February 25, 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:

O Gott, du frommer Gott – Max Reger

Johann Heerman (1585-1657), son of a furrier, was the fifth but only surviving child of his parents. During a severe illness in his childhood, his mother vowed that if he recovered she would educate him for the ministry, even though she had to beg the necessary money. He was appointed diaconus of Koben, a small town on the Oder, in 1611, and was promoted to the pastorate there.  Much of Heermann's life was spent amid the distressing scenes of the Thirty Years' War; and by his own ill health and his domestic trials he was trained to write his beautiful hymns of “Cross and Consolation." Between 1629 and 1634, Koben was plundered four times by the Lichtenstein dragoons and the rough hordes under Wallenstein sent into Silesia by the King of Austria in order to bring about the Counter-Reformation and restore the Roman Catholic faith and practice; while in 1616 the town was devastated by fire, and in 1631 by pestilence. In these troublous years Heermann several times lost all his moveables; once he had to keep away from Koben for seventeen weeks; twice he was nearly sabred; and once, while crossing the Oder in a frail boat loaded almost to sinking, he heard the bullets of the pursuing soldiers whistle just over his head. He bore all with courage and patience.  After 1623 he suffered from an affliction of the throat, which compelled him to cease preaching in 1634. 

As a hymnwriter, Heermann ranks with the best of his century.  He began writing Latin poems about 1605 and was recognized for his poetry at Brieg in 1608. He represents the transition from the objective standpoint of the hymnwriters of the Reformation period to the more subjective and experimental school that followed him. His hymns are distinguished by depth and tenderness of feeling; by firm faith and confidence in face of trial; by deep love to Christ, and humble submission to the will of God.In his House and Heart Music some of his finest hymns are in the section entitled "Songs of Tears. In the time of the persecution and distress of pious Christians."

Oh God, you faithful god, you source of good gifts,
without whom nothing exists that does exist, from whom we have everything :
give me a healthy body and grant that in such a body
there may remain an inviolate soul and a pure conscience.

Grant that I may do diligently what it is my duty to do,
as your command guides me in my position.
Grant that I may do it promptly, at the time when I should,
and when I do it, then grant that it may turn out well!

Help me, so that I may always say what I can stand by,
let no useless word come from my mouth,
and when in my office I should and must speak,
then give my words force and weight without causing vexation.

If there is danger, then let me not despair,
give me heroic courage, help me to bear my cross !
Grant that I may overcome my enemies with gentleness.
And if I need counsel may I find good counsel.

Let me with everyone live in peace and friendship,
as far as is Christian. If you want to give me anything to do with
wealth, property and money, then give this also,
that nothing may be mixed up with any goods that are unjust.

If in this world I have to live my life longer,
through many a bitter step  press on to old age,
then give me patience. From sin and shame protect me,
so that I may bear with honour my grey hair

At my end let me depart relying on Christ's death,
take my soul to you to your joys in heaven,
bestow a little space on my body, a grave by my parents,
so that it may have peace by their side.

On that day when you will awaken the dead,
then stretch out your hand to my grave,
let me hear your voice, and awaken my body
and lead it beautiful and transformed to the multitude of your chosen people!

The celebrated German composer Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (1873-1916), was the son of a school-teacher and amateur musician, who gave him instruction on the piano organ, and various string instruments. In 1874 the family moved to Weiden, where he studied organ and theory with Adalbert Lindner. He then attended the teacher-training college; after visiting the Bayreuth Festival in 1888, he decided on a career in music. He went to Sondershausen to study with Riemann in 1890, and continued as his pupil in Wiesbaden (1890-1893).  From 1890 to 1896, Max Reger was active as a teacher of piano, organ, and  theory. Following military service, he returned to Weiden in 1898 and wrote a number of his finest works for organ. He went to Munich in 1901, first gaining general recognition as a pianist and later as a composer.  He was professor of counterpoint at the Königliche Akademie der Tonkünst. He went to Leipzig as music director of the University and as professor of composition at the Conservatory.

Max Reger's fame as a composer was enhanced by his successful tours as a soloist and conductor in Germany and throughout Europe. Max Reger was an extraordinarily gifted musician, widely respected as a composer, pianist, organist, conductor and teacher. A master of polyphonic and harmonic writing, he carried on the hallowed Classical and Romantic schools of composition. Although he wrote major works in nearly every genre, he is best known for his organ compositions.

