Concert Event

Through a scheduling mishap, we at Black Mountain Presbyterian find ourselves host to the Biava Quartet, this Saturday afternoon at 3:30. Please come!

The Biava Quartet is recognized as one of today’s most exciting young American string quartets. Winner of the Naumburg Chamber Music Award and top prizes at the Premio Borciani and London International Competitions, the Quartet has established an enthusiastic following in the United States and abroad, impressing audiences with its sensitive artistry and communicative powers. Formed in 1998 at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Quartet takes its name from Maestro Luis Biava, a mentor since its inception.

The members of the Biava Quartet, violinists Austin Hartman and Hyunsu Ko, violist Mary Persin, and cellist Jason Calloway, hold the Lisa Arnhold Quartet Residency at the Juilliard School, serving as graduate quartet in residence and teaching assistants to the Juilliard Quartet. The Quartet previously held the same position with the Tokyo Quartet at Yale University and was the first ensemble to complete the Training Program in the Art of the String Quartet at the New England Conservatory under the direction of Paul Katz.

The Biava Quartet has performed to acclaim in important venues throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, including Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, and the Baroque Art Hall in Seoul. Other highlights from recent seasons include appearances at the Mostly Mozart and Aspen Music Festivals, Chautauqua Institution, and Pacific Music Festival in Japan.

Music for Worship 032909

FirstLight

Prelude
Amazing grace
Gennie Bassett, violin

Gathering Song
We will glorify

Opening Song
Heart of worship

Confession
Lakota Prayer
Drumming

Offertory
Speak, O Lord

Doxology
Give thanks

Prayers
Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord

Closing Song
The wonderful cross

11AM
Hymns
371, Lift high the cross (CRUCIFER)
357, O Master let me walk with thee (MARYTON)
84, In the cross of Christ I glory (RATHBUN)

Introit
Jody Lindh, Come, let us sing to the Lord
Aerie Singers

Confession
Call to Confession:
Bob Hudson, Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord
Aerie Singers
Response to Forgiveness:
You are giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest
Well-spring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest.
Loving Sprit, Father, Mother, all who love belong to you;
Teach us how to love each other, by that love our joy renew.

Anthem
Richard Farrant, Call to Remembrance
…thy tender mercies
and Thy loving kindness,
which hath been ever of old,
O remember not the sins and offences of my youth:
but according to Thy mercy
think Thou on me, O Lord,
for Thy goodness.
Psalm 25: 5, 6

Doxology
592

Benediction
Lutkin, The Lord bless you and keep you

Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: Flor Peeters, Larghetto, opus 106
Alice Keith Knowles, violin; Carolyn Konnert, violincello
Offertory: Mendelssohn, Adagio
Postlude: Arr. Manz, Fanfare on CRUCIFER

All hail the power of Jesus' name

This is one of my favorite sites, and recently the complete text of this hymn was posted. We Protestants have left out (generally) some of the most vivid images by excluding most of the stanzas (falling seraphim). Have a look at the whole thing. Written by Edward Perronet, the original hymn text was published in 1779 with 8 stanzas. John Rippon was one of several editors who couldn't keep their hands off the text the way it was. He dropped three of the original and added two of his own. He did some helpful re-writing in a couple of places. There was a certain anti-Jewish bias in some of Perronet's words that rightly have been dropped and/or altered. One of the highlights of my youth was singing this hymn using all three (!) tunes (CORONATION; MILES LANE; DIADEM) associated with it in the 1968 Methodist Hymnal. It was a thrill for the congregation, if the ultimate challenge for the organist! Gott sei dank!

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Of Cows, Corn and Choruses

Someone recently was telling me about this joke that has made the electronic rounds in recent years. She had only heard the "praise chorus" part. I told about the other and promised to email her the whole thing. I figured if it was new to her (either in part or in whole), then it might yet be unknown to others. I pulled the text from here. But apparently the original author is unknown. At this point, who can even really say what is original?

An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big-city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was. "Well," said the farmer, "It was good. But they did something different. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns." "Praise choruses," said his wife, "What are those?" "Oh, they're OK. They're sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer. "Well, what's the difference?" asked his wife. The farmer said, "Well it's like this: If I said to you: 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well, that would be a hymn. On the other hand, if I said to you:

'Martha Martha, Martha,

Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA,

The cows,

the big cows,

the brown cows,

the black cows,

the white cows,

the black and white cows,

the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn,

are in the corn,

are in the corn,

are in the corn,

the CORN, CORN, CORN'

Then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus."

Now, the rebuttal, so to speak:

A young, new Christian went to his local church usually, but one weekend attended a small town church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was. "Well," said the young man, "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs." "Hymns," said his wife, "What are those?" "Oh, they're okay. They're sort of like regular songs, only different," said the young man. "Well, what's the difference?" asked his wife.

The young man said, "Well it's like this - If I were to say to you: 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well that would be a regular song. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:

Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry

Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.

Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by

To the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth.

For the way of the animals who can explain

There in their heads is no shadow of sense,

Hearkenest they in God's sun or his rain

Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.

Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight,

Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.

Then goaded by minions of darkness and night

They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn have chewed.

So look to that bright shining day by and by,

Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn.

Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry

And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.

"Then, if I were to do only verses one, three and four and do a key change on the last verse, well that would be a hymn."

Faith and Aesthetics

A few years ago Frank Burch Brown published Good Taste, Bad Taste, Christian Taste. I got it because the title was incredibly catchy to my ear. What I thought was going to be a little bit of fluff and perhaps a humorous discussion of tacky music and worship turned out to be a much more dense discussion of the aesthetics of art and tastefulness in relation to faith and worship. It took me months to get through the book.

