The Topmost Apple reminds us that Ut Queant Laxis is the appropriate hymn for this afternoon.
Quick, there's still time to dust off your Titelouze setting!
A hymn for the beginning of our Lenten journey into the desert:
With tender look, and voice of thrilling grace,
The SAVIOUR once to His disciples said,
"Come ye apart into a desert place.
And rest awhile the aching heart and head."He says so still to all who are His own,
To all aweary with the world's sad strife,
"Come, spend with me a little while alone,
Leave the hot fever and the fret of life."Come from the world's hard struggle and its din,
Discords that pain the ear and never cease,
Wild stormy passions, tumults of man's sin,
Which put to shame the angel's song of peace."Come, when perplexed by doubt or anxious fear,
And I will make dark things all clear and plain,
Will shed the light of hope on dull despair,
And give true peace where now is only pain."C. D. Bell.
Labels: hymn
Sinden.org has received the following in an email forward:
A Tribute to Anglo-Catholics
(tune: Aurelia: The Church's One Foundation)Our church is mighty spikey with smells and bells and chants,
And Palestrina masses that vex the Protestants.
O happy ones and holy who fall upon their knees
For solemn Benediction and mid-week Rosaries.
Though with a scornful wonder men see our clergy, dressed
In rich brocaded vestments as slowly they process;
Yet saints their watch are keeping lest souls be set alight
Not by the Holy Spirit, but incense taking flight.
Now we on earth have uni on with Lambeth, not with Rome,
Although the wags and cynics may question our true home;
But folk masses and bingo can't possibly depose
The works of Byrd and Tallis, or Cranmer's stately prose.
(Here shall the organist modulate)
So let the organ thunder, sound fanfares "en chamade";
Rejoice, for we are treading where many saints have trod;
Let peals ring from the spire, sing descants to high C,
Just don't let your elation disrupt the liturgy.
Labels: Anglicanism, hymn, liturgy, parody
Always pioneering in our hymnological research, we at Sinden.org are using Google to research the tunes associated with "In Christ there is no east or west".
Before we begin, however, please note that many hymnals (and web authors) credit the words of this hymn to John Oxenham, the author's pseudonymn.
We're thinking here of the tunes ST. PETER, which seems to us to be the mainline, evangelical choice, and McKEE, which is the upstart "liturgical hymnal" choice.
Google gives us the Cyberhymnal, which lists ST. PETER as the tune, with McKEE as an "alternate tune".
We must face the sad fact that when we stand to sing, "In Christ there is no East or West," we stand in the most segregated hour of America.
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Oremus Hymnal, ever the Anglican choice, lists McKEE first, and another tune, ST. BERNARD, about which I cannot say I know anything.
Christian Web Resources (UK) lists ST. STEPHEN as the tune, but the MIDI file plays what I know as ST. PETER. There might be naming confusion here.
The blog Hymns of the Spirit Three, about a hymnal of the same name, lists McKEE in this entry.
Of course, the wonderful thing about a Google search is that you can run across a wide variety of sound and video.
These video results reveal the popularity Josiah Fahey's McKEE arrangement among folk musicians (note the ASCII tablature at a domain named after him). It's popularity was likely helped by guitarist Leo Kottke.
Unrelated: kottke.org
Google also cleverly pulls up books these days. And here's where things get a little interesting.
- In this generic version of the 1990 Presbyterian hymnal, ST. PETER and McKEE appear as consecutive hymns.
- But Erik Routley's Rejoice in the Lord had reversed this distinction in 1985.
ST. PETER is the tune of choice in the 1919 Hymnal for American Youth. This is noteworthy, because the text to "In Christ there is no east or west" was written in 1913, and some sources don't have it coming to American hymnals until 1925, at which point it is apparently sung to ST. PETER. This Hymnal for American Youth is copywritten in 1919, and the copy digitized by Google appears to be a 1922 edition.
Am I actually doing groundbreaking hymnological research using the internet? Can someone check me on this, please? Have I just moved the earliest known American publication of this hymn up three, possibly six years?
Presumably "In Christ" was first published to ST. PETER, as it is in this early source. Harry T. Burleigh wed the hymn to McKEE in the late 1930s, in time for publication in the Episcopal Hymnal 1940. But now the groups that share interest in McKEE are guitarists, mainline protestants and Episcopalians. How exciting.
It seems that McKEE is a tune that knows no east or west.
Bonus: Lectionary.org points out that "In Christ there is no east or west" is best understood in relation to Kipling poem.
Labels: hymn
Have you heard these lost verses of "Jesus shall reign"?
Behold the islands with their kings,
And Europe her best tribute brings;
From north and south the princes meet
To pay their homage at his feet.There Persia, glorious to behold,
There India shines in eastern gold,
And barb’rous nations at his word
Submit and bow, and own their Lord.Where he displays his healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more.
In him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.
Eloquent Christan triumphalism and thinly veiled anti-Semitism anyone?
See the complete hymn in the Harvard Classics, Vol. 45, Part 2.
Labels: hymn
Today (St. George's Day) in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for "Royal Perculiars [sic] Chapels Royal, Religious Peculiars, and Westminster Abbey".
What's a Royal Peculiar, you ask?
A Royal Peculiar (or Royal Peculier) is a place of worship that falls directly under the jurisdiction of the British monarch, rather than a diocese.It dates to Anglo-Saxon times when a church could ally itself with the monarch and therefore not be subject to the bishopric of the area. Later it embodied the relationship between the Norman and Plantagenet Kings and the English church.
Every good Anglican should know this.
A Royal Pipedreams peculiarity: It seems to me that the third selection on this week's episode of Pipedreams was not a Fantasia on MADRID, but rather KINGSFOLD (it starts at about 26:00 into the program). This is a little strange since host Michael Barone introduces this selection by referring to the ubiquity of hymn tunes in organist-composed music and saying "I expect some of you might recognize this one". Barone himself either does not recognize it, or is confused about its name.
A royal explanation? It was Spain's King Phillip II who moved the Spanish capital to Madrid. Previously, ruling families held court in Toledo and Zargoza. It is said that Phillip folded these the power of these other two capitals into Madrid, the "doblez del rey" or "king's fold".
MADRID is included in the Presbyterian Hymnal at 150: "Come, Christians, Join to Sing".
Labels: Anglicanism, hymn, prayer
The results of Higher Education Arts Data Services's survey of music schools reveals that the number of organ performance majors is down across the board.
The number of organ majors at the baccalaureate level (237) and master's level (123) are at their lowest level in eight years.
Taken as hymn numbers in the Episcopal Hymnal 1982, these numbers correspond to "Let us now our voices raise" and "Alleluia, song of gladness" respectively.
The total number of organ performance majors (498; "Beneath the cross of Jesus") is also at an eight-year low.
The sharpest decline is shown at the critical baccalaureate level, which has sustained a 28.4% drop over the past three academic years.
With fewer students entering an organ degree program after high school, one can expect the other degree programs to suffer in the coming decade.
The good news in all this? I singlehandedly accounted for .813% of all organ students in a master's degree program in the 2005/06 academic year.
I can also infer that I hold slightly less than 1% of all master's degrees in organ performance awarded in 2006.
Labels: hymn, shortage of organists
I couldn't resist looking a bit at the orchestral parts for Gustav Holst's Hymn of Jesus before I shipped them off again.
