November 22, 2015

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; much of it is "borrowed" from other sources such as Wikipedia, GBOD, and hymnary.org.  It is my hope that this information will enhance your understanding and enrich your worship experience.  

(This is the Sunday that we celebrate the Saints in our lives, past and present, and honor those who have passed in the last year.)

About the Organ Music:

Dundee – Healey Willan

Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley.  As a hymn-writer Charles Wesley was unique. He is said to have written no less than 6500 hymns, and though, of course, in so vast a number some are of unequal merit, it is perfectly amazing how many there are which rise to the highest degree of excellence. His feelings on every occasion of importance, whether private or public, found their best expression in a hymn. His own conversion, his own marriage, the earthquake panic, the rumors of an invasion from France, the defeat of Prince Charles Edward at Culloden, the Gordon riots, every Festival of the Christian Church, every doctrine of the Christian Faith, striking scenes in Scripture history, striking scenes which came within his own view, the deaths of friends as they passed away, one by one, before him, all furnished occasions for the exercise of his divine gift.  The saying that a really good hymn is as rare an appearance as that of a comet is falsified by the work of Charles Wesley; for hymns, which are really good in every respect, flowed from his pen in quick succession, and death alone stopped the course of the perennial stream. “Let Saints on Earth in Concert Sing” was published in Wesley’s Funeral Hymns, 1759.

Let saints on earth in concert sing With those whose work is done;
For all the servants of our King In earth and heav'n are one.

One family, we dwell in Him, One Church, above, beneath,
Though now divided by the stream, The narrow stream of death.

One army of the living God, To His command we bow;
Part of His host hath cross'd the flood, And part are crossing now.

E’en now to their eternal home There pass some spirits blest;
While others to the margin come, Waiting their call to rest.

Jesu, be Thou our constant guide; Then, when the word is given,
Bid Jordan’s narrow stream divide, And bring us safe to Heav’n.

Healey Willan (1880-1968) was an Canadian organist and composer.  He composed more than 800 works including operas, symphonies, chamber music, a concerto, and pieces for band, orchestra, organ, and piano, but is best known for his religious music.  Willan was born in England, and he began musical training at age eight, with studies at St. Saviour's Choir School in Eastbourne.  He earned, by examination in organ playing, harmony, counterpoint, history and orchestration, the Royal College of Organists' Associateship in 1897 and Fellowship in 1899. The Anglo-Catholic Tractarian movement led to an Anglican revival of plainsong, and in 1910, Willan joined the London Gregorian Association (which strove to preserve and revive "plain-chant").  In 1913, Willan emigrated to Canada.  In 1921, he become Precentor of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Toronto), where he remained until his death.  St. Mary Magdalene, under Willan, became a North American mecca for choral and Anglican church musicians.  In 1920, the Toronto Conservatory (now the Royal Conservatory of Music) appointed Willan Head of its Theory Department.  In 1934, he founded the Tudor Singers, which he conducted until it disbanded in 1939.  From 1937 to 1950, Willan was University of Toronto Professor of Music and Organist. When the Order of Canada was established in 1967, it named Willan a Companion. In Britain, it was customary for the Archbishop of Canterbury to occasionally grant very distinguished English cathedral musicians the Lambeth Doctorate, Mus. D Cantaur; in 1956, Willan, "the Dean of Canadian composers", became the first non-English church musician to be so honoured.  People who remember Willan from his time at St Mary Magdalene's like to moderate his somewhat dourly pious public image by quoting him: "English by birth; Canadian by adoption; Irish by extraction; Scotch by absorption."

Behold a Host – F. Melius Christiansen

Hans Brorson (1694-1764) was a Danish Pietist bishop and hymn writer.  Brorson belonged to a clerical family; his father and two brothers were also vicars.  He began publishing hymns in 1732 while a pastor in southern Jutland, and became Bishop at Ribe in 1741.  Almost forgotten after his death, his hymns became popular again in the Romantic period, and Brorson is now ranked among the four greatest Danish hymn writers. The tune of “Behold a Host” is a Norwegian folksong dating from around 1600.

Behold a host, arrayed in white, Like a thousand snow clad mountains bright,                           With palms they stand.  Who is this band before the throne light?                                    

Lo, these are they of glorious fame who from the great affliction came                                       And in the flood of Jesus’ blood are cleansed from guilt and blame.                                           Now gathered in the holy place their voices they in worship raise,                                               Their anthems swell where God doth dwell, mid angels’ song of praise.

