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:
Since we are in a sermon series, The Gospel According to TED, using excerpts from TED talks to illustrate topics relevant to today’s Christians, we will join in by celebrating some of the “Teds” of the organ world.
Partita on “Gelobet sei Gott” - Theodore (Ted) Ripper
"Gelobt sei Gott im höchsten Thron" (literally: Praised be God on highest throne) is a hymn for Easter in 20 stanzas in German by Michael Weiße, widely known with a later melody by Melchior Vulpius. Shortened, it is part of current Protestant and Catholic German hymnals. Weiße published his text in 1531 in his hymnal Ein New Gesengbuchlen for the Bohemian Brethren, with a melody known from the beginning of the 15th century and used in Czech congregations in Bohemian Hussite hymnals. Weiße structured the text in three parts, two stanzas of praise, fifteen stanzas of narration, and three stanzas of prayer to Jesus. Each stanza consists of three rhyming lines in similar meter, and a "Halleluja" refrain.
In 1609, the hymn appeared in the Lutheran hymnal Ein schön geistlich Gesangbuch by Melchior Vulpius from Weimar, who composed a different tune and two harmonisations, one for four parts, one for five parts. With this melody, the hymn became widely known in the 19th century by publication in the hymnals of Johann Gottlieb Tucher and Philipp Wackernagel. The number of stanzas was reduced considerably, because of less interest in a long narration and a focus on the Passion. The hymn was translated to English in several versions, for example "Good Christians All, Rejoice and Sing" by Cyril A. Alington in 1925.
Good Christian men, rejoice and sing! Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
The Lord of life is risen for aye; Bring flowers of song to strew his way;
Let all mankind rejoice and say: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Let all mankind rejoice and say: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Praise we in songs of victory That love, that life which cannot die.
And sing with hearts uplifted high: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
And sing with hearts uplifted high: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Thy name we bless, o risen Lord, And sing today with one accord,
The life laid down, the life restored: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
The life laid down, the life restored: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Theodore W. Ripper (1925-2009) studied at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and later a Master of Fine Arts degree. Ripper was University Organist at the University of South Dakota and taught at Carnegie Mellon University from 1949 to 1955. In 1955, he because Minister of Music at Peachtree Christian church in Atlanta. He later taught at Millikin University and was organist at First United Methodist Church in Decatur, Ill. He retired to Carlsbad, NM, where he continued to be organist and music director at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Roswell. He published works for both organ and choir.
In Thee is Gladness - Theodore (Ted) Beck
“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.
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!
Theodore A. Beck (1929-2003) taught and composed music for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod for more than 50 years and is remembered as a quiet and humble man who had a wry sense of humor and was a demanding but kind teacher. Beck taught music at Concordia Teachers College (which became Concordia University in 1998) in Seward, Nebraska. He also composed many pieces for organ as well as for church choirs.
About the Piano Music:
His Eye is on the Sparrow - Pepper Choplin
Civilla Durfee Martin (1866-1948) was born in Nova Scotia and died in Atlanta, Ga. In “His eye is on the sparrow” (1905), she has provided one of the most influential and often-recorded gospel hymns of the 20th century. Martin was the daughter of James N. and Irene Harding Holden, and was a schoolteacher with modest musical training. Together with her husband, Walter (1862-1935), they often wrote gospel songs for revival meetings. “Be not dismayed” is an example of their collaboration. Walter Stillman Martin was a Baptist minister who received his education at Harvard. He later became a member of the Disciples of Christ, teaching at Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in Wilson, N.C., before moving to Atlanta in 1919, a location that became the base for revivals that he held throughout the U.S.
The song was obviously inspired by Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Gather feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Later in Matthew (10:29-31), the Gospel writer continues on this theme: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Similar thoughts are cited in Luke 12:6-7. Stanza two quotes part of John 1:14 directly, “Let not your heart be troubled...”
Civilla Martin describes the context out of which the hymn was born: “Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheelchair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s response was simple: ‘His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.’ The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn ‘His Eye Is on the Sparrow’ was the outcome of that experience.” The next day she mailed the poem to Charles Gabriel, a famous composer of gospel songs, who wrote a tune for it.
The song was obviously inspired by Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Gather feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Later in Matthew (10:29-31), the Gospel writer continues on this theme: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Similar thoughts are cited in Luke 12:6-7. Stanza two quotes part of John 1:14 directly, “Let not your heart be troubled...”
