FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
Alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord
Opening Song
God of wonders
Response to Forgiveness
Glory to God whose goodness
Offertory
Jesus, friend of sinners
Communion
Responses: Kriewald, Great thanksgiving
Distribution: Come to the table of grace (GTG 507)
Closing Song
Come thou fount, come thou King
11AM
Hymns
240, Alleluia, give thanks (ALLELUIA 1)
536, Rise, O church, like Christ arisen (SURGE ECCLESIA)
Response to Forgiveness
582, Glory to God whose goodness
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow (LASST UNS ERFREUEN)
Communion
Responses: #562, 563, 564
Distribution: #498, 507
Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: Arr. Chelsea Chen, Song of the Country Farmer
(from Three Taiwanese Folk Songs)
Offertory: Michael Jothen, You are the branches
(a setting of text from John 15.1-11)
Postlude: Arr. Anne Krentz Organ, Christ is arisen, alleluia
(a setting of GtG #251 from Tanzania, with snippets of other Easter hymns)
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Music ministry
I was struck this week by how cool and exciting it is to be in church music these days. I think a key factor in my recent excitement is the setting in which I am working these days, but some of this would be relevant no matter where I was working.
Our congregation partners with Bread for the World. Yearly we take a Sunday to emphasize that relationship, and sponsor a letter-writing campaign to our state and federal political representatives on matters of hunger relief. A couple of years ago I got the idea of us celebrating communion on the day of this Bread for the World emphasis. It seems to resonate in the minds of our congregation. Also, in our congregation are a number of retired church professional: minister, educators, musicians, administrators and missionaries. These folks provide a unique energy to our life and mission and bring all manner of vibrancy and insight to our deliberation and priorities.
All of that is prelude or background to my thinking this week. In planning the music for Sunday, I wanted organ music that would "ping" off the Bread for the World relationship, be sensitive to our communion celebration, representative of our global faith, and musically challenging for me and compelling for the listener. I recently purchased a couple of folios of Asian-fusion music by Chelsea Chen, inspired by (I presume) her own ethnic heritage. One of the pieces in her collection of three Taiwanese folk songs is titled, "Song of the country farmer." I thought this might be a relevant piece for this Sunday. I did some investigating on the Internet (fruitless, but amazing that I could do that!). I asked one of our retired medical missionaries if she recognized the tune. "No," was her answer, but she allowed the piece was extremely reminiscent of indigenous music of Taiwan. I checked with the publisher via email to see if Chen had provided any additional notes that didn't appear in the folio. "No," was also their reply, but here, contact her directly via email and ask her yourself. A short email elicited an overnight reply! Chen was able to give me a little background on the song, just enough so that I can intelligently answer the questions I know I will field when folks hear this piece!
I was struck by how the resources available to me have expanded exponentially since I began church music 25 years ago. The wide array of repertoire that is being written for the global church, based on indigenous folks songs is new and exciting for me, and much-appreciated by this congregation. The ease with which I was able to contact the publisher and the arranger herself and get some helpful information, and form a nascent bond over a shared interest in folk music has made my day and makes me grateful.
For what it's worth, the other music in this Sunday's service includes Michael Jothen's "You are the branches" from Choristers Guild; Anne Krentz Organ's arrangement of "Mfurahini alleluia" in the Laudate series from Concordia, and a mix of old a new hymnody from the Presbyterian hymnal, "Glory to God."
Our congregation partners with Bread for the World. Yearly we take a Sunday to emphasize that relationship, and sponsor a letter-writing campaign to our state and federal political representatives on matters of hunger relief. A couple of years ago I got the idea of us celebrating communion on the day of this Bread for the World emphasis. It seems to resonate in the minds of our congregation. Also, in our congregation are a number of retired church professional: minister, educators, musicians, administrators and missionaries. These folks provide a unique energy to our life and mission and bring all manner of vibrancy and insight to our deliberation and priorities.
All of that is prelude or background to my thinking this week. In planning the music for Sunday, I wanted organ music that would "ping" off the Bread for the World relationship, be sensitive to our communion celebration, representative of our global faith, and musically challenging for me and compelling for the listener. I recently purchased a couple of folios of Asian-fusion music by Chelsea Chen, inspired by (I presume) her own ethnic heritage. One of the pieces in her collection of three Taiwanese folk songs is titled, "Song of the country farmer." I thought this might be a relevant piece for this Sunday. I did some investigating on the Internet (fruitless, but amazing that I could do that!). I asked one of our retired medical missionaries if she recognized the tune. "No," was her answer, but she allowed the piece was extremely reminiscent of indigenous music of Taiwan. I checked with the publisher via email to see if Chen had provided any additional notes that didn't appear in the folio. "No," was also their reply, but here, contact her directly via email and ask her yourself. A short email elicited an overnight reply! Chen was able to give me a little background on the song, just enough so that I can intelligently answer the questions I know I will field when folks hear this piece!
