January 21, 2018

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:

Mir nach, spricht Christus, unser Held - Johann Oley

Johann Scheffler  (1624-1677) was born in Silesia. His father, Stanislaus Scheffler, was a member of the Polish nobility, but had been forced to leave his fatherland because of his adherence to Lutheranism. Johann was thus educated as a strict Lutheran. After passing through the St. Elisabeth's Gymnasium at Breslau, he attended at the University of Strassburg to study medicine. He went to Leyden and Padua, where he graduated with a Ph.D. and M.D.. Thereafter he returned to Silesia and, was appointed private physician to Duke Sylvius Nimrod of Württemberg-Oels. The Duke was a staunch Lutheran, and his court preacher, Christoph Freitag, administered the ecclesiastical affairs of the district according to the strictest Lutheran churchly orthodoxy. Scheffler had become acquainted with the writings of Jakob Böhme, and had become a personal friend of Abraham von Frankenberg, the editor of Böhme's works. He soon found that the spiritual atmosphere of Oels did not suit him. His own leanings at this time were distinctly to Mysticism and Separatism. He withdrew from public worship, from confession, and from the Holy Communion. When he wished to publish his poems, and submitted them for this purpose to Freitag, he was refused permission to print them on the grounds of their mystical tendencies. He resigned his post and went to Breslau where he became acquainted with the Jesuits, and through them was introduced to the study of the mediaeval mystics of the Roman Catholic Church.  He was formally received into the Roman Catholic communion, and at his confirmation on that day at St. Matthias's Church in Breslau, he took the name of Angelus, probably after a Spanish mystic of the 16th cent, named John ab Angelis.  The Emperor Ferdinand III conferred on him the title of Imperial Court Physician, but this was purely honorary, and Scheffler remained at Breslau. He entered the order of St. Francis, was ordained priest at Neisse in Silesia, and was appointed Rath and Hofmarschall to his friend Sebastian von Rostock, the newly created Prince Bishop of Breslau. After the Bishop's death in 1671, Scheffler retired to the monastery of St. Matthias in Breslau,

Scheffler's most important hymnological work is his Heilige Seelenlust, oder geistliche Hirten-Lieder, der in ihren Jesum verliebten Psyche, gesungen von Johann Angelo Silesio, und von Herrn Georgio Josepho mit aussbündig schönen Melodeyen geziert, &c.  These hymns are the work of a true poet, almost perfect in style and in beauty of rhythm, concise and profound; the fruits indeed it may be said of Mysticism, but of Mysticism chastened and kept in bounds by deep reverence and by a true and fervent love to the Saviour. Scheffler holds a high place among German sacred poets, and is the finest of the Post-Reformation  Roman Catholic hymn-writers.

In some English books Scheffler appears as a composer of hymn-tunes. This is a mistake, for the melodies in the Heilige Seelenlust are by Georg Joseph, a musician living at that time in Breslau.

“Mir nach, spricht Christus, unser Held”, founded on Matthew 16:24, has been characterised as a masterpiece of Scriptural didactic poetry. It was published in Scheffler's Heilige Seelenlust  in 6 stanzas, titled "She [the Soul] encourages to the following of Christ."   “Come, follow me, our Lord doth call” is a good translation of four stanzas by A. T. Russell, as in the Dalston Hospital Hymn Book, 1848.

            “Come follow me,” our Lord doth call, “self and the world forsaking:

            My path pursue: O come ye all, your cross upon you talking.

            I am the Light, and I the Way, So shall you not in darkness stray.

            “My heart is all humility; My soul with love o’erfloweth,

            Sweet peace on you, peace from on high, My every word bestoweth.

            All ill to shun, - to cleanse the heart, - Such knowledge do my lips impart.

            “I am the refuge of the soul; I am the gate of heaven;

            Is danger near? I all control; To guide you, I am given.

            I go before you.  Shame to those Who fear with me to meet their foes.”

            Then let us each his cross sustain, Our Savior’s path pursuing;

            Each willingly endure the pain, With Him our strength renewing.

            For ne’er to him who fears the strife, will Jesus give the crown of life.

Johann Christoph Oley (1738-1789)  was a German organist and composer who may have studied with J.S. Bach for a short time in 1749. In 1755,  he became organist of the church in Bernburg, but moved to the church of St Stephan in neighbouring Aschersleben because of its superior organ. To augment his salary, he assumed the duties of assistant schoolmaster as well.  Contemporaries praised Johann Christoph Oley’s skill on the keyboard and organ, and his compositions attracted some interest.

