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:
All Glory, Laud, & Honor - Alec Wyton
(c.1964, Carl Fischer)
Theodulf of Orleans (760-821) was originally from Spain. Muslim conquests of Iberia drove him to leave, and he was brought to France by Charlemagne. In addition to serving as a kind of poet laureate, he was a scholar, church reformer, secretary of education, theological advisor to the king. His writings included sermons and theological treatises on baptism and the Holy Spirit. He opposed the use of icons and revised the text of the Bible. He became Bishop of Orleans about 785, and soon afterwards also Abbot of Fleury. After Charlemagne died, Louis the Pious accused Theodulf of joining Bernard of Italy (a royal nephew) in a conspiracy against the throne. Theodulf protested his innocence, but in 818, he was deposed from his influential posts and imprisoned at Angers, where he died in 821. While imprisoned, he wrote the words to the Latin hymn "Gloria, laus et honor tibi sit Rex Christe, Redemptor " or "All Glory, Laud and Honor To thee Redeemer King." More than a thousand years later, an English translation of his hymn remains a favorite for Palm Sunday.
Now often named ST. THEODULPH because of its association with this text, the tune is also known, especially in organ literature, as VALET WILL ICH DIR GEBEN. It was composed by Melchior Teschner (1584-1635) for Valerius Herberger's hymn for the dying. Teschner composed the tune in two five-voice settings, published in the leaflet Ein andächtiges Gebet in 1615. Teschner studied philosophy, the University of Frankfurt an-der-Oder and later studied at the universities of Helmstedt and Wittenberg, Germany. From 1609 until 1614, he served as cantor in the Lutheran church in Fraustadt, and from 1614 until his death, he was pastor of the church in Oberpritschen.
All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!
to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.
Thou art the King of Israel, thou David’s royal Son,
who in the Lord’s Name comest, the King and Blessed One.
The company of angels are praising thee on high;
and mortal men and all things created make reply.
The people of the Hebrews with palms before thee went;
our praise and prayer and anthems before thee we present.
To thee before thy passion they sang their hymns of praise;
to thee, now high exalted, our melody we raise.
Thou didst accept their praises; accept the prayers we bring,
who in all good delightest thou good and gracious King.
Alec Wyton (1921-2007), an English-born organist, composer and teacher brought contemporary influence to American church music over decades, two of them as organist and choirmaster at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Manhattan. Besides presiding over prominent church music programs, he was the coordinator of the commission that produced The Hymnal 1982, the one used in Episcopal churches nationwide today.
Wyton grew up in London and Northampton, where an aunt encouraged him to learn to play piano and later organ. He joined the Army’s Royal Corps of Signals during World War II but was discharged early because of a duodenal ulcer. He then enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music and, in 1943, at Oxford, where he studied music and history. He received an honorary Mus. D. from Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA.
He came to the United States in 1950 at the invitation of the Episcopal bishop of Dallas, who wanted an English-style choir there. Bishop Horace Donegan of New York, a fellow Englishman, asked him to come to St. John the Divine in 1954 to be organist and master of the choristers. Mr. Wyton held that position until 1974, presiding over the 8,000-pipe Aeolian-Skinner organ and bringing in musicians from Duke Ellington and Ned Rorem to Leopold Stokowski and the cast of the musical “Hair” to resonate through the Gothic nave.
He was later organist and choirmaster of St. James’s Church on Madison Avenue and minister of music at St. Stephen’s Church in Ridgefield, Conn. Wyton taught at Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan and, in the 1980s, at Manhattan School of Music, and he was president of the American Guild of Organists from 1964 to 1969.