I Come with Joy – Andrew Moore

“I Come with Joy” was written in 1971 by Brian Wren (b. 1936), Emeritus Professor of Worship, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. He is a writer, preacher, worship and workshop leader, and internationally published hymn-poet, with entries in most recent denominational hymnals in North America, Britain and Australia. Some of his hymn-poems have been translated into Finnish, French, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish and Korean. Brian holds undergraduate and doctoral degrees from Oxford University. He is a Minister of the United Reformed Church (UK). His publications include What Language Shall I Borrow? - God-Talk in Worship: A Male Response to Feminist Theology (1989 and 2009), Praying Twice: The Music and Words of Congregational Song (2000), Advent, Christmas and Epiphany: Liturgies and Prayers for Public Worship (2008), Hymns for Today (2009) and seven hymn collections totaling 250 hymns.

LAND OF REST is an American folk tune with roots in the ballads of northern England and Scotland. It was known throughout the Appalachians; a shape-note version of the tune was published in The Sacred Harp (1844) and titled NEW PROSPECT as the setting for "O land of rest! for thee I sigh." The tune was published again with that same text in J. R. Graves's Little Seraph (Memphis, 1873). The name LAND OF REST derives from the tune's association with that text.

I come with joy to meet my Lord, forgiven, loved and free,
in awe and wonder to recall his life laid down for me.

I come with Christians far and near to find, as all are fed,
the new community of love in Christ's communion bread.

As Christ breaks bread and bids us share, each proud division ends.
The love that made us makes us one, and strangers now are friends.

And thus with joy we meet our Lord. His presence, always near,
is in such friendship better known; we see and praise him here.

Together met, together bound, we'll go our different ways,
and as his people in the world, we'll live and speak his praise.

Andrew Moore (b. 1954) is a British composer, arranger and music editor and also a Catholic priest.  A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London, he was ordained a priest in 1982 as a member of the Benedictine community at Downside Abbey having obtained a degree in theology at Cambridge University (Christ’s College). At Downside, he taught music and religious studiesr. As monastic and school choirmaster for many years he helped to maintain a high standard of liturgical music. From 1993-95, he was parish priest at the Downside Parish of Little Malvern. In 1996, he left monastic life for a more active ministry in the Diocese of Portsmouth. As a composer, Andrew Moore is best known for his liturgical music, having written several mass settings, many responsorial psalms, motets, anthems and carols. He has also written instrumental music, chamber and orchestral music. He makes much use of modal music (the plainsong influence), but there are also elements of jazz harmonies (his father was a very accomplished jazz pianist).

Agincourt Hymn – Charles Callahan

The Agincourt Carol (sometimes known as the Agincourt Song, the Agincourt Hymn, or by its chorus and central words, Deo gratias Anglia) is an English  folk song written in the early 15th century. The carol is one of thirteen on the Trinity Carol Roll, probably originating in East Anglia.  The tune has been given various texts over centuries, beginning with the Latin original through to one of its more often used translations by Benjamin Webb (1819-1885), "O Love, How Deep How Broad, How High!" Other texts include one titled "God of our fathers, known of old" by Rudyard Kipling, 1897, as well as titles such as "Jehovah, my God, on Thy Help I Depend" (1912), “The Glory of These Forty Days”,  and "O God, thy soldiers' great reward".

St. Pope Gregory I., The Great was born at Rome about A.D. 540. His family was distinguished not only for its rank and social consideration, but for its piety and good works. His father, Gordianus, was a man of senatorial rank and great wealth; whilst his mother, Silvia, and her sisters-in-law, Tarsilla and Aemiliana, attained the distinction of canonization. Gregory made the best use of his advantages in circumstances and surroundings, so far as his education went. "A saint among saints," he was considered second to none in Rome in grammar, rhetoric, and logic. In early life, before his father's death, he became a member of the Senate; and soon after he was thirty, he devoted the whole of the large fortune that he inherited to religious uses. He founded no less than six monasteries in Sicily. In 577 the then Pope, Benedict I, made him one of the seven Cardinal Deacons who presided over the seven principal divisions of Rome.

The following year Benedict's successor, Pelagius II, sent him on an embassy of congratulation to the new emperor Tiberius, at Constantinople. After six years' residence at Constantinople he returned to Rome. It was during this residence at Rome, before he was called upon to succeed Pelagius, that his interest was excited in the evangelization of Britain by seeing some beautiful children, natives of that country, exposed for sale in the slave-market there ("non Angli, sed Angeli"). He volunteered to head a mission to convert the British, and, having obtained the Pope's sanction for the enterprise, but he was recalled by Pelagius, at the earnest demand of the Roman people. In 590, he became Pope, and carried out his intentions towards Britain by the mission of St. Augustine. . His Papacy, upon which he entered with genuine reluctance, and only after he had taken every step in his power to be relieved from the office, lasted until 604, when he died at the early age of fifty-five. His Pontificate was distinguished by his zeal, ability, and address in the administration of his temporal and spiritual kingdom alike, and his missionaries found their way into all parts of the known world. He exhibited tolerance for Jews and heretics, and his disapproval of slavery by freeing all his own slaves.

