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.
Give Thanks
"Give Thanks With a Grateful
Heart" was written by Henry Smith in 1978. Following the
introduction of the song during a worship service at the Williamsburg New Testament Church in Virginia, a military couple reintroduced it to a congregation
in Germany. The song eventually caught the attention of
executives at Integrity Music. When Integrity's Hosanna! Music copyrighted the
song in 1986, the author was unknown. After
the Give Thanks album was
released, the song was brought to the attention of Smith, who contacted
Integrity with authorship information. Integrity later included songwriting
credits on all subsequent releases, along with a writer-publisher agreement. As
of 2010, the song has been recorded by over 50 companies and published in
songbooks around the world. "Give
Thanks" is one of Don Moen's more recognizable songs, having been
translated into various other languages, including Russian, Afrikaans, and
Swedish.
While in college, a spiritual
revolution in Henry Smith’s life brought him to Richmond to attend Union
Theological Seminary. Then his eyes went bad. In 1978, Henry returned from
seminary to his home church as a lay person. He had to take odd jobs to support
himself as his career choices were limited by a degenerative eye disease. Nevertheless,
he remembers “being extremely thankful” during that time in his life. He had
discovered that in the darkest winter there was within him an invincible
summer. A sermon on 2
Corinthians inspired him to write this song.
“Give thanks. And when we admit we’re weak, only then will
His strength become operative and be made perfect in us. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he
was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty
might become rich.” Henry eventually lost his sight, but not his gratitude for God’s
unfailing love. He has written over 100 other songs to fit Scripture passages.
Today he runs Outback, a recording studio in Mechanicsville, Virginia.
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us"
Let the poor say, "I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us"
Give
thanks
Tim Doran, an accomplished
arranger, composer, and studio musician, lives in the Los Angeles area. He is
the organist at LaHabra Hills Presbyterian Church, as well as an accompanist
for several local high school and college choirs.
The Mountains Shall Sing – Dale Wood
Dale Wood (1934-2003) was a prominent composer, organist,
choral director, and clinician. He was
honored many times by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and
Publishers (ASCAP) for his “very important contribution towards the creation
and development of contemporary American church music”. He wrote many collections of organ works,
most of which are based on both old and new hymn tunes. Over eight million copies of his publications
have been purchased in over 50 countries.
This free-composed word was inspired by Isaiah 55:12, “For
ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the
hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field
shall clap their hands.”
Glory to God, We Give You Thanks – J. Wayne Kerr
The Very Reverend (Frederick) Edwin Le Grice (1911-1992)
was an eminent Anglican priest in the latter part of the 20th century. He was educated
at Queens' College, Cambridge. Ordained in 1936, he began his career in Leeds and Paignton, and subsequently became Vicar of Totteridge. He
was then appointed a Canon Residentiary of St Albans Cathedral, a
post he held until his appointment as Dean of Ripon in 1968.
A large stained glass window in the Cathedral is dedicated to Edwin Le
Grice. It features medieval stained glass found when the Cathedral was being
restored and a line of one of his poems, "Surround us with your symphony
of praise, God's messengers of light.”
WOODLANDS is a perfect match for the bold text. Walter
Greatorex (1877-1949) composed this tune in 1916, and it was published in the Public School Hymn Book in 1919. The
tune's title refers to one of the schoolhouses at Gresham's School, Holt,
Norfolk, where Greatorex was director of music from 1911-1936. Before that he
served as assistant music master at Uppingham School in Rutland (1900-1910).
Greatorex's musical education began as a chorister at King's College,
Cambridge, England, and he received his university music training at St. John's
College, Cambridge.
Glory
to God, we give You thanks and praise;
Of
heavenly joy and earthly peace we sing.
We
worship you, to You our hearts we raise,
Lord
God, almighty Father, heavenly King.
Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father’s only Son,
You
bore for us the load of this world’s sin.
O
Lamb of God, Your glorious victory won.
Receive
our prayer, grant us Your peace within.
Alone,
O Christ, You only are the Lord.
