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:
Christ Arose – John Ferguson
Robert Lowry
(1826-1899), the Philadelphia-born author and composer of this hymn, was a
popular Baptist preacher and educator who served churches in Pennsylvania, New
York City and Plainfield, N.J. Lowry
studied theology at the University of Lewisburg (now Bucknell University),
graduating in 1854 and teaching literature there from 1869-1875. He became
known for his gospel songs while ministering in Brooklyn, collaborating often
with William H. Doane in producing gospel song collections. Among his most famous gospel compositions are
“Nothing but the Blood of Jesus” and “Shall We Gather at the River”. He also composed tunes for other’s texts,
such as MARCHING TO ZION, a camp meeting version of Isaac Watts’ text, “Come,
We that Love the Lord,” and NEED, a tune for Annie Hawks’ hymn, “I Need Thee
Every Hour.” Hymnologist Kenneth Osbeck
notes that “Lowry was recognized as a most capable minister of the gospel,
possessing keen insight and administrative ability. He became known as a thorough
Bible scholar and a brilliant and captivating orator; few preachers of his day
had greater ability to paint word pictures and to inspire a congregation. Music
and a knowledge of hymnology were his favorite studies, but always as an
avocation.”
When William Bradbury, another well-known
gospel song writer, died, Lowry was selected by the Biglow Publishing Company
in 1868 to be its music editor. In this capacity he published more than 20
Sunday school songbooks. Pure Gold, considered to be his most successful
publication, sold more than 1,000,000 copies.
When asked about writing a hymn, he said, “It must be readily
apprehended by the Christian consciousness, coming forth from the experience of
the writer, and clothed in strong and inspiring words.”
“Low in the Grave He Lay,” called
“Christ Arose” in many hymnals, was composed in 1874 while Lowry was the pastor
of the First Baptist Church of Lewisburg, Pa. It first appeared in the
collection Brightest and Best (1875) under the title “He is not
here, but risen—Luke 24:5.” When it was included in music evangelist Ira D.
Sankey’s Sacred Songs and Solos (1875), the song became very
popular in the Moody-Sankey revivals. From that point, it appeared in a number
of 19th-century British and American hymnals.
Mr. Osbeck records this account of the composition of the gospel song:
Following his reflection on the resurrection as recorded in Luke 24:6-8, “. . .
Lowry found himself seated at the little pump organ in the parlor of his home,
and, in a very spontaneous fashion, there came forth the music and the words,
giving expression to the thoughts that had been uppermost in his mind.”
The centerpiece
of the song is the textual and musical contrast between the stanzas and the
refrain. The dirge-like stanzas in block chords with a melody that plods in a
step-wise fashion give way to a rhythmic refrain that surges up like a trumpet
blast. Like many gospel songs, the three stanzas basically say the same thing
three different ways. Each stanza ends with “Jesus my Lord!”—reminiscent of the
early Christian affirmation “Jesus is Lord.” (Romans 10:9-13) The music of this music captures perfectly
the spirit of the transition from Good Friday to Easter Sunday.
Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior,
waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Refrain:
Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Vainly they watch his bed, Jesus my Savior,
vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord! [Refrain]
vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord! [Refrain]
Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior;
he tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord! [Refrain]
he tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord! [Refrain]
John
Allen Ferguson (b. 1941)
is an American organist, teacher, and composer.
Ferguson is probably best known for his many choral compositions. He has
also published alternate accompaniments and festival arrangements for organ,
brass, and percussion of hymns and Lutheran liturgy, and has appeared on several
recordings. He has more than 100 titles to his credit. Ferguson earned a B.M. from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, an M.M. from Kent
State University, and
a D.M.A. from the Eastman
School of Music,
where he studied with Russell Saunders. Ferguson is a well-respected organ
teacher and leader of congregational singing via the organ. He has been invited
as a visiting professor by the faculties of the University
of Notre Dame and
the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.
Long
associated with the Holtkamp
Organ Company, Ferguson's doctoral dissertation was on the work of
Walter Holtkamp Sr. "Walter Holtkamp: American Organ Builder" was
published in 1979 by Kent State University Press. He also served as music
editor of the United Church of Christ Hymnal, published in 1974. He worked as both professor of music at Kent
State University and organist-choirmaster at Kent United Church of Christ until
1978. He later worked as the director of music at Central Lutheran Church in
Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1983 he became the Elliot & Klara Stockdahl
Johnson professor of organ and church music at St. Olaf College,
Northfield, Minnesota, and later became the conductor of the St. Olaf Cantorei.