The trombones start the work with the pange lingua chant melody, and they have this note written in their parts:
Note: As the free rhythm of plainsong cannot be expressed in modern notation, the Trombone and Cor Anglais players are to study the manner in which this melody is sung by experienced singers.
Really? Holst expects trombonists to "study"? Does Holst really know trombonists? (Well, yes, as a matter of fact; he was one himself.)
And where do you find these "experienced singers"? Was Holst expecting the monks of Solesmes, or just your average Anglican choirmen? An interesting performance issue to be sure.
Looking a little more closely at some of Holsts articulations in this trombone part, it quickly becomes apparent that his ideas of how the chant should go are not my ideas about how the chant should go.
And a little later on, under an asterisk:
By using the positions marked, the Trombone players will avoid the unpleasant smearing of one note into antother. If this cannot be managed, the melody is to be played on the Horns.
This is an interesting window into the world of a young composer who is maybe too eager to exercise a little extra control over the instrument which he himself plays.
And compare "study" with "unpleasant smearing". The latter sounds a lot more like trombonists I know.
At least Holst and I agree on that bit.
Tomorrow I'm helping out those others.
You know. Those people.
It's easy to pick up on our differences. Which is just another way of saying how tempted I am to look down my nose at these people.
"Ah, I see you've delayed the final stanza of the hymn with a silly responsive reading. How quaint."
"Oh, I see you've chosen that hymn. And you're having a soloist sing that song. Hmm."
It will be interesting, and different (liturgically, theologically, especially musically) from what I am becoming used to, but I can't let myself lose sight of what's really going on here.
Sometimes we find ourselves in the others we serve.
In many ways the _______ is the church closest to Anglicanism in terms of history and liturgy.
At the cathedral, we don't just cater to our own. We cater to everyone.
And who knows if the high altar will be used tomorrow? The host might be catered quite literally.
Labels: hymn
Capt. David Sinden, LDBC
(Photo: camper Brandon Applegate)
I just got back a couple days ago. I had a long drive.
Here are some things I learned on my drive home:
- Ohio feels like home
- One can always find a Christian radio station in this country
- The Strauss second horn concerto is nice
- One cannot find any Strauss horn concerti on Christian stations
- McDonald's Restaurants in New York state serve iced coffee. Those in Indiana? Not so much.
- Chocolate milk is a poor substitute for motor oil.
Early this week, I was living in a canvas Civil-War-style tent in Delaware County, New York. I had served for a little over a month as a Tactical Officer at Lake Delaware Boys' Camp.
Here are some things I learned at camp this year:
- Small town fireworks displays are beautiful.
- Camp feels like home
- There's an American-style football league in Wales.
- Welsh people are cool, and they know about hymn tunes.
- Thumbing down on an 1877 Roosevelt is next to impossible (sorry Herbert Howells).
- Whitewater tubing can be fun/scary.
- There's only one hymn that mentions Mary Magdalene? (1940 hymn 585)
- If you wear a shirt that says "sinden.org" on it, kids will ask you questions like
- is that a real website?
- is that your website?
- how much did that shirt cost?
- and then they threaten:
- "I'm going to visit that website as soon as camp is over."
- I don't think they will, but if they do, I hope they email me.
- Motor oil is a poor substitute for chocolate milk. (But with a little persuasion you can get kids to drink it.)
One camper did visit Sinden.org before camp this year, and he called me out for terming the place a "cult." I've rethought my label for the place, and the one I've come up with is this:
A hyperactive monastic community.
One of the things about being gone for so long is that the internet moves mercilessly foward.
Two things that happened while I was gone:
- Sluggy has been delightfully non-linear (try early July; it's not so interesting now).
- Dylan is moving to the RCL in Advent for another three-year cylcle of splendiferous lectionary blogging! Hooray!
I'm working on getting caught up, and I'm moving.
Sinden.org, however, is staying right where it is, with one major change to come on August 28.
Clothing tangent: Take a look at the shirt that I'm wearing in the photo above. Now take a look at the shirt I'm wearing at (the pre-iced-coffee) McDonald's last year. Apparently, I only take one shirt to camp.
It's deputy blogging time!
Today I was working with some recordings of mine. One of them was an arrangement of 'Come, Christians Join to Sing'. However, there seemed to be a character limit in the filename, and so one possibility for the name was 'come christians join to sin.wav'
Naturally, this mistake was promptly corrected, but I began to wonder about the rhyme. The hymn goes:
Come, Christians, join to sing
Alleluia, amen
Actually, 'Come, Christians, join to sin' is a much better rhyme! Compare, sin-amen, sing-amen. I have to wonder if the hymnodists noticed this. I bet they did, but sometimes one just has to compromise on word choice to stay theologically consistent.
Deputy blogger out!
Labels: hymn
I don't know what's more mysterious. The fact that the Saturday's Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist passed seemingly unnoticed by Sinden.org, or that this guy is like way out of sync with what he's singing.
So, what is he singing, and what does it have to do with NatStJnBpst? And is that even a real abbreviation?
This video (courtesy of MusicaSacra.com) shows William Mahrt demonstrating the Guidonian hand with the Nativity-of-John-the-Baptist hymn "Ut Queant Laxis".
Well, in truth the Guidonian hand is in pretty bad shape. It belonged to Guido of Arezzo, and he died nearly a thousand years ago. But his hand trick lives on.
If only I can figure out how to sing ahead of myself like this guy does though.
It must have something to do with the hand. And the Roman Catholic Church (i.e., murder and the Mona Lisa).
Because, that creepy grin at the end just speaks volumes.
Labels: hymn
I haven't been slacking off. My intense research into the world of American improvisation/creativity, which consists mainly of watching movies and reading books, is proceeding as planned.
Shortly, I will be viewing Keith Jarrett: The Art of Improvisation, and I expect to publish a reaction here.
Based on titles of works they have published, both organist Gerre Hancock and pianist Keith Jarrett believe that improvisation is an Art.
Jarrett will be an interesting case study in the world of improvisation. He's clearly a superbly gifted musician, one who is well-known as an improviser. More than that, his innovative solo concerts have been instances at spontaneous creation (improvisation that is not based on pre-existing themes).
Like comedian Jerry Seinfeld in the documentary Comedian, Jarrett recently sought to remodel his improvisations by starting from scratch (these efforts are captured by his most recent release Radiance). This artistic trajectory reveals an artist who is particularly attuned to the distilled, creative essence of his art.
There's a lot of personal interest here. I grew up listening to Jarrett, and I grew up improvising on the piano and the organ. What I'm really interested in getting a hold of is the concept of improvisation in isolation -- improvisation for its own sake.
I don't think organists have much experience with this concept. Most organ methodologies don't hesitate to introduce hymn-based techniques fairly early on. Surely this is practical, but it is putting the cart before the horse.
By teaching organists how to improvise set forms, certain methodologies surely relegate improvisation to the world of "craft." And while this may speak to the reality of what occurs when the organist improvises, I think it is worthwhile to try to access the bigger picture: improvisation as "Art."
By the same token, however, improvisation is most easily accessed through set forms and stipulations: a craft, if you will. And for some inexperienced improvisers, improvising without a predetermined form will lead to musical incontinence.
How much have organists been limited by our received methodologies? How many organists are asked to just improvise, for its own sake, and without the aid of anything pre-composed?
How many organists are comfortable removing the trappings of western music, or inherited default-churchiness to create something really honest, personal, artistic?
