Music Notes - Easter 7, May 16, 2010

May 16, 2010 - Year C - RCL

8:45 – Choir Call to vest & rehearse at 9

10 A.M. Eucharist

Easter Festival Canticle 417 Setting by Richard Hillert

Psalm 97 Setting: George Mursell Garrett   Emmanuel Choir 

Sequence Hymn 306 Come, risen Lord, and deign to be our guest   Sursum Corda

Anthem  Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life  The Call  Ralph Vaughn Williams                       

Presentation Hymn 307  St. 1, 4, 5  Lord enthrone in heavenly splendor  Bryn Calfaria

Sanctus S-128 Setting: William Mathias

Lords Prayer – Recited by all 

Fraction Anthem WLP 866  Alleluia, Christ our Passover Owen Burdick

                                    Grace before meals                arr. Murray Somerville

Communion Hymn 328       Draw nigh and take the Body of the Lord  Song 46

Dismissal Hymn 495 Hail, thou once despised Jesus!         In Babilone

Music Notes:  I thank everyone at Emmanuel and La Bella Musica for their invigorating and inspired participation last Sunday to mark Rev. Anita’s first Sunday at Emmanuel.  It was a mountain-top experience from which it is difficult to come down, as it was a small reflection of what it must have been like for Pater, John and James, on the occasion of seeing Jesus Transfigured on the mountain-top, (The Transfiguration, by the way, will be the theme of our RSCM Evensong, Friday August 6^th here at Emmanuel – Mark your calendars, 5 P.M.).  The new start has happened and like a breath of fresh air from the Holy Spirit I think I can safely say everyone is primed for a bright future.  The Seventh Sunday of Easter marks the close of the Easter season with Ascension coming on Thursday, May 13, and Pentecost, May 23^rd and although our music will not be as rip-roaring or flamboyant, none-the-less, it continues the quest of our mission.  On this Seventh Sunday, we recall Jesus left his disciples in a world that did not truly know God and He was concerned they should retain and deepen their relationship with Him and with God, the Father who sent Him even though He would no longer be seen by them.  So it is for us today - there is the calling (and desire), to belong to God wholly and not seen, and yet, to live in the world – witnessing toward the end, that a needy world can and will experience God’s gospel of love through Jesus. The serenely beautiful tune, ‘The Call,’ written by Ralph Vaughan Williams for a poem penned by George Herbert (1593-1633),

is our anthem and although Vaughan Williams titled the tune, ‘The Call,’ the text is reflective completely, of the Rogation theme of ‘asking;’ ‘Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life…’ and it is a request from us that actually starts with God calling us.  Canon White, The Vicar of Bagdad, put that so aptly, when upon receiving recent awards for his good works in Iraq, he stated, "whilst I am pleased with all these awards I only got them because of the job that I am called by God to do.  It is the finest job I have ever done and I serve the finest people and I have no intention of leaving them."   And so it is, and is, that we can sing:  ‘Alleluia! Sing to Jesus! his the scepter, his the throne; Alleluia! his the triumph, his the victory alone; Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion thundering like a might flood; Jesus out of every nation hath redeemed us by His blood,’ Hymnal 1982, #460.  Our other hymns for Sunday: 417, the triumphant Easter Canticle, 306, 307, 328 and 495 all bespeak of Christ, the triumphant King on the throne, which is depicted above the entrance doorway to our nave, (see accompanying photo) and next week, we continue with ‘the calling’ of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost singing the words, ‘Come Down O Love Divine,’ (see website photo at ‘CHURCH’ tab: http://www.emmanuelnewport.org/church/).   

Peace and see you at worship – AJH

The Chorister Creed