March 25, 2018 - Palm Sunday

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 Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß – J. S. Bach

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 Albert Schweitzer: “Here Bach has realized the ideal of the chorale prelude.  The method is the most simple imaginable and at the same time the most perfect.  Nowhere is the Dürer-like character of his musical style so evident as in these small chorale preludes.  Simply by the precision and the characteristic quality of each line of the contrapuntal motive he expresses all that has to be said, and so makes clear the relation of the music to the text whose title it bears.”

"O Mensch" is one of the most celebrated of Bach's chorale preludes.  Bach ornamented the simple melody, in twelve phrases reflecting the twelve lines of the opening verse, with an elaborate coloratura.  The ornamentation, although employing conventional musical figures, is highly original and inventive.  While the melody in the upper voice is hidden by coloratura over a wide range, the two inner voices are simple and imitative above the continuo-style bass.  Bach varies the texture and coloring of the accompaniment for each line of what is one of the longest melodies in the collection.  Bach’s characteristic use of tone-painting is clear.  In the penultimate line, accompanying the words "ein schwere Bürd" (the heavy burden of our sins), the inner parts intensify with the upper voice rising to a climax on the highest note in the prelude.  The closing phrase, with its mounting chromatic bass accompanying the bare unadorned melody to end in an unexpected modulation to major, gives a sense of hope anticipating the resurrection.

Sebald Heyden (1499-1561) was a German musicologist, cantor, theologian, hymn-writer and religious poet.  He is perhaps best known for his De arte canendi ("On the Art of Singing", 1540) which is considered to have had a major impact on scholarship and the teaching of singing to young boys.  Heyden developed a great reputation as a scholar, devoted to studies and writing on education, theology, and music.   It has been speculated that Heyden was the world's first true musicologist.

O man, thy grievous sin bemoan, For which Christ left His Father's throne, From highest heaven descending. Of Virgin pure and undefiled He here was born, our Saviour mild, For sin to make atonement. The dead He raised to life again. The sick He freed from grief and pain. Until the time appointed That He for us should give His Blood, Should bear our sins' o'erwhelming load, The shameful Cross enduring.

In the Cross of Christ I Glory – David Cherwein

Sir John Bowring (1792-1872) was a distinguished scholar, ranked by some as one of the great minds of his day in the English-speaking world. Among his gifts was his ability as a linguist, publishing translations of poetry from such varied languages as Russian, Batavian, Spanish, Polish, Serbian, Bohemian, Magyar, Czech and Hungarian. Bowring was also a social progressive, advocating free trade, parliamentary reform, education for all and prison reforms, according to hymnologist Albert Bailey. Few hymn writers have been as involved in politics. Knighted in 1854, Bowring helped develop commercial relationships on behalf of Great Britain, traveling to France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Syria and Siam (now Thailand). Bowring also was twice a member of Parliament, a consul at Canton (in charge of trade in China) and a governor of Hong Kong. He was evidently relieved of his duties in Hong Kong because he “was full of conceit and without any very clear idea of political principles on a large scale.” After retirement in 1860, his public service continued as a commissioner to Italy and other diplomatic posts in Europe and Hawaii.

Despite a demanding political and diplomatic career, Bowring maintained an active avocation as a translator of poetry, composer of original poems and writer of essays on political and religious themes. Mr. Bailey notes that the “hymns that have lived were all written when he was about 30 years old, when his poetic interests were uppermost, and the idealism of youth made him the champion of the downtrodden and the underprivileged.”   “In the cross of Christ I glory” (1825) was composed while the author was in his early thirties. Appearing in Hymns by John Bowring (1825), the theme and language suggests a much more mature poet.  Galatians 6:14 provides the basis for this hymn: “Far be it for me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”

Ithamar Conkey (1815-1867) was born in Shutesbury, Massachusetts, and was of Scottish ancestry. He was organist at Central Baptist Church in Norwich, Connecticut. After his work in Norwich, he went to New York City and served as bass soloist at Calvary Episcopal Church and later bass soloist and choir director of Madison Avenue Baptist Church.  One Sunday in 1849 Conkey walked out of the morning service at Central Baptist Church, where he was choir director and organist, frustrated because only one soprano from his choir had come that morning. The next Sunday, the minister preached a Lenten message on the words of Christ on the cross. One of the hymns to be sung was Bowring's "In the Cross of Christ I Glory."  Later that day Conkey's discouragement changed to inspiration and he composed a new tune for that text.  He named the tune after that one faithful soprano, Mrs. Beriah S. Rathbun. The tune RATHBUN was published in Henry W. Greatorex's Collection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes (1851).