Then hail, ye mighty legions, yea, all hail! Now safe and blest for aye,                                       And praise the Lord, who with His Word sustained you on the way.                                           Farewell, now bring your sheaves and sing salvation’s glad refrain.         

Swing high your palm, lift up your song, Yea, make it myriad voices strong.                             Eternally shall praise to Thee, God, and the Lamb belong.

Fredrik Melius Christiansen (1871-1955), the son of a Norwegian factory worker, was born in Eidsvold, Norway and emigrated to the United States at the age of 17. He settled in Wisconsin and studied at Augsburg College. In 1897, he returned to Europe to study at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Leipzig, Germany.  In 1901, Christiansen was recruited by St. Olaf College president John N. Kildahl. The St. Olaf Choir was founded as an outgrowth of the St. John's Lutheran Church Choir in Northfield. For the next 30 years, Christiansen led the St. Olaf Choir, striving for perfect intonation, blend, diction and phrasing. He was a skilled conductor, directing bands and choirs alike. He assumed direction of the St. Olaf Band in 1903, and took the ensemble on tour to Norway in 1906 to play for King Haakon VII, making it the first college music ensemble to conduct a tour abroad. Though his first love was the violin, he received international fame as founding director of the St. Olaf Choir of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, USA from 1912 to 1944. Christiansen was considered a pioneer in the art of a cappella (unaccompanied) choral music. Christiansen composed and arranged over 250 musical selections and his choral techniques were spread throughout the U.S. by St. Olaf graduates. The great Christiansen choral tradition is a recognized feature of American Lutheranism.

Cortège – Marcel Dupré

Marcel Dupré (1886-1971) was born into a musical family and was a child prodigy. His father Albert Dupré was organist in Rouen and built an organ in the family house when Marcel was 14 years old. He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1904.  In 1914, Dupré won the Grand Prix de Rome for his cantata, Psyché. In 1926, he was appointed professor of organ performance and improvisation at the Paris Conservatoire, a position he held until 1954.  Dupré became famous for performing more than 2000 organ recitals throughout Australia, the United States, Canada and Europe, which included a recital series of 10 concerts of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach in 1920 (Paris Conservatoire) and 1921 (Palais du Trocadéro), both performed entirely from memory. The sponsorship of an American transcontinental tour by the John Wanamaker Department Store interests rocketed his name into international prominence. Dupré's "Symphonie-Passion" began as an improvisation on Philadelphia's Wanamaker Organ. In 1934, Dupré succeeded Charles-Marie Widor as titular organist at St. Sulpice in Paris, a post he held until his death in 1971.  From 1947 to 1954, he was director of the American Conservatory, which occupies the Louis XV wing of the Château de Fontainebleau near Paris. In 1954, Dupré became director of the Paris Conservatoire; but he held this post for only two years before the prevailing national laws forced him to retire at the age of 70.
Aside from a few fine works for aspiring organists (such as the 79 Chorales op. 28) most of Dupré's music for the organ ranges from moderately to extremely difficult, and some of it makes almost impossible technical demands on the performer. Being a virtuoso of the highest order, he contributed extensively to the development of technique (both in his organ music and in his pedagogical works). A fair and objective critique of his music should take into account the fact that, occasionally, the emphasis on virtuosity and technique can be detrimental to the musical content and substance. However, his more successful works combine this virtuosity with a high degree of musical integrity, qualities found in works such as the Symphonie-Passion, the Chemin de la Croix, the Preludes and Fugues, the Esquisses and Évocation, and the Cortège et Litanie.

As well as composing prolifically, Dupré prepared study editions of the organ works of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Schumann, César Franck, and Alexander Glazunov. He also wrote a method for organ (1927), 2 treatises on organ improvisation (1926 and 1937), and books on harmonic analysis (1936), counterpoint (1938), fugue (1938), and accompaniment of Gregorian chant (1937), in addition to essays on organ building, acoustics, and philosophy of music. As an improviser, Dupré was able to take given themes and spontaneously weave whole symphonies around them, often with elaborate contrapuntal devices including fugues.

Sine Nomine – Charles Callahan

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1982-1958) wrote “Sine Nomine”, which is the musical setting of the “For All the Saints” hymn text.  He is arguably the greatest composer Britain has seen since the days of Henry Purcell. In a long and extensive career, he composed music notable for its power, nobility and expressiveness, representing, perhaps, the essence of ‘Englishness’.