Civilla Martin describes the context out of which the hymn was born: “Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheelchair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s response was simple: ‘His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.’ The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn ‘His Eye Is on the Sparrow’ was the outcome of that experience.” The next day she mailed the poem to Charles Gabriel, a famous composer of gospel songs, who wrote a tune for it.
Why should I feel discouraged, Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart feel lonely And long for Heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion? A constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me;
“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth But one step I may see:
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me;
Whenever I am tempted, Whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, When hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, From care He sets me free:
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He cares for me;
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth But one step I may see:
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me;
Whenever I am tempted, Whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, When hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, From care He sets me free:
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He cares for me;
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me
Pepper Choplin is a full-time composer, conductor and humorist. He has gained a reputation as one of the most creative writers in church music today. With a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he went on to earn a Master of Music degree in composition from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. With a diverse musical background, Choplin incorporates varied styles such as folk, Gospel, classical, and jazz. His published work includes over 280 anthems for church and school choir with 19 church cantatas and a book of piano arrangements. In 2013, he made his Carnegie Hall debut in a joint concert with Joseph Martin. Since then, he has twice premiered his cantatas at Lincoln Center with 200 voices and orchestra. He also visits many schools, churches and conferences to conduct and to entertain. Beyond his choral music, Choplin has produced two humorous CDs and an inspirational recording. Currently, he attends Greystone Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he served as music minister for twenty-two years.
About the Hymns:
How Can We Name a Love
Brian Wren masterfully leads congregations in singing through theological challenges and new perspectives. In “How Can We Name a Love,” he helps us consider the theological paradox that God is both transcendent and immanent. When we emphasize God’s transcendence, we acknowledge that God is beyond our human understanding. We consider that God is the Creator of everything, omnipotent and omniscient. While such a perspective can provoke beneficial humility and awe toward God, it can also emphasize the distance between God and humanity. The opposite of transcendence is immanence. When we view God as immanent, we see God as Immanuel – God with Us. God dwells within us, and we can find God’s presence all around us.
Wren juxtaposes these views in the first stanza of his hymn. He confesses God’s transcendence in the opening question: How can we begin to name the One who is beyond our knowledge and language? Yet Wren also demonstrates that God is immanent; we know God because God indwells “all we know or think or do.” Wren answers his own question in two ways: first, he gives the congregation the name “Love” to refer to the God who is both immanent and transcendent. Second, he reminds us that we see God in the faces of those around us. Rather than being impossibly remote from us, God is “hid in the commonplace.”
In his second stanza, Wren explores the most common name for God: Father. Jesus referred to God as Father, or Abba, and this metaphor for the first person of the Trinity has been enshrined in the Lord’s Prayer and in our baptismal rite. Is it appropriate to call God “Father” – and why? This is a question that has led to much debate among congregations, hymnal committees, and in many other venues. Wren shows us that we use parental names for God because God is our “rock of care,” reliable in all circumstances. Most of us find such reliability from our parents more than from any other human relationships. Therefore, “we can, with parents’ names, describe, and thus adore” God. But Wren challenges our use of father as well as affirming it. In the last line of the stanza, Wren holds up both father and mother as images for God. And in a subtle twist on parenting stereotypes, Wren helps us to sing of paternal love as “kind” and maternal love as “strong and sure.”
In the third stanza, Wren goes a step further in his exploration of God’s immanence. Not only can we know God through the people around us, but the concrete act of collaborating with others gives us a glimpse into God’s “will… that all should share, create, and care, and know that life is good.” If we are made in the image of God, and God is Trinitarian Creator, then we, too, find “shared delight” in tasks and projects that require creativity and collaboration. Wren gives us words to sing a beautiful affirmation of our life together as a creating community in this stanza.
In the fourth stanza, we find this variety of ways to encounter and name God summed up. Wren teaches us that we encounter God in “a hundred names,” all varied and present to us “at work, at home, or on the street.” God is indeed immanent, and we come to know God better through the people around us and our work with them. Yet Wren cautions us that this is not the end. While God is immanent, God is also transcendent. While the people around us may point to God, the Holy One is still beyond what we immediately encounter. And so, with Wren’s words, we acknowledge that “every name we see, shines in a brighter sun: in Christ alone is Love full grown.” Christ is the blazing sun, whose radiance all those around us can reflect but never match.
“How Can We Name a Love,” like all of Brian Wren’s hymn texts, richly rewards singers who explore the meaning of the words they sing and use such exploration as a theological springboard.
Open My Eyes, that I May See
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 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).
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