Hosanna, Loud Hosanna - James Pethel
(c.1999, H. W. Gray Company, admin by Warner Bros. Publications)
Like "All Glory, Laud, and Honor" (375/376), this text is based on Christ's triumphal entry on Palm Sunday. However, "Hosanna, Loud Hosanna" focuses more on the children's role in that event. The text was written by Jeannette Threlfall (1821-1880) in an "idle moment" (as she says she wrote all of her hymns, all others of which have been forgotten). Undoubtedly, Threlfall had Mark 11 in mind when she wrote this text, but she also alludes to Jesus' welcoming of the children in Mark 10:13-16. Threlfall's life was extremely difficult: she was orphaned at an early age, and two serious accidents caused her to be an invalid for life. But she bore her misfortune with grace and fortitude and maintained a ministry to many people who came in contact with her. Threlfall wrote devotional verse, which was published anonymously in various periodicals and later collected in Woodsorrel, or Leaves from a Retired Home (1856) and Sunshine and Shadow (1873), which included "Hosanna, Loud Hosanna.”
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.
Hosanna, loud hosanna the little children sang;
through pillared court and temple the lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them, close folded to his breast,
the children sang their praises, the simplest and the best.
From Olivet they followed mid an exultant crowd,
the victory palm branch waving, and chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven rode on in lowly state,
nor scorned that little children should on his bidding wait.
"Hosanna in the highest!” That ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer, the Lord of heaven, our King.
O may we ever praise him with heart and life and voice,
and in his blissful presence eternally rejoice.
Dr. Stan Pethel is Chair of the Fine Arts at Berry College near Rome, Georgia. He has been on the music faculty there since 1973. In addition to his duties as Chair of Fine Arts at Berry College Dr. Pethel teaches music theory, composition and arranging, world music, and low brass lessons. He is a widely published composer and arranger with over 1000 works in publication with 26 different publishers. His writing includes works for choir, piano, organ/piano duet, symphonic band, jazz ensemble, orchestra, handbells, solo instrument and piano, and various chamber music ensembles. He is a regular recipient of the ASCAP Standard Award.
About the Choral Music:
Hosanna - Christian Gregor
(c.1961, Plymouth Music)
Christian Gregor (1723-1801) was a Moravian composer and bishop. Gregor was born to a peasant family living in the Silesian village of Dirsdorf, near Peilau and became a member of the Moravian Church when he was seventeen. He moved to Herrnhut, Germany in 1742, where he soon became organist and director of congregational music. He later served similar roles in Herrnhaag (1748) and Zeist (1749). He was ordained a Deacon in 1756, and was appointed to several administrative posts within the Moravian Church during which time he traveled extensively: Riga (1744) where he met Nicolaus Zinzendorf, North America (1770-1772), and a trip to Old Sarepta, Russia (1774) by way of Estonia, Latvia, and St. Petersburg. He was consecrated a bishop in 1789. Gregor is credited with the Moravian liturgical development of the late 18th century and the introduction of concerted anthems into worship services. Gregor edited the 1779 German Moravian Hymn-book (Gesangbuch zum Gebrauch der Evangelischen Bruedergemeinden), to which he contributed 300 hymns of his own, and the 1784 chorale book of the Unitas Fratrum. He composed several hundred musical works of which the majority are preserved in collections of the Moravian archives in Herrnhut, Germany, Christiansfeld, Denmark, and Moravian Music Foundation in the United States, as well as the University of Warsaw.
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna, Blessed is He that comes!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna,
Blessed is He that Comes, He that comes in the Name of the Lord.
Hosanna, Blessed is He that comes!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna, Praise ye the Lord on high!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna,
Praise ye the Lord on high, All ye Nations sing praise to His Name.
Hosanna, Praise ye the Lord on high!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, in the highest!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna in the Highest!
About the Modern Band Music:
Rest in You - All Sons & Daughters
(c.2016, Integrity Music)
All Sons & Daughters was an American Christian worship music duo, who performed in the styles of acoustic and folk music, originating from Franklin, Tennessee. The group's leads were Leslie Anne Jordan on vocals and guitar and David Alan Leonard on vocals and piano. They are worship leaders at Journey Church in Franklin, which is a non-denominational church. They have four full-length, commercial album releases, all on the Integrity Music label: Season One, Live, All Sons & Daughters and Poets & Saints. On February 9, 2018, after taking a year off they announced that their "season as a band has come to an end”.
