer, raised in the church, and born in the late 1940s or 1950s, you probably grew up singing Kurt Kaiser's "Pass It On" around a campfire or at youth group meetings.  Kurt Frederic Kaiser was born in 1934 in Chicago. He received his musical education from the American Conservatory of Music and Northwestern University.  Kaiser joined Word, Inc., in 1959 as director of artists and repertoire, and later became vice president and director of music for Word. Kaiser has received many honors, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for his contributions to the Christian music industry (1992); an honorary Doctor of Sacred Music degree from Trinity College in Illinois; and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Baylor University. In 1993 his album Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs was recognized with a Dove Award. In 2001 he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and was placed in the Hall of Honor by the Christian Booksellers Association. The Faithfulness in Service Award was presented to him in 2003. In 2011 he received the Hines Sims Award, named for the editor of the Baptist Hymnal (1956), one of the most successful hymnals in the history of the denomination. While known primarily for his youth musicals, Mr. Kaiser is an accomplished pianist and has written music for a variety of performing media in varied styles. He has composed more than sixty hymn texts and tunes, the most famous of which are “O how he loves you and me” (1975), and “Pass It On.”

In correspondence with the author, Mr. Kaiser provided the background to "Pass It On," one of his most famous songs: "In 1969, Ralph Carmichael and I collaborated on a musical, Tell It Like It Is. It was written to get young people involved in the Church. After reviewing what we had written, we decided there needed to be a closer, a modern 'Just As I Am'. On a Sunday night I was sitting in our den by the fireplace where there were remnants of a fire, and it occurred to me that it only takes a spark to get a fire going . . . and the rest came very quickly. My wife suggested that I should say something about shouting it from mountain tops, and that ended up in the third verse. It only took about 20 minutes to write the lyrics. Afterwards my wife and I went for a walk, letting the song ruminate in our minds."

“Pass It On” gained traction in broader congregational circles when it appeared in Hymns for the Living Church (1974) and Hymns for the Family of God (1976). While this song has received theological criticism by some, Kurt Kaiser joined a number of other composers in the late 1960s, 1970s, well into the 1980s who sought to offer an alternative to, in the words of Dr. Young, “the lifestyle of drug and sexual permissiveness of the youth counterculture, embodied in the Haight-Asbury flower children.” One cannot separate the text from its folk guitar-based music. Many lifelong faith commitments to Christ were made by post-World War II baby boomers around campfires singing this song. Few songs from this era have reached the iconic status of “Pass It On,” which, though informal in its jargon, might be seen as an extension of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20.

Lord, You Give the Great Commission

Jeffery W. Rowthorn (b. 1934) wrote this text in 1978 while he was Chapel Minister at Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Connecticut. The text was first published in Laudamus (1980), a hymnal supplement edited by Rowthorn and used at the Yale Divinity School.  This powerful text about the various ministries of the Christian church has two striking features: each stanza includes a quotation of Christ's words (usually from Matthew), and a concluding refrain line turns each stanza into a prayer. Christ's words are applied to the tasks of God's people in the world with a fervent prayer that the Spirit will equip the saints to carry out these ministries faithfully.

Rowthorn graduated from Cambridge and Oxford Universities, Union Theological Serninary in New York, and Cuddeson Theological College in Oxford. Ordained in 1963 in the Church of England, he served several congregations in England before immigrating to the United States, where he was chaplain at Union Theological Seminary and a faculty member in liturgics at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, which he helped to establish. He was then elected Suffragan Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut. The writer of several hymns, Rowthorn was also coeditor with Russell Schulz-Widmar of A New Hymnal for Colleges and Schools (1991). Rowthorn has since moved to Paris, where he is Bishop in Charge of the American Churches in Europe.