In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o’er the wrecks of time;
all the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime.

When the woes of life o'ertake me, hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
never shall the cross forsake me. Lo! it glows with peace and joy. 

When the sun of bliss is beaming light and love upon my way,
from the cross the radiance streaming adds more luster to the day. 

Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the cross are sanctified;
peace is there that knows no measure, joys that through all time abide. 

In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time;
all the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime. 

Dr. David Cherwien (b. 1957) is currently serving as Director of Music at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN, and in 2002 was appointed Music Director for the National Lutheran Choir, also based in the Twin Cities. He has also held full time parish music positions in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, Chicago, Seattle, and Berlin.  He completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance, and the Master of Arts degree in Theory and Composition, both from the University of Minnesota. His undergraduate work was in organ performance and music education at Augsburg College, Minneapolis, where he was honored as distinguished alumni in the fall of 2000.

About the Choral Music:

Hosanna Processional – 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 and 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. 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.

            Hosanna, glory to the King.  Hosanna, lift your voice and sing.

            Sing hosanna to the King.  Sing hosanna, lift your voice and sing.

            Lift up your heads, you gates of Zion.  Be lifted up, you ancient doors.

            Lift up your heads, you gates eternal.  

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

All glory to the King of kings!

Jesus rides through the streets of the city, people shout hosanna to the King.

Palms and psalms are raised to his glory. Sing hosanna,

Lift your voice and sing.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

All glory to the King of kings!

About the Handbell Music:

Be Still My Soul – Cynthia Dobrinski

Little is known about the author of this hymn.  Katharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel was born in 1697.  The date of her death is unknown.  Some hymnologists suggest that she may have become a Lutheran nun.  We know her as the author of "Stille, mein Wille; dein Jesus hilft siegen" published in a collection entitled Neue Sammlung geistlicher Lieder (A new collection of spiritual songs) in 1752.  This text appears at the time of German pietism, similar in spirit in many regards to the Wesleyan revival in England of the same era.  Philipp Jacob Spener (1635-1705) led the German pietistic movement.  Though not a hymn writer himself, he inspired a revival in German hymnody characterized by faithfulness to Scripture, personal experience, and deep emotional expression.  Katharina von Schlegel is thought to be the leading female hymn writer of this period.

The hymn comes to us via a translation by Jane L. Borthwick (1813-1897), a member of the Free Church of Scotland.  Borthwick was second only to Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878) in bringing the riches of German hymn heritage to the English language.  Her translation included five of the original six stanzas, appearing in Hymns from the Land of Luther, second series (1855).  The melody comes from the symphonic tone poem “Finlandia, Op. 26”, by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957).  David Evans (1874-1948), a Welsh organist-choirmaster, matched the translation with the tune for the Revised Church Hymnary (1927). It was brought to the United States when it was used in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. for The Hymnal (1933).

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

Cynthia Dobrinski (b. 1950) received her undergraduate degree from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth. A Fulbright Scholar, she studied organ and harpsichord at Staatliche Hochschule fur Musik, Cologne, and organ performance at Northwestern University. She taught at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for 15 years.  She has written over 175 pieces for handbells and led over 350 workshops and festivals internationally.  Her creative compositional techniques have made her the leading handbell arranger and composer in the country.

About the Hymns:

All Glory, Laud, and Honor

Theodulf of Orleans (760-821) was originally from Spain. Muslim conquests of Iberia drove him to leave, and he was brought to France by Charlemagne. In addition to serving as a kind of poet laureate, he was a scholar, church reformer, secretary of education, theological advisor to the king.  His writings included sermons and theological treatises on baptism and the Holy Spirit. He opposed the use of icons and revised the text of the Bible. He became Bishop of Orleans about 785, and soon afterwards also Abbot of Fleury. After Charlemagne died, Louis the Pious accused Theodulf of joining Bernard of Italy (a royal nephew) in a conspiracy against the throne. Theodulf protested his innocence, but in 818, he was deposed from his influential posts and imprisoned at Angers, where he died in 821.  While imprisoned, he wrote the words to the Latin hymn "Gloria, laus et honor tibi sit Rex Christe, Redemptor " or "All Glory, Laud and Honor To thee Redeemer King."  More than a thousand years later, an English translation of his hymn remains a favorite for Palm Sunday.