By way of example, the fugue was a necessary thing to improvise in Bach's time. One could even argue that the French had their own fugue thing going too. But how many American composers are still writing fugues? I mean, not even Henry Cowell really did (he wrote fuguing tunes, trying to reclaim an earlier American form), and he died forty years ago.
American organists just aren't talking enough about the Art of Improvisation. This is symptomatic of too few American organists improvising, which is in turn symptomatic of their being a lack of an American improvisational "style" or ethos.
And so, my quest for an An Ethos of Improvisation at the Organ in the United States (AEIOU) leads me into Jazz, a realm where improvisation is regularly practiced and discussed, even if not fully understood.
I was dumbfounded by the words of this country's president in relation to the "national anthem" being sung by several Latin performers in Spanish.
The piece of music under discussion is "Nuestro Himno" (Our Hymn).
Asked at a news briefing in the Rose Garden on Friday whether he believed the anthem would have the same value in Spanish as it did in English, Mr. Bush said flatly, "No, I don't.""And I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English," Mr. Bush said. "And they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English."
Rutenberg, Jim. "Bush Enters Anthem Fight on Language." NY Times 28 April 2006
N.B. You can hear an mp3 of "Nuestro Himno" from the article
Mostly, I am not qualified to disagree with the president: my understanding of military strategy, foreign policy and economics are all a little weak. What Bush is addressing now, however, is a musical issue; I have a degree in music (and I am about to get another).
In my mind, this debate brings up interesting questions about what the national anthem is and it's role as liturgical music par excellence in American civic religion. Additionally, there are all kinds of multi-cultural issues (which, again, I am not qualified to address).
What is the "Star-Spangled Banner"? The national anthem of the United States seems to be the marriage of words by Episcopalian Francis Scott Key with a diatonically forthright tune (which I will call ANACREON) by teenaged John Stafford Smith.
Due to a a Congressional resolution of 3 March 1931 (exactly 75 years before my master's organ recital), the piece of music defined above has some legal status. It is the combination of these two elements, the Key text sung to ANACREON that makes the national anthem.
It seems to me that when two or three gather together to record anything other than a combination of this particular text and tune, they are not recording the national anthem.
I don't believe the national anthem is under copyright, nor do I believe it has retained any kind of integrity as a piece of music. The Wikipedia article on the anthem should be commended for including a section on Modern history of the work's performance.
On integrity loss: Sadly, difficult "mainstream" pieces can lose their integrity when performed badly often enough. The Messiah is a good example.
The name Jimi Hendrix is invoked in this debate because of his iconic (and quintessentially American?) solo guitar rendition of the "anthem."
Hendrix's performances, however, did not include words. They do not, therefore, fit our definition of the anthem.
Hendrix's performances also did not invite congregational participation. Part of the scandal must have been that this was an extra-liturgical performance of a sacred national work.
On extra-liturgical performances of sacred work: Co-opting the established repertory for your own ends is a dangerous thing to do. Think about the backlash when young Mozart got drunk and performed Allegri's Miserere with a few friends in the street.
The lack of congregational participation did not strip Hendrix's performances of textual meaning. Music projects texts closely associated with it.
On music projecting texts: Take, for instance, Wilbur Snapp, the only organist to be ejected from a baseball game. Snapp, after a bad call at first, played "Three Blind Mice."
Conversely, do the words have this same power of projection? If I were to offer a public reading of Key's poem, perhaps even reading beyond the first stanza, would my audience believe that I was performing the national anthem?
Probably not, and so we see an unevenness start to emerge in the marriage of text and tune. Perhaps a new model is needed to express the function of the national anthem's component parts and what the national anthem is.
In keeping with the (admittedly heterosexual) marriage terminology, and in an open attempt to infuriate Susan McClary, we can label the components thusly:
Masculine: ANACERON, the tune
Feminine: "The Star-Spangled Banner", Key's text beginning "O say, can you see . . ."
Hendrix and Snapp are seemingly both able to express the feminine through the masculine. (This is the same way that my future submissive, overly-domesticated (declawed) wife will be known (only) as Mrs. David Sinden.)
The feminine, however, does not seem to have this same ability to evoke the masculine. If I were to begin reading the words to Schubert's Winterreisse I seriously doubt anyone would be able to hum the tunes afterward.
On the promiscuous feminine: The feminine is often promiscuous in the relationship, serving many masculine partners. Imagine if I started reading texts of the Mass or the Requiem. If the words did evoke musical associations, how many composers would be involved?
"Nuestro Himno", however, represents neither the masculine nor the feminine: it is the ambitious gender-neutral child of the national anthem.
With respect to the national anthem, can it be considered . . .
This performance is pompously polyphonic, not hummably homophonic.
Masculine? There are some similar melodic contours, but "Nuestro Himno" is in duple time, but ANACERON is in triple. This highly edited, artificial, celebrity-heavy performance is pompously polyphonic, not hummably homophonic.
As is the case with these celebrity-heavy recordings, everyone has to have their "sing" which means that everyone has to sing in his or her range according to his or her style which means that the end result is a little like a smoothie. It might taste good, but you'd never have one for dinner. "Nuestro Himno," musically speaking, has even less integrity than most pop music.
Feminine? The text does not purport to be a literal translation of the text. Here is an English translation of "Nuestro Himno" via NPR:
By the light of the dawn, do you see arising,
what we proudly hailed at twilight's last fall?
Its stars, its stripes
yesterday streamed
above fierce combat
a gleaming emblem of victory
and the struggle toward liberty.
Throughout the night, they proclaimed:
"We will defend it!"
Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave
above the land of the free,
the sacred flag?
Its stars, its stripes,
liberty, we are the same.
We are brothers in our anthem.
In fierce combat, a gleaming emblem of victory
and the struggle toward liberty.
My people fight on.
The time has come to break the chains.
Throughout the night they proclaimed, "We will defend it!"
Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave
above the land of the free,
the sacred flag?
There are two things that struck me as profound about this text: the use of the word "sacred" and the line "We are brothers in our anthem."
It amazes me that the authors of "Nuestro Himno" refer to the American flag as sacred.
It amazes me that anyone could object to the sentiment of national siblinghood, a sentiment which is echoes Schiller's "Ode to Joy", the anthem for Germany and the U.N. (does that make it an "international anthem"?).
It confounds me that President Bush has embroiled himself in musical criticism. "Nuestro Himno" does not represent the national anthem, though it is descended from it. The government has no authority on this piece of music, nor do they have any business discussing it from the bully pulpit.
Additionally, Bush is striking out against a piece of music that seems designed to make the sentiment of the Key text available to Spanish-speakers, not serve as a replacement for it.
Saying that the national anthem should be sung in English is like saying that you should put peanut butter on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. What Bush needs to accept, however, is that some people have a severe allergic reaction to peanuts.
For further discussion: Something that mostly ended up being outside the scope of this already lengthy article is the national anthem as congregational song. The civic religion's liturgical customary seems to have changed the national anthem from being congregationally participatory to congregationally passive (sung by a cantor on behalf of the people). To the best of my knowledge, the end of this shift has occurred during my lifetime. Germane to the above discussion is a reiteration that "Nuestro Himno" is not designed to be congregationally participatory. The genre of national anthem in this country has been removed from the people and placed in the hands of the musical elite. The slow death of ballpark organs (designed to accompany the assembly's song) bears testimony to the shift in the performance model.
Below the belt: It's always fun to hear Bush tell others to learn English.
