May 20, 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:

Prelude on “Veni Creator Spiritus” – Murray Bradshaw

Veni Creator Spiritus ("Come Creator Spirit") is a hymn believed to have been written by Rabanus Maurus in the 9th century. When the original Latin text is used, it is normally sung in Gregorian Chant. As an invocation of the Holy Spirit, in the practice of the Roman Catholic Church it is sung during the liturgical celebration of the feast of Pentecost (at both Terce and Vespers). It is also sung at occasions such as the entrance of Cardinals to the Sistine Chapel, when electing a new pope, as well as at the consecration of bishops, the ordination of priests, when celebrating the sacrament of Confirmation, the dedication of churches, the celebration of synods or councils, the coronation of kings, the profession of members of religious institutes and other similar solemn events.

Since the English Reformation in the 16th century, there have been more than fifty English language translations and paraphrases of Veni Creator Spiritus. The version included in the 1662 revision of the Book of Common Prayer retained the Latin title and was written by Bishop John Cosin for the coronation of King Charles I of Great Britain in 1625. The same words have been used at every coronation since, and is sung by the choir after the singing of the Creed, while the sovereign is dressed in a white alb and seated in the Coronation Chair, prior to the Anointing.

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, and in our hearts take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heav'nly aid, To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

O Comforter, to Thee we cry, Thou heav'nly gift of God most high,
Thou Fount of life, and Fire of love, and sweet anointing from above.

O Finger of the hand divine, the sevenfold gifts of grace are thine;
true promise of the Father thou, who dost the tongue with power endow.

Thy light to every sense impart, and shed thy love in every heart;
thine own unfailing might supply to strengthen our infirmity.

Drive far away our ghostly foe, and thine abiding peace bestow;
if thou be our preventing Guide, no evil can our steps betide.

Praise we the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit with them One;
and may the Son on us bestow the gifts that from the Spirit flow.

Murray Bradshaw (b. 1930) studied at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and received his PhD from the University of Chicago.  He is former Chair of Musicology at UCLA, and the author of several books and scholarly editions of music, including The Origin of the Toccata (1972), The Falsobordone: A Study in Renaissance and Baroque Music (1978), and Early Sacred Monody (4 vols; 1985-). His translation and study of Giovanni Luca Conforti's Breve et facile maniera s'essercitarsi(1593) appeared in 1998, and an earlier facsimile edition and translation, with Edward J. Sohnlen, of Girolamo Diruta's Il Transilvano (1593, 1603) appeared in 1983 and 1984. Cavalieri's Rappresentatione di anima e di corpo (1600), the first dramatic composition sung throughout, appeared in 2007 as the fourth volume of his series on "Early Sacred Monody." He has published numerous articles in many scholarly journals as well as compositions for the organ. He also served as the general editor of "Musicological Studies and Documents" and the "Miscellanea" series for the American Institute of Musicology.  He is organist at the 43^rd Church of Christ Scientist, Woodland Hills, California.

Komm, Heiliger Geist - J. S. Bach

For centuries, "Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott" ("Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord") has been the prominent hymn (Hauptlied) for Pentecost in German-speaking Lutheranism.  The hymn inspired composers from the Renaissance to contemporary to write chorale preludes and vocal compositions. The first stanza is a translation of the Latin antiphon for Pentecost "Veni Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium" (Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful) from the 11th century.

Martin Luther added two more stanzas, keeping not only the meter and the tune, but also the structure, with acclamations at the beginning of lines 1 and 5, and the final Halleluja. In his stanzas, the group of "deiner Gläubigen" (your believers) is speaking directly, stating "wir" and "uns" ("we" and "us"). Luther alludes to several of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to Isaiah 11:2: wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. He also drew on Galatians 4:6 ("because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts"), Matthew 23:8-10 ("for one is your Master"), and Romans 8:26 ("the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities"). In the second stanza, Luther uses the attributes "heiliges Licht, edler Hort" (holy light, precious refuge) and words the request "protect us from strange doctrines / so that we may never look for any teacher / except Jesus in true belief". In the last stanza, the Spirit's "ardent love" and "sweet consolation" are named, asking for help "always to remain joyful and comforted / in your service" and "so that we may bravely struggle / through life and death to reach you!"

The hymn appeared first in 1524 in Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn (de), (booklet of spiritual song), collected by Johann Walter. The same year it appeared also in Eyn Enchiridion in Erfurt, titled "Der gesank Veni sancte spiritus".   It has been translated, for example by Catherine Winkworth as Come, Holy Spirit, God and Lord! in 1855, and has appeared in hymnals of various denominations.

