Music Notes: Last Sunday, Sunday, September 19^th, was ‘bring someone to Emmanuel Sunday’ and it was a welcomed sight to see so many sharing in prayer, praise and thanksgiving in worship. Take a look at the photo (from where I sat). It was fun and a real pleasure to say hello to many visitors, some who had never been to Emmanuel before, including three Salve Regina University students. We thank you all for coming, hope you felt at home and will be coming again, often to Emmanuel. We are looking for bell ringers to ring bells during parts of the service, like the Gloria and Sanctus, as you may have seen done by some in the choir; however, as it is difficult, (actually - totally impossible), to both ring and sing at the same time, your help would free up a singer and add to our ongoing making of ‘joyful noises!’ in our worship, which in turn, brings me to our anthem. I think you will recognize the tune of ‘We will praise you’ by Michael Praetorius this week; however, rather than being an ‘a cappella’ round or canon, this setting is accompanied by an organ part written by Douglas Wagner.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Mr Wagner is an internationally recognized composer and arranger holding degrees in music from Butler University, where he studied organ with Ernest White. After thirty years as a high school music educator and administrator, Mr. Wagner turned to composition, its allied activities and serving many denominations as a church musician. He has had more than 2,100 of his works published since 1973 and well over thirteen-million copies of his music are in print to date. You can visit his site at www.douglasewagner.com.

Our Hymns are well-known, especially WLP 810, which entitled by it’s first line, ‘You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,’ is more commonly known by it’s refrain; ‘On Eagles wings,’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Eagles%27_Wings and Hour of Power evangelist-preacher, Robert H. Schuller made that passage from Isaiah a familiar household phrase on his weekly television broadcast: Isaiah 40:31 (NIV),

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
       will renew their strength.
       They will soar on wings like eagles;
       they will run and not grow weary,
       they will walk and not be faint.

So, whether from the opening strains of ‘Immortal invisible…’ to ‘I’ll praise my Maker while I’ve breath,’ ‘You who dwell…’ to ‘Fight the good fight with all thy might,’ we will sound forth praise as God promises to raise us up, ‘on eagles wings,’ as with Lazarus in heaven. Repeated below is what I wrote last week to reinforce our move forward, learning, singing and enjoying fun together in thanks for the gifts God has given us, using Voice for Life of the Royal School of Church Music along with Level 1 of a new pilot program called, Chorister Christian Education – Linking Music and Liturgy (CCE-LML). These program outlines provide clear cut templates to follow as we (adults and choristers) grow as choir members and as Christian members of faith at Emmanuel Church. I continue to encourage parents to read this choral material to help support your chorister’s learning and at the same time increase your own skill about music reading and theory and our worship service format. Along with vocal training, our choir repertoire includes liturgy, hymns, psalms, and anthems to be sung as they are prepared. Our first Chorister Christian Education – Linking Music and Liturgy (CCE-LML unit is concentrating on the physical layout of the church and understanding our Sunday worship service sheet; what’s in it and how it works. It is easy as adults to take the awareness of such things for granted not knowing that youngsters may be struggling to understand, keep up and/or follow what is happening. It is not difficult to see why children might not want to ‘go to church,’ when they are internally-frustrated, not knowing what it is we are doing and why, on their level. Subsequent curriculum units delve into the Hymnal 1982, the hymns, the Holy Eucharist, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Nicene Creed, all as they relate to the seasons of the church year. This curriculum is not meant to supplant Sunday school, but rather to help relate Biblical Sunday School teaching and lessons with what goes on in worship on a weekly basis toward enriching that solid foundation a chorister (any young person) will carry with them for the rest of their lives. This is an exciting life project going on every week and when people say they want to ‘do something in life that matters,’ here it is…what could be more gratifying than guiding a young person to understand, grow and mature as a young Christian – In more formal circles, it is called, ‘Christian Formation,’ and it was demonstrated most visibly and audibly in the RSCM summer singing course this past August. If you can help and I cordially invite any and all who can behind the scenes, please let me know. There is much to do. Please see more about our choir program posted on Emmanuel’s Music pages and please take a look: http://www.emmanuelnewport.org/church/music/rscm-chorister-parent-letter/.

Peace and see you at worship – AJH

The Chorister Creed & Prayer

‘I will sing with the spirit and with understanding also’

The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 14:15

Bless, O Lord, us your servants who minister in your temple;

Grant that what we sing with our lips we may believe in our hearts,

And what we believe in our hearts we may show forth in our lives;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Services

Calendar

Emmanuel E-pistle

Music News

Music Notes Sept. 26, 2010