Under the suspenders: And has anyone heard Bush sing?
Labels: George W Bush, hymn
XXXI. Of the one Oblation of Christ finished upon the Cross.
The Offering of Christ once made in that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction, for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual; and there is none other satisfaction for sin, but that alone. Wherefore the sacrifices of Masses, in the which it was commonly said, that the Priest did offer Christ for the quick and the dead, to have remission of pain or guilt, were blasphemous fables, and dangerous deceits.
Hmm. Baptism of the dead, anyone?
Where do Mormons fit in the Anglican Communion?
For me, kind Jesus, was thy incarnation,
thy mortal sorrow, and thy life's oblation;
thy death of anguish and thy bitter passion,
for my salvation.Johann Heerman (1585-1647); tr. Robert Seymour Bridges (1844-1930)
stanza 4, Hymn 158 from The Hymnal 1982
Hymn Meter Tangent: I never noticed that HERZLIEBSTER JESU is in Sapphic meter (11.11.11.5). It's affekt is so different than the stately French tunes, such as CAELITES PLAUDANT and CHRISTE SANCTORUM.
Previously: I've covered all the articles to this point, including Articles I, VI, XI, XVI, XXI, XXVI & XXX
Labels: hymn
XXVII. Of Baptism
Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but it is also a sign of Regeneration or New-Birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the promises of the forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; Faith is confirmed, and Grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God.
The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ.
He that believes and is baptized
shall see the Lord's salvation;
baptized into the death of Christ,
he is a new creation.
through Christ's redemption he shall stand
among the glorious heavenly band
of every tribe and nation.With one accord, O God, we pray:
grant us thy Holy Spirit;
look thou on our infirmity
through Jesus' blood and merit.
Grant us to grow in grace each day
that by this sacrament we may
eternal life inherit.Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1689; tr. George Alfred Taylor Rygh, 1909
The original version of Hymn 298 in The Hymnal 1982
Previously: I've covered all the articles to this point, including Articles I, II, VII, XII, XVII, XXII & XXVI
Labels: hymn
XXV. Of the Sacraments.
Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession, but rather they be certain sure witnesses, and effectual signs of grace, and God's good will towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our Faith in him.
There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord.
Those five commonly called Sacraments, that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures; but yet have not like nature of Sacraments with Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God.
The Sacraments are not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about, but that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the same, they have a wholesome effect or operation:but they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themselves damnation, as Saint Paul saith.
Morning glory, starlit sky,
soaring music, scholar’s truth,
flight of swallows, autumn leaves,
memory’s treasure, grace of youth.
W. H. Vanstone (b. 1923)
see Hymn 585 in the Hymnal 1982
Previously: I've covered all the articles to this point, including Articles I, II, III, IV, V, X, XV, XX & XXIV
Labels: hymn
XXIII. Of Ministering in the Congregation
It is not lawful for any man to take upon him the office of public preaching, or ministering the Sacraments in the Congregation, before he be lawfully called, and sent to execute the same. And those we ought to judge lawfully called and sent, which be chosen and called to this work by men who have public authority given unto them in the Congregation, to call and send Ministers into the Lord's vineyard.
These are getting tricky. I can't think of a hymn to match with the lawfulness of a "man" preaching and ministering the Sacraments. Nor would I want to.
It seems the "rules" have loosened considerably since we have female priests and occasional lay preaching.
This is part of 39 Articles of Religion in the 40 Days of Lent, Sinden.org's Lenten devotion.
Previously: I've covered all the articles to this point, including Articles I, II, III, VIII, XIII, XVIII & XXII
Labels: hymn
And now, a brief interruption for the commonly observed "St. Patrick's Day:"
Please note that the correct liturgical color for the Lenten Feast of St. Patrick is purple, not green.
Thank you for your consideration.
And now, if you'll please stand, we'll sing St. Patrick's great hymn:
I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.
I bind this day to me for ever,
by power of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
his baptism in Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spicèd tomb;
his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom:
I bind unto myself today.I bind unto myself the power
of the great love of cherubim;
the sweet "Well done" in judgment hour;
the service of the seraphim;
confessors' faith, apostles' word,
the patriarchs' prayers, the prophets' scrolls;
all good deeds done unto the Lord,
and purity of virgin souls.I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the starlit heaven
the glorious sun's life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea,
around the old eternal rocks.I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken, to my need;
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.Christ be with me,
Christ within me,
Christ behind me,
Christ before me,
Christ beside me,
Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort
and restore me.
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of
all that love me,
Christ in mouth of
friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
praise to the Lord of my salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.attr. St. Patrick (372-466); tr. Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895), 1889
Labels: hymn
You might be wondering, "what are others saying about you, David Sinden?"
Well, I'll tell you:
He's my new heroStephen Van Dahm (source)
He's a hymn-naziTitus van den Heuvel (Titus actually said this!)
I cut off my ear for him!Vincent van Gogh (possibly spurious, but he would have said this in Dutch)
Isn't that nice? The rest of what's been said about me lately has been mostly name calling.
In fact, it turns out the only people who say nice things about me have "van" in their name.
Part of the fallout from a recent article I wrote was that someone called me a "Sexagesima." I didn't think this was very nice. I also didn't really know what it meant.
That is, I didn't know what it meant before I stumbled upon Lectionary Central. And lo, there it is: the traditional western lectionary for all to behold.
Tangent: I like the phrase "western lectionary" a lot. As in "Yee-haw, pardner! Let's giddeyup dem Preer Bucks and say us'n Eve'nin-Song! Whoopee!"
I was all set to behold my favorite TV show last week, but the one week I didn't have a Thursday night choir rehearsal, Fox wasn't showing The O.C.. It was preempted by Skating with Celebrities. I guess God decided it best to remove this temptation from me.
Full disclosure: On average, I probably watch about 20 minutes of network TV a month. I don't have cable, so in order to pull in a staticky Fox from Indianapolis I have to do some pretty fancy antennawork.
Speaking of fancy antennawork, you might remember that back on Christ the King Sunday when I pulled in an Anglican Use Gradual. Well, it turns out that the adapter of said Gradual maintains a website: C. David Burt's Weblog. This is just further proof that conservative Anglicans are generally older white men with beards and blogs.
Another (likely bearded) Anglican has created another online Anglican Gradual and Sacramentary. Well, to clarify, another Gradual, but the first Sacramentary I've found. The website is not attractive, but the downloadable documents are.
I think biodiesel is attractive (though not downloadable), which naturally led me to the announcement that the world's largest biodiesel plant will be built in Claypool, Indiana, a mere four-hour drive from my home. The company building the plant is Louis Dreyfus Agriculture Industries LLC. You probably recognize that company's name from an actress on Seinfeld. (Her dad owns the company.)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus appeared in Christmas Vacation (1998) with Keith MacKechnie. MacKechnie appeared in We Married Margo (2000) with Kevin Bacon.
Kevin Bacon, in case you don't know, is the center of the universe.
Tangent: TV and movie stars often have strange powers. Did David Hasselhoff help end the cold war?
Bacon appeared in Where the Truth Lies (2005) with Colin Firth. Firth starred in The Importance of Being Earnest with Reese Witherspoon.
My spies tell me that Witherspoon has attended Mass at All Saints', Beverly Hills, California which, if nothing else, means she's heard good organ music.