            Come, Holy Spirit, Lord God, fill with the goodness of your grace

            The heart, spirit and mind of your believers,

            Kindle in them your ardent love!

            O Lord, through the spendour of your light you have gathered in faith

            People from all the tonuges of the world; so that in your praise Lord,

            May there be sung Halleluja! Halleluja!

            You holy light, precious refuge, let the word of life enlighten us

            And teach us to know God truly, to call him father from our heart!

            O Lord, protect us from strange doctrines so that we may never look for any teacher

            Except Jesus in true belief and may trust him wholeheartedly! Halleluja! Halleluja!

You sacred warmth, sweet consolation, now help us always to remain joyful and

            And comforted in your service; do not let sorrow drive us away!

            O Lord, through your power make us ready and strengthen the feebleness of our flesh

            So that we may bravely struggle through life and death to reach you! Halleluja! Halleluja!

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 one of the main composers 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).   

About the Handbell Music:

As the Wind Song – Carol Lynn Mizell

          Jubilation Ringers

Shirley Erena Murray (b.1931) is a New Zealand hymn lyrics writer. Her hymns have been translated into numerous languages and are represented in more than 140 hymn collections. Born a Methodist in Invercargill, she earned a Master of Arts degree with honors in Classics and French from the University of Otago. She later worked as a teacher and researcher.  After marrying Presbyterian minister John Murray in 1954, she eventually moved to Wellington where John was minister for the St Andrew's on the Terrace from 1975 to 1993. Her hymn writing started in the 1970s and often used the congregation of St Andrew's as a testing place for the hymns. In 2001, she became a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for "services as a hymn writer". In 2006, she became a fellow of the Royal School of Church Music. She received an honorary doctor of literature degree from the University of Otago in 2009. The same year, she was named a fellow of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada.

The tune WAIRUA TAPU is by Dr. Swee Hong Lim (b.1963), the Deer Park Assistant Professor of Sacred Music at Emmanuel College, and the Director of the Master of Sacred Music Program. He also serves as Director of the Chapel for the worship life of Emmanuel College. Before joining Emmanuel on July 1, 2012, Dr. Lim served as an Assistant Professor of Church Music at Baylor University. Prior to his work at Baylor, he served as a Lecturer of Worship, Liturgy, and Music at Trinity Theological College in Singapore. Swee Hong holds a PhD in Liturgical Studies from Drew University, where his dissertation won the Helen LePage and William Hale Chamberlain Prize for Outstanding Dissertation. He also holds a Master of Arts in Sacred Music from Perkins School of Theology. He completed his undergraduate work in Church Music at the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music in the Philippines. Swee Hong is well-published in global music, with his monograph, Giving Voice to Asian Christians, especially known among global musicians. He is also a prolific composer of hymnody.

As the wind song through the trees, As the stirring of the breeze,
So it is with the Spirit of God;
As the heart made strangely warm, As the voice within the storm,
So it is with the Spirit of God.

Never seen, ever known where this wind has blown,

Bringing life, bringing power to the world,

As the dancing tongues of fire, as the soul’s most deep desire,

So it is with the Spirit of God.

As the rainbow after rain, As the hope that’s born again,

So it is with the Spirit of God;

As the green in the spring, As a kite on a string,

So it is with the Spirit of God.

Making worlds that are new, making peace come true,

Bringing gifts, Bringing love to the world;

As the rising of the yeast, as the wine at the feast,

So it is with the Spirit of God.

About the Choral Music:

Spirit of God, Descend upon my Heart – Joan Pinkston

The words of this sung prayer are among the most passionate in the history of hymnody.  This masterpiece of Christian devotional poetry is the work of George Croly (1780-1860), an Anglican minister born in Dublin, Ireland, but whose ministry took place in London. Having served a small parish in Ireland, he moved to London to pursue a literary career where he wrote in several mediums including poetry, novels, history and biography.  In 1835, Croly accepted the challenge to reopen a church in one of the worst slum areas of London, that had been closed for over a century. He was known among his peers as thoroughly conservative in theology with no tolerance for liberal views. Through personal charisma and dynamic preaching, he attracted large crowds to St. Stephen’s Church.  Croly prepared a new hymnal in 1854 for his congregation and published it as Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship. “Spirit of God, Descend upon my Heart” first appeared in that hymnal under the title “Holiness Desired.” It is the only hymn by Croly to have survived. 