Vaughan Williams was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. Later he was a pupil of Stanford and Parry at the Royal College of Music, after which he studied with Max Bruch in Berlin and Maurice Ravel in Paris. Vaughan Williams volunteered to serve in the Field Ambulance Service in Flanders for the 1914-1918 war, during which he was deeply affected by the carnage and the loss of close friends such as the composer George Butterworth. For many years Vaughan Williams conducted and led the Leith Hill Music Festival, conducting Bach's St Matthew Passion on a regular basis. He also became professor of composition at the Royal College of Music in London. Vaughan Williams received the Order of Merit in 1938.  His ashes are interred in Westminster Abbey, near Purcell.

At the turn of the century he was among the very first to travel into the countryside to collect folk-songs and carols from singers. As musical editor of The English Hymnal he composed several hymns that are now world-wide favorites (For all the Saints, Come down O love Divine). Later he also helped to edit The Oxford Book of Carols.  In a long and productive life, his compositions included nine symphonies, five operas, film music, ballet and stage music, several song cycles, church music and works for chorus and orchestra.

This setting is by Charles Callahan (b. 1951), one of America’s leading organist-composers.  A native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, he is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and Catholic University of America.  In recognition of his service to the church and his commissioned compositions for Papal visits to the U.S., he was awared the Papal Honor of Knighthood in the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in 1999.  In addition to compositions and performances, Charles Callahan is a noted educator and author whose two books on American organ-building have become standard reference works.

About the Choral Music:

Recollection of Joy – Donna Butler

Donna Butler Douglas has enjoyed parallel careers in church music and graphic design. For over 20 years she served as Director of Music for churches in Oklahoma, Dallas/Fort Worth, Kansas City and Little Rock, Arkansas. She currently manages communications and publications for Holmeswood Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri.A native of Ada, Oklahoma, Donna holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree in Piano from Oklahoma Baptist University and a Master of Music degree in Theory and Composition from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Donna is published under her maiden name, Donna Butler, and has received annual standard awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) each year since 1989. Mrs. Douglas is an accomplished pianist, soloist and free-lance composer with over 100 compositions in print. Donna is a recipient of the “Profiles in Excellence” award, presented by Oklahoma Baptist University to noteworthy alumni.

“Recollection of Joy” is based on Phillippians 1.

            I think my God when I remember you, For He has blessed my life with yours.

            With every prayer of mine for you, I’m filled with joy;

            For I hold you in my heart.

            And I pray that your love may abound yet more in knowledge

            And in all judgement, that you may approve excellent things.

            That you may be sincere, being filled with the fruits of  righteousness

            Unto the glory and praise of God.

            Grace to you and peace to you from God our Father, Christ our Lord.

            Oh, I thank my God when I remember you.

Love One Another – Brad Nix

          God’s Project

Brad Nix currently serves as Associate Professor of Piano and Chair of the Music Department at Sterling College, located in Sterling, KS. His responsibilities include overseeing the department, teaching applied and group piano, music theory, aural skills, and arranging. He has also taught music appreciation, music history, and piano pedagogy.  Brad received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Brad remains an active recitalist, pedagogue, and freelance pianist.  He makes frequent appearances as an adjudicator for local and statewide piano competitions and recently acted as the Georgia State Chair of the Music Teachers National Association Senior Performance Competitions.  

“Love One Another” is based on I Corinthians 13:4-7 and John 13:34.

            Love is patient; love is kind; love is gentle; love divine.

            Love forgives, is never rude.  Love rejoices in the truth.

            Love is faithful; love is pure; love is hopeful; love endures.

            Love is humble; love is strong; love is such a joyous song.

            Love one another, as God has also loved you.

About the Hymns:

Come, Let Us Join Our Friends Above

When Charles Wesley penned and later -- with his brother John -- printed these words, he was not imagining they might be sung as a processional hymn on All Saints Day at Westminster Abbey or Coventry Cathedral. Indeed, such would have been out of the question. "Man-made" hymns such as this were not permitted in worship in the Church of England during his lifetime.

But more than this, as the text of this hymn shows, Charles had a vision of sainthood that was at once more inclusive and more demanding than any impressive public ritual one day a year could express. Charles and his brother John were both convinced that sainthood was the intended destiny not of just a few, but indeed of all Christians. God's intention in salvation is nothing less than to make saints of us all. God's desire for us is not simply to forgive us of our sins, nor even to work in our hearts and lives to deliver us entirely from the power of sin, but rather to work in us and with us "a complete salvation" that will "perfect us in love" in this life.

