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 Morning Star, How Fair and Bright - Charles Ore
(c.1995, Concordia Publishing House)
"Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" (How lovely shines the morning star) is a hymn by Philipp Nicolai written in 1597 and first published in 1599. The words in seven stanzas are based on Psalms 45, a mystical wedding song. Jesus is identified with the morning star, according to Revelation 22:16, and with the bridegroom of the psalm. Nicolai wrote the words in response to a pestilence in 1597. He published the chorale first in 1599 in his book Frewdenspiegel deß ewigen Lebens ("Mirror of Joy of the Life Everlasting") in Frankfurt, together with "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme". He introduced it: "Ein Geistlich Brautlied der Gläubigen Seelen / von Jesu Christo irem himlischen Bräutgam: Gestellt ober den 45. Psalm deß Propheten Dauids" (A spiritual bridal song of the believing soul / concerning Jesus Christ, her heavenly bridegroom, founded on the 45th Psalm of the prophet David). This hymn is often referred to as "The Queen of Chorales".
The hymn tune of "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern", was thought to be a creation of Nicolai. C. S. Terry claimed in an article in 1917 that the melody was at least 61 years older than Nicolai's publication. Joachim Stalmann wrote in 2000 that Nicolai's melody is reminiscent ("hat Anklänge") of a 1538 melody published in the Strasbourg Psalter in 1539 with the song "Jauchzet dem Herren alle Land", possibly by Jakob Dachser. It also closely resembles a tune used for Psalm 100 in Wolff Köphel's Psalter (1538).
Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608) lived an eventful life: he fled from the Spanish army, sparred with Roman Catholic and Calvinist opponents, and ministered to plague-stricken congregations. Educated at Wittenberg University, he was ordained a Lutheran pastor in 1583 in the city of Herdecke. However, he was soon at odds with the Roman Catholic town council, and when Spanish troops arrived to reestablish Roman dominance, Nicolai fled. In 1588 he became chief pastor at Altwildungen and court preacher to Countess Argaretha of Waldeck. During that time Nicolai battled with Calvinists, who disagreed with him about the theology of the real presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper. These doctrinal controversies were renewed when he served the church in Unna, Westphalia. During his time as a pastor there, the plague struck twice, and Nicolai wrote both "How Bright Appears the Morning Star" and "Wake, Awake." Nicolai's last years were spent as Pastor of St. Katherine's Church in Hamburg.
The chorale appeared as a hymn in German hymnals and in several translations in English hymnals, starting with How bright appears the Morning Star! by John Christian Jacobi, in his Psalmodica Germanica, 1722. Additional hymns were written on the same tune such as "O heilger Geist, kehr bei uns ein" of Michael Schirmer (1640).
The first verse (in an anonymous English translation beginning "How splendid shines the morning star") appeared in the Southern Harmony, an 1835 shape-note tunebook compiled by William Walker, where it is set to a tune called Morning Star by composer J. C. Lowry. This arrangement is repeated in the current An American Christmas Harp, with the addition of two more stanzas in a translation by William Mercer (1811-1873).
A fairly literal translation of the seven verses by Frances Browne:
How beautifully shines the morning star
full of grace and truth from the Lord, the sweet root of Jesse!
You son of David from the line of Jacob, my king and my bridegroom,
have taken posession of my heart, [you who are] lovely,friendly,
beautiful and glorious, great and honourable, rich in gifts,
lofty and exalted in splendour!
Ah my pearl, my precious crown, true son of God and Mary,
a king of most noble birth! My heart calls you a lily,
your sweet gospel is pure milk and honey.
Ah my dear flower, hosanna, heavenly manna,
that we eat, I cannot forget you!
Pour most deeply within my heart, you clear jasper and ruby,
the flames of your love, and make me rejoice, so that I may remain
in your chosen body a living rib!
Because of you, gracious rose of heaven,
my heart is sick and smouldering, wounded with love.
A joyful light from God comes to me when with your dear eyes
you look on me as a friend. Oh Lord Jesus, my beloved good,
your word, your spirit, your body and blood refresh me within.
Take me like a friend in your arms, so that I may become warm
with your grace. To your word I come invited.
Lord, God, Father, my mighty hero, before the world you have
loved me in your son. Your son has betrothed me to himself,
he is my treasure, I am his bride, most greatly I rejoice in him.
Yes, yes. Heavenly life he will give me in the the world above!
My heart shall praise him forever.
Pluck the strings on the harp and let the sweet music
resound full of joy, so that with dear Jesus, my most beautiful bridegroom,
in constant love I may make my pilgrimage!
Sing, leap, rejoice, triumph, thank the Lord!
Great is the king of honour!