So when I came across an article by Burch in the Century, I knew what not to expect. Drawn from his newest book Inclusive yet discerning: navigating worship artfully, the piece drew heavily on some informal research Burch has done in his classes at Christian Theological Seminary (Indianapolis). Burch has written a paraphrase of the 23rd Psalm which can be sung to the tune "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

Take a minute...

No that that's out of your system...

Whether you agree or disagree with the notion of this paraphrase, it is an incredibly useful tool to use to get at why words and music are so compelling for anyone and people of faith especially. Using this paradigm Burch is attempting to give us language to discuss our worship and music likes and dislikes with intelligence and with common language and definitions.

Burch's work is a deeply helpful attempt to give the church and its leaders and the people in the pew a way to talk about what they experience at worship that goes beyond "like" and don't like." Not that the average person in the pew is going to be able or interested in plowing through the final product (the two referenced books). But if a congregation is struggling with this issue and wants some meaty reading to help chart the arc of the discussion, these are the books to read.

The past few weeks we have had several opportunities to experience styles of music that may give us pause. The experiences have opened up numerous conversations. And try as I might I still flounder st times trying to move the conversation beyond the like and dislike stage. (I also have to try to move folks beyond a sense of worship being about or for the individual and appealing to their tastes, but that's another post.)

The article in Century was fascinating. I hope I can get the book sometime and explore Burch's discussion further.

Music for 032209

FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
Jesus Messiah
Shout to the Lord

Confession
Lakota Prayer
Drumming

Scripture/Proclamation
Thy Word

Offertory
Canedo, Jesus Christ is Lord

Doxology
Give thanks (2036)

Closing Song
In Christ alone

11 AM
Hymns
483, Sing praise to God who reigns above (MIT FREUDEN ZART)
298, There’s a wideness in God’s mercy (IN BABILONE)
Great God the followers of your child (WAREHAM)

Introit
Tersteegen, God is truly with us

Confession
Glory be to the father (579)

Anthem
Goss, God so loved the world

Doxology
592

Benediction
Danish, Three-Fold Amen (586)

Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: Frank Bridge, Adagio in E
Offertory: Marcel Dupre, How fair and pleasant thou art
Postlude: Jehan Alain, Litanies

Music for YOUTH SUNDAY

Prelude
Arr. Kevin McChesney, Praise to the Lord the Almighty
Aaron’s Bells

Gathering Song(s)
Better is one day
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Opening Song
My hope is built (THE SOLID ROCK)

Confession
You are my King (Amazing love)

Anthem
Chris Machen, Bow the knee
Give voice

Offertory
Share the well
(all youth)

Doxology
Give thanks

Communion
Hungry
One bread, one body

Closing Song
Forever

Benediction Response
Doug Wagner, the Peace of God
Give Voice

Go Duke!

The Duke-Carolina game is Sunday afternoon right when we're supposed to be having youth rehearsals. So in the spirit of the game or whatever, we're moving rehearsals.

Aaron's Bells (Youth grades 6-12) will be at 1215PM and last 1/2 hour.
Give Voice (Youth singers grades 6-12) will be at 1245 and also last 1/2 hour.

For real, this was not my idea. I was perfectly willing to rehearse during the first part of the game. But some of the musicians really wanted to cancel or move things around. Cancelling wasn't an option because YOUTH SUNDAY is next week.

So, here we go. And, go Duke; sorry Kaitlyn ; )

Music for 030809

FirstLight

Gathering Song(s)

Father, I adore you

How great is our God

Confession

Drumming

Offertory

Purify my heart (Refiner’s fire)

Doxology

Give thanks

Closing Song

Worthy is the Lamb

11AM

Hymns

488, The God of Abraham praise (LEONI)

76, My song is love unknown (LOVE UNKNOWN)

391, Take my life (HENDON)

Introit

Root, The Lord is in his holy temple

Confession

Purcell, Glory be to the God the Father (WESTMINSTER ABBEY)

Anthem

Farrant, Lord for thy tender mercy’s sake
…lay not our sins to our charge,
but forgive that is past,
and give us grace to amend our sinful lives.
To decline from sin and incline to virtue,
that we may walk in a perfect heart before thee,
now and evermore.

Doxology

592

Benediction

Haugen, Two-Fold Amen

Instrumental Music

Prelude: Voluntary on LOVE UNKNOWN

Offertory: Alcock, Voluntary in G

Postlude: Arr. Barker, The Morning Trumpet

Blurring the lines

An article on an up-and-coming choreographer who seems intent upon drawing a young generation to the art by blurring the lines.

I remember fondly a note I got after a bluegrass concert we (I know!!!) sponsored in Richmond: the writer complained that one of the groups (Old School Freight Train) was most certainly not performing bluegrass music. OSFT, about whom it's been said,

"Shades of Jack Johnson, Ben Harper... even a kiss of Van Morrison. With "Not Like The Others," Old School Freight Train is off on a timeless new track, blending roots and rock to create a sound that's all their own."

Tim Dickinson, National Affairs Correspondent, Rolling Stone

It might not be "your father's bluegrass music," but OSFT's spin on the bluegrass sound and form has propelled them into new realms none of the other groups I was working with achieved.

There is most definitely a place for the preservation of the "pure" in all of the arts. But innovation is what will engage the next generation and steer them toward the whole spectrum of whatever art it is. I wonder which American dance company will be first to score Shecter to choreograph for them?