December 1, 2019

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:

Of the Father’s Love Begotten - Wilbur Held

Of the Father's Love Begotten is a Christmas carol based on the Latin poem Corde natus by the Roman poet Aurelius Prudentius, from his Liber Cathemerinon (hymn no. IX) beginning "Da puer plectrum"   The ancient poem was translated and paired with a medieval plainchant melody Divinum mysterium. Divinum mysterium was a "Sanctus trope" - an ancient plainchant melody which over the years had been musically embellished. An early version of this chant appears in manuscript form as early as the 10th century, although without the melodic additions, and "trope" versions with various melodic differences appear in Italian, German, Gallacian, Bohemian and Spanish manuscripts dating from the 13th to 16th centuries.  Divinum mysterium first appeared in print in 1582 in the Finnish song book Piae Cantiones, a collection of seventy-four sacred and secular church and school songs of medieval Europe compiled by Jaakko Suomalainen and published by Theodoric Petri. In this collection, Divinum mysterium was classified as "De Eucharistia" reflecting its original use for the Mass. 

The text of the Divinum mysterium was substituted for Prudentius's poem when it was published by Thomas Helmore in 1851. In making this fusion, the original meter of the chant was disturbed, changing the original triple meter rhythm into a duple meter and therefore altering stresses and note lengths. A later version by Charles Winfred Douglas corrected this using an "equalist" method of transcription, although the hymn is now found in both versions as well as a more dance-like interpretation of the original melody. 

Of the Father’s love begotten, Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been, And that future years shall see,
Evermore and evermore!

At His Word the worlds were framèd; He commanded; it was done:
Heaven and earth and depths of ocean In their threefold order one;
All that grows beneath the shining Of the moon and burning sun,
Evermore and evermore!

He is found in human fashion, Death and sorrow here to know,
That the race of Adam’s children Doomed by law to endless woe,
May not henceforth die and perish In the dreadful gulf below,
Evermore and evermore!

O that birth forever blessèd, When the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving, Bare the Savior of our race;
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer, First revealed His sacred face,
Evermore and evermore!

This is He whom seers in old time Chanted of with one accord;
Whom the voices of the prophets Promised in their faithful word;
Now He shines, the long expected, Let creation praise its Lord,
Evermore and evermore!

O ye heights of heaven adore Him; Angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him, And extol our God and king!
Let no tongue on earth be silent, Every voice in concert sing,
Evermore and evermore!

Righteous judge of souls departed, Righteous king of them that live,
On the Father’s throne exalted None in might with Thee may strive;
Who at last in vengeance coming, Sinners from Thy face shalt drive,
Evermore and evermore!

Thee let old men, thee let young men, Thee let boys in chorus sing;
Matrons, virgins, little maidens, With glad voices answering:
Let their guileless songs re-echo, And the heart its music bring,
Evermore and evermore!

    Christ, to Thee with God the Father, And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee,
    Hymn and chant with high thanksgiving, And unwearied praises be:
    Honor, glory, and dominion, And eternal victory,
    Evermore and evermore!

Wilbur C. Held (1914-2015) was born in Des Plaines, Illinois, and received his B.M. and M.M. degrees at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. He then attended Union Theological Seminary in New York City where he earned his S.M.D. A member of the Episcopal Church, for many years Dr. Held was Professor of Organ and Church Music at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.  He remained in this position for over 30 years, and for most of that time was also organist-choirmaster at Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbus, Ohio.  Dr. Held started composing little pieces for the organ because he felt there was a lack of teaching material aimed at developing style and registration, especially for the romantic use of the instrument.  Having written several suites primarily for pedagogical use, he turned his attention to broadening the repertoire for church use, continuing to stress modest technical requirements and flexibility of registration. To date he has published 325 organ works. He has served on the national councils of both the AGO and the Hymn Society of America, and has appeared as recitalist at their national conventions.