Gregory's great learning won for him the distinction of being ranked as one of the four Latin doctors, and exhibited itself in many works of value, the most important of which are his Moralium Libri xxxv., and his two books of homilies on Ezekiel and the Gospels. His influence was also great as a preacher and many of his sermons are still extant. But he is most famous, perhaps, for the services he rendered to the liturgy and music of the Church, whereby he gained for himself the title of Magister Caeremoniarum. His Sacramentary, in which he gave its definite form to the Sacrifice of the Mass, and his Antiphonary, a collection which he made of chants old and new, as well as a school called Orplianotrophium, which he established at Rome for the cultivation of church singing, prove his interest in such subjects, and his success in his efforts to render the public worship of his day worthy of Him to Whom it was addressed. The Gregorian Tones, or chants, with which we are still familiar after a lapse of twelve centuries, we owe to his anxiety to supersede the more melodious and flowing style of church music which is popularly attributed to St. Ambrose, by the severer and more solemn monotone which is their characteristic. The contributions of St. Gregory to our stores of Latin hymns are not numerous, but few as they are, they are still used in the services of the Church. The Benedictine editors credit St. Gregory with 8 hymns, (1) “Primo dierum omnium;" (2) "Nocte surgentes vigilemus;" (3) "Ecce jam noctis tenuatur tunbra;" (4) “Clarum decus jejunii;" (5) "Audi benigne conditor;" (6) "Magno salutis gaudio;" (7) “Rex Christe factor omnium;" (8) "Lucis Creator Optime." Some writers credit him with three others. (9) “Ecce tempus idoneum;" (10) "Summi largitor praemii;" (11) "Noctis tempus jam praeterit."

“Clarum decus jejunii” was translated by Maurice Bell as “The Glory of These Forty Days”, and published in The English Hymnal (1906)

The glory of these forty days We celebrate with songs of praise;
For Christ, by Whom all things were made, Himself has fasted and has prayed.

Alone and fasting Moses saw The loving God Who gave the law;
And to Elijah, fasting, came The steeds and chariots of flame.

So Daniel trained his mystic sight, Delivered from the lions’ might;
And John, the Bridegroom’s friend, became The herald of Messiah’s Name.

Then grant us, Lord, like them to be Full oft in fast and prayer with Thee;
Our spirits strengthen with Thy grace, And give us joy to see Thy face.

O Father, Son, and Spirit blest, To thee be every prayer addressed,
Who art in threefold Name adored, From age to age, the only Lord.

Charles Callahan (b. 1951) is one of America’s leading organist-composers.  A native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, he is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and Catholic University of America.  In recognition of his service to the church and his commissioned compositions for Papal visits to the U.S., he was awared the Papal Honor of Knighthood in the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in 1999.  In addition to compositions and performances, Charles Callahan is a noted educator and author whose two books on American organ-building have become standard reference works.

About the Choral Music:

Come Follow Me – Joseph Martin

Joseph Martin (b. 1959 ), a native of North Carolina, earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. Subsequently he earned a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at the University of Texas, Austin. Joseph taught for five years in the Piano Pedagogy Department of the University of Texas.. He is a member of the staff of Shawnee Press as Director of Sacred Publications, with responsibilities for overseeing the editorial and creative direction of the company’s sacred publications and also coordinating the recording and production aspects of future sacred publishing efforts. Joseph has performed solo piano recitals and has been the featured artist with symphony orchestras in the United States and Mexico. As winner of the Nina Plant Wideman Competition, he performed with the Guadalajara Symphony Orchestra. His solo recital in Ex-convento del Carmen was broadcast nationally throughout the country. Though he continues to perform in concert, he now devotes his efforts to playing in churches and for conferences of church musicians Recognized throughout the United States for his many choral compositions, over 1200 compositions are currently in print and the list continues to grow.

“Come Follow Me” is a movement from the cantata, A Time for Alleluia.  From the passion of Gethsemane to the victory of the empty tomb, A Time For Alleluia celebrates the life of Christ and his redemptive work, using Ecclesiasties as the biblical basis for the text.   “Come Follow Me” takes its text from Matthew 19.

            Take up thy cross and follow.

            Come, faithful seeker of the Light, my voice is calling in the night.

            Walk with me; I’ll be your guide.  Follow me.

            Come weary pilgrim, take my hand.  I’ll lift you up and help you stand.

            All who seek the promised land, follow me.

All who hunger, all who suffer, all who sorrow, all who would be free, follow me.

            The path is steep, the road is long, but with my love I’ll keep you strong;

            Then my grace will lead you home. Come follow me.

Come follow me, O faithful one, until the final race is won,

            Until the great Amen is sung!  Follow me.

           

            I am the Way, the Truth, the Life.  Follow me.

