Music Notes - February 14 & Ash Wednesday, February 17
Last Sunday after Epiphany Music & Music Notes
Ash Wednesday Music & Music Notes
Emmanuel Church, Newport, RI
Sunday – Last Sunday after Epiphany
February 14, 2010 - Year C - RCL
8:45 A.M. Choir Call to vest & rehearse at 9
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10 A.M. Eucharist
Entrance Hymn 427 When morning gilds the skies Laudes Domini
Gloria WLP-900 Setting: John Rutter
Psalm (spoken)
Sequence Hymn 567 Thine arm, O Lord, in days of yore St. Matthew
Anthem Christ is the world’s true light W. K. Stanton
Presentation Hymn 460 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus! Hyfrydol
Sanctus S-125 Setting: Richard Proulx
Lords Prayer – Spoken
Fraction Anthem S-152 Christ our Passover Ambrosian chant
Communion Music Grace before meals setting M. Sommerville
Farewell to Alleluia Olin L. Jones
Hymn 135 Songs of thankfulness and praise Salzburg
Dismissal Hymn 618 Ye watchers and ye holy ones Lasst uns erfreuen
Emmanuel Church, Newport, RI
Ash Wednesday
February 17, 2010 - Year C - RCL
4:30 – 6:30 P.M. Choir Call to vest & rehearse
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7 P.M. Eucharist
Entrance Hymn 149 Eternal Lord of Love Old 124th
Psalm 103 Plainsong Tone II.1
Sequence Hymn 674 “Forgive our sins as we forgive” Detroit
Anthem Hide not Thy face from us Richard Farrant
Presentation Hymn 697 My God, accept my heart this day Song 67
Sanctus S-130 Setting by Franz Schubert
Lords Prayer – Spoken
Fraction Anthem S-153 Christ our Passover, (Sans Alleluia) Ambrosian chant
Communion Music Taste and See James E. Moore, Jr.
Anthem Help Me, O God Thomas Augustine Arne
Hymn 311 O saving victim Plainsong
Dismissal Hymn 142, St. 1, 3, 5 Lord, who throughout these forty days St. Flavian
Music Notes: Picking up where we left off last week, there is much to say about our music, and we sang, ‘…here I am Lord…send me,’ by composer, Daniel L. Schutte, with nary a word about its origin. The hymn, (words & music), was written just 30 years ago in November 1979 when a friend asked Schutte to write something on Isaiah 6:1-8. Schutte was studying for the priesthood at a seminary in Berkley, CA. More may be read at Dan Schutte’s website: http://danschutte.com/here_i_am_lord_story.html. In Hymn 567, the word, ‘Yore’ is from the 14th century and simply means, a long time ago…and on this Last Sunday of Epiphany, the revelation of Christ as the Light of the World, the choir will sing ‘Christ is the world’s true light, its Captain of salvation,’ by W.K. Stanton. Searching the Net briefly did not turn up much about Mr. Stanton, except that this anthem was composed in the late 1930’s. It is stirring union piece closing with a soaring descant accompanied by a thunderous organ registration. At Communion we’ll set aside the word ‘Alleluia’ for Lent, when the choir sings, ‘Farewell to Alleluia,’ an 11th century text set by Olin Jones to music based on the plainsong tune, ‘Tantum Ergo,’ as we turn to the season when we reflect more on our dependence on our Lord and God.
Starting Ash Wednesday the 17th, we will begin singing the Lent Psalms to Plainsong, Tone II.1, certainly the oldest known method in the history of the Church. We will sing them slowly, with longer pauses of silence for reflection to heighten their sense of meaning and comprehension. In our live acoustic space, the echo of their words goes out and returns to us, heightening their sense of importance, mystery and meaning, as we contemplate what King David is telling us about God our creator and our relationship with Him as the created. The elaboration of plainsong melodies for antiphons or psalm portions as ‘minor propers’ of the mass is intentionally set apart as music for trained choirs; however, here the original 8 tones have a melodic formula, which allows the text to be prominent, while being easily mastered by any congregation. Since repetition, (the essence of learning) is the easiest way to teach any form of music our Lent Psalms are intentionally set to the same chant for the entire season. Let them fill you with a simple, yet powerful grace, as their words envelop your mind and soul. Our Ash Wednesday anthems are two: ‘Help Me, O Lord’ by 18th century composer, Thomas Arne and ‘Hide not Thou Thy face from us’ by 16th century composer, Richard Farrant. Please see more about Thomas Arne at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Arne, (photo above – the bio is very interesting), and Richard Farrant at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Farrant. Both anthems point to our dependence on God our creator for help and redemption as they reflect the emphasis of confession and God’s mercy of forgiveness in it. Peace and see you at worship – AJH