In dir ist Freude – J. S.
Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German composer and
musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through
his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organization, and the adaptation of
rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include the Brandenburg concertos, the Mass in B minor, The Well-Tempered Clavier, two Passions, keyboard works, and more than 300 cantatas, of which nearly 100 cantatas have been
lost to posterity. His music is
revered for its intellectual depth, technical command, and artistic
beauty. Bach's abilities as an organist
were highly respected throughout Europe during his lifetime, although he was
not widely recognized as a great composer until a revival of interest and
performances of his music in the first half of the nineteenth century. During the late eighteenth and early
nineteenth century, Bach was recognized by several prominent composers. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven,
Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann, and Felix Mendelssohn were among his admirers; they began
writing in a more contrapuntal style after being exposed to Bach's music. Beethoven described him as "Urvater der Harmonie",
the "original father of harmony".
He is now generally regarded as the main composer of the Baroque period
and as one of the greatest composers of all time. A highly devout Christian, Bach signed all of
his compositions “soli Deo Gloria” (to God alone be the glory).
The Orgelbüchlein ("Little Organ Book") is a
collection of 46 chorale preludes for organ, which form the first of Bach's masterpieces
with a mature compositional style in marked contrast to his previous
compositions for the instrument. Each of
them treats a known Lutheran chorale with a motivic accompaniment. Bach explored a wide diversity of forms in the Orgelbüchlein. As stated by Spitta in his biography of Bach:
A further step towards perfection this
form was taken by Bach when he made the contrapuntal elements in his music a means
of reflecting certain emotional aspects of the words. Pachelbel had not attempted this; he lacked
the fervid feeling which would have enabled him thus to enter into his
subject. And it is entering into it,
and not a mere depicting of it. For,
once more be it said, in every vital movement of the world external to us we
behold the image of a movement within us; and every such image must react upon
us to produce the corresponding emotion I that inner world of feeling.
The tune, “In dir ist Freude”, is one of many balletti
(dance-like songs) written by Giovanni G. Gastoldi (1554-1609), a priest and
composer from Mantua, Italy. It was
originally published in his Balleti a cinque voce (1591), where it was set to
"Alieta vi.a, Amor ciinuita", which like so many balletti had a
"fa-la-la" refrain. Cantor
Johann Lindemann (1549-1631) wrote this text to fit the tune. It was published in Lindemann's Amarum Filii Dei Decades
Duae (1598). Catherine
Winkworth prepared the English translation for the second series of her Lyra Germanica
(1858). The text confesses with joy the
Christian's security of walking intimately with God through the ups and downs
of daily life. Bach has set the melody
in complex counterpoint which expresses pure joy in virtual abandon.
In Thee is gladness amid all
sadness, Jesus,
Sunshine of my heart!
By Thee are given
the gifts of heaven, Thou the true Redeemer art!
Our souls Thou
wakest, our bonds Thou breakest.
Hallelujah.
Who trust Thee surely hath built securely;
through life and death,
He stands
forever: Hallelujah!
Jesus is ours! We fear no powers, not of
earth or sin or death.
He sees and blesses in worst distresses; he can change them with a breath.
Wherefore the story - tell of His glory with hearts and voices;
all heaven rejoices in him forever: Allelujah!
We shout for gladness, triumph o'er sadness, love him and praise him,
and still shall raise him glad hymns forever: Allelujah!
He sees and blesses in worst distresses; he can change them with a breath.
Wherefore the story - tell of His glory with hearts and voices;
all heaven rejoices in him forever: Allelujah!
We shout for gladness, triumph o'er sadness, love him and praise him,
and still shall raise him glad hymns forever: Allelujah!
About the Choral Music:
Alleluia, Christ is Risen! – Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse (b. 1951) is a native of Denver, Pennsylvania. He
received a B.S. degree in Music Education and an M.Ed. degree in Music from
Indiana University of Pennsylvania. For eight years he served as a rights and
licenses administrator for a major educational music publisher. During that
time he served a term on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association
of America. As a composer of sacred and secular choral music, Mr. Althouse has
more than 600 works in print for choirs of all levels. Althouse has co-written
several cantatas and musicals with his wife, Sally K. Albrecht; compiled and
arranged vocal solo collections; and is the co-writer of the best-selling books
The Complete Choral Warm-up Book, and
Accent on Composers. He is the co-writer, with Sally K. Albrecht,
of I
Hear America Singing, a choral work performed at the Inauguration of
President Barack Obama on January 20, 2009.