O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee – Dale Wood

In the years following the Civil War and the birth of the Industrial Revolution, the social gospel emerged. Washington Gladden (1838-1918) was one of the most distinguished clergymen of his era and a leader in the social gospel movement. Gladden was a native of Pennsylvania, and served churches in New York and Massachusetts before accepting a call to First Congregational Church, Columbus, Ohio, a parish he served for 32 years. Educated at Owego Academy and Williams College, he was the moderator of the National Council of Congregational Churches from 1904-1907. He served as one of the editors of the Pilgrim Hymnal (1904). As editor of the Independent, he made important contributions to the cause of social justice. While a pastor in Massachusetts, Gladden began preaching about labor-management problems, encouraging cooperation between employers and employees. This theme aroused opposition from those who felt the role of a minister was “to save souls, not to regulate business.” Furthermore, he challenged the idea that the Bible was inerrant in matters of science and history. Albert Bailey notes that “he found his fellow-clergymen without courage to follow him, for heresy trials were beginning in the Congregational Church.” From the Ohio pulpit, Gladden found willing listeners to his message at the State University of Columbus. He received invitations to deliver lectures at a number of universities including the Yale Divinity School. His tracts, Social Facts and Forces (1897) and Organized Labor and Capital (1904), were very influential.

Perhaps this hymn is a paradox. Few realize that behind the relatively peaceful words of Gladden’s poem, sung to a placid Victorian melody, one can find the witness of a champion for social justice. This hymn was published in 1879 in three eight-line stanzas in Sunday Afternoon, a magazine prepared by the author, under the title “Walking with God.” C.H. Richards discovered the poem and included it in his 1880 hymnal, Christian Praise.

After various tunes had been set to this text, Gladden insisted on the use of MARYTON. Composed by H. Percy Smith (b. Malta, 1825; d. Bournemouth, Hampshire, England, 1898), the tune was originally published as a setting for John Keble's "Sun of My Soul" in Arthur S. Sullivan's Church Hymns with Tunes (1874).  Henry Percy Smith (1825-1898) was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, England, and ordained a priest in the Church of England. He served five churches, including St. Michael's York Town in Farnborough, Great Barton in Suffolk, Christ Church in Cannes, France, and the Cathedral in Gibraltar. MARYTON is his only tune found in contemporary hymnals and is thought to be the only tune he published.

O Master, let me walk with Thee in lowly paths of service free;
tell me Thy secret; help me bear the strain of toil, the fret of care.

Help me the slow of heart to move by some clear, winning word of love;
teach me the wayward feet to stay, and guide them in the homeward way.

Teach me Thy patience, still with Thee in closer, dearer company,
in work that keeps faith sweet and strong, in trust that triumphs over wrong.

In hope that sends a shining ray far down the future's broad'ning way;
in peace that only Thou canst give, with Thee, O Master, let me live.

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.

Kommt her zu mir – Johann Nicolai

The hymn-writer, Georg Grünwald (1490-1530) was a shoemaker from Kitzbühl in the Tyrol (Austria). He was an Anabaptist and was accused and found guilty of heresy.  He was executed by being burned at the stake in Kufstein (Tyrol).  He wrote this text in 1530, based on Matthew 11:28.

          “Come to me”, says God’s Son, “all you who are burdened,

            Heavily laden with sins, people young and olde, men and women,

            What I want to give you will cure your troubles.

My yoke is easy, my burden light, and everyone who willingly takes it up
will escape from hell. I help each person to carry what is difficult;
with my health and strength he will win the kingdom of heaven.

Today someone is handsome, young and active, look, tomorrow he is weak and ill,
soon he even has to die; just as the flowers in the field
so also will this beautiful world perish in an instant.

The rich man is not helped by his wealth, nor the young man by his proud spirit,
he must go away in the springtime, even if someone had the whole world,
silver and gold and all money, he must still take his turn.

The learned man is not helped by his expertise, worldly splendour is useless,
we must all die. Whoever does not prepare himself in Christ,
while the time of grace still lasts, must perish eternally

Hear and take note, dear people, what God has given to you:
do not let trouble disturb you hold fast to God’s holy word,
that is your consolation and greatest treasure, God will give you joy.

And what the eternally good God has promised in his word,
sworn by his name, that he upholds and fulfils most surely.
May he help us to join the company of saints through Jesus Christ!

Johann Michael Nicolai (1629-1685) was a German composer and teacher. Although nothing is known of his musical studies, they must have reflected the high level of the musical tradition of Thuringia. He was a member of the court orchestra of the Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg, whose musicians were often invited to play for the Margrave of Brandenburg; in 1675, he dedicated his first set of Instrumentalische Sachen to Margrave Christian Ernst in remembrance and gratitude. He was an instrumentalist in the Stuttgart court orchestra, and he also taught the choirboys. Among other instruments he played the violone. According to contemporary accounts, members of the court orchestra met regularly in his house for an ‘exercitium musicum’. Nicolai’s Geistliche Harmonien consists of three-part settings of ten German and two Latin psalm texts; the dedication shows that in spite of their uncommitted nature, they were intended for the Protestant liturgy. 

About the Choral Music:

Praise and Adore – Tom Fettke

“Praise the Lord, ye heavens adore Him” first appeared in a four-paged tract which is found pasted at the end of some copies of the 1796 musical edition of the Psalms, Hymns, and Anthems of the Foundling Hospital, London and again at the end of the edition of words only, published in 1801.  A post-exilic hymn based on Psalm 148, it maintains that God's glory displayed in creation and redemption is so great that the praise on Israel's lips needs to be supplemented by a chorus from all creation. Let everything created in the heavens praise God for the majesty and ordered goodness of the celestial realm. Let all created things on earth and in the seas praise their Maker. Let all people join in praising God for salvation "from sin and shame".  The question of the authorship of this hymn has been a matter of serious inquiry for some years, with the result that on the one hand it is attributed to John Kempthorne, and on the other to Bishop Mant, and both in error.   The leaflet found in the 1796 hymnal is neither signed nor dated. The authorship and date of the writing and first printing of the hymn are therefore still open to investigation and research.