This hymn isn't and could not be for Wesley "special music for special worship on a special day." It was an "anthem for a lifetime," intended to be sung regularly by the early Methodists in society meetings, class meetings, and in daily life as a constant invitation to "join our friends above who have obtained the prize, and on the eagle wings of love to joys celestial rise."

Blest Be the Tie that Binds

John Fawcett (1740-1817) was born into a poor family in Yorkshire, England, and was orphaned at age 12.  To survive, he accepted a lengthy apprenticeship to a tailor.  While still in his teens, he heard the great George Whitfield preach and became a Christian.  Fawcett became active in a Baptist church and was often asked to speak.  At age 25 (and newly married), he was invited to serve as pastor of a small church at Wainsgate.  The poor people of that little village were able to pay very little, and much of Fawcett's pay came as potatoes and other produce.  Once his wife, Mary, began having children, they found it difficult to survive.

Fawcett learned that the pastor of a large Baptist church in London was retiring, and he let the church know that he would be interested in serving them.  They called him to be their pastor at a much larger salary, so John and Mary packed their household and prepared to move.  But, as the story is told, Mary told John that she didn't think she could leave these people whom they had both learned to love, and John admitted that he shared her sentiment; so, the two of them unpacked the wagon and told the London church know they wouldn't be coming.

Fawcett, who wrote a number of hymns during his lifetime, wrote the hymn, "Blest Be the Tie," to convey his sentiments and those of his wife to the poor people among whom they had chosen to live.  Fawcett served that little church for the rest of his life –– 54 years in all.

For All the Saints

“For All the Saints” is the quintessential hymn for All Saints’ Day, with its uplifting text and triumphant music.  Bishop William Walsham Howe, author of the hymn text, wrote over 60 hymns.  Combining pure poetic rhythms with great directness and simplicity, his hymns are simple and unadorned, but enthusiastic.  “For All the Saints” is his most popular hymn.  Ralph Vaughan Williams composed the tune “Sine Nomine” for this text and published it in the English Hymnal in 1906.  Equipped with a walking bass, it is a glorious marching tune and considered by many to be among the finest of 20^th century hymn tunes.

November 15, 2015

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; much of it is "borrowed" from other sources 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:

Give Me Jesus – Richard Billingham

Give Me Jesus originated as an African-American spiritual written during the time of slavery in the United States.  The lyrics of Give Me Jesus are simple, but poignant. Whether we are in tragedy or triumph, whether we are weathering storms or counting treasures, our hearts’ desire should simply be Jesus.  That Give Me Jesus was written by people stripped of all dignity and every human possession says so much about what Jesus is, what He can give and His very nature!

In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus.

            And when I am alone, give me Jesus.

            You can have all this world, but give me Jesus.

            And when I come to die, give me Jesus.

            And when the trumpet sounds, give me Jesus.

            You can have all this world, but give me Jesus!

Richard Billingham (b. 1934) is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois and organist at First Methodist Church of Chicago and the Chicago Temple.

Warum betrübst du dich mein Herz – J. C. Bach

"Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz?"  is a very old German chorale, which has been set by many composers, both for organ and for choir.  The chorale melody is found on undated manuscripts that appeared around the middle of the 16^th century in Nürnberg. One of these is listed as coming from Nürnberg in 1561. The composer and/or text author is unknown. For many years it had been thought that Hans Sachs could have written both song and melody. The melody was noted on a manuscript from Crailsheim in 1565.  The chorale text has a total of 14 verses.  The source of the text and general theme are very similar to “His Eye is on the Sparrow.”  A rough translation of 3 of the verses is as follows:

Why do you trouble yourself, my heart, tormenting yourself and bearing pain only about perishable goods?  Alas, I am poor; heavy worries oppress me.  From evening until morning, my dear necessity lasts.  May God have mercy!  Who will rescue me yet from the body of this evil and cruel world?  How wretched it is beset around me!  Alas!  If I were only dead! 

Trust in your Lord God, who has created everything.  He can and will not abandon you. He knows well what you lack; heaven and earth are His!  Ah, how?  God freely tends to the wild animal: He gives the bird his meal; He nourishes the young raven.  Your Father and your Lord God, He will stand with you in all necessity.