About the Hymns:

I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath

Isaac Watts is often called the “Father of English Hymnody.” Watts (1674-1748) was the first English-language poet who produced a significant number of hymns of high quality.  In the 18th century, hymns could be distinguished from metrical psalms. During the time of Watts, congregational song was dominated by strict metrical versions of the Psalms. For example, compare “All People That on Earth Do Dwell” (1561), William Kethe’s metrical version of Psalm 100, to the translation found in the King James Version. The similarities of language are striking for Kethe’s metrical rendition, the oldest continuously sung congregational song in North America. Watts wanted to break the stranglehold of metrical psalms on congregational singing. To facilitate this he composed psalm paraphrases that were freer in their relationship to the original psalm and, in addition, “hymns of human composure”—freely composed hymns such as “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”

“I’ll Praise My Maker” is Watts’ paraphrase of Psalm 146. It was originally entitled “Praise to God for his Goodness and Truth” and published in his famous Psalms of David, Imitated in the Language of the New Testament (1719).  John Wesley played a prominent role in preserving this hymn as we know it today, slightly adapting four of the six original stanzas. Wesley strengthened Watts’ first line of the hymn which originally read, “I’ll praise my Maker with my breath.” Wesley included it in the first hymnal published in America, the Charlestown Collection of Psalms and Hymns (1737). Its appearance in every Methodist hymnbook since 1737 attests to its popularity. J.R. Watson noted: “This hymn was greatly loved by John Wesley, who died singing it.”

I Surrender All

"I Surrender All" was written by American art teacher and musician Judson W. Van DeVenter (1855–1939), who subsequently became a music minister and evangelist. It was put to music by Winfield S. Weeden (1847–1908), and published in 1896.Van DeVenter said of the inspiration for the text:

For some time, I had struggled between developing my talents in the field of art and going into full-time evangelistic work. At last the pivotal hour of my life came, and I surrendered all. A new day was ushered into my life. I became an evangelist and discovered down deep in my soul a talent hitherto unknown to me. God had hidden a song in my heart, and touching a tender chord, He caused me to sing. 

Following his decision to surrender his life to the Divine, Van DeVenter traveled throughout the United States, England, and Scotland, doing evangelistic work. Winfield S. Weeden, his associate and singer, assisted him for many years. Toward the end of his life, Van DeVenter moved to Florida, and was professor of hymnology at the Florida Bible Institute for four years in the 1920s. After his retirement, he remained involved in speaking and in religious gatherings. Van DeVenter published more than 60 hymns in his lifetime, but "I Surrender All" is his most famous.

February 14, 2018 - Ash Wednesday

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:

Lord Jesus, Think on Me – Bert Carlson

Synesius (370-430), a native of Cyrene, was Bishop of Ptolemaïs.  As he believed a Neo-Platonic philosophy, there has been debate as to his belief, with many labelling him a “semi-Christian”.  Allen Chatfield, who has translated his Odes in his Songs and Hymns of the Greek Christian Poets, 1876, contends that his tenth Ode "Lord Jesus, think on me," proves that he was a Christian and that he held the doctrine of the Resurrection. This tenth ode is the only Ode of Synesius, which is in common use.  The tune, Southwell, was written by William Daman (1540-1591; aka Gulielmo Damano) who was an Italian-born composer living in England.  He arrived in England in 1566 as a servant of Sir Thomas Sackville, and in 1576, he became a recorder player at the Court of Elizabeth I.

Lord Jesus, think on me And purge away my sin;
From earthborn passions set me free And make me pure within.

Lord Jesus, think on me, With many a care oppressed;
Let me Thy loving servant be And taste Thy promised rest.

Lord Jesus, think on me Nor let me go astray;
Through darkness and perplexity Point Thou the heavenly way.

Lord Jesus, think on me That I may sing above
To Father, Spirit, and to Thee The strains of praise and love.

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.

Savior, When in Dust to You – Gerald Near

Sir Robert Grant (1779-1838) became Member of Parliament for Inverness in 1826; a Privy Councillor in 1831; and Governor of Bombay, 1834. He was well-known as a hymn writer. His hymns, "O worship the King"; "Saviour, when in dust to Thee"; and "When gathering clouds around I view," are widely used in all English-speaking countries. Some of his hymns were contributed to the Christian Observer, 1806-1815, under the signature of "E—y, D. R."; and to Elliott's Psalms & Hymns, Brighton, 1835. The year following his death his brother, Lord Glenelg, gathered 12 of his hymns and poems together, and published them as  Sacred Poems. By the late Eight Hon. Sir Robert Grant. London, Saunders & Otley, Conduit Street, 1839.

Savior, when in dust to Thee Low we bow the adoring knee;
When, repentant, to the skies Scarce we lift our weeping eyes;
O, by all Thy pains and woe Suffered once for man below,
Bending from Thy throne on high, Hear our penitential cry!

