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; most of it is copied from other websites 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:
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing - David Cherwein
(c. 1994, Summa Productions)
The carol we now know as "Hark! the herald angels sing" did not start life as such, and required at least four people to bring it to its current form. Wesley's original, written as a Christmas Day hymn and first published in 1739, is made up of ten four-line verses, rather than the longer eight-line verses with refrain which we have now. It is interesting to note that in the original version of Wesley's, the heavens ring with the phrase "Glory to the King of kings," echoing Luke's "Glory to God in the highest heaven." George Whitfield, who had been a student with Wesley, changed this to "Glory to the newborn King" in 1753. His fairly revolutionary Calvinist position was not compatible with Wesley's gentler reforming approach, which eventually bore fruit in the Methodist movement that he and his brother John inspired, Whitfield maintained the four-line verses of Wesley's original, but changed the angels' emphasis: "Glory to the newborn King" means something slightly but significantly different from "Glory to the King of kings." In the Gospel account, the angels praise God, whereas in "Hark! the herald angels sing," they are inaccurately described as praising Jesus. Furthermore, Luke does not say that the angels "sing," and so it may well be that this reinterpretation by Whitfield has emphasized the popular but unscriptural picture of angels singing the Gloria. ("While shepherds watched" also implies that they sang.) Whitfield also cut the final verses, which are now largely forgotten:
Come, desire of nations, come, Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman's conquering seed, Bruise in us the serpent's head.
Now display thy saving power, Ruin'd nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join Thine to ours, and ours to thine.
Adam's likeness, Lord, efface, Stamp thy image in its place.
Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in thy love.
Let us thee, though lost, regain, Thee, the life, the inner man:
O, to all thyself impart, Form'd in each believing heart.
There is some real theological insight in these neglected verses. First of all we notice the Advent antiphon "Come, desire of nations, come," followed by a reference to the Fall, with the serpent bruising the heel of humanity and Adam bruising its head (Genesis 3:15). Wesley cleverly alters the meaning, asking that the serpent in us (sin) should be bruised (defeated) by Christ, the second Adam, who reinstates us as beloved sons and daughters of God. In the restoration of sinful humanity to a state of grace through the incarnation of Christ, the joining of divine and human nature is also achieved. Consequently, that which was lost (salvation) is gained and a new life is granted to all believers.
The familiar tune, MENDELSSOHN, is an adaptation of a melody from Felix Mendelssohn’s Festgesang for male chorus and orchestra.
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.”
Joyful, all you nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic hosts proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail, incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with us to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Son of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise each child of earth, Born to give us second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”
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 Handbell Music:
He is Born - Arnold B. Sherman
(c. 1988, Agape)
Jubilation Ringers
"Il est né, le divin Enfant" (English: He is born, the divine Child) is a traditional French Christmas carol, which was published for the first time in 1862 by R. Grosjean, organist of the Cathedral of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, in a collection of carols entitled Airs des Noëls lorrains. The text of the carol was published for the first time in a collection of ancient carols, published in either 1875 or 1876 by Dom G. Legeay. The text of the carol, which is written in four stanzas, details the birth of Jesus and the wait of 4000 years for the event, as told by the prophets. It both observes the humility of God's birth in a stable and calls on the Kings of the Orient to attend the child. The carol has been translated into English numerous times. One translation (close in meaning and keeping to the original meter) is by Edward Bliss Reed (1930):
He is born, the Heav'nly Child, Oboes play; set bagpipes sounding
He is born, the Heav'nly Child. Let all sing His nativity.
'Tis four thousand years and more, Prophets have foretold His coming,
'Tis four thousand years and more, Have we waited this happy hour.
Ah, how lovely, Ah, how fair, What perfection is His graces,
Ah, how lovely, Ah, how fair. Child divine, so gentle there.
In a stable lodged is He, Straw is all He has for cradle.
In a stable lodged is He, Oh how great humility!
Jesus Lord, O King with power, Though a little babe You come here,
Jesus Lord, O King with power, Rule o'er us from this glad hour.
Arnold Sherman (b. 1948), currently living in Tyler, Texas, is a free-lance composer and co-founder of Red River Music. Sherman is the founder and Director of the East Texas Handbell Ensemble. A clinician and guest conductor, he has led choral and handbell workshops, festivals, and reading sessions throughout the United States, Canada, England, Japan and the Bahamas. Arnold has over three hundred choral and handbell pieces in print and has been an active member of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers where he has served as Area IX Chairman.
About the Vocal Solo Music:
The Shepherd's Song - Sharon Fincher-Lehmann
(c. 1980, Sharon Fincher-Lehmann)
Michele Anderson, soprano
Sharon Fincher-Lehmann (1944-2001), from Fort Stockton, Texas, was gifted in many areas of the arts: painting, sculpture, photography, and dance, in addition to music. As a teenager, she danced with the Fort Worth Ballet, taught at her own dance studio, and was featured on the cover of Dance magazine. She majored in piano at Austin College, music education at Sul Ross State University, and received her PhD in Music Education from the University of North Texas. She taught at Lakeview Elementary in Trophy Club, where she was chosen Teacher of the Year for the school and the ISD more than once. She wrote many songs and musicals for children, including the Lakeview school song. She also wrote a handful of anthems and larger works for church.
