Music Notes - August 29, 2010
Emmanuel Church, Newport, RI 
Pentecost 14 (Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity)
Green - August 29, 2010 - Year C – RCL
Summer Choir 8:45 to rehearse music for the
10 AM Eucharist
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Hymn 435 At the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow King’s Weston
Gloria S-280 Setting: Robert Powell
Psalm 81:1, 10-16 spoken
Sequence Hymn 644
How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds St. Peter
Anthem Summer Choir A Medieval Mass celebrated by a bishop.
Hymn WLP 779 The Church of Christ in every age Dunedin
The Great Thanksgiving - Sursum Corda
Eucharistic Prayer A
Sanctus S-125 Setting: Richard Proulx
Lords Prayer (spoken)
Fraction Anthem Behold the Lamb of God Adult Choir & Choristers
Communion Hymn 656 Blest are the pure in heart Franconia
477 All praise to thee Engelberg
Dismissal Hymn 665 All my hope on God is founded Michael
Music Notes: For those of you in attendance at worship last Sunday, one could have wondered, was a different organist at the organ console and in particular, possibly Charles Ives(October 20, 1874 – May 19, 1954), who had the whimsical nature to sometimes play music in two different keys at the same time to poke fun at the music. Our first hymn, #11, Morning Hymn, was in the key of G major; however, my mind instead of seeing a sharp (#) in the key signature kept seeing a flat (b). Hence, the hymn introduction was an Ives-ian cross between G major and g minor, creating a cacophonous exposition of the tune to say the least. More about Ives can be read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Ives; however, Ives is not really the topic of these Notes: rather it is the word, ‘focus.’ Ives shook his musical world at the turn of the last century and up until he passed in the 1950’s, with his use of polytonality, polyrhythm, tone clusters, quarter tones, and more, and, as we heard in last week’s gospel lesson, Jesus shook the religious establishment he knew, by healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath, much to the chagrin of the elder leadership. So, ‘focus,’ especially on what is important, whether it be playing in the correct key, or as Jesus did, doing what was right even if on the Sabbath, is no less important today for stretching in sacrifice to help, when it may buck the status quo, is a key element to making things happen with a positive outcome. The lack of focus that leads to wrong notes is similar to that of first, not seeing and then second, not physically working toward the vision/goal of accomplishment by acting upon it, because it may not be fit our schedules the way we desire or our ‘comfort zones,’ as we discussed Wednesday night at ‘Hopes & Dreams.’ In a few short weeks, we begin a new fall choir season on the heels of an incredibly busy, and highly successful, musical summer, (I say that, as I mentioned at Hopes & Dreams, a total of 835 people came through Emmanuel to hear three concerts and attend the RSCM closing Eucharist). So we begin, (and I understand some choir directors are even starting rehearsals the week before Labor Day weekend) and as we do, the one dilemma with which I have wrestled throughout my entire musical career is trying to match everyone’s wants and desires about the choir schedule and/or music or whatever, to be convenient to them, but that is not really the main ‘focus.’ With our start date of Friday, September 10, (see schedule on web), the main ‘focus’ will be making it happen and I pray many will make this a committed year to participate and sing, and to encourage others to do the same for the goal of increasing our faith and that of those we bring to Christ at Emmanuel Church. I know we had a foretaste of that and what can be accomplished, when we saw and heard the choristers sing here August 8th. Being a choir member or working behind the scenes, represents being part of a team effort doing the incredibly important work of singing and leading singing, in our weekly worship, whether we be professionally trained, just want to sing for the fun and learning of it or to work in support of the singers in other non-singing tasks, teaching and monitoring, to name two. We will use the Voice for Life curriculum (see website), by which adults as well as young choristers can learn and increase their music skills.
Our music this Sunday will delight the ear and enrich the soul with Hymns & music new and old and do not be surprised if you recognize the strains of other familiar tunes from your past, woven into the fabric of our worship as time goes by for the ‘focus’ on faith comes in many shapes and varieties of sound, all of which are gifts from God and for which ‘prayer, praise and thanksgiving’ may be given. So, when that all important question, that arose out of the meeting tonight comes up: ‘What do we have to offer to 
attract people to Emmanuel?’
I think it is not, ‘what do we have to offer, but, what do we have to ‘give,’ and to that end, we have Christ’s example when he broke bread and ‘gave thanks,’ i.e., we have the ultimate duty as children of God to give ‘thanks,’ and yes, it is not any more complicated than that. Life is a gift we need to start using today and all we need do in return is to say, ‘thanks.’ We come…, to give thanks for all good things. Sunday’s Collect: Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
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