How full I am therefore of heartfelt joy
that my treasure is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end;
To his reward he will take me up to paradise, and so I clap my hands
Amen! Amen! Come, you sweet crown of joy,
do not long delay, I wait for you with longing.
Charles W. Ore (b.1936) was born in Winfield, Kan. A 1958 graduate of Concordia University in Seward, he was awarded a master of music degree from Northwestern University in. Evanston, Ill., and a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. From 1966 to 2001, Charles was professor of music and chair of the Music Department at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. He was also the cantor of Pacific Hills Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska from 1975-2001 and Associate Organist at First-Plymouth Congregational Church, Lincoln, Nebraska from 2001-2006. Charles is an accomplished organ recitalist, composer of organ and choral music, and is a leader in the use and development of improvisation in organ playing. Charles Ore is best known for his organ compositions. His nine volumes of 11 Compositions for Organ, which appeared from 1971 to 2012, comprise the longest-running series in Concordia Publishing House history.
When the Stars are in the Heavens Bright - Carol Shamory
(c.1997, Lorenz Publishing)
Carol Shamory is a composer and voice teacher in South Bend, Indiana. She received her bachelors at St. Mary’s College and her masters at Western Michigan University. She has written a variety of church music for choir, voice, and organ.
The Watchman and the Star - John Rasley
(c.1995, Lorenz Publishing)
Isaiah 21 sets the broader context for “Watchman, Tell Us of the Night”. It concerns a special vision that God gave Isaiah about Babylon, a city on the Euphrates River south of modern Baghdad, Iraq. In this vision, the military and political leaders of Babylon are eating a banquet together when their celebration is interrupted by a word from the Lord to watch for someone who will bring news to Judah. Horsemen from one of Judah’s neighbors are preparing for battle. A watchman was needed to observe the battle. The gods of Babylon would not be able to save the city and it would fall. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground.” The Lord says that the people of Judah have suffered greatly. The all-powerful God of Israel would save them. In verses 11-12, the specific verses upon which this hymn is based, there is hope offered by the oracle from Dumah, a small crossroads in the desert three hundred miles south of Jerusalem where merchants traveling between Babylon, Edom, and Syria could exchange information. A traveler from the region of Seir (near Edom) asks a question: “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, the morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.” The implication is that the morning will bring a time of peace, but then in the night, war will again break out.
That is the historic significance of the prophecy. But Sir John Bowring uses it in a symbolic or figurative sense of something entirely different seen in Matthew’s account of the “glory beaming star” that guided the wise men to the newborn King (Matt. 2:1-12), who is described in the hymn (and in Scripture) as “the Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6), and “the Son of God” (Heb. 4:14). “The promised day of Israel” was the day of the Messiah’s coming. But He was rejected and crucified, and they missed their “day” (Lk. 19:41-44). The restoration of Israel’s national glory awaits the return of Christ to set up His earthly kingdom (Isa. 60:1-3). So, the star was not only intended to light the way to King Jesus; it pointed to the light of Christ’s second coming which, in a broader sense, will illuminate the whole earth. As Malachi puts it, “The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings [or beams]” (Mal. 4:2). And the glorified Christ describes Himself as “the Bright and Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16).
Sir John Bowring (1792-1872), a staunch Unitarian, provides a poetic interpretation of this text that elaborates on the dialogue between the traveler and the watchman. A distinguished scholar, Bowring was ranked by some as one of the great minds of his day in the English-speaking world. Among his gifts was his ability as a linguist, publishing translations of poetry from such varied languages as Russian, Batavian, Spanish, Polish, Serbian, Bohemian, Czech, and Hungarian. He was also a social progressive. According to hymnologist Albert Bailey, Bowring advocated free trade, parliamentary reform, education for all, and prison reform among others.
Few hymnwriters have been as conversant in national and international politics. Sir John (knighted in 1854) was heavily involved in developing commercial relationships on behalf of Great Britain and, in this capacity, traveled to France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany on the European continent, as well as Syria in the Middle East, and Siam (now Thailand) in south Asia. In addition, Bowring was a Member of Parliament twice, a consul at Canton, in charge of trade in China, and a governor of Hong Kong — the connections with China being his most unsuccessful political endeavor. He was evidently relieved of his duties in Hong Kong because Bowring “was full of conceit and without any very clear idea of political principles on a large scale.” Bailey notes that some suggest that Bowring’s policies and poor relationships with the Chinese contributed, at least in part, to the second Opium War (1856-1858) — a situation that led to the Chinese putting a price on his head. His difficulties in China notwithstanding, Bowring’s political skills must have been respected in some quarters. Even after retirement in 1860, his public service continued as a commissioner to Italy and other diplomatic posts in Europe and Hawaii. With the exception of John Newton, the former slave-trader-turned-Anglican-priest who penned “Amazing Grace,” we find few hymnwriters with such a colorful and international lifestyle.
