Join us at the 9:00 a.m. service for chants of inner peace connecting with the Divine—a sanctuary within. Cantor Blair Carpenter, bassist Peter Strening, guitarist/vocalist Bill DeMarco and I lead you in songs of strength and beauty.
At the 11:00 a.m. service, two selections from the organ illuminate the importance of the sabbath within. Brahms' chorale prelude "Mein Jesu, der du mich zum Lustspiel ewiglich" ("My Jesus, you who have chosen me for eternal delight") begins the service in a serious yet sublime tone. Charles Callahan's setting of the hymn "O Day of Peace" closes the service in a stately dignified manner based on the tune "Jerusalem" by British composer C.H.H. Parry. The Chancel Choir offers the exquisite "I Believe" by Mark Miller during communion. The text is based on writing found on a basement wall in a Jewish ghetto during World War Two expressing a profound faith in times of hardship and terror.
0 Comments
The folk hymn "Wondrous Love" was first published in 1836 from a melody most likely based on the 1701 English secular tune, "The Ballad of Captain Kidd." Originating in the American South, the hymn was included in the venerable 1845 Southern Harmony and now appears in songbooks across Christendom. The text praises the inconceivable love and grace of God in our lives, especially poignant as we continue our spiritual journey together towards Holy Week. Three settings of this beloved hymn will be offered this Fourth Sunday in Lent.
At 9:00, a contemporary arrangement by Carol Wiggins for piano and violin closes the service. The free treatment of this iconic melody and the numerous harmonic surprise turns of the accompaniment create an inspired fresh interpretation of this treasured tune. Violinist Harmony Tucker joins us. At 11:00, the Plymouth Ringers sound a call to worship with a lovely arrangement of the melody by Martha Thompson. At the Postlude, the organ offers a rousing majestic version of the tune in the closing meditation from "Five Meditations on 'Wondrous Love'" by Ronald Perera. Also at 11:00, the Chancel Choir offers a setting of the Horatious Bonar text "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say" in an intimate arrangement by John Helgen. At 9:00, musical meditations assist us in finding that quiet place within: a place of much needed rest as we prepare ourselves for service in God's world.
At 11:00, a tintinnabulation opens the service on the early American hymn "Wondrous Love" from the Plymouth Ringers in a setting by Martha Lynn Thompson. The Chancel Choir sings "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say," a well-known Horatious Bonar text set in an intimate setting by John Helgen. Lastly, from the organ we celebrate the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach one day early with his majestic and concise "Prelude and Fugue in E Minor" (the "cathedral") BWV 533. Soli Deo Gloria! This Sunday we celebrate the rich Celtic tradition of music and prayer so revered at Plymouth. St. Patrick's Day comes early...served in two ways!
At 9:00, traditional Irish jigs and reels are led by fiddler Abigail Morgan with guitarist Alan Skowron and bassist Peter Strening. Come and experience the exuberant sounds of ancient Ireland as we worship this early morning. At 11:00, the traditional Irish tune "St. Columba" is treated to a lovely setting by composer Matt Riley at the Prelude. Violinist Harmony Tucker joins us. The Chancel Choir offers "God, You Enfold Me," an ancient Celtic prayer set to music by Hal Hopson inspired by early Italian opera composer Giulio Caccini. Harmony Tucker provides the violin part. At the Postlude, a jig for the organ! "Toccata gaelica" by Hans-André Stamm joyously encompasses the spirit of the traditional Irish jig in a multi-sectional romp sure to send you happily out into the world. Our yearly pilgrimage through the wilderness has begun anew as we began our collective Lenten journey with last night's Ash Wednesday service. God meeting us where we are while we intently come forward into the divine presence. In community, in the bread and wine.
At 9:00 this First Sunday in Lent, we greet the new morn with songs from the Celtic folk tradition and more with cantor Blair Carpenter and ukulelist Stuart Yoshida. At 11:00, the organ speaks with two hymn tunes of dedication and praise. At the Prelude, a dramatic setting of "Just As I Am" welcomes you with rising sonorities that offer an urgent plea to the heavens. As the closing phrase of each verse text states: "Lamb of God, I come, I come." A majestic and victorious setting of the venerable tune "Deo Gracias" (Latin for 'Thanks to God') closes the service by British-Canadian composer Healey Willan. The Chancel Choir offers the hymn anthem "One Bread, One Body" in an elegant setting by prolific composer Mark Hayes. As we gather —in-person!—this Transfiguration Sunday, we meditate on the transformative power of the Light of Christ and the call to share our own little light with the world.
