March 12, 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:

Wir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ - J. S. Bach

Nicolaus Herman (1500-1561) is always associated with Joachimsthal in Bohemia, just over the mountains from Saxony. For many years he held the post of Master in the Latin School, and Cantor or Organist and Choirmaster in the church. Towards the end of his life he suffered greatly from gout, and had to resign even his post as Cantor a number of years before his death.  He was a great friend and helper of J. Mathesius, and it was said that whenever Mathesius preached a specially good sermon Herman straightway embodied its leading ideas in a hymn. His hymns, however, were not primarily written for use in church, but were intended for the boys and girls in the schools, to supplant profane songs in the mouths of the young men and women, or for the daily life of the “housefathers and housemothers" in Joachimsthal, at home, and in their work in the mines. He was a poet of the people, homely, earnest, and picturesque in style; by his naiveté reminding us of Hans Sachs. He was an ardent lover of music and a very good organist. The chorales which he published with his hymns are apparently all of his own composition, and are among the best of the Reformation period.  Many of Herman's hymns soon passed into Church use in Germany, and a number are found in almost all books in present use. About 190 in all, they appeared principally in Die Sontags Evangelia uber des gantze Jar, in Gesenge verfasset, für die Kinder und christlichen Haussvetter, , 1560.

We thank Thee, Jesus, dearest Friend, That Thou didst into heaven ascend.
O blessed Savior, bid us live And strength to soul and body give.
Hallelujah!

Ascended to His throne on high, Hid from our sight, yet always nigh;
He rules and reigns at God's right hand And has all power at His command.
Hallelujah!

The man who trusts in Him is blest And finds in Him eternal rest;
This world's allurements we despise And fix on Christ alone our eyes.
Hallelujah!

We therefore heartily rejoice And sing His praise with cheerful voice;
He captive led captivity, From bitter death He set us free.
Hallelujah!

Through Him we heirs of heaven are made; O Brother, Christ, extend Thine aid
That we may firmly trust in Thee And through Thee live eternally.
Hallelujah!

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).   

Healer of Our Every Ill – Jeffrey Honore

Marty Haugen (b. 1950) is perhaps the most prolific and influential composer of liturgical music of his generation. His hymns, psalm settings and paraphrases, services set to music, and anthems are widely used in both Protestant and Roman Catholic congregations around the world.   Born in Eagan, Minn., Mr. Haugen now has over 400 compositions in print. Though United Church of Christ by denominational affiliation, his music is widely used by Lutherans and Catholics where he makes regular appearances in congregations and conferences.   Among his most widely sung hymns are “Shepherd me, O God”, “Bring forth the kingdom”, “Healer of our every ill”, and “Gather us in.” 

Healer of our ev’ry ill, light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear, and hope beyond our sorrow.

You who know our fears and sadness, grace us with your peace and gladness,
Spirit of all comfort: fill our hearts.

In the pain and joy beholding how your grace is still unfolding,
give us all your vision: God of love.

You who know each thought and feeling, teach us all your way of healing,
Spirit of compassion: fill each heart.

Give us strength to love each other, ev’ry sister, ev’ry brother,
Spirit of all kindness: be our guide.

Jeffrey Honoré has served as a choir director in churches of many different denominations and worked as an organist, trombonist and voice teacher. He is the liturgical music director of St. Matthias Parish in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and directs the archdiocesan choir. Jeffrey received the Vatican II Award for Distinguished Service in 1999.

About the Handbell Music:

The Old Rugged Cross – Linda Lamb

            Rings and Strings

At sixteen, George Bennard (1873-1958) began working as a miner in the coal pits of Iowa when his father passed away.  He became a member of the Salvation Army and served, together with his first wife, its ranks for a period of time as an officer.  Subsequently, he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church and became a distinguished Midwestern Holiness evangelist, often serving with D. Willia Caffray. The message of “holiness” in the late nineteenth century was a message advocated by John Wesley and historic Methodism. Not until the early twentieth century was this term mixed with excesses not advocated by Wesley and historic Methodism. Rev. Bennard preached the biblical message of purity of heart and life. He traveled and ministered most extensively in the states of Michigan and New York. On one occasion, after returning home to Michigan, he passed through a deeply trying experience, which caused him to reflect intensely upon the significance of the cross of Christ and what Paul meant when he spoke of entering into the suffering of Christ. It was this difficult experience and the conviction, which resulted in his heart that gave birth to the hymn, “The Old Rugged Cross.”. Bennard wrote:

The inspiration came to me one day in 1913, when I was staying in Albion, Michigan. I began to write “The Old Rugged Cross.” I composed the melody first. The words that I first wrote were imperfect. The words of the finished hymn were put into my heart in answer to my own need. Shortly thereafter it was introduced at special meetings in Pokagon, Michigan on June 7, 1913. The first occasion where it was heard outside of the church at Pokagon was at the Chicago Evangelistic Institute. There it was introduced before a large convention and soon it became extremely popular throughout the country. 

Soon after, Bennard sent a manuscript copy to Charles Gabriel, one of the leading gospel hymn writers of that era, who prophesied, “You will certainly hear from this song.” In 1938, a poll by a national radio network determined that Bennard’s hymn was America’s favorite song. Following the writing of “The Old Rugged Cross,” Bennard ministered an additional forty years. During this period, he wrote additional gospel hymns, numbering more than 350, including “Have Thy Way, Lord,” “Pentecostal Fire Is Falling,” and “Love Never Faileth.” But none of his subsequent hymns ever received the wide public acclaim, which was given to his first hymn.

