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:
Short Fugue on Old Hundredth - Glenn Gentry
(c.1971, Glenn Gentry)
During the preparation and celebration of Thanksgiving this month, hymns of praise and thanksgiving are meaningful as we, through music, lead our congregations to focus on our gratefulness for what God has given us. The church has a rich repertoire of hymns for this season, but a beautiful starting point is the familiar doxological hymn, “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow,” by Bishop Thomas Ken (1637-1711).
From Hertfordshire, Ken was orphaned as a child and raised by his sister Anna and her husband Izaak Walton. They enrolled him in the all-boys school at Winchester College (1651-1656), and after his education there, he attended Hart Hall, Oxford, and New College, Oxford (BA 1661, MA 1664). He was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1662, served as Rector to several parishes, and as a Chaplain to Princess Mary of Orange (1679-80), King Charles II (1683), and the Tangier Expedition (1683-84). In 1685, he was appointed Bishop of Bath and Wells. During the reign of King James II, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London for refusing to sign the Declaration of Indulgence. Ken was acquitted of the charge, but when King William III ascended to the throne Ken refused to swear loyalty to him, he resigned his office and lived the rest of his life at the home of his friend, Lord Weymouth, at Longleat, Wilshire.
The original date of composition by Ken for the text of “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” is unknown, but the first mention of the hymn is in 1674 as the presumed final stanza of two longer hymns: “Awake, My Soul and with the Sun” and “Glory to Thee, My God, This Night.” These two hymns were referenced along with a third as Morning, Evening and Midnight hymns in a pamphlet written for his students titled A Manual of Prayers For the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College, which was accompanied by the directive: “Be sure to sing the Morning and Evening Hymn in your chamber devoutly, remembering that the Psalmist, upon happy experience, assures you that it is a good thing to tell of the loving kindness of the Lord early in the morning and of his truth in the night season.” This directive is most often interpreted to mean that the hymns were meant for private devotion, not the gathered assembly, and yet these four lines, often referred to as The Lesser Doxology, have “been sung more often than any other lines ever written.” The hymn texts were published later as an appendix in his 1695 pamphlet as ‘revised’ versions.
Much of beauty of these four lines lies in its reflection of the joyous outbursts of the Psalms. Here we see both the ‘host’ of heaven and the ‘creatures here below’ of earth praising God as in Psalm 96:11-12a and the final jubilant line of Psalm 150:6:
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. (Psalm 96: 11-12a, NRSV)
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:6, NRSV)
The Trinitarian structure of Ken’s hymn has also led to its common liturgical use. The first line describes the person of God the Father as the source of all blessings (Ephesians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:3). The second line, though, speaks to God the Spirit through whom all creatures praise God (Psalm 104:24-30, 1 Corinthians 2:10-13). The third line points to God the Son who is begotten of the Father, firstborn of heaven and superior to angels and the heavenly host (Hebrews 1:4). The fourth line summarizes the stanza and all of praise in general, since all praise is directed toward God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
OLD HUNDREDTH is a hymn tune in Long Metre from Pseaumes Octante Trois de David (1551) (the second edition of the Genevan Psalter) and is one of the best known melodies in all Christian musical traditions. The tune is usually attributed to the French composer Louis Bourgeois. Loys "Louis" Bourgeois (c.1510-1559) was a composer and music theorist of the Renaissance. He is most famous as one of the main compilers of Calvinist hymn tunes in the middle of the 16th century. In 1549 and 1550 he worked on a collections of psalm-tunes, most of which were translated by Clément Marot and Théodore de Bèze. Unfortunately, he fell foul of local musical authorities and was sent to prison in December, 1551 for changing the tunes for some well-known psalms "without a license." He was released on the personal intervention of John Calvin, but the controversy continued: those who had already learned the tunes had no desire to learn new versions, and the town council ordered the burning of Bourgeois's instructions to the singers, claiming they were confusing. Shortly after this incident, Bourgeois left Geneva never to return: he settled in Lyon, and his Geneva employment was terminated.
The Genevan Psalter was compiled over a number of years in the Swiss city of Geneva, a center of Protestant activity during the Reformation, in response to the teaching of John Calvin that communal singing of psalms in the vernacular language is a foundational aspect of church life. This contrasted with the prevailing Catholic practice at the time in which sacred texts were chanted in Latin by the clergy only. Calvinist musicians including Bourgeois supplied many new melodies and adapted others from sources both sacred and secular. The final version of the psalter was completed in 1562. Calvin intended the melodies to be sung in plainsong during church services, but harmonized versions were provided for singing at home.