Tom Fettke 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). 

            Praise the Lord! O heavens adore Him; praise Him, angels in the height;

            Sun and moon rejoice before Him; praise Him, shining stars of light.

            Praise the Lord, for He has spoken; worlds His mighty voice obeyed;

            Laws, which never shall be broken, for their guidance He has made.

            Praise the Lord, for He is gracious; never shall His promise fail;

            God has made His saints victorious, sin and death shall not prevail.

            Praise the God of our salvation; hosts on high, His power proclaim.

            Heaven and earth, and all creation, praise and magnify His name!

            Worship, honor, glory, blessing, Lord, we offer as our gift;

            Young and old, Your praise expressing, our glad songs to you we lift.

            All the saints in heaven adore You; we would join their glad acclaim;

            As Your angels bow before You, so on earth we praise Your name.

            Amen!

About the Hymns:

All Creatures of Our God and King

The words of the hymn were initially written by St Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) in 1225 in the Canticle of the Sun poem, which was based on Psalm 148. The words were translated into English by William Draper, who at the time was rector of a Church of England parish church at Adel near Leeds. Draper paraphrased the words of the Canticle and set them to music. It is not known when Draper first composed the hymn but it was between 1899 and 1919. Draper composed the hymn for his church's children's Whitsun festival celebrations and it was later published in 1919 in the Public School Hymn Book. The hymn is currently used in 179 different hymn books. The words written by St Francis are some of the oldest used in hymns after "Father We Praise Thee", written in 580 AD. The hymn is set to the tune of "Lasst uns erfreuen herzlich sehr", a German Easter hymn written by Friedrich Spee, published in 1623 in his book Auserlesene, Catholische, Geistliche Kirchengesäng. It was first used in English hymn books in 1906.

St. Francis is famous for many things, including love of animals.  Pictures of him usually have birds flying nearby and small animals at his feet.  A popular story tells of him stopping to preach a sermon to a flock of birds.  He reminded them that God had blessed them with beautiful clothing even though they had never learned to spin or weave–– and that God had blessed them with food even thought they had never learned to sow or reap.  Then he called them to sing their songs as praises to God.  St. Francis wrote this hymn near the end of his life.  Sick and suffering bouts of blindness, he was going home to die when he stopped to visit friends at the St. Damien monastery.  While there, he felt the inspiration to compose this joyful hymn.  It calls all God's creatures ––sun and moon ––wind and water––fruits and flowers––and all who are of tender heart––to sing, "Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!" to honor our God.

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).

The Summons

One of the most important intentional communities of the 20th and 21st centuries is Scotland’s Iona Community. Founded on the remote Island of Iona in far western Scotland, the community traces its inspiration back to the 6th century, when St. Columba found his way from Ireland and established an outpost from which he evangelized all of Scotland. Eventually, he spread a Celtic form of Christianity that still resonates strongly today. George MacLeod (1895-1991), an iconoclastic spirit, left a popular parish in Glasgow and established the Community in the 1930s to train ministers in engaging the poor working-class people of Glasgow and also in working alongside artisans to rebuild the abandoned Benedictine Abbey on the Island of Iona.

John Bell (b. 1949) grew up in Kilmarnock, a rural town south of Glasgow. He received degrees in arts and theology from the University in Glasgow. He was ordained by the Church of Scotland in 1978 and appointed youth coordinator for the Presbytery of Glasgow. In 1980, he was admitted to membership of the Iona Community, having applied not primarily because it was a place of liturgical innovation, but because it was “a place where the potentials of the socially marginalized as well as the socially successful would be attested.” Since then he has become the international troubadour of the Community, guiding its publications in worship and music, preaching at conferences around the world and composing many songs that enumerate the themes of the Community.

“Will you come and follow me” (called “The Summons” in The Faith We Sing) is perhaps the most famous of Mr. Bell’s hymns. The hymn appeared initially in the first collection of music produced by the Wild Goose Worship Group, Heaven Shall Not Wait: Songs of Creation, the Incarnation, and the Life of Jesus (1987). Characteristic of Mr. Bell’s style, the text is prophetic, using many words not usually found in traditional hymns. “The Summons” of Christ is to a radical Christianity. We are challenged to “leave yourself behind” and to “risk the hostile stare”, “set the prisoner free” and “kiss the leper clean”, and “use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around”.

The tune is a traditional Scottish ballad entitled KELVINGROVE, named after a section of Glasgow. Mr. Bell often uses traditional melodies from Ireland, Scotland and England for his hymns. These tried and true tunes provide a Celtic flavor. For Mr. Bell, the purpose of congregational singing is to engage people in a fuller participation, to stretch their faith, and to encourage them to live in a manner that reflects justice.