July 9, 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:

Prière  (Prayer) – Theodore Salomé

Théodore Salomé (1834-1896) studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won second prize in harmony (1855), second prize in organ and in harmony (1856), second and third prize in harmony and organ (1857), and second prize in harmony (1859). His cantata Atala was awarded the premier Second Grand Prix of the Prix de Rome in 1861.  He was choir organist at Église de la Sainte-Trinité in Paris during the time that Guilmant was organiste titulaire (the primary organist).  Salomé wrote many organ and piano pieces, few of which are remembered today.

Sweet Hour of Prayer - David Hegarty

William W. Walford (1772-1850), a blind preacher of England, is the author of the hymn beginning "Sweet hour of prayer." This hymn first appeared in print in the New York Observer September 13, 1845.  Rev. Thomas Salmon, who was settled as the pastor of the Congregational Church at Coleshill in 1838, is believed to have been the contributor who says of the hymn: " During my residence at Coleshill, Warwickshire, England, I became acquainted with W. W. Walford, the blind preacher, a man of obscure birth and connections and no education, but of strong mind and most retentive memory. In the pulpit he never failed to select a lesson well adapted to his subject, giving chapter and verse with unerring precision, and scarcely ever misplacing a word in his repetition of the Psalms, every part of the New Testament, the prophecies, and some of the histories, so as to have the reputation of knowing the whole Bible by heart.I rapidly copied the lines with my pencil as he uttered them, and send them for insertion in the Observer if you think them worthy of preservation."

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! that calls me from a world of care, 
and bids me at my Father's throne make all my wants and wishes known. 
In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief, 
and oft escaped the tempter's snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer! 

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! the joys I feel, the bliss I share 
of those whose anxious spirits burn with strong desires for thy return! 
With such I hasten to the place where God my Savior shows his face, 
and gladly take my station there, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! 

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! thy wings shall my petition bear 
to him whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless. 
And since he bids me seek his face, believe his word, and trust his grace, 
I'll cast on him my every care, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! 

David Hegarty received his education as an Organ Performance major at Loma Linda University (BA), Andrews University (MM), and continued with doctoral studies at the College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati.  As a composer and arranger, David served on the staff of Lorenz Publishing Company, where he was editor of "The Sacred Organ Journal." As a concert artist, David has appeared in such diverse venues as Washington DC's Kennedy Center, San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall, the Crystal Cathedral, Prudential Lines South American Cruises, and as a guest organist with the Oakland Pops Orchestra.  He is best known in the Bay Area as the senior staff organist of the Castro Theatre (since 1978), for appearing regularly at the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto, and for monthly pops concerts at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. 

Postude – Wayne Wold

Wayne L. Wold (b. 1954) is active as a teacher, church musician, composer, author, performer, and clinician. He serves as Associate Professor of Music and College Organist at Hood College in Frederick, Md. Over 200 of his compositions are published by fourteen different companies in the U.S. and Australia and include twenty volumes of works for organ and instruments with organ, 30 choir anthems, a children's musical, a recorder suite, and several hymn tunes. He is the author of numerous hymn and anthem texts, articles in professional journals, and two books -- Tune My Heart to Sing: Devotions for Choirs Based on the Revised Common Lectionary and Preaching to the Choir: The Care and Nurture of the Church Choir.

About the Vocal Solo Music:

The Prayer – arr. Tom Fettke

"The Prayer" was written by David Foster and Carole Bayer Sager. It is most commonly known as a duet between Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. The song won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song from the 1998 film Quest for Camelot. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999 and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2000.  This solo arrangement was written by Tom Fettke, who has taught music in both public and Christian schools and has served as a church choir director and minister of music in churches large and small for over 30 years. He is a composer, arranger, clinician, and producer of Christian music recordings.  Fettke was the creator and senior editor of the Hymnal for Worship and Celebration (1986). 

            We pray You’ll be our eyes, and watch us where we go,

            And teach us to be wise in times when we don’t know.

            Let this be our prayer when we lose our way.

            Lead us to a place, guide us with Your grace

            To a place where we’ll be safe.

            We pray we’ll find Your light, and hold it in our hearts

            As darkness falls each night, remind us where You are.

            Let this be our prayer, when shadows fill our day.

            Lead us to a place, guide us with Your grace.

            Give us faith so we’ll be safe.

            Lead us, Lord.  Lead us in Your righteousness;

            Make Your way plain for us to see.

            Let this be our prayer, just like every child

            Needs to find a place, guide us with Your grace.

            Give us faith so we’ll be safe.  Lead us, Lord.

About the Hymns:

It’s Me, It’s Me, O Lord

"Standing in the Need" is an African American spiritual, and, like many folk songs, its origin is unknown. Both text and tune became well known after their publication in The Book of American Negro Spirituals (1925), compiled by James Weldon Johnson and his brother,]. Rosamond Johnson.

This is an old spiritual, barely sung anymore, that captures the essence of a heart’s cry to God. “It’s me, it’s me, oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer.” What a hard word, sometimes, to say. To admit.Many people are in need of prayer, but at the end of the day, one thing stands out clearly: we all need prayer. And, we all need to pray.  To stand in the need, to just stand in that place where you know you need God, whatever else happens.

Take Time to Be Holy

“Take Time to Be Holy” was written by William Longstaff (1822-1894) in 1882.  Longstaff, an English businessman, had often meditated on 1 Peter 1:16, “Be ye holy, for I am holy”, and considered it to be the heart of the gospel.  Upon hearing Dr. Griffith John, a missionary from China, speak and use the phrase, “Take time and be holy”, he was inspired to write this hymn.  Longstaff showed the hymn to Ira Sankey, who in turn passed it on to American songwriter George C. Stebbins (1846-1945) to set in 1882. Stebbins laid it aside and did not recall it until an evangelistic meeting in India, during which the theme of holiness was explored. Stebbins recalled Longstaff’s hymn and set it to music for the revival. He sent his tune “HOLINESS” to Sankey, who published the hymn in New Songs and Sacred Solos (1888).