January 12, 2020

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, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam - J. S. Bach

"Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam" ("Christ our Lord came to the Jordan") is a Lutheran hymn about baptism by Martin Luther, written in 1541 and published in 1543. The melody, in the Dorian mode, is older than the text and appeared already in 1524 in Johann Walter's choral hymnal Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn with the hymn "Es wolle Gott uns gnädig sein" (a paraphrase of Psalm 67), likely created by Walter.  When Luther looked for a melody for the new baptism hymn, "Es wolle Gott uns gnädig sein" was already assigned a different melody. It made sense to use a tune for a hymn about God's grace for a specific expression of that grace in baptism. Walter revised the four-part setting from 1524 with the melody in the tenor, adapting it to the different text. It was published in 1550.

Luther wrote the hymn focused on baptism as part of his teaching about Lutheran concepts, possibly as the last hymn he wrote.  Luther held sermons about baptism in the Easter week of 1540; it seems likely that he wrote the hymn in that context. It is closely connected to Luther's teaching about baptism in his Small Catechism, reflecting the structure of his questions and answers.  Several later publications refer to the year 1541 as a first publication as a broadsheet, which did not survive. The hymn appeared in 1543, summarized "A Spiritual Song of our Holy Baptism, which is a fine summary of What it is? Who established it? What are its benefits?" ("Ein Geistlich Lied von unser heiligen Tauffe, darin fein kurtz gefasset, was sie sey? Wer sie gestifftet habe? Was sie nütze?"). In the Lutheran liturgy, the hymn is related to the feast day of John the Baptist.

Below is the text of Luther's hymn with the English translation by George Macdonald.

To Jordan when our Lord had gone, His Father's pleasure willing,

He took His baptism of St John, His work and task fulfilling;

Therein He would appoint a bath To wash us from defilement,

And also drown that cruel Death In His blood of assoilment:

' Twas no less than a new life.

Let all then hear and right receive The baptism of the Father,

And what a Christian shall believe To shun where heretics gather.

Water indeed, not water mere In it can do His pleasure,

His holy Word is also there With Spirit rich, unmeasured:

He is the one baptizer.

This clearly He to us by word Hath shown, nor less by vision;

The Father's voice men plainly heard At Jordan tell His mission.

He said, This is My own dear Son, In Whom I am well contented:

To you I send Him, every one — That you may hear, I have sent Him,

And follow what He teaches,

Also God's Son Himself here stands In His humanity tender;

The Holy Ghost on Him descends, In dove's appearance hidden.

That not a doubt should ever rise That, when we are baptized.

All the three Persons do baptize; And so, here recognized,

Themselves give to dwell with us.

Christ to His scholars says : Go forth, Give to all men acquaintance

That lost in sin lies the whole earth, And must turn to repentance.

Who trusts, and is baptized, each one Is thereby blest for ever,

Is from that hour a new-born man, And, thenceforth dying never,

The kingdom shall inherit.

But in this grace who puts no faith Abides in his trespasses,

And is condemned to endless death. Deep down in hell's abysses.

Nothing avails his righteousness. And lost are all his merits;

The old sin than nothing makes them less — The sin which he inherits;

And help himself he cannot.

The eye but water doth behold, As from man's hand it floweth;

But inward faith the power untold Of Jesus Christ's blood knoweth.

Faith sees therein a red flood roll, With Christ's blood dyed and blended,

Which hurts of all kinds maketh whole, From Adam here descended,

And by ourselves brought on us.

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).   

The Clavier-Übung III, sometimes referred to as the German Organ Mass, is a collection of compositions for organ by Johann Sebastian Bach, started in 1735–36 and published in 1739. It is considered Bach's most significant and extensive work for organ, containing some of his musically most complex and technically most demanding compositions for that instrument.  The purpose of the collection was fourfold: an idealized organ programme, taking as its starting point the organ recitals given by Bach himself in Leipzig; a practical translation of Lutheran doctrine into musical terms for devotional use in the church or the home; a compendium of organ music in all possible styles and idioms, both ancient and modern, and properly internationalized; and as a didactic work presenting examples of all possible forms of contrapuntal composition, going far beyond previous treatises on musical theory.  Luther had written a greater and a smaller catechism. In the former he demonstrates the essence of the faith; in the latter he addresses himself to the children. Bach, the musical father of the Lutheran church, feels it encumbent on him to do likewise; he gives us a larger and smaller arrangement of each chorale.  This setting of “Zum Jordan kam” is one of the most charming of the smaller group and provides a pictorial description of the movement of the waves on the river.

