Musings

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Sunday, December 12, 2021 - Advent 3 - Service of Lessons and Carols

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.

Festival of Lessons and Carols - Joseph Martin

(c. 2008, Harold Flammer Music)

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.

This work follows the order of a traditional Lessons and Carols service. Our presentation uses six lessons and five choral movements, plus one duet. All of the choral movements include congregational singing of the carols.

A Christmas Processional

Once, in royal David’s city, stood a lowly cattle shed,

where a mother laid her Baby in a manger for His bed.

Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little Child.

He came down to earth from heaven, Who is God and Lord of all,

and His shelter was a stable, and His cradle was a stall.

With the poor, the scorned, the lowly, lived on earth our Savior holy.

O Come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!

Come and behold Him, born the King of angels!

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation.

Sing all ye citizens of heaven above!

Glory to God all glory in the highest!

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning.

Jesus, to Thee be all glory given.

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!

Sing alleluia! Sing alleluia! Sing alleluia!

Alleluia! Christ the lord is born!

First Reading

The Birth of Christ foretold, From the Book of Isaiah:

The People who walk in darkness will see a great Light, a Light that will shine on everyone, even those who live in the shadow of death. A Child will be born to us, a Son given who will be our leader. We will call Him Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. His kingdom and the peace it brings will last forever and He will rule with justice and goodness (Isaiah 9:2, 6-7)

Thanks be to God.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,

that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here.

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O Come, Desire of nations bind all peoples in one heart and mind;

Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease. Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Come, O come Emmanuel.

Second Reading

The Peace of Christ Foretold, From the Book of Isaiah:

From the ancient roots of David's family tree, a shoot will spring up, a new Branch that will bear fruit. This Branch will blossom with the wisdom, power, and understanding that come from obedience to God. He will not be influenced by outward appearance or unreliable testimony, but will exercise fairness over the poor and needy and bring justice to those who break His law.

There will come a day when the wolf and the lamb will live together peacefully, a time when the leopard will sleep next to the goat and the lion beside the deer, and a little child will care for them. The cow and the bear will eat side by side and their young will lie down together. The lion will no longer be a predator, but will eat straw like the ox. Children will play near the snake's den and not be in danger. No creature will harm or be harmed for creation will overflow with the ways of God. (Isaiah 11: 1-3a, 4a, 6-9)

Thanks be to God.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free.

From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art,

Dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver, born a child, and yet a king,

Born to reign in us forever, now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine all sufficient merit, raise us to Thy glorious throne!

By Thine own eternal spirit, rule in all our hearts alone.

Come, O Come Emmanuel!

Third Reading

The Angel Gabriel's Appearance to Mary, From the Gospel According to Luke:

God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth with a message for a young girl. The girl's name was Mary and she was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The angel greeted her with these words, "You have been highly regarded by God, and He is with you." As Mary thought about the meaning of this, the angel continued, "Do not be afraid, Mary. God has chosen you to become a mother. You will have a Son and you are to name Him Jesus. He will raise to power and be called the Son of the Highest. God will give Him David's throne and He will rule His people forever." Mary asked the angel, "How can I have a child since I am a virgin?" And the angel said, "This will happen by the power of the Lord. His spirit will be upon you, for this child will be the Son of God Himself." At this, Mary said, "I am willing to serve God as He sees fit; let it be as you have said." Then the angel Gabriel left. (Luke 1: 26-35, 38)

Thanks be to God.

My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord

Michele Anderson and Paul Burnett

On that day forever blessed, when the virgin, full of grace,

By the Holy Ghost conceiving, held the Savior of our race.

My soul doth magnify the Lord; My heart rejoices forevermore,

for God has chosen me to sing a mother’s song to heaven’s King.

Lord, let Thy will in me be done and I will carry Your treasured One,

Emmanuel, the Living Light, the Prince of Peace, the promised Christ.

Lord, make in me a holy place, a living cradle of gentle grace,

and let me nurture near my heart they holy Child that You impart.

My soul doth magnify the Lord. My soul doth magnify the Lord. Amen.

Of the Father’s love begotten.

Fourth Reading

The Birth of Jesus, From the Gospel According to Luke:

Soon after this event, the emperor Augustus ordered that a census be taken of his empire. Everyone had to travel to the city of his ancestors to be counted. Since Joseph was a descendent of David, he had to be counted in David's hometown, which was Bethlehem. So he and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The city was overflowing with visitors and lodging was scarce. While they were there, Mary gave birth to her first Child, a Son. And because the only room available to them was a stable, his cradle was a manger, which was a feeding crib for the animals. (Luke 2: 1, 3-7)

Thanks be to God.