The text of this anthem combines original
text by Althouse and text by Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1885). Wordsworth was born in London, the youngest son of the
Rev. Dr. Christopher
Wordsworth, Master of Trinity and a nephew of the poet William Wordsworth.
He was educated at Winchester and Trinity,
Cambridge. He won the Chancellor's
Gold Medal for poetry in 1827 and
1828. He was Vicar of Stanford in the Vale, Berkshire (1850–1869) and Archdeacon of
Westminster (1864–1869). In 1869 Benjamin Disraeli appointed him Bishop of Lincoln which he retained until his death in 1885. He is best known for his edition of the Greek
New Testament (1856–1860), and the Old Testament (1864–1870), with
commentaries; but his writings were many in number, and included a volume of
devotional verse, The Holy Year The Holy Year; or Hymns for Sundays and Holydays Throughout the Year, and
for Other Occasions (1862), Church History up to A.D. 451
(1881–1883). The middle section of this
text is drawn from his hymn, “Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!”
Alleluia, Christ is risen! We rejoice this day of days.
Alleluia, Christ is risen! Sing to God a song of praise.
He, who on the cross, as Savior, for
the world’s salvation bled,
Jesus Christ, the King of glory: He
is risen, risen from the dead.
Alleluia, Christ is risen from the
earth up to the sky!
Alleluia, Christ is risen! Glory be to God on high!
Glory be to God on high! Alleluia!
Joy
in the Morning – Natalee Sleeth
Natalie Allyn Sleeth (née Wakeley) (1930-1992) was born in Evanston, Illinois. In 1934, she began to study the piano at the early age of
four. In 1952, she received an Academic major in music theory and a BA in music theory at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She married a Professor of Homiletics, Reverend Ronald E. Sleeth. In her later life she received an honorary doctorate
from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1959, and from Nebraska Wesleyan College
in 1990. An organist, she wrote over 180 selections for church and school. She was a member of the Highland Park United
Methodist Church in Dallas, TX.
One of Sleeth's best-known anthems for choir is entitled "Joy in the Morning" and was written for the
West Virginia Wesleyan College concert chorale on the occasion of her husband's inauguration as the
president of West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1977. Far and away the best-selling anthem in the
Hope catalog with over one million copies sold, "Joy in the Morning" is a true classic.
Joy,
there’ll be joy, there’ll be joy in the morning on that day,
For
the daylight will dawn when the darkness is gone.
There’ll be peace
evermore, there’ll be peace on the earth once more,
Every
heart and voice will again rejoice, there’ll be peace evermore.
And
the glory of the Lord will shine upon us,
And
the glory of the Lord will bring the truth divine.
There’ll
be love and forgiveness everywhere,
And
the way of the Lord will that day be restored,
There’ll
be love, sweet love everywhere.
There’ll be love
and forgiveness,
There’ll
be peace and contentment,
There’ll
be joy, joy, joy, joy, joy!
Hallelujah,
from Messiah – G. F. Handel
Georg Friederich Handel (1685-1759) became a musician and
composer despite objections from his father, who wanted him to become a lawyer.
Handel studied music with Zachau, organist at the Halle Cathedral, and became
an accomplished violinist and keyboard performer. He traveled and studied in
Italy for some time and then settled permanently in England in 1713. Although
he wrote a large number of instrumental works, he is known mainly for his
Italian operas, oratorios (including “Messiah”, 1741), various
anthems for church and royal festivities, and organ concertos, which he
interpolated into his oratorio performances. He composed only three hymn tunes,
one of which still appears in some modern hymnals. A number of hymnal editors,
including Lowell Mason, took themes from some of Handel's oratorios and turned
them into hymn tunes.
Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah!
The
kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ.
And
He shall reign forever and ever, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!
About the Hymns:
Christ
the Lord is Risen Today
"Hymn
for Easter Day" was written by Charles Wesley in 1739 for the inaugural
service at the Foundry Meeting House, London's first Wesleyan chapel. As with many of the most popular hymns,
"Christ the Lord Is Risen Today" has survived the centuries thanks to
a successful marriage of lyrics and music.