Eternal Joy - Noel Goemanne

“Eternal Joy” is the final movement of a triptych for which Geomanne has inscribed a hymn from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:

From the unreal lead me to the real.

From darkness lead me to light.

From death lead me to immortality.

The Upanishads are ancient Sanskrit texts of spiritual teaching and ideas of Hinduism, some of which are shared with religious traditions like Buddhism and Jainism. Among the most important literature in the history of Indian religions and culture, the Upanishads played an important role in the development of spiritual ideas in ancient India, marking a transition from Vedas to new ideas and institutions.  Of all Vedic literature, the Upanishads alone are widely known, and their central ideas are at the spiritual core of Hinduism.

More than 200 Upanishads are known, of which the first dozen or so are the oldest and most important and are referred to as the principal or main (mukhya) Upanishads. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is one of the Principal Upanishads and one of the first Upanishadic scriptures of Hinduism.  It is estimated to have been composed about 700 BCE.  The The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is a treatise on Ātman (Soul, Self), includes passages on metaphysics, ethics and a yearning for knowledge that influenced various Indian religions, ancient and medieval scholars.

The mukhya Upanishads were, for centuries, memorized by each generation and passed down orally.  With the translation of the Upanishads in the early 19th century they also started to attract attention from a western audience. Arthur Schopenhauer was deeply impressed by the Upanishads and called it "the production of the highest human wisdom".Modern era Indologists have discussed the similarities between the fundamental concepts in the Upanishads and major western philosophers and theologians.

Noël Goemanne (1926-2010) was born in December in Poperinge, Belgium, and was named "Noël" in honor of Christmas, and during his long career as a composer of sacred music, he wrote many choral and organ pieces to celebrate that season. He attended The Lemmens Institute and the Royal Conservatory of Liege in Belgium. Outspoken about the importance of music from his earliest years, he was arrested during World War II for publicly playing the music of the Jewish composer Felix Mendelssohn during the Nazi occupation. In 1952, he and his wife Janine immigrated to the United States, and he took the position of church organist at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Victoria, Texas.  When the liturgical rites of the Catholic Church changed in the early 1960s, he was quick to adapt to the changes while adhering to classical good taste. He composed the first Vatican II-approved Masses in English for use in the Church.  Goemanne held organist and choirmaster positions at St. Rita's Catholic Church and Out Lady, Queen of Martyrs Church in Detroit, Michigan; St. Monica's Catholic Church and Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas; and, finally, Christ the King Catholic Church from 1972 until his death.  During his long composing career, Goemanne received the "Pro Ecclesia" medal from the Vatican in 1977, the award from the Institute of Sacred Music, Manila, Philippines in 1974, and numerous ASCAP awards.

About the Piano Music:

The River - Pepper Choplin

"Down in the River to Pray" (also known as "Down to the River to Pray," "Down in the Valley to Pray," "The Good Old Way," and "Come, Let Us All Go Down") is a traditional American song variously described as a Christian folk hymn, an African-American spiritual, an Appalachian song, and a gospel song. It gained popularity in 2000 after Alison Krauss performed it for the soundtrack of the Coen Brothers film, O Brother, Where Art Thou?.  The exact origin of the song is unknown. Research suggests that it was composed by an African-American slave.  The earliest known version of the song, titled "The Good Old Way," was published in Slave Songs of the United States in 1867.  The song is credited to "Mr. G. H. Allan" of Nashville, Tennessee, who was likely the transcriber rather than the author.  In some versions, "in the river" is replaced by "to the river." The phrase "in the river" is significant, for two reasons. The more obvious reason is that the song has often been sung at outdoor baptisms. Another reason is that many slave songs contained coded messages for escaping. When the slaves escaped, they would walk in the river because the water would cover their scent from the bounty-hunters' dogs. Similarly, the "starry crown" could refer to navigating their escape by the stars. And "Good Lord, show me the way" could be a prayer for God's guidance to find the escape route, commonly known as "the Underground Railroad."

As I went down to the river to pray, studying about that good ole way 

And who shall wear the starry crown, good Lord, show me the way.

O brother, let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down.  

O brother, let’s go down, down to the river to pray.

O sister, let’s go down, let’s go down, come one down.