Now often named ST. THEODULPH because of its association with this text, the tune is also known, especially in organ literature, as VALET WILL ICH DIR GEBEN. It was composed by Melchior Teschner (1584-1635) for Valerius Herberger's hymn for the dying. Teschner composed the tune in two five-voice settings, published in the leaflet Ein andächtiges Gebet in 1615. Teschner studied philosophy, theology and music at the University of Frankfurt an-der-Oder and later studied at theuniversities of Helmstedt and Wittenberg, Germany. From 1609 until 1614, he served as cantor in the Lutheran church in Fraustadt, and from 1614 until his death, he was pastor of the church in Oberpritschen.

O Love Divine, What Hast Thou Done

Charles Wesley (1707-1788), one of the founders of the Methodist church, wrote a hymn that makes us face the reality of what God has done for us through the cross of Jesus.  Time stops in pure contemplation when reflecting on this hymn. The emotional intensity is almost overwhelming. The gripping opening line is essentially a rhetorical question. However, the punctuation is not a question mark but an exclamation point. Why? Because from the outset is it apparent that Charles Wesley (1707-1788) is expressing the inexpressible, comprehending the incomprehensible, reflecting upon the unfathomable. 

Following immediately is a stunning paradox: “The immortal God hath died for me!” The concept is so overwhelming that the poet turns to the device of tautology—repeating the supreme paradox of our faith three more times, each different from the first.  The third line draws upon an important and at times controversial theological concept: Is the Son coeternal with the Father? Charles Wesley’s “high” Christology indicates unequivocally that the Son and the Father are one.  The “begotten-ness” of the Son does not focus on coeternal only in the sense of time; being “begotten from the Father” is a language of relationship: the Son and the Father are inseparable. Thus in this hymn, Charles Wesley invites us to comprehend our complicity in the crucifixion of God the Son.  The first stanza is framed by the word “Love,” placed in the upper case as a synonym for the pure essence of the One who is dying in humility. Note that Wesley does not say, “My Lord, my Love, was crucified!” Time collapses at this moment leaving only the eternal present tense. Wesley invites us to join John and Mary at the foot of the cross in the very moment of the crucifixion. He does not give us the luxury of distancing ourselves from the death of God the Son by resorting to the past tense.

The intensity does not abate in the second stanza. Ending the first stanza with “crucified,” he immediately repeats the word at the beginning of the second stanza. The uncomfortable first-person perspective continues: “for me and you.” We are “rebels” that Christ is bringing “back to God.”  Wesley introduces “blood” into our raw imagination - a concept that is inescapable when contemplating the crucifixion, yet one that many Christians insist on avoiding today.  This is not a gratuitous focus on a gory scene, however. This is a vision of “pardon for all.”  The final stanza draws from the famous Good Friday passage, Lamentations 1:12a: “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow.”

Isaac Baker Woodbury (1819-1858) wrote the tune SELENA for this text.  He taught music in Boston, traveling throughout New England with the Bay State Glee Club. He later organized the New Hampshire and Vermont Musical Association and directed music at the Rutgers Street Church in New York City. He became editor of the New York Musical Review and made another trip to Europe in 1852 to collect material for the magazine. He published a number of tune-books, of which the Dulcimer, a New York Collection of Sacred Music, went through a number of editions. His Elements of Musical Composition, 1844, was later issued as the Self-instructor in Musical Composition. He also assisted in the compilation of the Methodist Hymn Book of 1857.

What Wondrous Love is This

What Wondrous Love Is This is sometimes described as a "white spiritual", from the American South. Its text was first published in 1811, during the Second Great Awakening, and its melody is derived from an English popular ballad. The hymn's lyrics were first published in Lynchburg, Virginia in the c. 1811 camp meeting songbook A General Selection of the Newest and Most Admired Hymns and Spiritual Songs Now in Use. The lyrics may also have been printed, in a slightly different form, in the 1811 book Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Original and Selected published in Lexington, Kentucky. In most early printings, the hymn's text was attributed to an anonymous author, though the 1848 hymnal The Hesperian Harp attributes the text to a Methodist pastor from Oxford, Georgia named Alexander Means.  Camp meeting attendees during the Second Great Awakening would sing the hymns printed in these hymnals to a variety of popular melodies, including "The Ballad of Captain Kidd", which was well known at the time; this is likely how the text and melody came to be paired.  The text and melody were first published together in The Southern Harmony, a book of shape note hymns compiled by William Walker.  In 1966, the United Methodist Hymnal became the first standard hymnal to incorporate “What Wondrous Love Is This”.