The tune first circulated in 1708 with the Lyra Davidica hymnal,
but no composer has ever been acknowledged.
It was first published in A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called
Methodists,
John Wesley's hymnbook first published in 1780. Charles Wesley's original text
does not include the song's most distinctive characteristic—the
"Alleluia!" that ends each line.
An unknown editor added the alleluias
later.
“Alleluia”, meaning "Praise the Lord,"
prominently leads off Psalms 106, 111, 112, 113, 117, and 135 in the Hebrew
hymnal. In the years immediately
following Christ's resurrection, “alleluia”
particularly connoted praise for Jesus' victory over death. Early Christians began greeting each other on
Easter with the now-familiar call and response:
"Alleluia! He is risen!" "Alleluia! He is risen
indeed!" Alleluia is meant to convey emphatic joy, thanksgiving, and
triumph.
John
captures the triumph in Revelation 19 with his vision of the great multitude in
heaven roaring, "Alleluia!"
Jerome, translator of the Latin Vulgate, conveyed the joy when he wrote that Christian
houses of worship in the fourth and fifth centuries shook from the intense alleluias shouted by believers. Roman Catholics and Anglicans refrain from
speaking or singing alleluia
during Lent, but they reintroduce the word into their liturgies to express
their thanksgiving on Easter morning. Even in nonliturgical churches, alleluia retains a kind of liturgical
significance. Bernard Lord Manning, a hymnologist, historian, and observer of
Methodism during the early 20th century, explained how hymns like "Christ
the Lord Is Risen Today" functioned as a liturgy for John and Charles
Wesley's spiritual descendants.
But in the evening at the chapel [the Dissenting church],
though I was uncertain about the prayers, there was no gamble about the
hymns. I knew we should have
Charles Wesley's Easter hymn, "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today," with
its 24 "Alleluias": and we did have it. Among any Dissenters worth the name that hymn
is as certain to come on Easter Day as the Easter Collect in the Established
Church. And mark this further—those 24
"Alleluias" are not there for nothing: the special use of
"Alleluia" at Easter comes down to us from the most venerable
liturgies. Our hymns are our liturgy, an
excellent liturgy. Let us study it, respect it, use it, develop it, and boast
of it.
This
melodic liturgy conveys the triumphant joy that is ours on Easter morning. Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Easter
People, Raise Your Voices
Following in the tradition of many pastors who write hymns,
William Marceus James (1913-2013) wrote "Easter People, Raise Your
Voices" for his congregation at Metropolitan Community United Methodist
Church in New York City. Born in
Meadville, Mississippi, and educated at Mt. Beulah College, Butler University,
and Drew University, the Rev. James received his license to preach in
Lexington, Kentucky, in 1936 and was ordained an elder in 1940. In 1944, he was appointed to the Trinity
(Morrisania) Methodist Church in the Bronx, a church he founded with no
members. In only eight years, it grew into a 900-member congregation. In an
interview with the United Methodist Interpreter, James noted, "It
was during that time I learned to minister to gangs and street
people." In 1952 he began serving
Community Methodist Church in Harlem, which later became the Metropolitan
Community United Methodist Church in 1971. The Rev. James ministered to this
congregation for 33 years until "retiring" in 1985, but he continued
his ministry to young people and to the Harlem community.
The author of more than fifty hymns, James noted to this
writer in 2005 that "I wrote hymns for my congregation whenever I needed
one. 'Easter People' is not the greatest hymn I have, but it took better than
the others. Most of my hymns have themes around the social gospel." Originally
in five stanzas, the hymn first appeared in the United Methodist collection, Songs
of Zion (1981), in its present form.
The triumph of the Resurrection over evil is the theme of "Easter
People." In stanza two, the poet reminds us that the "fear of
death" cannot stop us from doing all we can to overcome evil "here
below." The final stanza insists: "Every day to [Christians] is
Easter" because our God is one who "rights the wrong."
Henry T. Smart
(1813-1879) composed REGENT SQUARE for the Horatius doxology "Glory be to
God the Father." The tune was first published in the English Presbyterian
Church's Psalms and Hymns for Divine Worship (1867), of which Smart was music editor. Because the text
editor of that hymnal, James Hamilton, was minister of the Regent Square
Church, the "Presbyterian cathedral" of London, the tune was given
this title.
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