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

Linda Lamb has been involved with handbells since 1992, as director, composer, and sometime ringer. She is the handbell director at Lexington Park Baptist Church, Lexington Park, Maryland, where she directs one adult choir and one youth quartet. She is also a founding member of the Pax River Ringers, a community group in Southern Maryland, and the founder and list owner of the Frustrated Friends of Finale, an internet mailing list for handbell composers and arrangers who use the Finale music program. She graduated from Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee, with a B. A. in sociology, and from Concordia University in Wisconsin with a Master of Church Music (emphasis in handbells).

About the Choral Music:

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God – Carl F. Mueller

Carl F. Mueller (1892-1982) was a renowned American organ recitalist and composer.  In 1927, he met John Finley Williamson, the founder of Westminster Choir College.  After he attended summer workshops for church musicians there, he began composing choral music.  He taught at Union Theological Seminary and Montclair State College.  Mueller published approximately 500 compositions, of which “Create in Me a Clean Heart” is the most well-known, with over 2 million copies sold. 

The text is taken directly from Psalm 51: 10-13, Psalm of David which originated when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone to Bathsheba. Once confronted with his sin, David recognized his inability to be purified through his own actions. A call for God to create a new heart and renewal for the spirit that is dark and low.  A plea to not be cast away as is deserved, but rather that God would restore and uphold.  He desires this that he may once again be a teacher and instructor to sinners.  This may sound like David is making a deal with God.  “Lord, forgive me and I’ll be a missionary!”  No, David is not making a deal.  The natural progression for one forgiven should be from confession to purification to proclamation.  David desires to be able to live beyond his error, learn from it, and help others to find their way back to God when they err as well.

This text has appeared in hymnals since before 1850.  It is currently found in 29 hymnals and has been set to at least 12 different tunes. 

            Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

            Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

            Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

            Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.

About the Hymns:

Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days

Claudia Frances Ibotson Hernaman’s hymn, “Lord, who throughout these forty days,” signals the beginning of Lent and is often sung during Ash Wednesday services or throughout the season of Lent. Forty is a number with special biblical significance. It rained for forty days and nights when the earth was overtaken by floodwaters, and Noah waited another forty days before opening the window of the Ark. Israel wandered in the desert for forty years. Jesus was seen on earth following the resurrection for forty days. In this case, Christ’s forty days in the wilderness provides the primary paradigm for the forty days of Lent.

Claudia Hernaman (1838-1898) was born in Surrey, England, and died in Brussels, Belgium. She was the daughter of an Anglican minister, and she married a minister who also served as a school inspector. Like so many other women hymn writers of the nineteenth century, she was devoted to the religious education of children. Toward this end, she wrote 150 hymns in several collections, some original and some translated from Latin.

"Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days" appeared first in her Child’s Book of Praise; A Manual for Devotion in Simple Verse (1873). It was not included in hymnals, however, until the mid-twentieth century, when it appeared in the Irish Church Hymnal (1960) and Hymns for Church and School (1964). By the 1970s, “Lord, who throughout these forty days” was a standard hymn in most hymnals in the United States. It is based on the account of the temptation of Jesus found in three Gospels -- Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13.  The classic themes of the Lenten season are presented in the stanzas of this hymn: Fasting and prayer (stanza one); Struggle with Satan and sin (stanza two); Dying to self, meditation on scripture (stanza three); Penitence (stanza four); Looking toward the joy of Easter (stanza five).

Jesus, Remember Me

“Jesus Remember Me” (1978) is a simple tune from the hand of Jacques Berthier (1923-1994), one of the primary composers associated with the Taizé community. Consisting of just two phrases in melodic sequence, the tune is intended for singing in harmony, with repeats optional at the discretion of the performers. One can forgo the quarter rest at the middle of each line, singing basically two long lines for the entire song. In a meditative service, repeat the song a number of times – sometimes softly, sometimes forcefully, sometimes only humming. The song can also be sung as a "frame" surrounding spoken or silent prayers, or as a refrain to a series of spoken prayers.

A son of musical parents Berthier studied music at the Ecole Cesar Franck in Paris. From 1961 until his death he served as organist at St. Ignace Church, Paris. Although his published works include numerous compositions for organ, voice, and Instruments, Berthier is best known as the composer of service music for the Taizé community near Cluny, Burgundy. Influenced by the French liturgist and church musician Joseph Gelineau, Berthier began writing songs for equal voices in 1955 for the services of the then nascent community of twenty brothers at Taizé. As the Taizé community grew, Berthier continued to compose most of the mini-hymns, canons, and various associated instrumental arrangements, which are now universally known as the Taizé repertoire. In the past two decades this repertoire has become widely used in North American church music in both Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions.

God of Grace and God of Glory

“God of grace and God of glory” was written in 1930 by Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969) for the dedication of the famous Riverside Church in New York City.   Fosdick was granted degrees from Colgate University and Union Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 1903 to ministry in the Baptist Church and became pastor of First Baptist Church, Montclair, N.J.   Fosdick served as a chaplain during World War I and then was pastor of First Presbyterian Church in New York City. From this congregation he was called to pastor Park Avenue Baptist Church, which was renamed Riverside Church.

“God of grace and God of glory” was written while the United States was in the throes of the Great Depression between the two World Wars. Fosdick was a champion of the social gospel, a movement that recognized the plight of the poor, especially in the urban Northeast during the Industrial Revolution.   UM Hymnal editor Carlton Young has noted: “Fosdick’s stirring radio sermons, books, and public pronouncements established Riverside as a forum for the critique of the same wealth and privilege whose gifts had made possible the building of the church.  Under his leadership Riverside Church was interdenominational, interracial, without a creed, and, astonishingly for Baptists, required no specific mode of baptism. At the center of Fosdick’s ministry was urban social ministry.”   Fosdick was perhaps the most vocal proponent of the social gospel of his time—a position that brought both wide acclaim and broad disdain.