I was struck by how the resources available to me have expanded exponentially since I began church music 25 years ago. The wide array of repertoire that is being written for the global church, based on indigenous folks songs is new and exciting for me, and much-appreciated by this congregation. The ease with which I was able to contact the publisher and the arranger herself and get some helpful information, and form a nascent bond over a shared interest in folk music has made my day and makes me grateful.
For what it's worth, the other music in this Sunday's service includes Michael Jothen's "You are the branches" from Choristers Guild; Anne Krentz Organ's arrangement of "Mfurahini alleluia" in the Laudate series from Concordia, and a mix of old a new hymnody from the Presbyterian hymnal, "Glory to God."
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Music for 042615
We welcome our new pastor, Mary Katherine Robinson, this Sunday. Festive music all around!
FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
Love the Lord
Opening Song
Your grace is enough
Response to Forgiveness
Glory to God whose goodness
Psalmody
Psalm 23: Adonai’s my loving shepherd (Haiti)
Offertory
Alive forever, amen
Closing Song
I will come to you
11AM
Hymns
246, Christ is alive (TRURO)
177, I will come to you (YOU ARE MINE)
475, Come thou fount (NETTLETON)
Response to Forgiveness
582, Glory to God whose goodness
Psalmody
Psalm 23: Adonai’s my loving shepherd (Haiti)
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow (LASST UNS ERFREUEN)
Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: Searle Wright, Brother James’s Air
(a setting of the tune of the choir’s offertory anthem)
Offertory: Gordon Jacob, Brother James’s Air
(a setting of Psalm 23)
Postlude: Michael Barker, Toccata on Nettleton
FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
Love the Lord
Opening Song
Your grace is enough
Response to Forgiveness
Glory to God whose goodness
Psalmody
Psalm 23: Adonai’s my loving shepherd (Haiti)
Offertory
Alive forever, amen
Closing Song
I will come to you
11AM
Hymns
246, Christ is alive (TRURO)
177, I will come to you (YOU ARE MINE)
475, Come thou fount (NETTLETON)
Response to Forgiveness
582, Glory to God whose goodness
Psalmody
Psalm 23: Adonai’s my loving shepherd (Haiti)
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow (LASST UNS ERFREUEN)
Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: Searle Wright, Brother James’s Air
(a setting of the tune of the choir’s offertory anthem)
Offertory: Gordon Jacob, Brother James’s Air
(a setting of Psalm 23)
Postlude: Michael Barker, Toccata on Nettleton
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Easter garden 2015
One of the highlights for us this Easter was an indoor garden. I'm sure plenty of folks have done it before. I got the idea nearly 25 years ago when I had the pleasure of working with a really avid gardener in Richmond. We did away with Easter lilies one year and use seasonal flowers and a fake stone to make a garden in our chancel area. We did a similar thing this year, but incorporated our flowered cross. We also re-used a fabricated tomb stone and added fabric to replicate (somewhat) an empty tomb. We placed a simple placard with a verse from Matthew 28. I got a new pair of smaller-scale stones made. Where we have had 45-50 lilies in recent years, we had nearly 120 flowers and green plants. The queue for taking pictures was a sight to behold! With a few tweaks, we'll be doing this again. This pic is from Saturday's installation, before individuals had added flowers to the cross on Easter day.
Music for 04/19/15
FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
He has made me glad
Opening Song
Fairest (Fairest Lord Jesus)
Response to Forgiveness
Jubilate, everybody
Prayer for Illumination
Thy word
Offertory
Nothing ever
Closing Song
This is our God
11AM
Hymns
234, Come, ye faithful raise the strain (ST KEVIN)
494, Jesus, thou joy of loving hearts (QUEBEC)
14, For the beauty of the earth (DIX)
Response to Forgiveness
Halle, halle, hallelujah
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow (LASST UNS ERFREUEN)
Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: Lois R. Hill, Voluntary on St Kevin
(a setting of the
tune for our first hymn)
Offertory: Samuel Wesley, Lead me, Lord
(text from Psalm
5.8 and Psalm 4.8)
Postlude: Stephen H. Best (2003), Celebration Fanfare
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