Music Notes - February 28, 2010
Emmanuel Church, Newport, RI
Secon 
d Sunday in Lent 2
February 28, 2010 - Year C - RCL
8:45 – Choir Call to vest & rehearse at 9
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10 A.M. Eucharist
Entrance Hymn 401 The God of Abraham praise, St. 1-3 Leoni
Kyrie S-96 Setting by Franz Schubert, arr. Richard Proulx
Psalm 27 Plainsong Tone II.1
Sequence Hymn (see Insert) My hope is built on nothing less Melita
Anthem Turn thy face from my sins Thomas Attwood
Presentation Hymn 148 Creator of the earth and skies
Conditor alme siderum, plainsong, mode 4
Sanctus S-130 Setting by Franz Schubert, arr. Richard Proulx
Lords Prayer – Spoken
Fraction Anthem S-153 Christ our Passover (omit Alleluias) Ambrosian chant
Communion Music Taste and See para. of Psalm 34, James E. Moore
Anthem Hide not Thou thy face from us Richard Farrant
Hymn 715 When Jesus wept William Billings
Dismissal Hymn 401 The God of Abraham praise, St. 4 & 5 Leoni
Music Notes: This Second Sunday in Lent the lessons speak of God’s promise to Abraham. This promise to Abraham, (and us), is particularly and perhaps, most meaningfully close to mind when the death of a loved one or close colleague suddenly breaks our daily routine. As we sang last week in ‘On Eagles wings,’ God’s oath is borne up again in stanza 2 of our Entrance Hymn 401, (Leoni – A Hebrew melody), ‘…we on His oath depend; we shall, on eagles wings upborne, to heaven ascend.’ Last week, Richard Proulx, (see http://www.choralnet.org/view/251297), composer and dedicated church musician passed away and just this morning, I received an email announcing the passing of another much younger organist-colleague of mine on Ash Wednesday leaving his wife and 2 teenage children. Immediately, the words, ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,’ become a striking reality. Lent is the time we reflect on that and sing hymns that are simple chant or that may be darker, (considered by some), in musical color, than other music. But, the Sundays in Lent are just that, ‘In’ Lent, little Easters so-to-speak, to support the continual promise of God even as we recall Jesus passion and death. Our music, last week mostly spirituals, this week further highlights the promise, ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.’ The choir sings the traditional Attwood anthem, ‘Turn thy face from my sins’ and at communion Farrant’s, ‘Hide not Thou Thy face from us,’ as we confess our frailty to God our creator.
Then in closing, we come full circle in praise with stanzas 4 and 5 of our entrance hymn, acknowledging, ‘With heaven our songs we raise, all might and majesty are thine, and endless praise,’ to carry us into the week to come.
Peace and see you at worship – AJH