Vom Himmel Hoch - Johann Pachelbel

"Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her" ("From Heaven Above to Earth I Come") is a hymn text relating to the Nativity of Jesus, written by Martin Luther in 1534. The hymn is most often sung to a melody that first appeared in 1539 and that was likely composed by Luther as well. That version became a classic Christmas carol, and many composers referred to it in their compositions.  "Vom Himmel hoch" was first published as a hymn with 15 stanzas of four lines in the "Wittenberg hymnal" of 1535, under the header "Ein kinderlied auff die Weinacht Christi" ("A children's song on the Nativity of Christ"). In that publication, the text was coupled to the melody of the then well-known secular song "Ich kumm aus frembden Landen her." It was Luther's only contrafactum, reusing a tune of a secular composition for a religious text.  In 1539, the hymn was published with a new melody that was probably composed by Luther himself, in Geistliche lieder / auffs new gebessert vnd gemehrt /zu Witteberg. D. Marti. Luther. Viel Geistliche gesenge / von andern frommen Christen gemacht. Gedruckt zu Leyptzick durch Valten Schumann (Spiritual Songs / newly improved and extended / … made by other pious Christians …).

The traditional English lyrics are a translation made by Catherine Winkworth (with all 15 verses) in 1855:

From heaven above to earth I come To bear good news to every home;

Glad tidings of great joy I bring, Whereof I now will say and sing:

To you this night is born a child Of Mary, chosen virgin mild;

This little child, of lowly birth, Shall be the joy of all the earth.

This is the Christ, our God and Lord, Who in all need shall aid afford;

He will Himself your Savior be From all your sins to set you free.

He will on you the gifts bestow Prepared by God for all below,

That in His kingdom, bright and fair, You may with us His glory share.

These are the tokens ye shall mark: The swaddling-clothes and manger dark;

There ye shall find the Infant laid By whom the heavens and earth were made.

Now let us all with gladsome cheer Go with the shepherds and draw near

To see the precious gift of God, Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.

Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes! What is it in yon manger lies?

Who is this child, so young and fair? The blessed Christ-child lieth there.

Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest, Through whom the sinful world is blest!

Thou com’st to share my misery; What thanks shall I return to Thee?

Ah, Lord, who hast created all, How weak art Thou, how poor and small,

That Thou dost choose Thine infant bed Where humble cattle lately fed!

Were earth a thousand times as fair, Beset with gold and jewels rare,

It yet were far too poor to be A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.

For velvets soft and silken stuff Thou hast but hay and straw so rough,

Whereon Thou, King, so rich and great, As ’twere Thy heaven, art throned in state.

And thus, dear Lord, it pleaseth Thee To make this truth quite plain to me,

That all the world’s wealth, honor, might, Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,

Within my heart, that it may be A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

My heart for very joy doth leap, My lips no more can silence keep;

I, too, must sing with joyful tongue That sweetest ancient cradle-song:

Glory to God in highest heaven, Who unto us His Son hath given!

While angels sing with pious mirth A glad new year to all the earth.

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)  was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most important composers of the middle Baroque era. Pachelbel's music enjoyed enormous popularity during his lifetime; he had many pupils and his music became a model for the composers of south and central Germany. Today, Pachelbel is best known for the Canon in D, as well as the Chaconne in F minor, the Toccata in E minor for organ, and the Hexachordum Apollinis, a set of keyboard variations.

Pachelbel studied music at Altdorf and Regensburg and held posts as organist in Vienna, Stuttgart, and other cities. In 1695 he was appointed organist at the St. Sebalduskirche in Nürnberg, where he remained until his death. He also taught organ, and one of his pupils was Johann Christoph Bach, who in turn gave his younger brother Johann Sebastian Bach his first formal keyboard lessons.

About the Piano Music:

Come, Expected One! - Ivan Burnett, Jr.

Charles Wesley wrote “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” and printed it in his Hymns for the Nativity of our Lord (1744). Like so many of Wesley's texts, "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" alludes to one or more Scripture passages in virtually every phrase. The double nature of Advent is reflected in this text, in which we remember Christ's first coming even while praying for his return. Stanzas 1 and 2 recall Advent prophecies in the Old Testament; stanza 3 speaks of Christ's birth and kingdom, and stanza 4 is a prayer for Christ's rule in our hearts.