The Chancel Choir at First United Methodist, Lewisville, premiered the choral version of The Shepherd’s Song under her direction. She wrote both a choral and a solo arrangement of this work, which sets the text Luke 2: 8-14. It is presented today in honor of the 20th anniversary of her death.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
Keeping watch over their flock by night.
And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them
and the glory of the Lord shown round about them:
And they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them,
Fear not, fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy
which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior
which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you:
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying,
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
Amen.
About the Hymns:
O Come, all Ye Faithful
The original text of “O Come, All Ye Faithful” has been from attributed to various groups and individuals, including St. Bonaventure in the 13th century or King John IV of Portugal in the 17th, though it was more commonly believed that the text was written by an order of monks, the Cistercian, German, Portuguese and Spanish orders having, at various times, been given credit.
The original text consisted of four Latin verses, and it was with these that the hymn was originally published. John Francis Wade (1711=1786) had written the music and the hymn in Latin in 1744, and was first published in 1751. The Abbé Jean-François-Étienne Borderies wrote an additional three verses in the 18th century; these are normally printed as the third to fifth of seven verses, while another, anonymous, additional Latin verse is rarely printed. The text has been translated innumerable times, but the most used version today is the English "O Come, All Ye Faithful". This is a combination of one of Frederick Oakeley's translations of the original four verses and William Thomas Brooke's of the three additional ones, which was first published in Murray's Hymnal in 1852. Oakeley originally titled the song “Ye Faithful, approach ye” when it was sung at his Margaret Church in Marylebone before it was altered to its current form.
O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant,
O Come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, Born the King of angels;
Refrain
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
God of God, Light of Light,
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Very God, Begotten not created.
Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation;
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, In the highest;
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning;
Jesu, to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing.
See how the shepherds, Summoned to His cradle,
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;
We too will thither Bend our hearts' oblations
There shall we see Him, His Eternal Father's
Everlasting Brightness now veiled under flesh;
God shall we find there, a Babe in infant clothing;
Father eternal, Thine eternal splendour
Now veiled in flesh our eyes shall see:
God as an infant, swaddling clothes about him.
Child, for us sinners Poor and in the manger,
We would embrace Thee, with love and awe;
Who would not love Thee, Loving us so dearly?
Lo! Star-led chieftains, Magi, Christ adoring,
Offer Him frankincense and gold and myrrh;
We to the Christ-child, Bring our hearts oblations:
Angels from the Realms of Glory
This hymn was written by James Montgomery (1771-1854), who was born in Scotland of Irish parents. His father, John Montgomery, was a Moravian pastor - apparently the only Moravian pastor serving in Scotland at the time. James Montgomery was just six years old when heard of the death of both his parents who had been in Barbados on a missionary trip. He spent the remainder of his childhood being raised within the school system in Ireland, where he did not excel academically. As a teenager, James was placed in an apprenticeship position to a baker. He grew frustrated with that position and so ran away to Sheffield, England. There he took on various jobs to support himself, while trying to find his niche.
In his early 20s, James was hired to work for a politically active newspaper, the Sheffield Register. James found that he loved to write, and that he was good at it. When the owner of the paper had to flee the country in order to avoid imprisonment, James purchased the newspaper, after which he himself was imprisoned twice for political articles that did not sit well with the governing authorities.
Throughout all his ups and downs, James remained a devout Christian. He remembered well the lessons taught to him by his missionary parents. He chose to follow in their footsteps and to champion the cause of Christ. His newspaper was his pulpit to speak out against social and moral injustice. And in that same paper he published his original hymns of praise. Angels From the Realms of Glory appeared in print on Christmas Eve, 1816.
The tune associated with this hymn is "Regent Square", written by Henry Smart (1813-1879), an English organist and composer, in 1867. Smart named the tune after the Regent Square Presbyterian Church in London. Smart was quite influential in persuading the Anglican Church to adopt congregational singing of hymns. Luther (1483-1546) had introduced congregational singing much earlier in Germany, and had even written a number of hymns. Isaac Watts (1674-1748) had written hundreds of hymns and had popularized hymn singing in non-conforming English churches. Charles Wesley (1707-1788) had done the same for Methodist Churches. The Anglican Church, however, resisted hymn singing until quite late. But Smart was a man of substantial energy and reputation, and was able to turn the tide and to persuade the Anglican Church to adopt hymn singing.
Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story now proclaim Messiah’s birth:
Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King.
Shepherds, in the fields abiding, watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing; yonder shines the infant light;
Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King.
Sages, leave your contemplations, brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations; ye have seen his natal star:
Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King.
Saints, before the altar bending, watching long in hope and fear;
Suddenly the Lord, descending, in his temple shall appear;
Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King.
First United Methodist Church, Lewisville, Texas
A Community of Everyday People Learning to Love Like Jesus
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