Speaking of good organ music, I heard Yoon-Mi Lim in recital on Friday at First Presbyterian Church, Columbus, Indiana
I reviewed her recital on this prayer request card:
During intermission I flipped through a paperback "Worship Resource Book" that the church had produced, and found a hand-written Gloria Patri:
I noticed that this Gloria Patri was written for someone named "Laws."
Wandering around after the recital, I noticed there was a whole room named for these "Laws."
For being highly legalistic Presbyterians, the church sure doesn't pay attention to the Laws of Liturgy, for what did I find upon opening last week's bulletin?
Immediately After Anne McLaren concluded the "Call to Worship" by inviting the congregation to "observe a holy Lent" the congregation sang "Praise, My Soul, the God of Heaven," which, like the original hymn by Henry Francis Lyte, contains no fewer than eight A-words. You know, the four-syllable ones that are forbidden in Lent and should be reserved for Easter.
So that Holy Lent liturgically lasted like, what, less than a minute?
All*luia's aside, here's an Inclusive Language Quibble: I'm not normally one to fuss over such things, but let's take a look at the title of that hymn: "The God of Heaven" means what exactly? Is this supposed to distinguish Him from the God of Earth? from the God of Biscuits? I think "King of Heaven" is supposed to be a metaphor for God. I don't think that "God of Heaven" is a metaphor for God, at least, not a very good one.
You can't use the thing that you're metaphoring in the actual metaphor, it just doesn't work. It's one thing to call David Sinden a hymn-nazi. It's another thing to call Adolph Hitler a hymn-nazi.
It would be far more appropriate, though very difficult, to sing of the "Prime Minister of Heaven." Actually, those of you in the UK might consider this as a possibility. Especially feminist Presbyterian hymnal editors.
Now hopefully some Presbyterians will read this, and instigate a sweeping liturgical reform movement while extolling me as their new hero. The Prime Minister of Liturgy, if you will.
Perhaps that Presbyterian will be Kevin Bacon?
Labels: hymn
VII. Of the Old Testament.
The Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the Law given from God by Moses, as touching Ceremonies and Rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the Civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral.
Through the Red Sea brought at last, All*luia!
Egypt's chains behind we cast, All*luia!
Deep and wide flows the tide
Severing us from bondage past, All*luia!Like the cloud that overhead, All*luia!
Through the billows Israel led, All*luia!
By his tomb Christ makes room,
Souls restoring from the dead, All*luia!In that cloud and in that sea, All*luia!
Buried and baptized were we, All*luia!
Earthly night brought us light
Which is ours eternally, All*luia!Ronald A. Knox (1888-1957)
Hymn 187, Hymnal 1982
This is part of 39 Articles of Religion in the 40 Days of Lent, Sinden.org's Lenten devotion.
Previously: Articles I, II, III, IV, V & VI
Labels: hymn
VI. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation.
Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church.
Of the Names and Number of the Canonical Books
- Genesis,
- Exodus,
- Leviticus,
- Numbers,
- Deuteronomy,
- Joshua,
- Judges,
- Ruth,
- The First Book of Samuel,
- The Second Book of Samuel,
- The First Book of Kings,
- The Second Book of Kings,
- The First Book of Chronicles,
- The Second Book of Chronicles,
- The First Book of Esdras,
- The Second Book of Esdras,
- The Book of Esther,
- The Book of Job,
- The Psalms,
- The Proverbs,
- Ecclesiastes or Preacher,
- Cantica, or Songs of Solomon,
- Four Prophets the greater,
- Twelve Prophets the less.
And the other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine; such are these following:
- The Third Book of Esdras,
- The Fourth Book of Esdras,
- The Book of Tobias,
- The Book of Judith
- The Song of the Three Children,
- The Story of Susanna,
- Of Bel and the Dragon,
- The rest of the Book of Esther,
- The Book of Wisdom,
- Jesus the Son of Sirach,
- Baruch the Prophet,
- The Prayer of Manasses,
- The First Book of Maccabees,
- The Second Book of Maccabees.
All the Books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive, and account them Canonical.
We limit not the truth of God
to our poor reach of mind,
by notions of our day and sect,
crude, partial, and confined.
no, let a new and better hope
within our hearts be stirred:
The Lord hath yet more light and truth
to break forth from his word.Who dares to bind to one's own sense
the oracles of heaven,
for all the nations, tongues and climes
and all the ages given?
That universe, how much unknown!
The ocean unexplored!
The Lord hath yet more light and truth
to break forth from his word.O Father, Son, and Spirit, send
us increase from above;
enlarge, expand all Christian souls
to comprehend thy love,
and make us to go on, to know
with nobler powers conferred:
The Lord hath yet more light and truth
to break forth from his word.George Rawson (1807-1889)
Hymn 629, Hymnal 1982
This is part of 39 Articles of Religion in the 40 Days of Lent, Sinden.org's Lenten devotion.
Previously: Articles I, II, III, IV & V
Labels: hymn
V. Of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory, with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.
O Holy Spirit, Lord of grace,
eternal Fount of love,
inflame, we pray, our inmost hearts
with fire from heaven above.As thou in bond of love dost join
the Father and the Son,
so fill us all with mutual love,
and knit our hearts in one.All glory to the Father be,
all glory to the Son,
all glory, Holy Ghost, to thee,
while endless ages run.Words: Charles Coffin, 1736; tr. John Chandler, 1837
Hymn 152, Hymns Ancient & Modern Abridged
This is part of 39 Articles of Religion in the 40 Days of Lent, Sinden.org's Lenten devotion.
Previously: Articles I, II, III & IV
Labels: hymn
IV. Of the Resurrection of Christ.
Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man's nature; wherewith he ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all Men at the last day.
All praise be thine, O risen Lord,
from death to endless life restored;
all praise to God the Father be
and Holy Ghost eternally.Latin, 7th-8th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale (1818-1866), and others
Hymn 202, Stanza 5, Hymnal 1982
This is part of 39 Articles of Religion in the 40 Days of Lent, Sinden.org's Lenten devotion.
Previously: Articles I, II & III
Labels: hymn
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
As Christ died for us, and was buried; so also it is to be believed, that he went down into Hell.
He whose path no records tell,
who descended into hell,
who the strong man armed hath bound,
now in highest heaven crowned.
All*luia.Michael Weisse (c. 1480-1534); tr. Catherine winkworth (1827-1878)
Hymn 79, Stanza 41, Hymns Ancient & Modern Abridged
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, All*luia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, All*luia!
Death in vain forbids his rise, All*luia!
Christ hath opened Paradise, All*luia!stanza 32 of Christ the Lord is Risen Today
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Incidentally: Today is the Feast of John and Charles Wesley
1 Stanza 4 is the only stanza is starred in the eight stanzas of this hymn. This mark "denotes that the verse may be omitted if desired." Interesting.
2 Not normally printed in hymnals. Interesting.
This is part of 39 Articles of Religion in the 40 Days of Lent, Sinden.org's Lenten devotion.
Labels: hymn
II. Of the Word or Son of God, which was made very Man.
The Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God, and of one substance with the Father, took Man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin, of her substance: so that two whole and perfect Natures, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one Person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God, and very Man; who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men.
Of the Father's love begotten,
ere the worlds began to be,
he is Alpha and Omega,
he the source, the ending he,
of the things that are, that have been,
and that future years shall see,
evermore and evermore!Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348-410?); tr. John Mason Neale (1818-1866) and Henry Williams Baker (1821-1877), alt.