Who is Lord, but our Lord? Who is God, only God?
You are the highest; You are most good.
Matchless is Your love; Our praise will rise above;
Your peace like a river Floods over us.
Our hearts are restless Until they find rest in You.
Our hearts are restless Until they find rest in You.
This is where my hope lies; This is where my souls sighs;
I will always find my rest in You.
So full of mercy, Beauty, and mystery,
You are most hidden, But always with us.
You cannot change, Yet You change everything.
You cannot change, Yet You change everything.
About the Hymns:
Hosanna, Loud Hosanna
Can you picture the excitement of this scene? Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey with crowds of people shouting “Hosanna.” Matthew also tells us that the children were shouting “Hosanna” in the temple (Matt. 21:15, NIV). Jeanette Threlfall (1821-1880) envisioned this celebration, especially the role the children played. Her hymn “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” begins with the children singing and a reminder that Jesus welcomed and blessed the children throughout his ministry.
Threlfall had a difficult childhood. She was born in Blackburn, England, to Henry Threlfall and Catherine Eccles, but both her parents died at an early age. Following her parents’ deaths, she was raised by her aunt and uncle and then lived with other relatives throughout her life. Two serious accidents left her first lame and then severely disabled, confining her to her bed. Despite these circumstances, accounts of her life indicate that Threlfall was always cheerful and loved to write poems and hymns. She wrote this prayer to the Source of her strength: “O Loving Father, give Thy poor child strength! Thou knowest she has none: O loving Father, give her strength to say, “Thy Will Be Done!” Threlfall must have loved to imagine the children running and shouting “Hosanna” and being welcomed into the arms of Jesus.
Threlfall’s poems were published in two volumes, Woodsorrel: Leaves from a Retired Home (1856) and Sunshine and Shadow (1873). “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna,” appearing first in Sunshine and Shadow, was then paired with the hymn tune ELLACOMBE and included in the Scottish Church Hymnary (1898). This was a successful hymnal that was revised and updated in four editions through 2005. Her original poem had four stanzas.
The original second and third stanzas follow:
From Olivet they followed, ‘Midst an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving, And shouting clear and loud;
Bright angels joined the chorus Beyond the cloudless sky,
“Hosanna in the highest: Glory to God on high!”
Fair leaves of silvery olive They strewed upon the ground,
Whilst Salem’s circling mountains Echoed the joyous sound;
The Lord of men and angels Rode on in lowly state,
Nor scorned that little children Should on His bidding wait.
Current hymnals condense the second and third stanzas into one and modify the text in a few places, a common editorial practice.
The importance of children throughout Jesus’ ministry was lifted up throughout Threlfall’s poem and helps us develop our own understanding about children in regard to our ministry today. In stanza one, the children sing in the temple, following Jesus’ entry into the city (Matt. 21:15). It is possible that these children are the same ones that Jesus blessed earlier in Matthew’s account when he said, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 19:13-14, KJV). The unpretentious and authentic praise of children illustrates the childlike faith that Jesus demands of those who follow him (Matt. 18:1-4). Jesus welcomed the praise of children (Matt 21:16) quoting Psalm 2:1-2 (NIV), “…through the praise of children and infants…”.
“Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” is most often sung to the hymn tune ELLACOMBE. The tune first appeared in the Gesangbuch der Herzogl, Wirtembergischen katholischen Hofkapelle [Songbook of the Catholic chapel of the Württemburg ducal court, Württemberg, 1784]. The composer of this tune is unknown, but it was first harmonized by Victorian university professor and composer William Henry Monk (1823-1889). There is some speculation that the tune name honors Henry Thomas Ellacombe (1790-1885), “a campanologist [specialist in bell ringing] and Anglican clergyman, who devised an apparatus (now named for him) that allows one person to achieve the effect of several change ringers”. Because the first five notes of this tune resemble several bell patterns, it suggests the association with Ellacombe. Monk was also known to have named several other hymn tunes for his contemporaries. The repeated patterns of the tune echo the repetitive chant of the crowd as Jesus rode into Jerusalem.
As we commemorate Palm Sunday in our worship services today, we remember the drama of the first crowd that gathered to shout “Hosanna” and hail Jesus as king as he entered Jerusalem. Threlfall reminds us that we also look to the day when Jesus enters the new Jerusalem, where white-robed multitudes will again take up their palms, shouting: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:9-10 NIV).
Blessed Assurance - arr. Daniel Galbraith
(c.2023, All Essential Music)
Fanny Jane Crosby (1820-1915), born in New York and died in Connecticut, wrote over 8,500 gospel hymns. In 1972, Hope Publishing Co. found over 1,000 unpublished manuscripts. Her work defined what it meant to be a successful writer of gospel hymns. By the age of six weeks, Fanny Crosby was completely blind. She entered the New York School for the Blind at age twelve. She began writing hymns and poetry at age twelve. Her collaborators in publishing gospel hymns included the most successful and popular composers of her day, including William Bradbury, William Doane, Robert Lowry, Ira Sankey, and William Kirkpatrick. Crosby used numerous pen names in publishing her songs, including: Ella Dale, Mrs. Kate Gringley and Miss Viola V. A. She married blind musician Alexander Van Alstyne, and the British most often refer to her by her married name rather than Fanny Crosby. She was a lifelong Methodist and her contributions to The United Methodist Hymnal (1989) include: “Blessed Assurance,” “Close to Thee,” “I Am Thine, O Lord,” “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross,” “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior,” “Rescue the Perishing,” and “To God Be the Glory.”
Phoebe Knapp (1839-1908) was a composer of music for hymns and an organist. Knapp was born in New York City. Her parents were Walter C. Palmer and Phoebe Worrall Palmer. She married Joseph Fairchild Knapp, one of the founders and the second president of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, and he had a pipe organ installed in their apartment. She and her husband were members of the John Street Methodist Episcopal Church in New York City. The hymn writer Fanny Crosby was also a member of that church and a friend of the Phoebe’s. She wrote over 500 hymn tunes, the most familiar being the tune now called ASSURANCE for Fanny Crosby's lyrics “Blessed Assurance”.
Crosby was visiting her friend Phoebe Knapp as the Knapp home was having a large pipe organ installed. The organ was incomplete, so Mrs. Knapp, using the piano, played a new melody she had just composed. When Knapp asked Crosby, "What do you think the tune says?", Crosby replied, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine." The hymn appeared in the July 1873 issue of Palmer's Guide to Holiness and Revival Miscellany, a magazine printed by Dr. and Mrs. W. C. Palmer.
Daniel Galbraith has served in the capacity of arranger, producer, and lead editor for PraiseCharts.com for over 10 years. In 2000, he introduced the acclaimed series of contemporary praise band arrangements known as the Worship Band Series, which now includes over 800 full arrangement-orchestrations of modern worship songs. He has been foundational in creating the climate of high-quality arranging and orchestration at PraiseCharts. Daniel is a veteran arranger, orchestrator, engraver, keyboardist, and trombonist. He has directed church orchestras, worship teams, and praise bands, as well as a collegiate jazz band and contemporary vocal group over the past 18 years. He has arranged for several notable churches across the country, including Gateway Church in Dallas and Northridge Church in Detroit.
Oh, Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, the purchase of God, born of his Spirit, and I’m washed in his blood.
This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song, ‘cause I’m praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest. ‘Cause I in my Savior oh I am happy and bless’d,
I’m watching and waiting, and I’m looking above,
filled with his goodness, and I’m washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song, ‘cause I’m praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story. I’ll testify that God is good all the time.
He saw me and heard my cry. Now, I am His.
This is my story. I’ll testify that God is good all the time.
He saw me and heard my cry. Now, I am His and He is mine. He is mine!
This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song, ‘Cause I’m praising my Savior all the day long
First United Methodist Church, Lewisville, Texas
A Community of Everyday People Learning to Love Like Jesus
No comments:
Post a Comment