The Genevan Psalter, the source for the hymns of both the Reformed Church in England and the Pilgrims in America. In the original versions by Bourgeois, the music is monophonic, in accordance with the dictates of John Calvin, who disapproved not only of counterpoint but of any multiple parts; Bourgeois though did also provide four-part harmonizations, but they were reserved for singing and playing at home. Many of the four-part settings are syllabic and chordal, a style which has survived in many Protestant church services to the present day.
Awake, my soul, and with the sun thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and early rise to pay thy morning sacrifice.
Lord, I my vows to Thee renew. Disperse my sins as morning dew;
guard my first springs of thought and will, and with Thyself my spirit fill.
Direct, control, suggest, this day, all I design or do or say,
that all my pow'rs, with all their might, in Thy sole glory may unite.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise Him all creatures here below;
praise Him above, ye heav'enly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
———————
Glory to thee, my God, this night, for all the blessings of the light:
keep me, O keep me, King of kings, beneath thine own almighty wings.
Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son, the ill that I this day have done;
that with the world, myself, and thee, I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.
Teach me to live, that I may dread the grave as little as my bed;
teach me to die, that so I may rise glorious at the awful day.
O may my soul on thee repose, and with sweet sleep mine eyelids close;
sleep that shall me more vigorous make to serve my God when I awake.
When in the night I sleepless lie, my soul with heavenly thoughts supply;
let no ill dreams disturb my rest, no powers of darkness me molest.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host: praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
No biographical information has been found for Glenn Gentry. This piece is found in a collection of organ pieces distributed to attendees of the Southern Regional Convention of American Guild of Organists in 1971.
About the Piano Music:
How Can I Keep from Singing? - Mark Hayes
(c.2018, Lorenz Publishing)
How Can I Keep From Singing?" (also known by its incipit "My Life Flows On in Endless Song") is a Christian hymn with music written by American Baptist minister Robert Wadsworth Lowry. The song is frequently, though erroneously, cited as a traditional Quaker or Shaker hymn. The original composition has now entered into the public domain, and appears in several hymnals and song collections, both in its original form and with a revised text. Though it is not, in fact, a Quaker hymn, twentieth-century Quakers adopted it as their own and use it widely today.
The first known publication of the words was on August 7, 1868, in The New York Observer, Titled "Always Rejoicing", and, attributed to "Pauline T." These words were published by Robert Lowry in the 1869 song book, Bright Jewels for the Sunday School. Here Lowry claims credit for the music, but gives no indication as to who wrote the words. These words were also published in a British periodical in 1869, The Christian Pioneer, but no author is indicated. Lewis Hartsough, citing Bright Jewels as source of the lyrics and crediting Lowry for the tune, included "How Can I Keep from Singing?" in the 1872 edition of the Revivalist. Ira D. Sankey published his own setting of the words in Gospel Hymns, No. 3 (1878), writing that the words were anonymous. The song has often been attributed to "early" Quakers, but Quakers did not permit congregational singing in worship until after the American Civil War. It was published in the Quaker songbook Songs of the Spirit, and the original words were included in the much more ambitious Quaker hymnal project, Worship in Song: A Friends Hymnal] in 1996.
During the 20th century, this hymn was not widely used in congregational worship. Diehl's index to a large number of hymnals from 1900 to 1966 indicates that only one hymnal included it: the 1941 edition of The Church Hymnal of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, titled "My Life Flows On". It was also published in the earlier 1908 Seventh-day Adventist hymnal, Christ In Song, under the title "How Can I Keep From Singing?" The United Methodist Church published it in its 2000 hymnal supplement, The Faith We Sing, giving credit for the lyrics as well as the tune to Robert Lowry. The Faith We Sing version changes some of the lyrics and punctuation from the 1868 version.
My life goes on in endless song Above earth´s lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn That hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife I hear its music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul. How can I keep from singing?
While though the tempest loudly roars, I hear the truth, it liveth.
And though the darkness 'round me close, Songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm, While to that rock I´m clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth How can I keep from singing?