We express longing when we sing the words of Charles Wesley’s beautiful Advent hymn, for though we know that Christ goes with us and before us every day, we long for the day when we are with Him in all of the fullness and glory He will bring. We long for the day when we are with Him in a New Heaven and New Earth, when all things are made new. And just as a four-year-old crawls into his father’s arms after an extended absence, so too we long for the day when we will be at rest in Christ, enfolded in the embrace of our Savior.

HYFRYDOL is a Welsh hymn tune that appears in a number of Christian hymnals in various arrangements. Composed by Rowland Prichard, it was originally published in the composer's handbook to the children's songbook Cyfaill y Cantorion ("The Singers' Friend"). Prichard composed the tune before he was twenty years old.  The best-known arrangement is probably that by Ralph Vaughan Williams, which he originally produced for his revision of the English Hymnal, and is the version which appears in our hymnal.  

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne. 

Ivan Burnett, Jr.  received a Bachelor’s Degree from Millsaps College and a Master of Divinity Degree from Yale University. He then served churches in Mississippi and Arizona, earned a Doctor of Ministry from the School of Theology at Claremont, CA, and in 1973 was commissioned as a Navy Chaplain. He reached the rank of Navy Captain. Duties included his being the Senior Chaplain of the USS MISSISSIPPI (CGN-40) and two other ships, including an aircraft carrier, and serving as the Senior Chaplain of MCAS, Yuma, AZ; 1st Force Service Support Group, Camp Pendleton, CA; Long Beach, Naval Station; and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, 29 Palms, CA. Military decorations include the Navy Commendation Medal (two awards), Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), and the Legion of Merit.

Prior to entering the chaplaincy he served churches in Grenada and Clarksdale, MS, and in Scottsdale and Buckeye AZ, and was the founding pastor of a mission in Gila Bend, AZ. Since retiring as a member of the Desert Southwest Annual Conference, he has been busy composing music, teaching marriage enrichment courses, and serving on numerous church boards and agencies, including a United Methodist camp for persons with AIDS and their partners. His music has been performed in churches from Colorado and Arizona to Virginia.

About the Choral Music:

Adorar al Niño - Alejandro Rivas

This traditional Venezuelan carol isa n example of an old poetic form known as villancico.  The villancico (Spanish, pronounced [biʎanˈθiko]) or vilancete (Portuguese) was a common poetic and musical form of the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America popular from the late 15th to 18th centuries.  Derived from medieval dance forms, the 15th century Spanish villancico was a type of popular song sung in the vernacular and frequently associated with rustic themes. The villancico developed as a secular polyphonic genre until religious villancicos gained popularity in the second half of the 16th century in Spain and its colonies in Latin America. These devotional villancicos, which were sung during matins of the feasts of the Catholic calendar, became extremely popular in the 17th century and continued in popularity until the decline of the genre in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its texts were sometimes didactic, designed to help the new converts understand and enjoy the new religion.  An enormous number of villancicos were written in the Spanish world for such feasts as the Immaculate Conception, Christmas, Epiphany, Corpus Christi, Ascension, Assumption, and other occasions of the Catholic liturgical year.

This carol was arranged by Alejandro Rivas, who studied at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory and has served as the director of the Metropolitan Sate College Orchestra in Denver, the Seven Hills Sinfonietta in Cincinnati, the UNET university choir, and Niños Cantores del Táchira in Venezuela.

The English translation is:

Let’s worship the child, hurry now you shepherds;

He is in the cradle, let’s bring him flowers.

A little dove announces to Mary that in her holy womb he would incarnate.

About the Hymns:

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel is a Christian hymn for Advent. While it is most commonly known by that English title, it is in fact a translation of the original Latin, Veni, Veni, Emmanuel; translations into other modern languages (particularly German) are also in widespread use. The 1861 translation from Hymns Ancient and Modern is the most prominent by far in the English-speaking world, but other English translations also exist.  The hymn is a metrical paraphrase of the O Antiphons, a series of plainchant antiphons attached to the Magnificat at Vespers over the final days before Christmas.  The words and the music of "O come, O come, Emmanuel" developed separately. The Latin text is first documented in Germany in 1710, whereas the tune most familiar in the English-speaking world has its origins in 15th-century France.  