Well then!  I will also rest quite peacefully.  Now I can live as if in heaven.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s life was surrounded by Johann Christophs:  an uncle, a cousin, an older brother, and a son.  Here we have a chorale prelude by his 1st cousin once removed, who became the town organist in Eisenach in the year 1665 and court chamber musician there in 1700.  Prior to Johann Sebastian, Johann Christoph (1642-1703) would have been considered the most famous musician of the Bach family. His work is of the highest quality and, in some instances, has been improperly attributed to Johann Sebastian himself (e.g. the motet Ich lasse dich nicht). Johann Christoph composed choral works (motets and cantatas) and works for organ (preludes and fugues). Johann Sebastian described his cousin as "the great and expressive composer," and performed his works often as did Carl Philipp Emanuel.

About the Handbell Music:

Ring, Zing, Swing – John Behnke

This fun, jazz piece is by John Behnke, who  is Professor of Music at Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin where he teaches organ, graduate handbell courses, directs The Alleluia Ringers, Concordia's touring handbell choir and the Milwaukee Handbell Ensemble.  He is also the Music Editor for AGEHR Music - Handbell Musicians of America.  Behnke is a frequent organ recitalist, handbell clinician, and festival director. He enjoys composing and arranging having over 250 handbell, choral, and organ compositions in print.  

About the Choral Music:

I Surrender All – Claude Bass

"I Surrender All" was written by American art teacher and musician Judson W. Van DeVenter (1855–1939), who subsequently became a music minister and evangelist. It was put to music by Winfield S. Weeden (1847–1908), and published in 1896.Van DeVenter said of the inspiration for the text:

For some time, I had struggled between developing my talents in the field of art and going into full-time evangelistic work. At last the pivotal hour of my life came, and I surrendered all. A new day was ushered into my life. I became an evangelist and discovered down deep in my soul a talent hitherto unknown to me. God had hidden a song in my heart, and touching a tender chord, He caused me to sing.

Following his decision to surrender his life to the Divine, Van DeVenter traveled throughout the United States, England, and Scotland, doing evangelistic work. Winfield S. Weeden, his associate and singer, assisted him for many years. Toward the end of his life, Van DeVenter moved to Florida, and was professor of hymnology at the Florida Bible Institute for four years in the 1920s. After his retirement, he remained involved in speaking and in religious gatherings. Van DeVenter published more than 60 hymns in his lifetime, but "I Surrender All" is his most famous.

Claude Leroy Bass was born in 1935 in Gainesville, TX. He received his BM from Oklahoma Baptist University, a MM from the University Oklahoma, and a PhD from North Texas States University. He was a high school music teacher, and professor of music at Oklahoma Baptist University and at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX.

            All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give.

            I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.

           

All to Jesus I surrender, make me Saviour, wholly Thine.

            Let me feel the Holy Spirit, truly know that Thou art mine.

            All to Jesus I surrender, Lord I give myself to Thee;

            Fill me with Thy love and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me.

           

I surrender all, I surrender all;

            All to Thee my blessed Saviour, I surrender all.

About the Hymns:

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" is a hymn based on Joachim Neander's German chorale Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, published in 1680. John Julian, in his A Dictionary of Hymnology, calls the German original "a magnificent hymn of praise to God, perhaps the finest creation of its author, and of the first rank in its class."  Neander wrote this particular hymn while dying and it says much about his faith. While contemplating the words to go along with the melody, he reflected on Psalm 103 with its claim that everything within us should praise the Father’s holy name.  It was the favorite hymn of King Frederick William III of Prussia, who first heard it in 1800.  In the Neander original, first the singer calls himself (my beloved soul) to praise God, then calls for a larger group to join the praise with musical instruments as well as song.  John Julian‍‍ '​‍s A Dictionary of Hymnology lists more than ten English translations of "Lobe den Herren" printed in various nineteenth century hymnals.

The melody used by Neander, first published in 1665, is probably based on a folk tune. The common name given to this melody is "Lobe den Herren". Several variants were published with various secular texts between 1665 to 1680, when Joachim Neander published his German hymn, Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, using its meter. The text paraphrases Psalm 103 and Psalm 150.  

One interesting piece of history is the later use of Neander’s name. He often taught in a valley near the Düssel river, and over 100 years after his death the valley was named after him. It was in that valley that bones were later found, from which we get the name “Neanderthal.”

For the Beauty of the Earth

Folliott Piermont (1835-1917) was born in Bath, England and was a lay member of the Anglican Church. Following his graduation from Queen's College, Cambridge, he taught the classics for a time at Somerset College, later becoming a freelance writer. During his 82 years of life, Pierpoint published seven volumes of poems and hymn texts, many of them showing his love for nature. He is most remembered for this beautiful hymn, For the Beauty of the Earth.