When tyrants tremble in their fear And hear their death knell ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near How can I keep from singing?
In prison cell and dungeon vile Our thoughts to them are winging,
When friends by shame are undefiled How can I keep from singing?
Mark Hayes is an award-winning concert pianist, composer, arranger and conductor. His personal catalog, totaling over 1,000 published works, includes work for solo voice, solo piano, multiple pianos, orchestra, jazz combo, small instrumental ensembles, and choruses of all kinds. Mark received a Bachelor of Music degree summa cum laude in Piano Performance from Baylor University in 1975. He has conducted the SWACDA and MCDA Community and Church Honor Choir, and served as guest conductor at Carnegie Hall, featuring his Te Deum and Magnificat. In 2010, Baylor University Center for Christian Music Studies awarded Mark the Award for Exemplary Leadership in Christian Music. Mark arranged and orchestrated the music for Civil War Voices, which won six awards including "Best Musical" in the 2010 Midtown International Theatre Festival in New York. He conducted the world premiere of his work for chorus, orchestra and narrator, The American Spirit, at Lincoln Center in May 2011 and the world premiere of his Requiem in Lincoln Center in May 2013. Whether concertizing on the other side of the globe or composing at his home in Kansas City, Missouri, Mark is blessed to live out his mission "to create beautiful music for the world”.
About the Choral Music:
The Storm is Passing Over – Barbara Baker
(c.1996, Boosey & Hawkes)
Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1933) was born in Berlin, Maryland; son of a slave father and a free mother. In his Book of Sermons (1932), he speaks of being “hired out” as a young boy, “wherever father could place me.” He married Daisy Henry when he was seventeen. Together they had eight children, some of whom would later assist him with the publication of his hymns. Tindley was largely self-taught throughout his lifetime. He learned to read mostly on his own. In 1875, he took correspondence courses toward becoming a Methodist minister. He did this while working as a sexton (building caretaker) for the East Bainbridge Street Church. Beginning in 1885, he was appointed by the local bishop to serve two or three-year terms at a series of churches, until coming full circle to become pastor at East Bainbridge in 1902. Under his leadership, the church grew rapidly. They relocated in 1904 to the East Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church, then again in 1924 to the new Tindley Temple, where the membership roll blossomed to about ten thousand. Tindley was known for being a captivating preacher, and for also taking an active role in the betterment of the people in his community. His songs were an outgrowth of his preaching ministry, often introduced during his sermons. Tindley was able to draw people of multiple races to his church ministry; likewise, his songs have been adopted and proliferated by white and black churches alike. The songs of Charles Tindley were published cumulatively in two editions of Soul Echoes (1905, 1909) and six editions of New Songs of Paradise (1916-1941).
"The storm is passing over" was originally published as a hymn in Charles Tindley's Soul Echoes (1905). It did not gain significant popularity until it was adapted as a gospel choir arrangement by Donald Vails, as recorded on his album Yesterday, Today, and Forever (1985). This arrangement has largely superceded Tindley's original hymn in terms of usage and performance.
Dr. Barbara Baker is an active teacher, arranger, and clinician with a nationally recognized reputation. She currently directs choral ensembles at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland, as well as the Gospel Choir at the Colesville United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. She is the recipient of the Maryland Award for Excellence.
Have courage my soul and let us journey on though the night is dark,
And I am far from home. Thanks be to God, the morning light appears.
The storm is passing over. Hallelu.
About the Hymns:
Where He Leads Me
Earnest W. Blandy, a Salvation Army officer, wrote this song in 1890, after choosing between a comfortable post at an established church, and an alternate assignment to the New York City waterfront and slum called "Hell’s Kitchen." He chose the latter. No other biographical information on Rev. Blandy has survived. The text is based on Matthew 16:24: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”
The melody was composed by pastor and evangelist John S. Norris, who died in 1907. Norris was born on the Isle of Wight, which is in the English Channel off the southern coast of England. His family emigrated to Canada. In 1868, a few years after the Civil War ended, he was ordained into the Methodist Church ministry. However, 10 years later he joined the Congregational Church and pastored churches in Canada and the United States. Little is known of his ministry. His only legacy is the soulful tune of this simple song of invitation and consecration.
I can hear my Savior calling, I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling, "Take thy cross and follow, follow Me."