By Thy helpless infant years, By Thy life of want and tears,
By Thy days of deep distress In the savage wilderness,
By the dread, mysterious hour Of the insulting tempter's pow'r,
Turn, O turn, a fav'ring eye; Hear our penitential cry!

By thine hour of dire despair, By thine agony of prayer,
By the cross, the nail, the thorn, Piercing spear, and torturing scorn,
By the gloom that veiled the skies O'er the dreadful sacrifice,
Listen to our humble sigh; Hear our penitential cry!

By Thy deep expiring groan, By the sad sepulchral stone,
By the vault whose dark abode Held in vain the rising God,
O, from earth to heav'n restored, Mighty, re-ascended Lord,
Bending from Thy throne on high, Hear our penitential cry!

Gerald Near (b. 1942) is considered one of the finest composers of church music writing today. He studied theory and composition at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. While at the University of Michigan, he also studied organ, published organ and choral music, and completed his Master's degree in orchestral conducting. In 1982, he was one of the first recipients of a McKnight Foundation Fellowship. That year also saw two commissioned works for the American Guild of Organists (AGO) National Convention in Washington, D.C. The following year he moved to Dallas, where he was appointed organist/choirmaster of St. Matthew's Cathedral, later becoming Canon Precentor. In 1989, Gloriae Dei Cantores commissioned Mr. Near to compose a work for the choir, Resurrexi, based on Gregorian chant motifs. At the 1998 Denver AGO National Convention, Mary Preston premiered his organ concerto. Pamela Decker premiered his Sonata Breve (Second Sonata), written for her, at the Tucson Chapter's (AGO) Mid Winter Conclave in January of 2008. His works have been heard on NPR's A Prairie Home Companion, and his Magnificat & Nunc dimittis has been performed at the prestigious Southern Cathedrals Festival in England. The St. John's College Choir sang his St. John's Service at Sydney's Opera House.  The Tucson Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI) designated him a National Arts Associate in May of 2008.

Healer of Our Every Ill – Keith Kolander

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.

Keith Kolander (b. 1955) earned his Bachelor of Music (in Composition) at the University of Missouri. He was the organist/choir director at Mt. Tabor in Manchester, Missouri from 1982 to 1987. He currently is the organist at Good Shepherd in Manchester. He resides with his wife and daughter in Wildwood, Missouri.

Aus Tiefer Not – Max Drischner

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 (Out of the deep)” 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.

Max Drischner (1891-1971) was a German composer, Kantor, organist, and harpsichordist.  Drischner was born in Silesia. After completing his secondary education, he pursued studies in theology in Leipzig and Breslau, beginning in 1910. By 1914, however, he had decided to quit his theological studies in favor of studying music. At this time, Drischner relocated to Berlin, and was enrolled in the Berlin University of the Arts, where he studied harpsichord.  In 1924, Drischner was named Kantor and organist of St. Nicholas Church in Brieg.  While in Brieg, Drischer built a reputation for himself as a choirmaster, as well, organizing and directing many successful events, and founding a youth choir. This earned him a renown that stretched beyond Brieg. His efforts earned him the title of Kirchenmusikdirektor ("Church music director"), a very high honor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

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.

It is Well with My Soul

For more than a century, the tragic story of one man has given hope to countless thousands who have lifted their voices to sing, It Is Well With My Soul.  Horatio Spafford (1828-1888) was a wealthy Chicago lawyer with a thriving legal practice, a beautiful home, a wife, four daughters and a son. He was also a devout Christian and faithful student of the Scriptures. His circle of friends included Dwight L. Moody, Ira Sankey and various other well-known Christians of the day.

At the very height of his financial and professional success, Horatio and his wife Anna suffered the tragic loss of their young son. Shortly thereafter on October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed almost every real estate investment that Spafford had.

In 1873, Spafford scheduled a boat trip to Europe in order to give his wife and daughters a much needed vacation and time to recover from the tragedy. He also went to join Moody and Sankey on an evangelistic campaign in England. Spafford sent his wife and daughters ahead of him while he remained in Chicago to take care of some unexpected last minute business. Several days later he received notice that his family's ship had encountered a collision. All four of his daughters drowned; only his wife had survived.

With a heavy heart, Spafford boarded a boat that would take him to his grieving Anna in England. It was on this trip that he penned those now famous words, When sorrow like sea billows roll; it is well, it is well with my soul..

Philip Bliss (1838-1876), composer of many songs including Hold the Fort, Let the Lower Lights be Burning, and Jesus Loves Even Me, was so impressed with Spafford's life and the words of his hymn that he composed a beautiful piece of music to accompany the lyrics. The song was published by Bliss and Sankey, in 1876.