Piermont was about 29 years old when he wrote the text for this joyful hymn.  It was a lovely day in late spring.  While enjoying the surrounding area of his native city of Bath, in England, he was inspired by the beautiful countryside with its winding cool and peaceful river, Avon, in the distance. The tuneful songbirds, the wind whispering over a vibrantly colored hillside, all seemed to be praising the Creator with their unrestrained gladness and peace.  Overwhelmed with emotion, he expressed his feelings of gratitude in the penning of this sacred song.  The text was inspired by Hebrews 13:15:  "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."  It first appeared in 1864 in a book of Eucharistic hymns and poems entitled Lyra Eucharistica, Hymns and Verses on The Holy Communion, Ancient and Modern, with other Poems with the title "The Sacrifice of Praise".

To God Be the Glory

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.”

Frances Jane Crosby’s hymns have historically been among the most popular songs sung by Methodists.  “To God be the glory” was included in William Doane’s Songs of Devotion in 1870.  Ira Sankey probably saw the hymn in Doane’s collection and incorporated it into the first edition of his Sacred Songs and Solos (1875).  Dwight Moody and Ira Sankey helped to establish the hymn’s popularity during their revivals in Great Britain in the late 19th century.  It also appeared in some British hymnals including the Methodist Hymn Book (1933).

However, it was not until the 1954 Billy Graham Crusade in Nashville that Cliff Barrows introduced this song to congregations in the United States.  Mr. Graham and Mr. Barrows had learned the song during the 1952 revivals they had conducted in Great Britain.  Hymnologist William J. Reynolds, writing in his hymnal companion Hymns of Faith (1964), documented the return of this hymn to the USA: “It is most extraordinary that this long-forgotten American gospel song should have been imported from England and become immensely popular during the last decade.” 

November 8, 2015

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; much of it is "borrowed" from other sources 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:

My Shepherd Will Supply My Need – Alice Jordan

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) was the son of a schoolmaster and was born in Southampton. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor.  The number of Watts' publications is very large. His collected works, first published in 1720, embrace sermons, treatises, poems and hymns. His "Horae Lyricae" was published in December, 1705. His "Hymns" appeared in July, 1707. The first hymn he  composed for religious worship, "Behold the glories of the Lamb," was written at the age of twenty.  Some of his hymns were written to be sung after his sermons, giving expression to the meaning of the text upon which he had preached. Montgomery calls Watts "the greatest name among hymn-writers," and the honor can hardly be disputed. His published hymns number more than eight hundred.  There is a monument to his memory in the South Choir of Westminster Abbey.  The inscription reads, "Happy will be that reader whose mind is disposed, by his verses or his prose, to imitate him in all but his non-conformity, to copy his benevolence to men, and his reverence to God."

Psalm 23 has inspired numerous paraphrases and hymn texts, including this text by Isaac Watts. Watts included it in his large 1719 collection of psalm paraphrases, The Psalms of David Imitated.  Psalm 23 remains the most well-loved and often recited psalm, and Isaac Watts' powerful paraphrase, coupled with the peaceful yet strong American folk tune, make this hymn a moving rendition of that psalm. Watts’ interpretation of the last line of psalm, “and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever,” gives a new understanding to the original psalm: “No more a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home.” Watts gives us a concrete image of dwelling – a child, knowing he or she is safe and secure, and in a place of love and comfort – to help us understand what it is we hope for. The same peace we find in the pasture and by the stream, we find in the house of the LORD, to which our Shepherd is leading us day by day.

My Shepherd will supply my need: Jehovah is His Name;
In pastures fresh He makes me feed, Beside the living stream.
He brings my wandering spirit back When I forsake His ways,
And leads me, for His mercy's sake, In paths of truth and grace.

Alice Jordan (1916-2011) is known for her widely published choral and organ compositions which are regularly used in churches, schools and colleges in this country and abroad. Some of her compositions have won recognition in national competition.  She was the recipient of over 40 commissions from across the United States.