At the 9:00 service, we welcome the sun in the return of our eclectic early morning worship hour. Bassist Peter Strening and cantor Lucas Jackson join us. At the 11:00 service, the organ greets you with an affirmation in J.S. Bach's chorale prelude setting of "Dearest Jesus, We Are Here." Indeed, we are! The service closes triumphantly in a joyous moment of brevity with "Fanfare on 'Gopsal'" by David Willcocks. The Handel-composed hymn tune is commonly associated with the text "Rejoice, the Lord is King", a statement of Christ's reign. The Chancel Choir also returns with an offering for this Last Sunday of the Epiphany. The Prelude: an introduction to worship heard time immemorial intended to invite worshippers into a moment of preparation, prayer, and can even be a musical exclamation of pure joy. Traditionally, it is also a time for the organ "to speak" to the congregation—a sermon without words. As a musical form, a prelude is typically improvisatory in nature and is often composed to precede related musical sections more complex in nature, Bach's preludes and fugues are fine examples. Preludes can also be stand-alone works as the musical form has continued to evolve over the centuries. This Sunday morning, we hear two evocative organ works in the prelude tradition. "Preludé modal" is an ethereal work by French composer Jean Langlais with the title referring to the bountiful modal harmonies employed. "Praeludium" (Latin for prelude) is a Neo-Baroque style composition by German organist Hermann Schroeder which opens his "Six Preludes & Intermezzi for Organ, Op 9." Schroeder's Catholic faith is represented through the quartal and quintal harmonies reminiscent of Gregorian chant. The Plymouth Ringers will also join us in a Sandra Eithun setting of the hymn "Holy God, We Praise Your Name." Beatitude has etymological origins in words referring to "true happiness" and "blessed." Perhaps it's somewhat appropriate then that we hear Luke's recounting of this iconic excerpt from the Sermon on the Mount just prior to Valentine's Day. A good time as any...
From Ralph Vaughan Williams' triptych of Welsh chorale preludes for organ, we hear two selections: "Rhosymedre" (translated as "lovely") and "Hyfrydol" (most associated with the hymn text "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"). At the Offertory, the instrumental "Hairless Heart" from the 1974 concept album "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" by Genesis will be offered with an arrangement for piano, cello, and bass guitar. The title refers to the "shaved heart" of the main character Rael as he allows love and compassion to guide his soul. Three minimalist works revealing an abundance of musical expression. The minimalist compositions of Philip Glass are probably the most performed works of this compositional ethos. For the Prelude, the hypnotic and soothing "Opening" from the six movement "Glassworks" (1982) will be heard. The composer intended "Glassworks" to be an introductory work to people unfamiliar with his music. To that end, Glass offered this note to would-be first time listeners: "specially mixed for your personal cassette player." The Plymouth Ringers play the traditional Indian folk tune "Assam" associated with the text "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus." My minimalist setting is based on a repetitive circular figure supporting the hymn tune in a perpetual loop which we will keep to three minutes. At the Postlude, "Organ Minimal, No. 1 in E Minor" by prolific composer James Michael Stevens closes the service in a contemporary flourish resembling film score music. Let the credits roll. A wildly eclectic musical offering on this Annual Meeting Sunday morning.
Libby Larsen's imaginative organ setting of the hymn tune "Blessed Be the Tie That Binds" opens worship on a fresh contemporary note. The tune weaves its way subtly through numerous swirling textures culminating in a wonderfully dissonant restating of this 19th century tune. The Neo-Baroque stylings of Helmut Walcha are reinterpreted through a cello and organ arrangement of the German chorale "O Jesus Christ, Our True Light" during the Musical Offering. Cellist Lucas Jackson joins. When confronted with unexpected circumstances, abundant imagination and perseverance is often the remedy. David Bowie speaks to this in his well-known song "Changes" from 1971's "Hunky Dory." Bassist Peter Strening joins vocalist Lucas Jackson and me for a vibrant reading of this still timely and relevant classic. This month also marks the 75th birthday (January 8) and six year anniversary (January 10) of the passing of this great artist. |
Details
|