Hymn 82, Hymnal 1982
This is part of 39 Articles of Religion in the 40 Days of Lent, Sinden.org's Lenten devotion.
Previously: Article I
Labels: hymn
I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity.
There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker, and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in the unity of this Godhead there be three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Kyrie! God, Father in heav'n above,
You abound in gracious love,
Of all things the maker and preserver.
Eleison! Eleison!
Latin, c. 1100; tr. W. Gustave Polack (1890-1950), alt.
Hymn 168, Lutheran Book of Worship,
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee:
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.
Reginald Heber (1783-1826)
Hymn 362, Hymnal 1982.
This is part of 39 Articles of Religion in the 40 Days of Lent, Sinden.org's Lenten devotion.
Labels: hymn
Glaucoma, Glaucoma, Glaucoma
Constricting vision slowly
Halted by progress of science
Vision of a world united
Beyond all science knowing
"Glaucoma Hymn"
Erik Greve, June 2005 (via BoingBoing)
9.7.8.8.7
That would be the metrical index number of the above "hymn." I don't have any tunes that fit the bill in my hymnal.
The closest might be LACQUIPARLE (96.99.96)
Getting this text to fit with LACQUIPARLE would be like shoving a square peg into a round eye of a needle. It would sound awful. But would it work? I haven't perfected a technique to determine a "syllabification index number," but it seems adding the numbers together might yeild something.
9+7+8+8+7 = 49 (Glaucoma text)
9+6+9+9+9+6 = 48 (LACQUIPARLE)
49-48 = 1
So, it turns out there would just be an extra syllable to cram in somewhere, again, not that this would be in any way musical.
Is the text above, however, really a hymn? I don't think so. Hymns are strophic. This text is not.
And what's with the "Beyond all science knowing?" I can't really make sense of this, and the lack of punctuation doesn't clarify the author's intent. (Part of me is worried that the author's intent shows through in the title: "hymn." Hymns don't need to make sense and they're made up of clichéd phrases that people won't think about too much anyway.)
Try harder, you random Glaucoma people.
The BoingBoing post suggests "a song for every disease." That's fine but let's call a spade song a spade song. Not a hymn.
Elsewhere: Ah, Olympic women's figure skating. Where else can you hear an audience try to clap along to a Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto?
Labels: hymn
Regarding the question "What is demanded of a good organist?" in essence, I believe it comes down to the following four points. He must
- play chorales superbly, and consequently have a comprehensive knowledge of thoroughbass;
- play a good suitable prelude;
- be adept at accompanying a musical work and be able to play in the less commonly used keys;
- have knowledge of organ building, and try to maintain his instrument in good condition.
Daniel Gottlob Türk on the Role of the Organist in Worship (1787), trans. Margot Ann Greenlimb Woolard
So, not much has changed. I might update it slightly:
- play hymns superbly, and consequently have a comprehensive knowledge of harmony;
- I love Türk's use of the word "superbly"
- This includes hymn introductions, which Türk rightly called "preludes." This tradition isn't really separate from good hymn playing any more.
- play
agood suitable repertoire;- Repertoire instead of "prelude." Maybe the phrase "varied repertoire" would be appropriate. Whatever the case, it must be liturgically appropriate and played well.
- Türk's original writing does address Postludes:
Perhaps this would be the most opportune time for the organist to demonstrate his proficiency . . . Should he stray to far afield in this, the nuisance he causes as a result will not be of great consequence because the majority of the congregation will no longer hear him.
- be adept at accompanying a musical work and be able to play in the less commonly used keys;
- "less commonly used keys" seems a little dated, but what the heck.
- have knowledge of organ building, and
try tomaintain his instrument in good condition.- We just sent a space probe to Pluto; there's no reason we can't do this.
Labels: hymn
Many churches will be observing the Feast of Martin Luther King, Jr. this weekend.
Last week, Chicago's Pilgrim Baptist Church was destroyed by fire.
King's favorite hymn was "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" by Thomas A. Dorsey (pictured at piano), once the musician at the church.
Listen to NPR's report: The Music of Pilgrim Baptist Church
Labels: hymn
They often start with "E," these weird words in hymns do.
For instance, Ebenezer as in "here I raise my Ebenezer" from "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing."
Ebenezer is the name of Samuel's pet rock in 1 Samuel 7:12.
Okay, not really a pet rock, but a rock that he names. How many rocks have biblical names?
Now turn to Hymn 426 in Lutheran Book of Worship. You'll find Ephphatha.
Yeah, I thought it was misspelled when I saw the syllabification: Eph-pha-tha. Crazy. I'm not really sure how to pronounce that, let alone sing it.
But someone who could pronouce it? Jesus.
He sighed and said it to a deaf man in Mark 7:34. It means "be opened."
And so, the great hymns of the faith, old and new, continue to improve our biblical literacy.
Stone Tangents: Ebenezer is not the only memorial pillar of stone in the bible. May I also direct your attention to:
Jacob naming Bethel (Genesis 28:18-19),
Laban naming Jegar-sahadutha and being overruled by Jacob (that rascally stone-namer) who called it Galeed (Genesis 31:47-48)
Joshua plays around with a dozen stones in the fourth chapter of the book bearing his name (Joshua 4). He doesn't name the stones, but they do have meaning. It's interesting that Joshua's stones are set up in the middle of the Jordan "to this day" (v. 9) and were also set up by Joshua in nearby Gilgal (v. 20). Does this make 24 stones? Bad biblical editor! No cookie!
Before he dies an old man, Joshua props up a single meaning-full stone (Joshua 24:26-27), but he doesn't name this one either. Bad Joshua! See me after class.
Labels: hymn
Yes, I am still celebrating Christmas. It's 12 days long, you know.
Expect to see more updates on Sinden.org in Epiphany (January 6 and following).
Incidentally, I've solved the whole Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays battle with a little help from Harry Potter.
The answer is simple: Happy Christmas.
See? This British phrase combines our two American phrases.
Happy Holidays + Merry Christmas = Happy Christmas
Unrelated: The hymn "The Royal Telephone by Frederick M. Lehman. (Thanks Chris, and happy birthday!)
Labels: hymn
Composer Byron Adams had a whole slew of his sacred choral music performed at an Evensong at All Saints, Beverly Hills in October. The Choir at All Saints is fairly well recorded (especially as heard on Hymns Through the Ages) and is one of my favorite American church choirs, so this is recommended listening.
The performances are downloadable in seven MP3s.
- Introit: My Eyes for Beauty Pine - A simple strophic SATB setting. For the second verse, the lower parts "oo."
- Preces & Responses - Possibly the strongest work of the set. This work is firmly grounded in historical models, and Adams's predilection for sequences only helps him here. This is hard stuff to write, and it really comes off very well.
- Psalm 121 (Anglican Chant) - This is pretty, though perhaps a little angular seeming upon first hearing. This performance gets a little sloppy in the middle (it's good to know that they are human too), but is mostly very well sung. The quiet Gloria is very effective.
- Magnificat - After "generations," the organ introduces a rhythmic flutter into the otherwise staid choral motion. "He has scattered" is set to a nice SA duet. The unison statement of the beginning of the Gloria is really stellar; my only quibble is that this performance makes the high A sound a little forced.