Cradle Carols

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,

the little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head.

The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,

the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay

close by me forever, and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,

And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light;

the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright

‘round yon virgin mother and child! Holy infant, so tender and mild,

sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight,

glories stream from heaven above, heavenly hosts sing “Alleluia!

Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born.”

Christ the Savior is born.

Fifth Reading

The Shepherd's Journey to the Manger, From the Gospel According to Luke:

That night in the hills surrounding Bethlehem, shepherds tended their sheep. An angel of the Lord came to them and a bright light surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I am not here to harm you, but to bring you good news, news of joy for the entire world. A Child has been born in Bethlehem tonight, a Child who will be a Savior to you, who is the Messiah. This is how you will know Him: you will find Him wrapped in cloth, sleeping in a manger." Suddenly many more angels appeared and they praised God, singing "Glory to God in the highest part of heaven! Peace to all on earth who find favor with Him!" When the angels left, the shepherds said to each other, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this Child." And they found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger, just as the angel said. (Luke 2: 8-16)

Thanks be to God.

A Christmas Recessional

Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains,

and the mountains in reply, echo back their joyous strain.

Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o’er all the earth.

Ye who sang creation’s story, now proclaim Messiah’s birth.

Come and worship, Come and worship Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!

Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies.

With th’angelic hosts proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’n born Prince of Peace. Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings; ris’n with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays His glory by, born that we no more may die,

born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Christ is born! Christ the Lord is born!

Sixth Reading

The Mystery of the Incarnation, From the Gospel According to John:

In the very beginning, the One called the Word existed. This Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. In the beginning the Word and God were one. Through Him everything came into being; nothing came into being without Him. In Him was Life and He gave life to everything He made. His life was like a Light shining in the darkness of human existence. But the darkness was so heavy that people were unable to see the Light, even though it continued to shine despite the darkness.

So God sent a man named John to tell people about the Light, that they might know about it and believe in it. John was not the Light himself; he was sent to announce the Light. The one perfect Light, that gives its light to everyone, was coming into the world. When He came to the world, a world He Himself had made, it did not recognize Him. He came to His own people, the ones he made, and was not welcomed by them. But those who did welcome Him into their lives became children of God like Him. Even though they were not God's flesh and blood children, He welcomed them into His family. But Christ, who was the Word, became flesh and blood like us and lived with us. We saw His Light, the Light of the Father shining through the Son, showing us His grace and truth. (John 1: 1-14)

Thanks be to God.

First United Methodist Church, Lewisville, Texas

A Community of Everyday People Learning to Love Like Jesus

Sunday, December 5, 2021 - Advent 2

About the Organ Music:

Of the Father's Love Begotten - Wilbur Held

(c. 1970 Concordia Publishing House)

Of the Father's Love Begotten is a Christmas carol based on the Latin poem Corde natus by the Roman poet Aurelius Prudentius, from his Liber Cathemerinon (hymn no. IX) beginning "Da puer plectrum" The ancient poem was translated and paired with a medieval plainchant melody Divinum mysterium. Divinum mysterium was a "Sanctus trope" - an ancient plainchant melody which over the years had been musically embellished. An early version of this chant appears in manuscript form as early as the 10th century, although without the melodic additions, and "trope" versions with various melodic differences appear in Italian, German, Gallacian, Bohemian and Spanish manuscripts dating from the 13th to 16th centuries. Divinum mysterium first appeared in print in 1582 in the Finnish song book Piae Cantiones, a collection of seventy-four sacred and secular church and school songs of medieval Europe compiled by Jaakko Suomalainen and published by Theodoric Petri. In this collection, Divinum mysterium was classified as "De Eucharistia" reflecting its original use for the Mass.

The text of the Divinum mysterium was substituted for Prudentius's poem when it was published by Thomas Helmore in 1851. In making this fusion, the original meter of the chant was disturbed, changing the original triple meter rhythm into a duple meter and therefore altering stresses and note lengths. A later version by Charles Winfred Douglas corrected this using an "equalist" method of transcription, although the hymn is now found in both versions as well as a more dance-like interpretation of the original melody.

Of the Father’s love begotten, Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been, And that future years shall see,
Evermore and evermore!