February 11, 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:

Plein Jeu for Transfiguration - Richard Webster

Jesu Dulcis Memoria is often attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153). The name can refer either to the entire poem, which, depending on the manuscript, ranges from forty-two to fifty-three stanzas, or only the first part.  Three sections of it are used as hymns in the Liturgy of the Hours of the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus: "Iesu dulcis memoria" (Vespers), "Iesu rex admirabilis" (Office of Readings), "Iesu decus angelicum" (Lauds).  Several English hymns sung today are based on translations of Jesu Dulcis Memoria. These include "Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts" (1858 translation by Ray Palmer) and "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee" (1849 translation by Edward Caswall).

Bernard of Clairvaux, saint, abbot, and doctor, was born at his father's castle on the eminence of Les Fontaines, near Dijon, in Burgundy. His father, Tecelin, or Tesselin, a knight of great bravery, was the friend and vassal of the Duke of Burgundy. Bernard was educated at Chatillon, where he was distinguished for his studious and meditative habits. One would expect the world to have had overpowering attractions for a youth who had all the advantages that high birth, great beauty, graceful manners, and irresistible influence could give, but, strengthened by night visions of his mother (who had died in 1105), he chose a life of asceticism and became a monk. He entered the monastery of Citeaux, the first Cistercian foundation, in 1113. Two years later he was sent forth, at the head of twelve monks, from the rapidly increasing and overcrowded abbey, to found a daughter institution in the Valley of Wormwood, about four miles from the Abbey of La Ferté on the Aube. On the death of Pope Honorius II., in 1130, the Sacred College was rent by factions, one of which elected Gregory of St. Angelo, who took the title of Innocent II., while another elected Peter Leonis, under that of Anacletua II. Innocent fled to France, and the question as to whom the allegiance of the King, Louie VI., and the French bishops was due was left by them for Bernard to decide. At a council held at Etampes, Bernard gave judgment in favour of Innocent. Throwing himself into the question with all the ardour of a vehement partisan, he won over both Henry I., the English king, and Lothair, the German emperor, to support the same cause, and then, in 1133, accompanied Innocent II., who was supported by Lothair and his army, to Italy and to Rome. When Lothair withdrew, Innocent retired to Pisa, and Bernard went to his abbey of Clairvaux. It was not until after the death of Anacletus, the antipope, in January, 1138, and the resignation of his successor, the cardinal-priest Gregory, Victor II., that Innocent II., who had returned to Rome with Bernard, was universally acknowledged Pope.  The influence of the Barnard now became paramount in the Church, as was proved at the Lateran Council of 1139, the largest council ever collected together. After having devoted four years to the service of the Pope, Bernard returned to Clairvaux. Bernard continued to exert strong influence on the appointment of bishops and cardinals and on doctrinal disputes.  He was also called upon to use his powers of persuasion over the people of France and Germany to join the second crusade.  The population seemed to rise en masse, and take up the cross. In 1147, the expedition started, a vast horde, of which probably not a tenth ever reached Palestine. It proved a complete failure, and a miserable remnant shared the flight of their leaders, the Emperor Conrad, and Louis, King of France, and returned home, defeated and disgraced. The blame was thrown on Bernard, and his apology for his part in the matter is extant.

One of the hymns by which St. Bernard is best known as a writer of sacred poetry is "Jesu duicis memoria," a long poem on the " Name of Jesus"—known as the "Jubilus of St. Bernard," and among mediaeval writers as the " Rosy Hymn." It is, perhaps, the best specimen of what Neale describes as the "subjective loveliness" of its author's compositions. Many other hymns and sequences are attributed to St. Bernard.  Hymns, translated from, or founded on, St. Bernard's, will be found in almost every hymnal of the day.

Jesus, the very thought of Thee With sweetness fills the breast!

Yet sweeter far Thy face to see And in Thy Presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame, Nor can the memory find,

A sweeter sound than Jesus' Name, The Saviour of mankind.

O hope of every contrite heart! O joy of all the meek!

To those who fall, how kind Thou art! How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find? Ah! This Nor tongue nor pen can show

The love of Jesus, what it is, None but His loved ones know.

Jesus! our only hope be Thou, As Thou our prize shalt be;

In Thee be all our glory now, And through eternity.

In the French Baroque tradition, works were named for the registration, or stop sounds, the composer intended.  Two common settings are Grand Jeu and Plein Jeu, which refer to the choruses of foundation stops.  The Grand Jeu is the large chorus with reeds, and the Plein Jeu is the small chorus.  Many composers use this naming convention when writing in imitation of that style.  Hence, we have a Plein Jeu that is neither Baroque nor French.

