We are pleased to have Otho Hoyte playing both the prelude and postlude this 3rd Sunday of Lent. The prelude is a setting of the hymn tune known as "Canterbury", tune by the famous English composer Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625), who was a sort of transition from the Renaissance Period to the Baroque period. This arrangement is by the English born Canadian, Healey Willan (1880-1968), who wrote operas, symphonies, and chamber music, but is best known for his church music. Some of his music can be found in our hymnal.
Read MoreThe Lenten prelude is a "Max" (shortened for several long names) Reger setting of a very melodious hymn tune "Come, Follow Me". Mr, Reger (1873-1916) was German and it was said about his music that "the counterpoint of Bach meets the harmonies of Schoenberg (1874-1951), who was famous for atonality and his "12 tone row" (which meant that a melody used every tone in the 12 tone octave. The harmonies and counterpoint of this prelude, however, are very easy on the ear! Our well-known opening hymn is 448 (first 3 verses), which as you will note is an 18th-century setting of a 15th-century Latin text.
Read MoreLent does not need to be a season that suffers musically; on the contrary, the choir will be providing hopefully even more inspiration than usual. What will be different is that near the beginning of communion there will be a second anthem or a solo (this Sunday a solo by Audy Walker), with the text printed for meditation following. There will be no communion hymns.
The prelude for Lent 1 is a set of short variations on the well-known hymn, "If thou but suffer God to Guide Thee" (635 in our hymnal), by the contemporary Robert Powell, still living in Greenville, SC. The original hymn and text by Georg Neumark dates back to the 17th century in Germany, as you may note.
Read MoreThe prelude for the last Sunday after Epiphany is a Dale Wood setting of the hymn, "Guide me ever, Great Redeemer". Mr. Wood (1934-2003), is known in some circles as one of the most important American church music composers of the 20th century, his music being most accessible and used widely by church musicians. The tune for this hymn is "Beach Spring", from the "Sacred Harp" (1844).
Our processional hymn is "The Church's one foundation", 525, tune by the well-known Samuel Wesley and text by Samuel Stone, both 19th century, making the hymn an important favorite for well over a century.
Read MoreFor this 6th Sunday after Epiphany the organ prelude is a J. S. Bach setting of the chorale, "We All Believe in One True God", the text being as follows: "We all believe in one true God, maker of the earth and heaven; The Father, Who to us in love hath the claim of children given. He in soul and body feeds us; All we want His hand provides us; Thro' all snares and perils leads us; Watches that no harm betides us; He cares for us, cares for us by day and night; All things are govern'd by His might."
Read MoreJohannes Brahms (1833-1897) wrote little for the organ but wrote 11 chorale preludes the last summer of his life, most likely in memory of his dearest friend, Clara Schumann, who had passed on the year before. For this Sunday's prelude, I will play No. 7, "O God, Thou Faithful God", playing the actual choral first, which was harmonized by J.S. Bach.
Our processional hymn is a favorite, 518, "Christ is made the sure foundation". Note that. although the text is 7th century, the music was written by the famous English composer of the Baroque period, Henry Purcell, who also composed the day's postlude. Yes, this is the man who composed a number of "trumpet tunes" you know well.
Read MoreThe prelude this 4th Sunday after the Epiphany is a David Lasky setting of "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty", in the form of a "Partita", thereby having several contrasting short movements, like variations, the first being a "Prelude", the second a "Trio", and the third a "Fugato". The well-known hymn you will immediately recognize is actually an old 17th-century melody. David Lasky (born 1957), is American, residing in Vermont, and is active in almost every facet of church music -- composing, teaching workshops, playing recitals, and conducting.
Read MoreThe day's organ prelude is a Flor Peeters setting of "Stuttgart", a hymn tune used 3 times in our hymnal, the Epiphany text being hymn 127, "Earth has many a noble city". The Belgian, Flor Peeters (1903-1986), was one of the 20th century's most notable organists and composers. Otho Hoyte will be playing both the prelude and postlude, along with the processional and closing hymns. We are most fortunate to have Pam and Otho Hoyte among us.
Read MoreThe prelude this second Sunday after Epiphany is a set of variations on Puer Nobis, the 15th-century melody which is hymn 124 in our hymnal; they are by the contemporary American, Michael Burkhardt, who, along with being sought after as a clinician, teaches at Eastern Michigan University.
Our processional hymn is 543, as you may note, a 20th-century tune (with a very traditional harmonization), but with a text based on The Third Song of Isaiah.