At His Word the worlds were framèd; He commanded; it was done:
Heaven and earth and depths of ocean In their threefold order one;
All that grows beneath the shining Of the moon and burning sun,
Evermore and evermore!

He is found in human fashion, Death and sorrow here to know,
That the race of Adam’s children Doomed by law to endless woe,
May not henceforth die and perish In the dreadful gulf below,
Evermore and evermore!

O that birth forever blessèd, When the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving, Bare the Savior of our race;
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer, First revealed His sacred face,
Evermore and evermore!

This is He whom seers in old time Chanted of with one accord;
Whom the voices of the prophets Promised in their faithful word;
Now He shines, the long expected, Let creation praise its Lord,
Evermore and evermore!

O ye heights of heaven adore Him; Angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him, And extol our God and king!
Let no tongue on earth be silent, Every voice in concert sing,
Evermore and evermore!

Righteous judge of souls departed, Righteous king of them that live,
On the Father’s throne exalted None in might with Thee may strive;
Who at last in vengeance coming, Sinners from Thy face shalt drive,
Evermore and evermore!

Thee let old men, thee let young men, Thee let boys in chorus sing;
Matrons, virgins, little maidens, With glad voices answering:
Let their guileless songs re-echo, And the heart its music bring,
Evermore and evermore!

Christ, to Thee with God the Father, And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee,
Hymn and chant with high thanksgiving, And unwearied praises be:
Honor, glory, and dominion, And eternal victory,
Evermore and evermore!

Wilbur C. Held (1914-2015) was born in Des Plaines, Illinois, and received his B.M. and M.M. degrees at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. He then attended Union Theological Seminary in New York City where he earned his S.M.D. A member of the Episcopal Church, for many years Dr. Held was Professor of Organ and Church Music at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. He remained in this position for over 30 years, and for most of that time was also organist-choirmaster at Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Held started composing little pieces for the organ because he felt there was a lack of teaching material aimed at developing style and registration, especially for the romantic use of the instrument. Having written several suites primarily for pedagogical use, he turned his attention to broadening the repertoire for church use, continuing to stress modest technical requirements and flexibility of registration. To date he has published 325 organ works. He has served on the national councils of both the AGO and the Hymn Society of America, and has appeared as recitalist at their national conventions.

Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her - J. S. Bach

"Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her" ("From Heaven Above to Earth I Come") is a hymn text relating to the Nativity of Jesus, written by Martin Luther in 1534. The hymn is most often sung to a melody that first appeared in 1539 and that was likely composed by Luther as well. That version became a classic Christmas carol, and many composers referred to it in their compositions. "Vom Himmel hoch" was first published as a hymn with 15 stanzas of four lines in the "Wittenberg hymnal" of 1535, under the header "Ein kinderlied auff die Weinacht Christi" ("A children's song on the Nativity of Christ"). In that publication, the text was coupled to the melody of the then well-known secular song "Ich kumm aus frembden Landen her." It was Luther's only contrafactum, reusing a tune of a secular composition for a religious text. In 1539, the hymn was published with a new melody that was probably composed by Luther himself, in Geistliche lieder / auffs new gebessert vnd gemehrt /zu Witteberg. D. Marti. Luther. Viel Geistliche gesenge / von andern frommen Christen gemacht. Gedruckt zu Leyptzick durch Valten Schumann (Spiritual Songs / newly improved and extended / … made by other pious Christians …). The traditional English lyrics are a translation made by Catherine Winkworth (with all 15 verses) in 1855:

From heaven above to earth I come To bear good news to every home;

Glad tidings of great joy I bring, Whereof I now will say and sing:

To you this night is born a child Of Mary, chosen virgin mild;

This little child, of lowly birth, Shall be the joy of all the earth.

This is the Christ, our God and Lord, Who in all need shall aid afford;

He will Himself your Savior be From all your sins to set you free.

He will on you the gifts bestow Prepared by God for all below,

That in His kingdom, bright and fair, You may with us His glory share.

These are the tokens ye shall mark: The swaddling-clothes and manger dark;

There ye shall find the Infant laid By whom the heavens and earth were made.

Now let us all with gladsome cheer Go with the shepherds and draw near

To see the precious gift of God, Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.

Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes! What is it in yon manger lies?

Who is this child, so young and fair? The blessed Christ-child lieth there.

Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest, Through whom the sinful world is blest!

Thou com’st to share my misery; What thanks shall I return to Thee?