Richard Webster  is Director of Music and Organist at Trinity Church, Boston. As a composer and arranger he completes several commissioned works a year. Webster is Music Director of Chicago's Bach Week Festival. He has led choir workshops across the U.S., South Africa and New Zealand. He is an honorary Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music (FRSCM), and in 2016 was awarded an honary Doctor of Music degree from the University of the South at Sewanee.  Webster loves running, and has completed 34 marathons, including 15 Boston Marathons.

Wareham – Emma Lou Diemer

The name of the Rev. F. Pratt Green (1903-2000) is one of the best-known of the contemporary school of hymn-writers in the British Isles. His name and writings appear in practically every new hymnal and hymn supplement wherever English is spoken and sung. Green was ordained in the British Methodist ministry; he has been pastor and district superintendent in Brighton, York, and Norwich.

William Knapp (1698-1768) composed the tune WAREHAM, so named for his birthplace. A glover by trade, Knapp served as the parish clerk at St. James's Church in Poole (1729-1768) and was organist in both Wareham and Poole. Known in his time as the "country psalm-singer," Knapp published A Set of New Psalm Tunes and Anthems (1738) and New Church Melody (1753). 

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!

Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927) has written many works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, keyboard, voice, chorus (women's, men's), and electronic media. Diemer is a keyboard performer and over the years has given concerts of her own organ works at Washington National Cathedral, The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, Grace Cathedral and St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco, and others.  Diemer's compositional style over the years has varied from tonal to atonal, from traditional to experimental. She has written works for non-professional and professional performers, originally under the "Gebrauchsmusik" philosophy, but has produced many works, particularly for keyboard, that are difficult and challenging.  She was professor of theory and composition at the University of Maryland 1965-70, and joined the faculty of the University of California (UCSB) in 1971. She is professor emeritus, 1991–present.  While at UCSB, Diemer helped to establish the computer/electronic music program.

Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor - Ralph Vaughn Williams

George Hugh Bourne (1840-1925) was a hymnodist, schoolmaster and warden, who was educated at Eton College and at Christ Church, Oxford (BA 1863, BCL 1866, DCL 1871).  Taking Holy Orders in 1863, he served as Assistant Curate of Sandford-on-Thames. Subsequently Bourne was Head Master of St. Andrew’s Chardstock, and afterwards Warden of St. Edmund’s, Salisbury.  Bourne served as Chaplain to the Bishop of Bloemfontein (later of Grahamstown), South Africa, the Rt Rev Alan Becher Webb, who was married to Bourne’s sister.  Bourne was appointed Sub-dean of Salisbury Cathedral, and as Treasurer and Prebendary of Salisbury Cathedral (where his brother-in-law Bishop Webb took up the Deanship after his retirement from South Africa),

Bourne wrote a number of hymns, the best known of which is his hymn "Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendour". It was originally part of a set of Seven Post-Communion Hymns (1874), published privately for St. Edmund’s College, Salisbury, which then gained wider circulation after 1889 when five of the original ten stanzas appeared in the Supplement to the 1875 edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern.  The hymn was set to the tune "ST.HELEN" by George Clement Martin. 

Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendor, First begotten from the dead,
You alone, our strong Defender, Now lift up Your people’s head.

Here our humblest homage pay we, Here in loving reference bow;
Here for faith’s discernment pray we, Lest we fail to know You now.

Though the lowliest form doth veil Thee As of old in Bethlehem,
Here as there Thine angels hail Thee, Branch and Flower of Jesse’s stem.

Paschal Lamb, Your offering finished Once for all when You were slain,
In its fullness undiminished Shall forevermore remain.

Great High Priest of our profession, Through the veil Thou wentest in,
By Thy mighty intercession, Grace and peace for us to win.

Life imparting heavenly Manna, Smitten Rock with streaming side,
Heaven and earth with loud hosanna Worship You, the Lamb Who died.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Jesus, true and living Bread!

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1982-1958) is arguably the greatest composer Britain has seen since the days of Henry Purcell. In a long and extensive career, he composed music notable for its power, nobility and expressiveness, representing, perhaps, the essence of ‘Englishness’.

Vaughan Williams was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. Later he was a pupil of Stanford and Parry at the Royal College of Music, after which he studied with Max Bruch in Berlin and Maurice Ravel in Paris. Vaughan Williams volunteered to serve in the Field Ambulance Service in Flanders for the 1914-1918 war, during which he was deeply affected by the carnage and the loss of close friends such as the composer George Butterworth. For many years Vaughan Williams conducted and led the Leith Hill Music Festival, conducting Bach's St Matthew Passion on a regular basis. He also became professor of composition at the Royal College of Music in London. Vaughan Williams received the Order of Merit in 1938.  His ashes are interred in Westminster Abbey, near Purcell.