The King of Love My Shepherd Is – Sam Batt Owens

“The King of Love My Shepherd Is” is an Anthony G. Petti (1932-1985) adaption of the 1868 Sir Henry W. Baker (1821-1877) paraphrase of Psalm 23. Baker took Holy Orders in the Church of England in 1844. He was closely associated with hymnody in the Church. Besides writing, translating, and composing a number of hymns, his most notable role was as Ed­it­or-in-Chief of the first edition of Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern (1861) which sold over 60 million copies.  “The King of Love My Shepherd Is” has proven to be his most enduring work. It is said that as he lay dying his final words were those of the 3rd stanza: "Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed, but yet in love he sought me; and on his shoulder gently laid, and home, rejoicing, brought me." It is sung to the tune: St. Columba, a traditional Irish melody.

The King of love my shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never.
I nothing lack if I am his, and he is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow, my ransomed soul he leadeth;
and where the verdant pastures grow, with food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed,  but yet in love he sought me;
and on his shoulder gently laid, and home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death's dark vale I fear no ill, with thee, dear Lord, beside me;
thy rod and staff my comfort still, thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spreadst a table in my sight; thy unction grace bestoweth;
and oh, what transport of delight from thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days, thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise within thy house forever.

Sam Batt Owens (1928-1998) enjoyed a long career as a well-known organist, composer, and church musician. He received a B. Mus. in organ performance, from the Birmingham Conservatory of Music, a M. Mus. in organ performance and composition from Birmingham- Southern College, and a D.M.A. in organ performance and musicology from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.  Owens taught at Birmingham Conservatory of Music, Birmingham Southern College, Vanderbilt University, Fisk University, Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal School, and Christ School for Boys in Arden, N.C. He held his fIrst position as an organist at age 12, and began solo organ performances at age 16. He wrote more than 200 choral, organ, instrumental and solo vocal compositions. He was one of the Episcopal Church's leading musicians. He was President of the Association of Anglican Musicians from 1989-1991. In 1996, he had left his position at St. Andrew's on-the-Sound in Wilmington, N.C., to become a consultant for parishes and dioceses in artistic matters and a crusader for fair compensation and recognition of church musicians. In his later years he taught congregations in smaller parishes how to be full participants in corporate worship, presenting "music in liturgy and how music upholds and supports corporate worship."

Derr Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt – Ernst Pepping

Wolfgang Müslin (1497-1563) was a lover of song and of knowledge, of languages, Humanism and religion. He was swept up, along with the rest of his countrymen into the tempests and tears of his age. His great skill has made him known all over Europe and the oral tradition of his songs still rings today in the temples of the Reformation.  In 1518, he left the Benedictine monastery at Lixheim  to serve as deacon of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg  and preaching assistant to Matthäus Zell. After 17 years of service, he left the town after the introduction of the Augsburg Interim, and went to Switzerland, where he was the primary professor of theology at Bern from 1549. He wrote several biblical commentaries and Loci communes sacrae theologiae (Common Places of the Christian Religion), a major systematic theology.  Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt (The Lord is my faithful Shepherd) was written  by Wolfgang Meuslin in 1530.  It is a beautiful paraphrase of Psalm 23.

            The Lord is my faithful Shepherd. He keeps me in His protection,

            Within which nothing can be lacking for me even to a single good.

            He pastures me continually,

for which purpose the delicious grass Of His Holy Word grows.

He reveals pure water to me that will refresh me,

that is His most holy Spirit, which makes me feel at ease.

He leads me on the right road of His commandments without fail

For His name’s sake.

And if I wander in the dark valley, I shall fear no misfortune,

In persecution, sorrow, trouble, and the falsehood of this world,

For You are with me constantly, Your rod and staff comfrort me,

I trust in Your word.

You prepare a table for me before my thronging enemies,

You make my heart optimistic and fresh,

You anoint my head with Your Spirit, the oil of joy,

And You present to my soul the fullness of Your spiritual happiness.

Goodness and mercy will follow after me in my life,

And I will remain always even in the house of the Lord,

On the earth in Christian company;

And after death I will be with Christ, my Lord.

Ernst Pepping (1901-1981) was a German composer of classical music and academic teacher, who is regarded as an important composer of Protestant sacred music in the 20th century. In 1934, Pepping accepted the offer of a teaching position for harmony, Partiturspiel and counterpoint at the Spandauer Kirchenmusikschule of the Protestant Johannesstift Berlin in Spandau, where he lived until his death. Pepping also taught at the Berliner Hochschule from 1935 to 1938 as a professor of church music and composition. He had ties to the Confessing Church, but as he wrote music on German texts, he was "left alone" by the Nazis. In 1938, he composed a German mass, Deutsche Messe: Kyrie Gott Vater in Ewigkeit (German Mass: Kyrie God Father in Eternity), which stressed German (rather than Latin), following the party line. He was exempt from service in World War II, even in the final phase when he was protected by the Gottbegnadeten list. Pepping taught again at the Berliner Hochschule from 1947 to 1968, when he retired and stopped composing.  He composed instrumental music including three symphonies, and church music such as the motet Jesus und Nikodemus, the Missa Dona nobis pacem, and collections including the Spandauer Chorbuch (Spandau choir book) and Großes Orgelbuch (Great organ book), three volumes of organ pieces covering the liturgical year.