Joan J. Pinkston studied at Bob Jones University, the Hartt College of Music, and Westminster Choir College.  She is a member of several national and regional music organizations and is a Fellow of Melodious Accord.  Pinkston has published numerous traditionally styled sacred choral pieces. In 2002, Hymns of Grace and Glory was published and features more than seventy of her own hymn tunes. During her 40 years as a professional musician, she has published over 400 pieces of music, given over a hundred workshops on composing and arranging, and performed numerous sacred concerts. Her hymn arrangements for piano and orchestra are featured on the recording Our Great Savior.. A recording of her piano arrangements, Our Song of Praise, was released in 2010. Pinkston has taught music theory, hymn improvisation, orchestration and choral composition at Bob Jones University for more than forty-five years She serves as pianist at Faith Free Presbyterian Church of Greenville, SC.

            Spirit of Got, descend upon my heart;

            Wean it from earth through all its pulses move;

            Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,

            And make me to love Thee as I ought to love.

            Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love;

            One holy passion filling all my frame;

            The baptism of the heav’n descended Dove.

            My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.

            Amen.

About the Hymns:

Sweet, Sweet Spirit

One of the most notable "Spirit Songs" of the twentieth century is "There's a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place" by African American gospel songwriter Doris Mae Akers (1923-1995).  One of ten children, Dot Akers, as many called her, demonstrated her interest in music at the young age of six, teaching herself to play the piano by ear. By ten, she had composed her first song, "Keep the fire burning in me," and by age twelve had organized a five-piece jazz band, "Dot Akers and Her Swingsters."  In 1945, Akers moved to Los Angeles where she met some of the important names in gospel music of that era, including Sallie Martin, J. Earl Hines, and Eugene Douglas Smallwood. Soon after arriving, she joined the Sallie Martin Singers as a pianist and singer, formed the Akers Singers, and established her own publishing company, Akers Music House. In 1958, Akers formed the Sky Pilot Choir, the first interracial choir in Los Angeles. This choir was devoted to African American gospel music. She formed a relationship with Manna Music in the mid-1950s, just a few years before she composed "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" in 1962. In the late 1990s she was featured in Bill Gaither's gospel videos "Old Friends" and "Turn Your Radio On."  Honors include being named the Gospel Music Composer of the Year for both 1960 and 1961. Known affectionately as "Miss Gospel Music," she was involved in every aspect of the industry from composing, arranging, publishing, choir directing, recording, as well as performing as a soloist and with ensembles. In 2001, Doris Akers was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

"Sweet, sweet Spirit" expresses in simple, heartfelt language the work of the Holy Spirit as it works in the life of the church. It is a fitting hymn for Pentecost Sunday or any Sunday where God’s people gather to worship. Lindsay Terry comments on the origins of this song in an interview with Doris Akers in the late 1980s:

"She related to me that one Sunday morning in 1962, while directing the Sky Pilot Choir, she said to her singers, 'You are not ready to go in.' She didn’t believe they had prayed enough! They were accustomed to spending time with her in prayer before the service, asking God to bless their songs. She said, 'I feel that prayer is more important than great voices.' They had already prayed, but this particular morning she asked them to pray again, and they did so with renewed fervor.

"As they prayed, Doris began to wonder how she could stop this wonderful prayer meeting. She said, 'I sent word to the pastor letting him know what was happening. He was waiting in the auditorium, wanting to start the service. Finally, I was compelled to say to the choir, We have to go. I hate to leave this room and I know you hate to leave, but you know we do have to go to the service. But there is such a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place.'"

The phrase stayed with her and she wrote the song the next day. Matthew 3:16-17 inspired the specific line "Sweet heavenly Dove." This text focuses on the baptism of Jesus when "he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Every Time I Feel the Spirit

It is not always possible to find the story behind a song.  Songs classified as African-American spirituals, like this one, were typically created by slaves living in the southern United States in the pre-Civil War era.  The tunes and words were passed down for generations before even being written.  Some people consider Galatians 4:6 as the verse of inspiration for the song.  Words of spirituals often had multiple meanings also.  Multi-layered meanings were readily understood by the target audience.  For example, the line in Every Time I Feel the Spirit that reads, “There ain’t but one train on this track; It runs to heaven…” is likely referring to the Underground Railroad and the escape to freedom, a message easily recognized and of comfort to those enduring slavery.  Likewise, references to rivers often advised them to cross or wade in water to escape the pursuing dogs.  At the same time, it is an uplifting song celebrating the movement of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives.