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:
O Holy Spirit, Enter In - Josef Friedrich Doppelbauer
(c.2015, Verlag Alfred Coppenrath, admin. Carus-Verlag)
Michael Schirmer (1606-1673) studied at the University of Leipzig, then was appointed subrector, and later conrector of the Greyfriars Gymnasium at Berlin. During his conrectorship the rectorship fell vacant several times, and each time, after he had officiated as prorector during the vacancy, a younger man was appointed, probably because of Schirmer's feeble health. Schirmer had many domestic and personal afflictions to bear. His wife and his two children predeceased him. The early part of his life in Berlin was spent amid the distress caused by the Thirty Years War, during which Brandenburg, and Berlin itself, suffered greatly from pestilence and poverty. In 1644 a deep melancholy fell upon him, which lasted for five years; and something of the same kind seems to have returned to him for a time, after his wife's death, in Feb. 1667. Schirmer began writing poetry in German and Latin in 1637. In 1655 he published a metrical version of Ecclesiasticus as, Das Buch Jesus Sirach; and in 1660, a Scriptural play, which was acted by the scholars of the Gymnasium, and was entitled Der verfolgte David. He also published, at Berlin, in 1650, versions of the Songs of the Old and New Testament as, Biblische Lieder und Lehrsprüche. He contributed hymns to J. Crüger's Newes vollkömliches Gesang-Buch, Berlin, 1640; and to Crüger's Praxis pietatis melica, Berlin, 1648. The only hymn by Schirmer translated into English is “0 heilger Geist, kehr bei uns ein”, first published in 1640, in 7 stanzas of 10 lines. “0 Holy Spirit, enter in” is a good translation by Catherine Winkworth, in her Chorale Book for England, 1863.
Adapting a tune written for Psalm 100 found in Wolff Köphel's Psalter (1538), Nicolai composed WIE SCHÖN LEUCHTET, which was published in 1599. The tune is most well known with the hymn “How Brightly Shines the Morning Star”.
O Holy Spirit, enter in, and in our hearts your work begin,
your dwelling place now make us. Sun of the soul, O Light divine,
around and in us brightly shine, to joy and gladness wake us
that we may be truly living, to you giving prayer unceasing
and in love be still increasing.
Give to your Word impressive pow’r, that in our hearts from this good hour
as fire it may be glowing, that in true Christian unity
we faithful witnesses may be, your glory ever showing.
Hear us, cheer us by your teaching; let our preaching and our labor
praise you, Lord, and serve our neighbor.
O mighty Rock, O Source of life, let your dear Word, in doubt and strife,
in us be strongly burning that we be faithful unto death
and live in love and holy faith, from you true wisdom learning.
Your grace and peace on us shower; by your power Christ confessing,
let us see our Savior's blessing.
Josef Friedrich Doppelbauer (1918-1989) was an Austrian composer, organist and choral conductor. He was professor of organ and composition, especially of church music, at the Salzburg Mozarteum from 1960 to 1988, serving as deputy rector from 1971 to 1984.
Doppelbauer was born in the last months of the First World War to a musical and art-loving family. He studied at the Graz Conservatory and passed the artistic maturity examination (Künstlerische Reifeprüfung) in composition with distinction only one year later. He then studied German studies and art history at the University of Graz. In 1939, he began studies of music pedagogy at the newly founded Hochschule für Musikerziehung in Graz-Eggenberg, majoring in school music, with organ as his main instrument. In 1940, he passed the organ exam also with distinction. Following several years of military service in World War II from 1940, and being held as a prisoner of war in Yugoslavia until 1946, he returned to Wels and worked there as organist and choirmaster in the Stadtpfarrkirche, the main parish church. In addition, he studied music pedagogy at the Mozarteum from 1954 to 1956, then becoming a lecturer in music theory and composition at the Brucknerkonservatorium in Linz (now Anton Bruckner Private University). From 1960 to 1988, he taught organ, composition and sacred composition at the Mozarteum, where he was appointed associate professor in 1969, and professor three years later. He served as deputy rector from 1971 to 1984.
Come, Gracious Spirit, Heavenly Dove - J. Bert Carlson
(c.2001, Augsburg Fortress)
Simon Browne (1680-1732), a contemporary of Dr. Isaac Watts, was born at Shepton Mallet, Somersetshire. After studying for the Independent Ministry under the Rev. John Moore, of Bridgewater, he became pastor of an Independent charge in Portsmouth, and then, in 1716, of the Independent-Chapel in Old Jewry, London. His later years were clouded by a peculiar mental illness, through which "he imagined that God had in a gradual manner annihilated in him the thinking substance, and utterly divested him of consciousness." It is supposed that the death of a highwayman at his hands during a violent struggle, followed by that of his wife and son a short time after, had much to do in producing this sad result. Whilst thus contending that he had no power to think, he produced a work in defense of Christianity, another in defense of the Trinity, a third as an Exposition of the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, and a fourth in the form of a Dictionary. His publications number over 20. Of these works, he is known to hymnology through his Hymns and Spiritual Songs, in Three Books, designed as a Supplement to Dr. Watts, 1720. It contains 166 hymns, 7 doxologies, and a Preface of some historical interest. In old collections Simon Browne's hymns (all of which are from the above collection) held a prominent position, but in modern hymnals they are rarely seen. The best known and most widely used are "Come, Gracious Spirit, Heavenly Dove," "O God, on Thee we all depend," and "Lord, at Thy feet we sinners lie.”
Few hymns in the English language have been subjected to so many alterations and changes as this, which according to the author's title, concerns "The Soul giving itself up to the Conduct and Influence of the Holy Spirit.” Browne’s original text was:
Come, gracious Spirit, heav’nly Dove, With light and comfort from above;
Be Thou our Guardian, Thou our Guide, O’er every thought and step preside.
The light of truth to us display, And make us know and choose Thy way;
Plant holy fear in every heart, That we from God may ne’er depart.
Lead us to holiness, the road Which we must take to dwell with God;
Lead us to Christ, the living Way, Nor let us from His pastures stray.
Lead us to God, our final rest, To be with Him forever blest;
Lead us to Heav’n, its bliss to share, Fullness of joy forever there.
J. Bert Carlson (b. 1937), retired pastor, holds a master of music from Duquesne University School of Music and has served as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Whiting, NJ since 1997. Carlson wears many diverse hats as a piano teacher, organ recitalist, tenor soloist, musical director, and conductor as well as cofounder of the Chicago Oratorio Society and clinician for numerous workshops with an emphasis on choral methods, organ and hymn composition. His prodigious list of publications includes anthems, vocal songs, organ works, and piano works.
About the Vocal Solo Music:
The Artist - Joseph Martin
(c.1998, Malcolm Music, div. of Shawnee Press)
Joseph Martin (b. 1959 ), a native of North Carolina, earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. Subsequently he earned a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at the University of Texas, Austin. Joseph taught for five years in the Piano Pedagogy Department of the University of Texas.. He is a member of the staff of Shawnee Press as Director of Sacred Publications, with responsibilities for overseeing the editorial and creative direction of the company’s sacred publications and also coordinating the recording and production aspects of future sacred publishing efforts. Joseph has performed solo piano recitals and has been the featured artist with symphony orchestras in the United States and Mexico. As winner of the Nina Plant Wideman Competition, he performed with the Guadalajara Symphony Orchestra. His solo recital in Ex-convento del Carmen was broadcast nationally throughout the country. Though he continues to perform in concert, he now devotes his efforts to playing in churches and for conferences of church musicians Recognized throughout the United States for his many choral compositions, over 1200 compositions are currently in print and the list continues to grow.
Artist, Creator, I give to You my heart.
Mold me and make me into Your work of art.
Turn me and shape me into a vessel true.
Lord, make me holy, Lord make me holy,
Lord, make me holy as I give myself to You.
Lord, paint Your beauty on the canvas of my soul.
With hands of love You touch and make me whole.
Create the Masterpiece that only You can do.
Lord, make me holy, Lord, make me holy,
Lord, make me holy as I give myself to You.
Artist, Creator, I give to You my heart.
Mold me and make me into Your work of art.
Mold me and shape me into a vessel true.
Lord, make me holy, Lord make me holy,
Lord, make me holy as I give myself to You.
Lord, make me holy as I give myself to You.
About the Hymns:
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Walter C. Smith based this text on 1 Timothy 1: 17: "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever." The six-stanza text was published in Smith's Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life (1867) and, after having been revised by Smith, in W. Garrett Horder's Congregational Hymns (1884). Further revisions were made by the Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee.
"Immortal, Invisible" is a strong text of praise to God, who created and sustains the lives of all his creatures. The text focuses on the Creator of the universe, the invisible God whose visible works in nature testify to his glory and majesty. "Light" is the prevailing image in stanzas 1, 2, and 4 (see also Ps. 104:2); our inability to see God is not because of insufficient light but because the "splendor of light hides [God] from view."
Walter Chalmbers Smith (1824-1908) was educated at the University of Aberdeen and New College, Edinburgh, and became a Presbyterian pastor in the Free Church of Scotland in 1850. He served four congregations, including the Free High Church in Edinburgh (1876¬-1894). Moderator of his denomination in 1893, Smith was a man of wide interests. His poetry was published in some six volumes entitled Poetical Works (1902), and his hymn texts were published in Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life (1886).
ST. DENIO is based on "Can mlynedd i nawr" ("A Hundred Years from Now"), a traditional Welsh ballad popular in the early nineteenth century. It was first published as a hymn tune in John Roberts's Caniadau y Cyssegr (Hymns of the Sanctuary, 1839). The tune title refers to St. Denis, the patron saint of France.
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might:
thy justice, like mountains high soaring above,
thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.
Thou reignest in glory, thou dwellest in light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all laud we would render; O help us to see
'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee!
Moved by the Gospel
(c.1992, GIA Publications)
“Moved by the Gospel” immediately strikes a fresh note with its valuing of the various forms of artistic activity and how they give expression to the Gospel. Ruth Duck (b.1947) is professor of worship at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Illinois. She has written more than 150 hymns, which are widely published, as well as several books on worship. Her hymns are characterized by being well embedded in Scripture, their use of inclusive language and imagery, and their sensitive treatment of justice issues.
This hymn was written on the theme of the arts in worship, and addressed at the end to the ‘Great Artist’. Before that it had celebrated work with ‘sound and colour, stone and wood’ used to produce ‘the shape of holiness.’ It was written at the request of the Canadian-born sculptor and artist Janet Pearson Roth (living, like Duck, in Evanston, Illinois), and published in Duck’s Dancing in the Universe (1992).
It has been set to the 18th-century German tune ELLACOMBE. 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.
Moved by the Gospel, let us move with every gift and art.
The image of created love indwells each human heart.
The Maker calls creation good, so let us now express
with sound and colour, stone and wood, the shape of holiness.
Let weavers form from broken strands a tapestry of prayer.
Let artists paint with skilful hands their joy, lament and care.
Then mime the story; Christ has come. With reverence dance the word.
With flute and organ, gong and drum God’s praise be ever heard.
O Spirit, breathe among us here; inspire the work we do.
May hands and voices, eye and ear attest to life made new.
In worship and in daily strife create among us still.
Great Artist, form our common life according to your will
First United Methodist Church, Lewisville, Texas
A Community of Everyday People Learning to Love Like Jesus
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