At
God’s right hand in majesty most high:
Who
with the Spirit worshipped and adored,
With
all the heavenly host we glorify.
About the Choral Music:
Thanksgiving!
– John Ness Beck
John Ness Beck (1930-1987) graduated
from Ohio State with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees with a
major in English. After working for a year in Student Union activities at the
State College of Washington, he spent two years in the U.S. Army. During this time, he
became increasingly involved in arranging for various musical groups. After his
discharge from military service, he returned to Ohio State and completed
Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts degrees in music with composition as his
major. Beck was a faculty member of Ohio
State University School of Music for seven years, teaching harmony and theory.
He left the university to become owner and manager of The University Music
House, a retail sheet music store in Columbus. In this capacity, he
was able to observe the business side of the music industry, gaining insight
into the complexities of music publishing and merchandising. As his
compositions found their way into print and popularity, he joined forces in
1972 with John Tatgenhorst in the creation of Beckenhorst Press. His reputation
as a composer and his experience as a choral director soon led to an increasing
demand for appearances as guest conductor and lecturer at various musical
clinics and festivals throughout the country.
For seedtime and harvest and the goodwill of men,
We give thanks to God for Father once again;
For shelter in winter, for the thaw in the spring,
Our praise and thanksgiving to the Lord now we bring.
For those we have loved, who have gone on before
Through that shining bright celestial door;
For all who shall follow in their place,
We implore Thy continuing saving grace.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
About the Hymns:
For the
Beauty of the Earth
Folliott
Piermont (1835-1917) was born in Bath, England and was a lay member of the
Anglican Church. Following his graduation from Queen's College, Cambridge, he
taught the classics for a time at Somerset College, later becoming a freelance
writer. During his 82 years of life, Pierpoint published seven volumes of poems
and hymn texts, many of them showing his love for nature. He is most remembered
for this beautiful hymn, For the Beauty of the Earth.
Piermont
was about 29 years old when he wrote the text for this joyful hymn. It
was a lovely day in late spring. While enjoying the surrounding area of
his native city of Bath, in England, he was inspired by the beautiful
countryside with its winding cool and peaceful river, Avon, in the distance.
The tuneful songbirds, the wind whispering over a vibrantly colored hillside,
all seemed to be praising the Creator with their unrestrained gladness and
peace. Overwhelmed with emotion, he expressed his feelings of gratitude
in the penning of this sacred song. The
text was inspired by Hebrews 13:15:
"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God
continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his
name." It first appeared in 1864 in
a book of Eucharistic hymns and poems entitled Lyra Eucharistica, Hymns and Verses on The Holy Communion, Ancient and
Modern, with other Poems with the title "The Sacrifice of
Praise".
The tune most widely used for this hymn is the same tune used
for William Chatterton Dix's "As with Gladness Men of Old," a Christmas carol composed five years prior but not released publicly
until three years after Pierpont. (Although the tune is known as
"Dix", it was originally composed by Conrad Kocher in 1838.)
Now Thank We All
Our God
Martin Rinkart
(1586-1649) was the Bishop of Eilenberg, Germany during the Thirty Years’
War. Since Eilenberg was a walled city,
it became a place of refuge for fugitives of the war, and also a place of
famine and disease due to overcrowding.
In 1637, at the height of their misery, Rinkart was the only clergyman
left in the city who could perform the 40 or 50 daily burial services, one of
which was for his wife. The city was
sacked three times by invaders. During
this time, Rinkart managed to write 7 dramas and 66 hymns. The hymn “Nun danket alle Gott” was
originally titled “Tisch-Gebetlein” (a little prayer before the meal). This humble prayer of thanksgiving is laid
out simply and beautifully in the first verse.
This verse of thanks is followed by a verse asking for strength in time
of trial and a doxology. The tune, “Nun Danket” is named for Rinkart's text, has been associated with it ever
since they were published together by Johann Crüger (1598-1662) in his Praxis
Pietatis Melica (1647).
No comments:
Post a Comment