Ah, Lord, who hast created all, How weak art Thou, how poor and small,

That Thou dost choose Thine infant bed Where humble cattle lately fed!

Were earth a thousand times as fair, Beset with gold and jewels rare,

It yet were far too poor to be A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.

For velvets soft and silken stuff Thou hast but hay and straw so rough,

Whereon Thou, King, so rich and great, As ’twere Thy heaven, art throned in state.

And thus, dear Lord, it pleaseth Thee To make this truth quite plain to me,

That all the world’s wealth, honor, might, Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,

Within my heart, that it may be A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

My heart for very joy doth leap, My lips no more can silence keep;

I, too, must sing with joyful tongue That sweetest ancient cradle-song:

Glory to God in highest heaven, Who unto us His Son hath given!

While angels sing with pious mirth A glad new year to all the earth.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organization, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include the Brandenburg concertos, the Mass in B minor, The Well-Tempered Clavier, two Passions, keyboard works, and more than 300 cantatas, of which nearly 100 cantatas have been lost to posterity. His music is revered for its intellectual depth, technical command, and artistic beauty. Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected throughout Europe during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognized as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the nineteenth century. During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, Bach was recognized by several prominent composers. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann, and Felix Mendelssohn were among his admirers; they began writing in a more contrapuntal style after being exposed to Bach's music. Beethoven described him as "Urvater der Harmonie", the "original father of harmony". He is now generally regarded as one of the main composers of the Baroque period and as one of the greatest composers of all time. A highly devout Christian, Bach signed all of his compositions “soli Deo Gloria” (to God alone be the glory).

About the Piano Music:

Advent Suite - Paul Tate

(c. 2006, GIA Publications)

Plainsong hymns represent some of the older selections in the United Methodist Hymnal. The texts often come from devotional as well as liturgical sources. Historically, plainsong was the province of the choir only. This distinctive style was sung in monastic settings by monks who observed the offices of daily prayer. Originally the rhythm is free in style, unaccompanied, sung in Latin and performed with the melody only. The liturgical renewal movement had its roots in the 19th century. This scholarly movement included the revival of medieval liturgical forms, especially plainsong. The movement was given an extra impetus in the early 20th century by Pope Pius X with his motu proprio on church music (1903). A motu proprio is a letter from a pope to the entire church on a specific subject chosen by the pope. Pius X’s letter encouraged a return to the musical aesthetics of earlier centuries, especially plainsong-based music. A number of monasteries participated in the revival of plainsong, the most famous of which was the Benedictine Abbey of St. Solesmes in France. This has led to the inclusion of plainsong hymns in more recent hymnals, though their performance is not only for choirs, but also for congregations. The UM Hymnal contains several plainsong hymns, the most familiar being the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (No. 211) with the Latin tune name VENI EMMANUEL, the first two words of the original Latin text.

“Creator of the Stars of Night” was originally written as an evening hymn for Advent somewhere between the 7th and 9th centuries. The original version was modified by Pope Urban VIII to fit classical Latin meters in preparation for the Roman Breviary, 1632. As a result of this revision, only one line from the original Latin hymn was included in its revised form. The text was originally translated in English by John Mason Neale, a 19th-century translator, from the Latin Conditor alme siderum as found in the Sarum Breviary, an 11th-century rite from Salisbury. The plainsong melody is singable and beautiful. Unlike many plainsong hymns, this one is syllabic—one syllable to one note of music, making it easy to learn. A connection to Advent is strongly implied in the text, and the hymn ties 21st-century Christians to believers over 1,000 years ago. “Creator of the Stars of Night” deserves to be sung more and bring the witness of the saints to our generation.

Creator of the stars of night, Thy people's everlasting light,
Jesu, Redeemer, save us all, and hear Thy servants when they call.

Thou, grieving that the ancient curse should doom to death a universe,
hast found the medicine, full of grace, to save and heal a ruined race.

Thou camest, the Bridegroom of the Bride, as drew the world to evening tide,
proceeding from a virgin shrine, the spotless Victim all divine.

At whose dread Name, majestic now, all knees must bend, all hearts must bow;
and things celestial Thee shall own, and things terrestrial Lord alone.

O Thou whose coming is with dread, to judge and doom the quick and dead,
preserve us, while we dwell below, from every insult of the foe.

To God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, Three in One,
laud, honor, might, and glory be from age to age eternally. Amen.