I'll go with Him through the garden, I'll go with Him through the garden,
I'll go with Him through the garden, I'll go with Him, with Him all the way.
I'll go with Him through the judgment, I'll go with Him through the judgment,
I'll go with Him through the judgment, I'll go with Him, with Him all the way.
He will give me grace and glory, He will give me grace and glory,
He will give me grace and glory, And go with me, with me all the way.
Where He leads me I will follow, Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow, I'll go with Him, with Him all the way.
Lead On, O Cloud of Presence
(c.1992, GIA Publications)
Dr. Ruth Duck (b. 1947), professor of worship at United Methodist-affiliated Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, was born in Washington, D.C. Her theological education includes Chicago Theological Seminary, the University of Notre Dame and Boston University School of Theology, where she received her Th.D. in 1989. Before coming to Garrett-Evangelical in 1989, she served as pastor at United Church of Christ parishes in Illinois, Wisconsin and Massachusetts. Recently she was elected president of the North American Academy of Liturgy.
Dr. Duck has been a hymn writer since the early 1970s, writing about 170 hymns, metrical psalms and canticles. She describes the origins of this hymn:
“‘Lead on, O Cloud of Presence’ emerged while I was trying to adapt ‘Lead on, O King Eternal’ for Because We Are One People (1974). Both texts used the Exodus imagery (Numbers 9:15-23). The old hymn uses triumphalist military language, while the new hymn grows out of liberation movements. The cloud and fiery pillar are symbols of God’s presence, guiding people in uncertain times as they journey toward freedom.”
The author lived in Memphis, Tenn., from 1964-1969. She notes that she “was deeply influenced by Dr. [Martin Luther] King’s presence and death there. ‘Lead On’ undoubtedly grows out of that experience. So much has been accomplished toward racial justice and reconciliation and so much more needs to be done. The journey is truly our home!”
The incipit (opening line) of Dr. Duck’s original paraphrase was, “Lead on, O cloud of Yahweh.” The hymn appears in this form in the collection Everflowing Stream: Songs for Worship (1981), edited by Michael G. Bausch and Dr. Duck. She notes that Willis Elliot encouraged her to adapt this line to the current form out of “concern for Jewish-Christian dialogue.” The new version first appeared in one of her three hymn collections, Dancing in the Universe: Hymns and Songs (1992).
Among other themes in her hymns, Dr. Duck explores alternative language for God. She offers the theological root of this exploration: “I bring several central concerns to writing hymn texts. One is to develop new language that includes all people, moving beyond exclusively masculine images and pronouns. My first hymn texts [including ‘Lead on, O Cloud of Presence’] emerged from attempts to revise hymns that had much masculine imagery. At the same time, I am committed to using language that rings true to my own experience. Thus, I avoid language that is only experimental; a hymn text must express genuine faith experience.”
Lead on, O cloud of Presence, the exodus is come.
In wilderness and desert our tribe shall make its home.
Our slavery left behind us, new hopes within us grow.
We seek the land of promise where milk and honey flow.
Lead on, O fiery Pillar, we follow yet with fears,
but we shall come rejoicing though joy be born of tears.
We are not lost, though wandering, for by your light we come,
and we are still God’s people. The journey is our home.
Lead on, O God of freedom, and guide us on our way,
and help us trust the promise through struggle and delay.
We pray our sons and daughters may journey to that land
where justice dwells with mercy, and love is law’s demand.
May God Bless and Keep You - Jim Strathdee
(c.1994, Desert Flower Music)
Internationally known artists, Jim and Jean Strathdee sing with thousands of people each year as they offer their music in concerts, worship, conferences, reteats, and workshops. Most often they travel throughout the United States and Canada, but over the 40 year span of their ministry they have shared their music in India, New Zealand, Cuba, and Central America. Their music spans a diversity of sound and style and includes use of guitar, piano, mandolin, harmonica, African drums, and Native American flute. They see music as an agent of transformation where ecumenical and inter-faith communities come together to make a stand for positive change. Jim and Jean have served on the staff of United Methodist churches in southern and northern California and Hawaii. They have written hundreds of hymns, songs, and anthems.
May God bless and keep you,
May God's loving face now shine on you and be gracious, gracious, Amen.
First United Methodist Church, Lewisville, Texas
A Community of Everyday People Learning to Love Like Jesus
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