Thursday, August 30, 2012

Music for 090212

FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
All hail the power of Jesus’ name

Opening Song
Your grace is enough

Prayer of Confession Response
Your mercy flows

Offertory
Salvation belongs to our God

Doxology
God, we honor your

Prayers
Amazing grace (Alleluia)

Closing Song
Refiner’s fire (Purify my heart)
            
11AM
Hymns
476, O worship the King (LYONS)
2196, We walk by faith (MARTYRDOM)
298, There’s a wideness (IN BABILONE)

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

Anthem
Wesley, Lead me, Lord

Doxology
592, Praise God, from whom all blessings flow (OLD HUNDREDTH)

Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude:   Louise Vierne, Invocation
Offertory: Nicholas De Grigny, Cromhorne en taille, a 2 parties
Postlude:  Pierre Du Mage, Grand Jeu, Suite du Premier Ton

Monday, August 6, 2012

Non-dead composers

Philip Copeland (director of choral activities at Samford University) writes about the travails of composing in the midst of an already busy musical life. Much of his article resonated with me.  I was struck most with his remarks about inviting performers to contact living composers when they perform one of their works:

And so a simple request from all of us not-yet-dead composers. Please tell us if you perform any of our music, preferably well before a concert so that we might arrange to attend if we are in your area. Simply “Google” the composer’s name; most of us are not at all hard to find. We want to be found! A one-line email would suffice:

“In our spring concert on May 18, 2013, 7:30 p.m., the Happy Valley Choir of Happy Valley, ND, will be performing your work, ‘A Simple Request,’ in the Happy Valley Civic Auditorium.”


But, but, but—you say that as an extremely busy choir director you have no time to do this? Why not ask a dependable choir member, or a helpful parent/guardian of a child choir member, or even a board member who really needs a job to serve as your group’s official “Composer Notifier”?


Please, just let us know. It will make all the difference. Truly it will.


I know I would get a kick out of hearing form folks who perform my music.  I'll see if I can become more faithful in making contact when our music groups do the same.