Read MoreA Johann Pachelbel setting of the Epiphany hymn, "How Brightly Shines the Morning star", is the organ prelude this first Sunday after Epiphany. Pachelbel (1653-1706), was 27 years old when JS Bach was born, but obviously, their lives overlapped and some stylistic traits of Pachelbel can be found in Bach's compositions, although no one has ever composed on the scale, complexity, and beauty as Bach.
Read MoreThis Fourth Sunday of Advent prelude will be the Leo Sowerby setting of "Let all mortal flesh keep silence", the hymn we will sing before the Gospel reading. Sowerby (1895-1968), as you may remember, was known as "the dean of American church musicians", and also won a Pulitzer prize in 1946.
Read MoreWe are fortunate this Sunday to have Otho Hoyte playing both the prelude and the postlude (as well as the processional and closing hymns). I am most grateful to have both Pam and Otho Hoyte with us, both of whom have extensive training and experience. The prelude will be a Paul Manz setting of "Prepare the Royal Highway, Prepare the Way, O Zion", a very familiar 17th-century Advent hymn, which we will also sing at the close of the service. Otho will play the hymn first, improvising the harmonies.
Read MoreWe will open and close with J.S.Bach this second Sunday of Advent, the prelude being 2 movements from the second Sonata for flute and harpsichord, with our own Nanette Woodwirth on flute. Bach wrote 6 sonatas for flute, but only 4 with harpsichord. We do not have a harpsichord, but I will attempt to play the part on the digital keyboard using the harpsichord sound. The second of the 2 movements is the famous "Siciliano", a great favorite for good reason.
Read MoreFor our first Sunday in Advent, maybe my favorite church season, you will hear 2 different tunes for "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus", both different from what we often sing, which is hymn 66 in our hymnal. The organ prelude tune is based on the tune "Jefferson", and is a setting by the American, Wilbur Held (1914-2015-- yes, he lived to be 100).
Read MoreThe organ prelude is based on the hymn "God, Who Made the Earth and Heaven", unfortunately not in our hymnal, although I think you will recognize the tune. The composer of the 2 variations that I will play is the contemporary American, David Lasky, who has always been centered in New England except for many organ recitals around the country. He is very active as a church musician, composer of mostly organ pieces very widely used, and as a teacher.
Read MoreSunday's music will feature several early German composers. First, the prelude will begin with a J. S. Bach harmonization of the chorale, or hymn, "Now Thank, my Soul, thy Master", followed by two settings of said melody, the first by Johann Pachelbel (who overlapped Bach's life but was 32 years older), and Michael Pratorius (sometimes spelled ""Praetorius"), who lived earlier (1571-1621) and was known for his settings of protestant hymns. Pratorius wrote in the late Renaissance and early Baroque style, whereas Pachelbel was known to have brought the south German school to it's height; Bach, of course, brought the Baroque style to its height. Some differences can be heard in these renditions, but one would have to listen to such more to get a true sense of the stylistic differences.
Read MoreThe prelude to Sunday's service is one of Charles M Widor's most beloved pieces, the "Andante Sostenuto" from his "Gothic Symphony", so named because it honored The Church of St. Ouan in Rouen, where a Cavaille Coll organ had been built. These organs are still probably the most respected for French romantic organ literature, and Widor himself played the finest of these organs, at Saint Sulpice in Paris, for 63 years!
Read MoreThe prelude is a Johannes Brahms setting of the "chorale", or hymn, "O God, Thou Faithful God". This is from the collection of 11 chorale prelude settings that Brahms wrote. Although beautifully written (typical of Brahms's perfectionism), he wrote comparatively little for the organ, as compared to his output as a whole.
Read MoreSunday's prelude is a "partita" on the hymn tune, "Liebster Jesu", best known with the text of hymn 440, Blessed Jesus, at thy word", but we will be singing the text of hymn 631 as the processional, as this text complements our reading from Second Timothy. The organ prelude with variations on the tune is by the American contemporary, Jonathan Reuss. A "partita" is generally a suite of dances, but the designation is often loosely applied, and here some of the settings may be in question as far as being "dances".
Read MoreThe organ prelude Sunday is "Air for Organ", by Gerre Hancock, an "air" being a song like vocal or instrumental piece. The rather meditative "air" is stated first, then developed a bit, and then returns in a particularly quiet form. Gerre Hancock (1934-2012) was one of our foremost organists, composer and improvisor, probably most well known for his long held position at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Manhattan, which many hold as the "epitome" of Episcopal Church music.
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