- Nunc Dimittis - A noble, sweeping tune performed by organ and solo tenor. The choir joins for Gloria. This Gloria starts the same way as the pretty one in the Mag, but is slowed down and softened. It is much more subdued (no high A here). The solo tenor "Amen" is a real unexpected treat and a nice way to recap the opening of the Nunc.
- Anthem: Praises of Jerusalem - This work is published by ECS. It's easy to hear the elements of his style at this point in the Evensong. Like the upward rising sequence. That works, but it comes back a lot. I think in general, the harmonic rhythm of the choral writing in this work is too consistent. Those parts are very harmonically conceived, whereas the active, substantial organ part tends to be a little more linear. It would be nice if the two found a way to switch roles once in a while. "Peace be within thy walls," is well set, but after hearing his setting of "My eyes for beauty pine" you have to wonder if he is even more obsessed with Howells than I am.
- Hymn: CARITAS. I really wanted to like this hymn, and I think I almost could have, but the reference to Friedell's "Draw Us In the Spirit's Tether" was just too much. And immediately before that, you have elements of DOWN AMPNEY (let alone the fact that the rhythm of the whole hymn is nearly identical).
Music sung at Taize services at All Saints, Beverly Hills, is, if not of one composer, certainly in one style. So, doing an Evensong in the style of a single composer is not really a departure for them. In fact, it gives to the service a special kind of stylistic unity. This effort is admirable, and the church should be highly commended for making recordings freely available.
Byron Adams is a professor of music at University of California Riverside.
John Newton was a famous hymn writer. Perhaps you've heard of one of his hymns: "Amazing Grace."
Pancake Races are of course held on Pancake Day.
So, what does John Newton have to do with Pancake Races?
Newton wrote Olney Hymns a collection that included "Amazing Grace" a whole lot of other hymns in Olney, the birthplace of the Pancake Race.
I wonder if his wife was a good pancake racer.
Amazing Cakes, (how sweet they taste!)
All drenched with sweet honey;
I once was hungry but now am full,
a Pancake Race I see.
Tangent: Take a closer look at the inclusion of Amazing Grace in Anglican hymnals. Notice the first time its included is 1977. This hymn was unknown in Great Britain until quite recently. Before that, its popularity was strictly an American phenomenon.
The city of Liberal, Kansas has been racing Olney every year since 1950.
Labels: hymn
Unfortunately, the streaming audio of the Choral Eucharist from Grace Cathedral, San Francisco on Sunday 25 September 2005 has been taken down, but you can listen to the current Choral Eucharist (Real Audio) if you really want to. You can also download the 25 September service leaflet (PDF) which I saved.
This liturgy writ large got me thinking about the dramatic power of liturgy, specifically the entrance rite, and how announcements can interrupt what I see to be a very important, unified portion of the service.
Before we go any further, let me acknowledge that the example that follows is in now way a typical service, nor would it be remotely possible to undertake a similar service in most churches in the country. But precisely because the this liturgy is so bombastic, celebratory and exaggerated, it is a marvelous example of what is possible and what is desirable in the worship of God (at least by Californian Anglicans)
The service begins thusly:
- Prelude: Poem Heroique by Marcel Dupre (organ and brass)
- Ringing of ginormous bells
- Psalm 103:19-22 chanted from the rear of the cathedral
A fanfare from the 1953 coronation service of Queen Elizabeth II sounds as the Gates of Paradise are opened
- The hymn, "Blessed City, Heavenly Salem" is intoned by organ and brass and then sung to WESTMINSTER ABBEY
- Celebrant: "Blessed be the one, holy, and living God."
One of the most useful tools in my liturgical analysis toolbox is a simple question posed to Mystery Worshippers: "What were the exact opening words of the service?"
The question is an interesting one, and it assumes the service has two things: an opening and words.
So, first things first, when is the opening of the service?
As an organist, it's easy to assume that it's the prelude. I mean, it can't just be mere entertainment, can it? Bells have long had a role in calling people to worship. If the service is to be conducted at a certain hour, wouldn't this signal the beginning of the service?
Introits, (fanfares?!) and hymns have long been sensed as vaguely extra-liturgical. Pope Celestine (422-432) began the practice of accompanying the entrance with a psalm and it has been subject to all kinds of variation since. For the tone-deaf, all of this cacophony must seem an aberration and a hindrance to the start of the service which, as God intended, occurs with . . .
The celebrant speaking the opening acclamation.
A point to consider here is that the modern entrance rite serves to ease the transition from World to Word: the banality of everyday life to the incredible intersection of memory and hope rehearsed in Christian worship. The service isn't supposed to have a "opening" per se. The Prelude serves a transitional function as the congregation enters: a musical threshold. The introit, (fanfare?), and hymn serve as entrance music for the clergy and their cronies. The prelude, however, is not about the congregation any more than the processional hymn is about the clergy. This is music about God. Through circles of increasing participation--organist, choir, (brass and timpani?!), congregational song--all present enter into the worship of God gradually. (Note that the congregation also participates auditorily).
So what are the opening words in the worship of that God anyway?
Working backward, certainly the hymn in the liturgy under consideration is wordy enough, with four verses to consider. (Brass?!) The introit likewise is textual, based on a psalm.
The case for bells as textual is hard to make, unless one considers their inscriptions.
The case for bells as textual is hard to make, unless one considers their inscriptions. Preludes are occasionally hymn-based (making them text based?), though usually no text is sung.
So the conclusion here must be that the service, at least as it is understood by contemporary Mystery Worshipper practice, begins with the spoken word. In this case, it begins with "Blessed be the one, holy, and living God . . ."
So do spoken words of announcements create a "false opening" when placed after the prelude? Consider a hypothetical order of service:
- Prelude: Poem Heroique by Dupre
- bell clanging
- announcements
- indistinct Psalm chanting
- Anglican trumpeting and door opening
- hymn singing
- Celebrant talking
I would argue that they do, or at least they interrupt the opening significantly enough to be noticed as out of place. This is especially true at the opening of the service because it is awkward not to have some sort of impromtu greeting like, "Good morning," or, "Test, test. Is this mic on?"
The entrance rite is designed to draw us into the mystery of the triune God.
Announcements are designed to draw us out into the minutiae of everyday life.
I for one take comfort that this is not a new problem.
There seems to be no perfect place to make announcements in the liturgy . . . The sixth-century papal mass put announcements at the beginning of communion, when there was some delay while the considerable numbers of ministers were busy preparing the plates of broken breads and the wine cups for the people.Kavanagh, Aidan. Elements of Rite. Collegeville: Pueblo Publishing Co., 1982
Tangents: You'll have to take my word on this, but this Grace Cathedral liturgy was so festive, everything the congregation sang was transposed up a step.
Spell checker wants to replace "timpani" with "tampon." If I were a percussionist, I'd be really upset.
Since you're wondering, Grace Cathedral does announcements after the Peace. Rarely do the announcements include mention of tampons timpani.
Labels: hymn
Vicars give British organists the hump
Um, what? Not while they're playing, I hope?
Apparently, across the pond, where the above headline is not disturbing, there's a new book out: Everything Else an Organist Should Know.
This book is just in time, because I've always wondered what to do when the liturgy is disrupted by drunken protesters. The authors of this text offer a solution:
If a service is stopped by hecklers, protesters or drunks, the organist should drown out the disturbance by playing at full volume, choosing a hymn that everyone can join in, until the vicar has his church back under control.Gledhill, Ruth. Have you heard the one about the vicar and the organist? Times (London) 22 September 2005.
