April 6, 2025

Linda Wozniak, one of our choristers, will be playing both the prelude and at the beginning of communion, accompanied by organ.  The prelude tune may be familiar to some of you--it is "Where'er You Walk", which is from essentially an oratorio (a large scale work for chorus, soloists, and orchestra, usually with a religious text) entitled "Semele", by Georg Friderick Handel.  The arrangement is by Clair Johnson, an American 20th century musician who made many arrangements of works.

It may be appropriate that the music for our opening hymn is also by Handel and is usually associated with Christmas; it's "Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve", 546.  If you tend to check out notes in the hymnal you will recognize the author of the text, Philip Doddridge.

The music for our Gospel hymn -- "Let Thy blood in mercy poured" (313) -- is 17th century, as you may note, but the text is either late 19th or early 20th century.  I think you will find this to be familiar also.  

Our anthem uses verses from Psalm 121 and is by Felix Mendelssohn; the arrangement is by the popular American contemporary, Hal Hopson.  The title is "I to the Hills Will Lift My Eyes".

More Mendelssohn-- at the beginning of communion, Linda will play "If With All Your Hearts", which is from "Elijah", another oratorio, this one by Mendelssohn.  The following hymns are 474, "When I survey the wondrous cross", and 9, "Not here for high and holy things we render thanks to thee, but for the common things of the earth....".    Sometime the "title" given a hymn makes no sense unless one reads on; in this case one should read even farther than what I wrote!

Closing, we will sing "Eternal Lord of love, behold your church" (149), which tune name is known as "Old 124th". and dates back to the 16th century.  As you may note in the hymnal, the text we are using is 20th century.

The postlude is one of many J.S.Bach "chorals,  "See the Lord of Life and Light", which refers to seeing Christ on the cross.  The text alludes to the guilt and shame; obviously it is a somber choral.