Despite a demanding political and diplomatic career, Sir John maintained an active avocation as a translator of poetry, composer of original poems, and writer of essays on political and religious themes. Albert Bailey notes, however, that the “hymns that have lived were all written when he was about 30 years old, when his poetic interests were uppermost, and the idealism of youth made him the champion of the downtrodden and the underprivileged.”
Bowring was undoubtedly aware of the region of the world in which the hymn was situated. It was first published in Bowring’s Hymns (1825). The poem is distinctive for its perfect symmetry: In the first two lines of each stanza, the traveler asks the watchman what he sees. The final two lines of each stanza provide the watchman’s response. The poem is also an excellent example of how a hymn can gradually build to a climax. Each stanza adds intensity and hope. The hymn reflects Bowring’s unfailing Unitarian postmillennial optimism that the Kingdom of God can be established on earth. Certainly, Bowring’s breadth of experience as a traveler and understanding of many cultures, languages, and world events gave him a perspective that few in his day could match. Indeed, the hymn may be partly autobiographical—Bowring, the perpetual traveler searching the world for peace.
It was first sung in the United States in January 1830, at the Park Street Church in Boston. After Pastor Rufus Anderson concluded his sermon, the famous composer, music educator, church musician, and choral conductor, Lowell Mason (1792-1872), led the choir in singing his setting for solo voices, choir, and congregation, and keyboard. It was published as Watchman! Tell us of the night: a missionary or Christmas hymn and included in the Boston Handel and Haydn Society Collection of Church Music, 9th Edition (Boston, 1830).
Watchman, tell us of the night, What its signs of promise are.
Traveler, o’er yon mountain’s height, See that glory beaming star.
Watchman, does its beauteous ray Aught of joy or hope foretell?
Traveler, yes–it brings the day, Promised day of Israel.
Watchman, tell us of the night; Higher yet that star ascends.
Traveler, blessedness and light, Peace and truth its course portends.
Watchman, will its beams alone Gild the spot that gave them birth?
Traveler, ages are its own; See, it bursts o’er all the earth.
Watchman, tell us of the night, For the morning seems to dawn.
Traveler, darkness takes its flight, Doubt and terror are withdrawn.
Watchman, let thy wanderings cease; Hie thee to thy quiet home.
Traveler! Lo, the Prince of Peace, Lo, the Son of God is come!
John Rasley (1913-1998) was an organist and editor for organ music at Lorenz Publishing. He also wrote under his own name and several pseudonyms, as was the practice at Lorenz. He was organist at First Presbyterian Church, Independence, Iowa.
About the Choral Music:
The Star of Bethlehem - Sally DeFord
(c.2019, Sally DeFord)
Sally Giles DeFord is a prolific composer and arranger whose choral, duet, solo, and instrumental music is given away through her website. “The Lord has placed me in circumstances that currently don't demand extra income, he has inspired the creators of technology to produce programs that I can use to publish the music without the assistance of typesetters, and he has given me a gift that I did nothing to earn. Sharing seems logical.” DeFord was born in 1959 in Eugene, Oregon. She fondly recalls that her love of music came listening to her grandmother practice the accordion and her grandfather singing her to sleep accompanied by his banjo. She wrote her first song—a ballad for a then-boyfriend—when she was sixteen, but scrapped it, as well as the next few songs she wrote. She attended Brigham Young University. Her music has been featured in Church magazines numerous times and she has received over thirty Church music awards for her compositions and arrangements. Her song, “If the Savior Stood Beside Me” was used in the 2008 Primary program and was performed in the Church’s General Young Women’s meeting in 2007.
High above the weary world, amid the stars of heaven,
To men of old a wondrous sign of peace and hope was given.
A brighter star was kindled there to blaze among the skies,
To mark the way to Bethlehem and everlasting light.
And high above the weary world, For eyes to see that will,
The star of Bethlehem will shine for those who seek Him still.
High above the weary world, it shone upon their road,
And lo! it led the wise men on to seek a poor abode.
And is there now no humble home to which its light may lead?
No quiet need? No tears of grief? No hungering soul to feed?
Look high above the weary world, For eyes to see that will,
The star of Bethlehem will shine for those who seek Him still.
High above the weary world His star still shines for me,
It bids me seek the Holy child, adoring on bended knee.
It beckons me through ages past, by countless years undimmed.
It bids me serve His children now, Thus to worship Him,
And high above the weary world, For eyes to see that will,
The star of Bethlehem will shine for those who seek Him still.