The text of “My Soul in Stillness Waits” is drawn from the historic “O” Antiphons that also generated the hymn “O Come, O Come, Immanuel”. This meditative prayer song is very appropriate for Advent, when the busyness of Christmas sometimes keeps us from the more significant focus of waiting for Christ’s coming and preparing for his coming again. Paul Tillich put it this way: “Our time is a time of waiting; waiting is its special destiny. And every time is a time of waiting, waiting for the breaking in of eternity. All time runs forward. All time, both history and in personal life, is expectation. Time itself is waiting, waiting not for another time, but for that which is eternal.”

Marty Haugen (b. 1950), is a prolific liturgical composer with many songs included in hymnals across the liturgical spectrum of North American hymnals and beyond, with many songs translated into different languages. He was raised in the American Lutheran Church, received a BA in psychology from Luther College, yet found his first position as a church musician in a Roman Catholic parish at a time when the Roman Catholic Church was undergoing profound liturgical and musical changes after Vatican II. Finding a vocation in that parish to provide accessible songs for worship, he continued to compose and to study, receiving an MA in pastoral studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul Minnesota. A number of liturgical settings were prepared for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and more than 400 of his compositions are available from several publishers, especially GIA Publications, who also produced some 30 recordings of his songs. He is composer-in-residence at Mayflower Community Congregational Church in Minneapolis and continues to compose and travel to speak and teach at worship events around the world.

For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits,

truly my hope is in you.

O Lord of Light, our only hope of glory,

your radiance shines in all who look to you,

come, light the hearts of all in dark and shadow.

O Spring of Joy, rain down upon our spirits,

our thirsty hearts are yearning for your Word,

come, make us whole, be comfort to our hearts.

O Root of Life, implant your seed within us,

and in your advent, draw us all to you,

our hope reborn in dying and in rising.

O Key of Knowledge, guide us in our pilgrimage,

we ever seek, yet unfulfilled remain,

open to us the pathway of your peace.

Come, let us bow before the God who made us,

let ev'ry heart be opened to the Lord,

for we are all the people of his hand.

Here we shall meet the Maker of the heavens,

Creator of the mountains and the seas,

Lord of the stars, and present to us now.

Paul A. Tate, a graduate of the University of Georgia, is a professional musician living in Sugar Hill, Georgia. As an active workshop presenter and concert performer, Paul has released a dozen recordings and published over 100 original songs and arrangements. His liturgical compositions appear in a number of hymnal resources, and his voice has been heard around the world on Sirius Satellite Radio.

About the Choral Music:

A Father’s Love, A Perfect Rose - Joseph Martin

(c. 2008, Malcolm Music)

In this anthem, which is a movement from Festival of Carols, Martin combines “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” and “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”.

"Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" ("A rose has sprung up"), most commonly translated to English as "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" or "A Spotless Rose", is a Christmas carol and Marian Hymn of German origin. The text is thought to be penned by an anonymous author, and the piece first appeared in print in the late 16th century. The English translation "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" was written by Theodore Baker in 1894. This German carol from the Rhineland region combines the story of Luke 1-2 and Matthew 2 with Isaiah's prophecies about the "rose" from the "stem of Jesse " (Isa. 11:1; 35:1-2). Stanzas 1 and 2 are a combination of folklore ("amid the cold of winter") and Christological interpretation of Isaiah 11:1 and 35: 1-2. Stanza 3 introduces imagery from John 1. "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen," may date to the fifteenth century. However, the earliest manuscript containing the text, found in St. Alban's Carthusian monastery in Trier and preserved in the Trier municipal library, is dated around 1580. It was first published with twenty-three stanzas in Alte catholische geistliche Kirchengesiinge (Cologne, 1599). Originally stanza 2 interpreted the "rose" as being Mary, mother of Jesus, but in Musae Sionae (1609) Michael Praetorius changed the interpretation to point to Christ as the rose in accord with actual biblical imagery.

Of the Father’s love begotten, ere the world began to be,

He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending He.

Lo, how a Rose e’re blooming, from tender stem has sprung!

Of Jesse’s lineage coming as saints of old have sung.

Of the things that are, that have been,

and that future years shall see, evermore and evermore!

It came a flower bright, amid the cold of winter,

when half-spent was the night.

This is Whom the godly prophets chanted of in one accord;

Whom the voices of the ancients promised in their faithful word.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind.

With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.

And the Rose, the world’s Redeemer, spread the fragrance of God’s grace,

Evermore, evermore, evermore.

God gave to us a Savior, when half=spent was the night,

When half-spent was the night.