At the turn of the century he was among the very first to travel into the countryside to collect folk-songs and carols from singers.As musical editor of The English Hymnal he composed several hymns that are now world-wide favorites (For all the Saints, Come down O love Divine). Later he also helped to edit The Oxford Book of Carols.  In a long and productive life, his compositions included nine symphonies, five operas, film music, ballet and stage music, several song cycles, church music and works for chorus and orchestra.

About the Choral Music:

Open My Eyes, that I May See – Kurt Kaiser

Clara H. Scott (1841-1897) provides us with a hymn of consecration that has been sung for over 100 years.  In 1856, Scott attended the first Music Institute held by C.M. Cady in Chicago, Ill. By 1859, she was teaching music at the Ladies' Seminary, Lyons, Iowa. She married Henry Clay Scott in 1861, and published in 1882 the Royal Anthem Book, the first volume of choir anthems published by a woman.  Horatio R. Palmer, an influential church musician in Chicago and later New York City, was a source of encouragement for Scott, and helped her publish many of her songs. Three collections were issued before her untimely death, when a runaway horse caused a buggy accident in Dubuque, Iowa.

The text of "Open My Eyes" was written in 1895 shortly before Scott's death. Each stanza reveals an increasing receptiveness to the "Spirit divine." Open eyes lead to "glimpses of truth." Open ears lead to "voices of truth." An open mouth leads to sharing the "warm truth everywhere." An open heart leads to sharing "love to thy children."

The image of open eyes is common in the Bible. In some cases, this is a sign of Christ's healing power, as when Jesus gave sight to the blind man at the pool of Siloam in John 9. Closed eyes, on the other hand, could be a metaphor for avoiding the truth as in the case of John 12:40, a passage following the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem and beginning his journey to the cross: "He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."  The image of open ears is also significant in the biblical witness. Matthew often reprises the theme "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." Closed ears become a metaphor for a lack of understanding: "For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them" (Matthew 13:15).

While the eyes and the ears are receptive organs, the mouth has the capacity to project. The mouth may project "cursing and deceit and fraud" (Psalm 10:7), or it may be an organ that projects praise, as Psalm 51:15 exhorts us: "O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise."  The heart is the only organ included in this hymn that is not visible. It may harbor deceit. Jesus asks in Matthew 9:4, "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" But Jesus also realized that the heart has the capacity for purity: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8).  The gentle 6/8 meter of Scott's music provides a subtle sense of dancing in tune with the Spirit as we learn to see, hear and speak the truth from our hearts. 

Kurt Kaiser's (b. 1934) attended The American Conservatory of Music and Northwestern University School of Music, where he earned both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in music. In 1959, he joined Word Records as Director of Artists and Repertoire. He later became Vice-president and Director of Music there. From 1965 through 1970, Kaiser served as director of the Baylor Religious Hour Choir.  Kurt Kaiser and his friend Ralph Carmichael began writing Christian rock musicals geared to reach out to the youth of the time.  Crossing denominational boundaries, many of Kurt's compositions have found their way into a number of hymnals, including “Pass It On” and “O How He Loves You and Me”.   Kurt has achieved subtle trend changes by maintaining a sensitivity to that which is widely acceptable. His innovative approach has broadened musical styles that are palatable to the church at large. Associations with the Eastman School of Music and the Baylor University acapella choir, as well as many other fine choral groups are indicative of his taste for fine choral literature. Kurt finds it equally challenging to assist volunteer choirs to enjoy singing while bettering their art.  He helped to found the Day Spring Baptist Church in Waco, Texas and is their choir director.  In 2001 he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

            Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;

            Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.

            Silently now I wait for Thee, Ready my God, Thy will to see;

            Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

            Open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth Thou sendest clear;

            And while the wavenotes fall on my ear, everything false will disappear.

Silently now I wait for Thee, Ready my God, Thy will to see;

            Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!

            Open my mouth, and let it bear gladly the warm truth everywhere;

            Open my heart and let me prepare love with Thy children thus to share.

Silently now I wait for Thee, Ready my God, Thy will to see;

            Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!

About the Hymns:

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.”

I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

Kathleen Thomerson (b. 1934) is Organist and Music Director at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas. She was born in Tennessee and grew up in Mississippi, California, and Texas. College music study was at the Universities of Colorado and Texas, the Flemish Royal Conservatory in Antwerp, and privately in Paris. Before retirement in Austin, she lived in Collinsville, Illinois, when her husband was a biology professor at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Her best-known hymn text is "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light."  It was written as a scriptural meditation and prayer. It was inspired by many Bible verses, including Genesis 1:17, Isaiah 60:19, Psalm 75:16, Psalm 139:12, Ephesians 3:17, Ephesians 5:8, Galatians 4:6, Hebrews 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:5, 2 Peter 1:19, 1 John 1:5-7, and Revelation 21:23.