About the Hymns:
We Three Kings of Orient Are
“We Three Kings", also known as "We Three Kings of Orient Are" or "The Quest of the Magi", is a Christmas carol written by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr., who wrote both the lyrics and the tune (KINGS OF ORIENT). It is thought to have been written in 1857 but did not appear in print until his Carols, Hymns and Song in 1863. John Henry Hopkins, Jr., then an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church, was instrumental in organizing an elaborate holiday pageant (which featured this hymn) for the students of the General Theological Seminary in New York City in 1857 while serving as the seminary's music director. Although there is no scriptural basis for stating dogmatically that there were three wise men, the fact that three distinct gifts are mentioned has given rise to this traditional idea. Master artists throughout the centuries have depicted three wise men on camels as one of their favorite nativity themes.
We three kings of Orient are; bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.
Born a King on Bethlehem's plain, gold I bring to crown him again,
King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign.
Frankincense to offer have I; incense owns a Deity nigh;
prayer and praising, voices raising, worshiping God on high.
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom;
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
Glorious now behold him arise; King and God and sacrifice:
Alleluia, Alleluia, sounds through the earth and skies.
O star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.
A Star Shone Bright
F. Richard "Dick" Garland is a retired United Methodist pastor. A graduate of Garrett Theological Seminary, he has served churches in Chicago, Indiana, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. He sings with the Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra as well as the Chancel Choir of St. Luke's UMC in Derry, NH, where he is serving as interim pastor in retirement. He is also a member of The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts. He is a lifelong hiker and an avid mountain climber.
Garland wrote his first hymn, a children's song, in a seminary music class with Austin C. Lovelace, and has written poetry for many years. He has over sixty hymns published on the Discipleship Ministries website.
O WALY WALY is a folk tune of Scottish, English or Irish origin that has been sung since the 1600s. The tune name is a lament that translates "Woe is me." It takes its name from the opening line of the lyric, "Waly, waly, gin Love be bonny”, the words of which date back at least to Ramsay's Tea Table Miscellany (1724-1732). It is also the setting for a folk ballad about Jamie Douglas and is well known in the Appalachian region of the United States. Hal H. Hopson (1933-2025) adapted and arranged O WALY WALY as an anthem in 1971 for his setting of 1 Corinthians 13, "Gift of Love"; his version became known as GIFT OF LOVE. more recent hymnals have begun publishing this tune in triple meter, contrary to the publisher's request, in order to avoid the long-held notes. The Companion to the United Methodist Hymnal noted that their committee's request for permission to use triple meter was denied, but that "in an assertion of free will over predestination”, The Presbyterian Hymnal, 1990, included the text with a triple-meter form of the tune.
Hopson was educated at Baylor University, Waco, Texas, and Southern Baptist Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. He served various churches in the Nashville area as organist and choir director. He has also taught at Westminster Choir College, Princeton, New Jersey, and Scarritt Graduate School, Nashville, Tennessee. Over eight hundred of Hopson's hymn tunes and keyboard and choral compositions have been published.
A star shone bright across the plain and calmed the earth so Love could reign.
’Twas in a child that hope was born, a dream fulfilled! O happy morn!
O Son of God, Incarnate Word, O Wisdom’s Light, whom angels heard,
come forth again, our hearts console. O heal our hurts and make us whole.
From Bethlehem come to our day; reveal to us your holy way.
Be born again, Eternal Fire, O spirit come, our souls inspire.
O star shine forth one more this night and flood our streets with heavenly Light
till every heart in Christ shall see the glory of eternity!
Canticle of Light and Darkness
Response 2
Richard Proulx (1937-2010), composer, conductor, and teacher, was director of music at the Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois (1980-1997); before that he was organist and choirmaster at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church in Seattle, Washington. He contributed his expertise to the Roman Catholic Worship III (1986), The Episcopal Hymnal 1982, The United Methodist Hymnal (1989), and the ecumenical A New Hymnal for Colleges and Schools (1992). He was educated at the University of Minnesota, MacPhail College of Music in Minneapolis, Minnesota, St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, and the Royal School of Church Music in England. He composed more than 250 works.
You are the light of the world;
be light in our darkness, O Christ.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
(c.1981, Church Pension Fund; c.1989, United Methodist Publishing House)
Each of the verses of “O come, O Come, Emmanuel” is a paraphrase of one of the O Antiphons.
The chorus was added at an unknown later date, The hymn has its origins over 1,200 years ago in monastic life in the 8th or 9th century. The refrain may have been added when the Latin metrical form of the hymn was composed as early as the 12th century.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel..
First United Methodist Church, Lewisville, Texas
A Community of Everyday People Learning to Love Like Jesus