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming,

of the Father’s love begotten.

About the Hymns:

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel is a Christian hymn for Advent. While it is most commonly known by that English title, it is in fact a translation of the original Latin, Veni, Veni, Emmanuel; translations into other modern languages (particularly German) are also in widespread use. The 1861 translation from Hymns Ancient and Modern is the most prominent by far in the English-speaking world, but other English translations also exist. The hymn is a metrical paraphrase of the O Antiphons, a series of plainchant antiphons attached to the Magnificat at Vespers over the final days before Christmas. The words and the music of "O come, O come, Emmanuel" developed separately. The Latin text is first documented in Germany in 1710, whereas the tune most familiar in the English-speaking world has its origins in 15th-century France.

The pre-history of the text stretches back to the origins of the O Antiphons, which were in existence by, at the latest, the eighth century. They were paraphrased extensively by the English poet Cynewulf in a poem written before the year 800. While "O come, O come, Emmanuel" is often linked with the 12th century, the earliest surviving evidence of the hymn's text is in the seventh edition of Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, which was published in Cologne in 1710. That hymnal was a major force in the history of German church music: first assembled by Jesuit hymnographer Johannes Herringsdorf in 1610 and receiving numerous revised editions through 1868, it achieved enormous impact due to its use in Jesuit schools.

The text of the Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum version is essentially expanded, rather than altered, over the subsequent centuries. That version exhibits all of the hymn's characteristic qualities: it is strophic and metrical, and the order is altered so that the last of the O Antiphons (the titular "Veni Emmanuel") becomes the first verse of the hymn. Each stanza consists of a four-line verse, which adapts one of the antiphons, and a new two-line refrain ("Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel \ nascetur pro te, Israel," i.e. "Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel \ Shall come to thee, O Israel"), which provides an explicitly Advent-oriented response to the petition of the verse.

The familiar tune called Veni Emmanuel was first linked with this hymn in 1851, when Thomas Helmore published it in the Hymnal Noted, paired with an early revision of Neale's English translation of the text. The volume listed the tune as being "From a French Missal in the National Library, Lisbon."The pairing of the hymn text with the Veni Emmanuel tune was an extremely significant combination. The hymn text was embraced both out of a Romantic interest in poetic beauty and medieval exoticism and out of a concern for matching hymns to liturgical seasons and functions rooted in the Oxford Movement in the Church of England. The Hymnal Noted, in which the words and tune were first combined, represented these goals. This hymnal consisted entirely of versions of Latin hymns, designed for use as Office hymns within the Anglican Church despite the fact that Office hymns had no part in the authorized liturgy. The music was drawn chiefly from plainchant, as was the case with the Veni Emmanuel tune for "O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear,

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high, and order all things far and nigh;

To us the path of knowledge sho and cause us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, great Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height

In ancient times once gave the law in cloud and majesty and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Root of Jesse’s tree, and ensign of they people be;

Before thee rulers silent fall; all people on Thy mercy call.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Dayspring, from on high, And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come And open wide our heav'nly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind

Bid Thou our sad divisions cease And be Thyself our King of peace

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel

I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

(c.1975, Celebration)

Kathleen Thomerson (b. 1934) is Organist and Music Director at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas. She was born in Tennessee and grew up in Mississippi, California, and Texas. College music study was at the Universities of Colorado and Texas, the Flemish Royal Conservatory in Antwerp, and privately in Paris. Before retirement in Austin, she lived in Collinsville, Illinois, when her husband was a biology professor at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Her best-known hymn text is "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light." It was written as a scriptural meditation and prayer. It was inspired by many Bible verses, including Genesis 1:17, Isaiah 60:19, Psalm 75:16, Psalm 139:12, Ephesians 3:17, Ephesians 5:8, Galatians 4:6, Hebrews 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:5, 2 Peter 1:19, 1 John 1:5-7, and Revelation 21:23.

I want to walk as a child of the light; I want to follow Jesus.
God set the stars to give light to the world;
The star of my life is Jesus.

I want to see the brightness of God. I want to look at Jesus.

Clear Sun of Righteousness, shine on my path,

and show me the way to the Father.

I’m looking for the coming of Christ. I want to be with Jesus.

When we have run with patience the race,

we shall know the joy of Jesus.

In him there is no darkness at all; The night and the day are both alike.
The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

First United Methodist Church, Lewisville, Texas

A Community of Everyday People Learning to Love Like Jesus