O sister, let’s go down, down to the river to pray.

O children, let’s go down, let’s go down, come one down.

O children, let’s go down, down to the river to pray.

"Shall We Gather at the River?" or simply "At the River" are the popular names for the traditional Christian hymn titled "Hanson Place," written in 1864 by American poet and gospel music composer Robert Lowry (1826–1899). He studied theology at the University at Lewisburg (now Bucknell University) and on graduating, in 1854, became ordained as a Baptist minister. He had charge of churches in a number of places including the Bloomingdale Baptist Church in New York City; the Hanson Place Baptist Church in Brooklyn; and others in West Chester, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He wrote a number of hymns with members of his congregations. At the Hanson Place Baptist Church he wrote songs with Annie Hawks, and he established a similar partnership with Fanny J. Crosby at Sixth Avenue Bible Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York.  He is most remembered as a composer of gospel music and a hymn writer, and also worked as a music editor at the Biglow & Main Publishing Company. He was responsible for around 500 compositions, including "Nothing But the Blood," "Christ Arose" ("Low in the Grave He Lay") (words and music)," and "How Can I Keep From Singing?". He also wrote the music and refrain for "Marching to Zion" (words by Isaac Watts).  Despite his success as a hymn writer, it was as a preacher that Lowry would have preferred to be recognized. He once stated: "Music, with me has been a side issue... I would rather preach a gospel sermon to an appreciative audience than write a hymn. I have always looked upon myself as a preacher and felt a sort of depreciation when I began to be known more as a composer." However, it is as a hymn writer that he remains renowned.

The title "Hanson Place" is a reference to the original Hanson Place Baptist Church in Brooklyn.  The original building now houses a different denomination. The song's lyrics refer to the Christian concept of the anticipation of restoration and reward, and reference the motifs found at Revelation 22:1-2 - a crystal clear river with water of life, issuing from the throne of heaven, all presented by an angel of God.

Shall we gather at the river, Where bright angel feet have trod,
With its crystal tide forever Flowing by the throne of God? 

Yes, we’ll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.

On the margin of the river, Washing up its silver spray,
We will talk and worship ever, All the happy golden day.

Ere we reach the shining river, Lay we every burden down;
Grace our spirits will deliver, And provide a robe and crown.

At the smiling of the river, Mirror of the Savior’s face,
Saints, whom death will never sever, Lift their songs of saving grace.

Soon we’ll reach the silver river, Soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver With the melody of peace.

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 Choral Music:

Fairest Lord Jesus – Craig Courtney

“Beautiful Savior” is thought to have originated as early as 1607, possibly written by German Jesuits, and called “Schönster Herr Jesu“. It first appeared in print in 1677, in the Münster Gesangbuch, with author unknown. It was translated and the fourth stanza was added by Lutheran pastor and theologian, Joseph A. Seiss in 1873.  Originally this song was most likely sung to a Gregorian Chant by the Jesuit monks. The music that was most popular with 17th Century German peasants was a tune from an ancient Silesian folk song.  The tune and the German text were printed together for the first time in 1842 by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben and Ernst Richter under the name “Schönster Herr Jesu” (Most beautiful Lord Jesus). In 1850 the Danish hymnwriter B. S. Ingemann wrote “Dejlig Er Jorden”, which he set to the same melody. An English translation by Jens C. Aaberg was published as “Fair Is Creation”.  Apart from their musical setting, the Danish and German lyrics are unrelated.  According to some accounts, “Fairest Lord Jesus” is called "Crusader's Hymn" because it was sung by German Crusaders as they made their way to the Holy Land.

Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature,
O Thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul’s glory, joy and crown.

Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,

Robed in the blooming garb of spring:

Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,

Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight,

And all the twinkling starry host;

Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer

Than all the angels heaven can boast.

Beautiful savior!  Lord of all the nations!

Son of God and Son of Man!

Glory and honor, praise, and adoration,

Now and forevermore be Thine!

Amen.

A native of Indiana, Craig Courtney received a Bachelors and a Masters degree in piano performance from the University of Cincinnati. He served on the faculty of the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, serving as piano teacher and accompanist for the woodwind and brass department. While serving in the music ministry of the Salzburg International Baptist Church, Courtney began composing sacred choral music. In 1985, his compositions came to the attention of John Ness Beck through the publication of his octavo, Thy Will Be Done, initiating a close working relationship between the two men which continued until Beck’s death in 1987. In making plans for the ongoing of Beckenhorst Press, Beck appointed Craig Courtney staff composer and editor. Courtney’s published works include more than two hundred choral octavos, nine vocal collections, two piano solo collections and six extended works for choir and orchestra. Courtney combines his background as pianist, cellist, vocal coach, accompanist and choral director to create works in his unique style.   

