The melody of the prelude is interesting, as the music lists the tune name as "Schonster Herr Jesu", which is 384 in our hymnal, but the melody is much closer-- very recognizable--to 383 (tune name, "St. Elizabeth"), the tune we all know for the text "Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature" (384 uses the same text). Listen and see what you think! The setting is by David Cherwien, contemporary American and artistic director of the National Lutheran Choir.
Read MoreThe prelude uses a familiar traditional American melody which has been used as a setting for several hymn texts. I think you will recognize it even though the tune is not in our hymnal. The setting is by the American contemporary, Dale Wood.
Read MoreThe prelude is called "Choral with Interludes", and is by the American, Courtlandt Palmer (1872-1951), who wrote in the neo-romantic style. A choral, as you may know, is like a hymn, and the "interludes" are like variations on that tune.
Read MoreThe composer of the prelude is actually both Associate Pastor and Director of Music at Christ Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. He is quite gifted, writing numerous good hymn tunes, but "our" tune for the day is "Thaxted", written by Gustav Holst, and, though used as a popular hymn tune, is from his "Planets" -- actually "Jupiter"! I think everyone knows and loves the tune. The intended hymn it represents is "O God Beyond All Praising".
Read MoreThe prelude to Sunday's service is James Biery's setting of the familiar hymn tune, "Draw Us In the Spirit's Tether"; though not in our hymnal, the tune is known probably in part because our choir sings it every so often. Mr. Biery, b. 1956, holds the organist/choral director position at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church in Michigan and is a respected composer.
Read MoreThe prelude is Lynn L Petersen's setting of the familiar tune, "Holly Manna", which is used twice in our hymnal-- 238 & 580. Dr. Petersen teaches at Carroll College in Helena, Montana, but has taught at other schools also including St. Olaf College. The tune is, of course, a Shaker tune from "Southern Harmony"; I have played this setting before and some people have asked that I play it again.
Read MoreSunday's prelude will be a arrangement of "I am the bread of life" (hymn 335) by the contemporary American organist/composer Ron Schmoltze (b. 1935), who graduated from the Oberlin School of Music. Everyone knows the hymn!
Read MoreLast week we closed the service singing "How firm a foundation" (636), a hymn appropriate for both this past Sunday and this Sunday. Since we won't repeat the singing of it, I will play a setting of it for the prelude; it is by Dale Wood, whose music I often use.
Read MoreThe prelude is based on our hymn at the offertory, "Strengthen for service, Lord, the hands that holy things have taken" (312), and is by the famous American composer, Leo Sowerby (1895-1968). Our processional hymn is "Rejoice! rejoice, believers, and let your lights appear" (68), text from the 17th-18th centuries and melody from the 19th, as you may note. It is an upbeat and familiar hymn. Following suit, the Gospel hymn also has an older text than the familiar melody; it is the beautiful "Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove" (510).
Read MoreThe prelude is by the famous French organist, Marcel Dupre (1886-1971), and is a setting in the baroque style of the hymn, "Now as we journey, aid our weak endeavor"; so it may sound to you like J.S. Bach may have composed it!
Read MoreThe prelude is based on the hymn, "Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown", which uses a Scottish melody and is not in our hymnal, though it is one of those tunes you might think you know. The tune is known as "Candler", and the setting is by the American composer and organist, Dale Wood (1934-2003), whose music I often play.
Read MoreThe prelude is "Meditation Religeuse" by the French organist and composer, Henri Mulet (1878-1967), who wrote in the neo-romantic style. The piece has a lilting melody that is hopefully conducive to meditation! Our processional hymn, 488, is "Be thou my vision", the popular Irish ballad melody. Most of the day's hymns relate to the Gospel reading from Luke.
Read MoreWe are fortunate to have Ben Smith playing cello with the prelude, hymns, and during communion. The prelude is "Priere" (French for "Prayer), by Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921), the famous French romantic composer and organist. "Priere" was written in 1919.
Read MoreThe prelude is "Meditation" by Gabriel Dupont (1878-1914), French composer who tragically died of TB at 36. He was most known for his operas and chamber music, but he did study organ and other music subjects with the famous Massenet at the Paris Conservatory, and composition with Widor. With his father being a secondary school teacher and organist, he certainly had experience with church music.
Read MoreThe organ prelude is the "Prelude" from Cesar Franck's "Prelude, Fugue, and Variation", written in 1862. Franck (1822-1890) was one of the most important composers for the organ in the French Romantic style. The piece was dedicated to his friend and famous composer Saint-Saens.
Read MoreThe prelude, by the American composer Seth Bingham (1882-1972), is a setting of another hymn not in our hymnal -- "Lead Us, O Father,” although other texts have been set to the tune. Mr. Bingham studied at Yale with some of the most famous names of his day-- Horatio Parker, Vincent D'Indy, and Alexandre Guilmant.
Read MoreThe prelude is a set of variations on our processional hymn, 719, "Oh beautiful for spacious skies"; with the "Fourth" in mind it seems a very appropriate time to me to ask for "God's grace", and also to ask God "to mend every flaw"-- which the hymn does. The variations(due to time limits I may not play all of them) are by the contemporary American, David Lasky (b.1957).
Read MoreThe prelude is based on a favorite hymn of many-- but another not in our hymnal --"This Is My Father's World" (tune name, "Terra Beata"), and is a setting by the prolific American composer from California, who passed away in 2003, age 69, Dale Wood. I often play hymn settings of his.
Read MoreThe prelude is based on hymn 420, "When In Our Music God Is Glorified", and is a variation-like setting by the contemporary American, Robert Hobby (b.1962). As a reminder, Mr. Hobby is a very active Lutheran musician and is very popular as a composer.
Read MoreFor the prelude on this Trinity Sunday I will play a simple arrangement of our processional hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy" (362), by Charles Callahan (1951-2023), American composer, organist, pianist, teacher and choral conductor, who was a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
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