The pre-history of the text stretches back to the origins of the O Antiphons, which were in existence by, at the latest, the eighth century.  They were paraphrased extensively by the English poet Cynewulf in a poem written before the year 800.  While "O come, O come, Emmanuel" is often linked with the 12th century, the earliest surviving evidence of the hymn's text is in the seventh edition of Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, which was published in Cologne in 1710. That hymnal was a major force in the history of German church music: first assembled by Jesuit hymnographer Johannes Herringsdorf in 1610 and receiving numerous revised editions through 1868, it achieved enormous impact due to its use in Jesuit schools. 

The text of the Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum version is essentially expanded, rather than altered, over the subsequent centuries. That version exhibits all of the hymn's characteristic qualities: it is strophic and metrical, and the order is altered so that the last of the O Antiphons (the titular "Veni Emmanuel") becomes the first verse of the hymn. Each stanza consists of a four-line verse, which adapts one of the antiphons, and a new two-line refrain ("Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel \ nascetur pro te, Israel," i.e. "Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel \ Shall come to thee, O Israel"), which provides an explicitly Advent-oriented response to the petition of the verse.

The familiar tune called Veni Emmanuel was first linked with this hymn in 1851, when Thomas Helmore published it in the Hymnal Noted, paired with an early revision of Neale's English translation of the text. The volume listed the tune as being "From a French Missal in the National Library, Lisbon."  The pairing of the hymn text with the Veni Emmanuel tune was an extremely significant combination. The hymn text was embraced both out of a Romantic interest in poetic beauty and medieval exoticism and out of a concern for matching hymns to liturgical seasons and functions rooted in the Oxford Movement in the Church of England. The Hymnal Noted, in which the words and tune were first combined, represented these goals. This hymnal consisted entirely of versions of Latin hymns, designed for use as Office hymns within the Anglican Church despite the fact that Office hymns had no part in the authorized liturgy. The music was drawn chiefly from plainchant, as was the case with the Veni Emmanuel tune for "O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed

James Montgomery (1771-1854) was a Moravian minister and writer.  In addition to his religious writings and hymns, he was the editor and a writer for a newspaper, The Sheffield Iris. As such, he was imprisoned twice, first for reprinting therein a song in commemoration of "The Fall of the Bastille," and the second for giving an account of a riot in Sheffield. The editing of his paper, the composition and publication of his poems and hymns, the delivery of lectures on poetry in Sheffield and at the Royal Institution, London, and the earnest advocacy of Foreign Missions and the Bible Society in many parts of the country, gave great variety to his life. After his death, a statue was erected to his memory in the Sheffield General Cemetery, and a stained glass window in the Parish Church. A Wesleyan chapel and a public hall are also named in his honor.

As a writer of hymns, he ranks in popularity with Wesley, Watts, Doddridge, Newton, and Cowper.  Of Montgomery's 400 hymns (including his versions of the Psalms) more than 100 are still in common use.  His finest lyrics are "Angels from the realms of glory," "Go to dark Gethsemane," "Hail to the Lord's Anointed," and "Songs of praise the angels sang."  “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” is Montgomery's best psalm rendering. It is based on Psalm 72 and was written in eight stanzas for, and included in, a Christmas Ode which was sung at one of the Moravian settlements, perhaps Fulneck, in the United Kingdom, Christmas, 1821. It was published in the following year in the Evangelical Magazine and entitled "Imitation of the 72d psalm (Tune: Culmstock)."

Published in a chapel hymnal for the Duke of Würtemberg (Gesangbuch der Herzogl, 1784), ELLACOMBE (the name of a village in Devonshire, England) was first set to the words "Ave Maria, klarer und lichter Morgenstern." During the first half of the nineteenth century various German hymnals altered the tune. Since ELLACOMBE's inclusion in the 1868 Appendix to Hymns Ancient and Modern, where it was set to John Daniell's children's hymn "Come, Sing with Holy Gladness," its use throughout the English-speaking world has spread.

First United Methodist Church, Lewisville, Texas

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