About the Hymns:

We were Baptized in Christ Jesus

John C. Ylvisaker (1937-2017) has been called the godfather of Lutheran folk music, a steampunk ethnomusicologist, a legend in community songleading in the lineage of Pete Seeger and a trailblazer for 21st-century church musicians.

John Carl Ylvisaker is perhaps best known for his song, “I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry”.   He was born in Moorhead, Minnesota and was a graduate of Concordia College located there. For more than 50 years John’s words and music have been a powerful influence on the development of new worship materials for the church, with his compositions appearing in hundreds of worship resources.  He is renowned for his paraphrase of biblical text and theological astuteness, as well as his ability to recognize or write tunes people in the pew can readily sing.

In addition to being an artist and composer, John’s past experience included teaching high school music, directing church choirs, and serving as the producer of SCAN, an award-winning weekly radio program sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). John also composed much of the original music for Lutheran Vespers radio broadcasts and ELCA videos, as well as theme songs for gatherings and events.

Ylvisaker was born to a Norwegian family steeped in Lutheran tradition. His father, Carl, chaired the religion department at Concordia College in Moorhead (Concordia’s library is named for him); his mother, Marie Sletvold, was the librarian. He received a degree in music and history from Concordia in 1959.  Lutheran music took him across Minnesota. He taught at schools in Hawley, Morris and Buffalo, and worked at churches in Fridley and St. Louis Park. For years, he was the composer-in-residence for the American Lutheran Church, headquartered in Minneapolis. It also took him far outside the state. He toured the country and overseas starting in the late 1960s; wherever he was, he would study the melodies particular to that region. Those influences, along with American folk music, were reflected in his Christian music.

Ylvisaker wrote both the text of “We were Baptized in Christ Jesus” and the tune OUIMETTE for that text.

Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service

Albert F. Bayly (1901-1984) was educated at London University and Mansfield College, Oxford.  Beginning in the late 1920’s, he served at four Congregational churches in Northumberland, Lancashire and East Yorkshire; in 1962, he became pastor in Thaxted, Essex.  After retiring in 1971, he moved to Springfield, Chelmsford, and was active in the local United Reformed Church.  He wrote several pageants on mission themes, and librettos for cantatas by W. L. Lloyd Webber (father of Andrew).  

Bayly wrote this text in response to a Hymn Society of America search for new hymns on social welfare. It was chosen as the theme hymn for the Second National Conference on the Churches and Social Welfare held in Cleveland, Ohio, October 23-27, 1961. The Hymn Society published the text in Seven New Social Welfare Hymns (1961).

The tune “Beach Spring” is attributed to Benjamin Franklin White, who with the help of Elisha J. King, published The Sacred Harp (Philadelphia, 1844), where it was sung with the text of “Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched.” Named after the Beech Spring Baptist Church in Harris County, Georgia, the church was given its name because of its close proximity to two beech trees at a spring.  Although the original spelling of the name should be “Beech,” White’s misspelling “Beach,” has stuck with the hymn throughout the ages. White was mostly a self-taught singing school teacher from South Carolina. Eventually he moved to Hamilton in Harris County, Georgia, where he worked at many different vocations, including a stint in the Georgia Militia. Eventually White married Thurza Golightly, and together the two had 14 children (the same number of children that White’s parents had).  At some point along the timeline of Benjamin Franklin White’s history, a rumor was started that he worked closely with William Walker (who was his brother-in-law) to publish Southern Harmonies, but this rumor was probably not true.  The two books were wildly popular in the south, but both contained the same southern white spirituals which were popular in the more rural areas. In the 20^th century, the tunes from The Sacred Harp, and Southern Harmonies entered into more denominational hymnals and inspired many different composers to arrange the melodies in various ways. The Sacred Harp is one of the most used books in the four-shape notation, and has gone through numerous editions that have been published throughout the years, and even to the present days.  

First United Methodist Church, Lewisville, Texas

A Community of Everyday People Learning to Love Like Jesus

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