About the Choral Music:

The Majesty and Glory of Your Name – Tom Fettke

Tom Fettke has taught music in both public and Christian schools and has served as a church choir director and minister of music in churches large and small for over 30 years. He is a composer, arranger, clinician, and producer of Christian music recordings.  Fettke was the creator and senior editor of the Hymnal for Worship and Celebration (1986). 

Ever since The Church Music Report's "Favorite Anthem Survey" began surveying music ministers decades ago, only one anthem has appeared every year at the top of their "All-time Favorite Anthems" list: Tom Fettke's "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name."  This is his story of that anthem:

This work is not mine.  The text is Psalm 8 and I wasn’t the author of Psalm 8.  The lyric  setting is by Linda Lee Johnson and this was her first attempt at lyric writing.  She was a choir member at a church where I was Minister of Music.  Linda had written a children’s Sunday School Program which revealed some of her creative abilities.  When I asked her to try writing a text based on my favorite Psalm, her response was less than confident, but she was willing to give it a try.  A few days later she presented to me a lyric that I felt was nearly perfect and ready for my attempt at a musical setting.

The original piece ended with “little children praise You perfectly, and so would we”.  However, it never felt quite right and remained in a drawer in its old form for several months.  Then, during a concert in which my choir performed the Ken Medema anthem, “Moses”, I realised what was needed was a warm, emotional, more fully developed personal response to God’s majesty and glory.  The next day, I wrote the “Alleluia” section.  Playing through the completed work was an incredibly moving experience, and I just knew that God had chosen to touch this musical and textual creation.

That’s the story.  This song is not mine, it’s God’s.  It is one of those things in life that you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, you had nothing to do with; you were only a tool in the hands of God to display His handiwork.

When I gaze into the night skies
and see the work of your fingers;
The moon and stars suspended in space.
Oh, what is man that you are mindful of him?

You have given man a crown of glory and honor,
And have made him a little lower than the angels.
You have put him in charge of all creation:
beasts of the field, The birds of the air,
The fish of the sea.
Oh, what is man?
Oh, what is man that you are mindful of him?

O Lord, our God the majesty and glory of your name
Transcends the earth and fills the heavens.
O Lord, our God; little children praise You perfectly,
And so would we.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
The majesty and glory of Your name.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

About the Hymns:

O God, Our Help in Ages Past

“Our God, Our Help in Ages Past” is a hymn by Isaac Watts which paraphrases Psalm 90. It originally consisted of nine stanzas. In present usage, however, the hymn is usually limited to stanzas one, two, three, five, seven and nine. In 1738, John Wesley in his hymnal, Psalms and Hymns, changed the first line of the text from "Our God" to "O God." Both Watts' wording and Wesley's rewording remain in current use.  The hymn was originally part of The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, published by Watts in 1719. In this book he paraphrased in Christian verse the entire psalter with the exception of twelve Psalms which he felt were unsuited for Christian usage.

The hymn tune "St. Anne" to which the text is most often sung was composed by William Croft in 1708 whilst he was the organist of the church of St Anne, Soho.  It first appeared anonymously in the Supplement to the New Version of the Psalms, 6th edition in 1708. It was originally intended to be used with a version of Psalm 62. It was not until sometime later when set to Watts' text that the tune gained recognition.

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.

Standing on the Promises


R. Kelso Carter became an ordained Methodist minister (1887) at the age of 38. A year earlier, he was a professor at the Pennsylvania Military Academy, where he wrote the hymn, "Standing On the Promises," after reading Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians I: 20:  "For all the promise of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us."  I was published in Songs of Perfect Love, one of two hymns compiled by Carter.  The drum-beating, military march style of the music reflects the influence of the military academy life that surrounded Carter when it was written.  Carter was active in the Methodist Camp-Meeting movement, and “Standing on the Promises” was widely used in evangelistic crusades well into the 20^th  century and is still found in many hymnals.  It is a reminder of the Christian’s daily dependence on the promises of God.