Makes perfect sense to me!
Tangent: In this country, the hymns "that everyone can join in" would have to be either "Silent Night" (probably too soft for "full volume") or "Jesus Christ is Risen Today." So it's probably best to have a contingency plan for every liturgy. See that number in red on the hymn board? That's the emergency hymn.
Labels: hymn
If Apple is like a religion then the trendy Apple Stores are its temples. The Apple Stores don't really count as cathedrals, because there are some "dioceses" of Mac users who do not have a Store nearby.
In my mind, Apple Stores are comporable to Mormon temples. Both are finely crafted from the best materials. Both are well lit. Both are designed in keeping with their brand identity. Both are closed on Sundays.
Oh, wait. Apple Stores are actually open on Sundays.
So, here's a table comparing Apple Stores and Mormon temples alphabetically by state. This list, Part 1, contains Alabama through Indiana.
1. This ranks up there with "Surprise" for bad city names in Arizona.
2. The Cohen family shops here.
3. Sometimes, when I'm having a bad day, I'm like, "Oh yeah! Rancho Cucamonga!" and then things start to get better.
4. Stonestown could use a little help. That is one pathetic looking mall plant.
5. This is where Ryan Atwood's secret Mormon half-brother worships. Also it seems to have been rededicated the same day it was dedicated (28 Aug 2005). This is odd.
6. Where Charles Ives bought his iPod.
7. What's up with Florida having all these New Zealand city names? They have Dunedin too, which is, incidentally, one of my favorite hymn tunes.
8. Hot picture of this one.
9. Not a whole lotta grass in Chi-town. That's why they put it on the roof.
10. Nauvoo. It's like Naboo for the Mormons.
11. I've actually been to this one.
My song is love
Love to the loveless shown
And it goes up
You don't have to be alone
My song is love
My song is love unknown
And i'm [sic] on fire for you, clearly
You don't have to be alone
You don't have to be on your own
Stanzas 1 and 4 from "A Message" from Coldplay's X and Y
Lyrics from: http://www.alwaysontherun.net/coldplay.htm#x
In Coldplay's "A Message," one hears direct quotes from the first stanza of Samuel Crossman's "My Song is Love Unknown" (text).
These excerpts are notable not just for their textual similarity to the hymn, but also for their musical distillation of key melodic motives from the tune by John Ireland.
Coldplay have distilled two key elements from the first line: the opening five notes, and the tell-tale ascent of a perfect fourth that occurs twice in the hymn tune proper ("to me" and "-less shown" in the first stanza).
It goes something like this:
This synthesized motive appears in conjunction with the words drawn from the hymn, but Coldplay don't borrow anything else melodically.
Thanks to Frenchie for the tip.
Strangely, there are very few mentions of this on the web right now: a Times (of London) article on the Live 8 concert and a mention from Andy on the go.
Sadly, many people believe the second line in "A Message" is not "Love to the loveless shown," but "love to the lovely song."
Surely other quasi-religious imagery in X&Y is best explored by people who have listened to it more than I have, but I think there's probably a whole lot there. Am I missing something, or is Coldplay a lot like U2 as far as British spiritual rock goes?
Labels: hymn
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[MUSIC: end of organ introduction to the hymn tune Merton. "Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding./"Christ is nigh," it seems to say;/"Cast away the works of darkness,/O ye children of the . . ."]
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Labels: hymn
Noah is talking a lot about hymnals lately. First, a hymn of the beast, and then liturgical shoe promotion on Super Bowl Sunday no less.
But I want to stick with the "hymns of the beast" concept for a moment: those hymns numbered as 666.
Is there a method to the madness? Which denominations have them, and in which of there hymnals?
Let's start collecting information here, and hopefully I can make this into a worthwhile study. So look in your hymnals and send me some 666 info (or leave it as a comment).
| Hymnal | Title | Author | Tune Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chalice Hymnal (Disciples of Christ, 1995) | The Voice of God is Calling | ? | ? |
| Hymnal 1982 (Episcopal Church, 1985) | Out of the Depths | Henry Williams Baker, 1868? | St. Bride? |
| United Methodist Hymnal, The (UMC, 1989) | Shalom To You | Elise S. Eslinger, 1980 | Somos del Senor |
| With One Voice (ELCA consecutively numbered supplement) | Great God Your Love Has Called Us Here | Brian Wren | ? |
Special thanks to Chris Schroeder.
So, if Moses and Elijah were holding Converse high, do you think the Paraclete would have overheard?
I mean how high were they, really? Sort of makes you wonder about the cloud.
Labels: hymn
In the Lutheran Book of Worship, "Lo he comes with clouds descending" (tune: Helmsley) is Hymn 27.
Helmsley is exactly 27 measures long. Coincidence?
I think not.
"Called to Common Mission," an ecumenical agreement between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Episcopal Church, has 29 sections and footnotes one resolution of the Conference of Bishops of the ELCA. 29+1 = 30
"Called to Common Mission" was amended by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly on August 19, 1999.
Using the distinct characters in the month yields:
A U G S T
1 21 8 19 20
1 + 21 + 8 + 19 + 20 = 69
Now using the year and the day two 19s (19 and 1999) cancel out leaving:
99-69=30 Again, the number 30 appears! What relation does this have to the hymn number 27?
27 + 30 = 57
Hymn 57 in the Episcopal Hymnal 1982 is "Lo he comes with clouds descending." (Note that the very next hymn, 58, is the same text, but sung to a different tune.) Conspiracy?
I think so.
Labels: hymn
Among the highlights of 2004, one thing will stand out in my mind: Mystery Worshipper report No. 904.
Report No. 904 includes a very pithy statement which astutely summarizes what Calvinistic protestants have done on Sunday mornings for hundreds of (okay, maybe just the last hundred) years.
Mystery Worshippers answer several questions after their mystery worship experience. One of the questions is, "Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?"
The answer, by Mark Wuntoo (probably not his real name, fortunately), will be a very significant addition to my liturgical vocabulary.
It was a non-conformist hymn sandwich.
I guess the term, "hymn sandwich" has probably been around for a while, but, as far as I can tell, this is the first time I've come across it.
Hymn sandwich. Mmmm. Now, is it weird that I am getting hungry?
Tangent: For the record, here is Mark Wuntoo 1:2.
"As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way;'"
Tangent: Bart Simpson seems to be singing a Polish football (i.e., Soccer) hymn.
Labels: hymn
The following is a parody of "In Times of Great Decision," an election hymn by the Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. (You might say that the primary difference between the two versions is that the original has four verses.)
In times of great decision be with us God we pray.
Give each of us the foresight to send George Bush away.
We're sick of all the bullsh*t we know it's all a crock.
That's why we're asking, Jesus, kick Dubya to Iraq.
He could not find Osama, he bombed Baghdad instead.
He somehow went to Yale, though he seems to be brain-dead,
and all our country's problems he blames on Nine-Elev'n.
Lord, we would not be angered if you took Shrub to Heav'n.
He is the scourge of Clinton; he is the bane of Gore.
We really cannot f*cking live with him any more.
He's "Left Behind" our children while he reads Tim LaHaye!
If You should come in glory, take Curious George away.
Tune: AURELIA 7.6.7.6 D (Samuel Sebastian Wesley, 1810-1876)
Note: Due to the technological inadequacy of the human voice, hyperlinks will not appear in most sung versions. This is an oversight, and we at Sinden.org are working on it.
Labels: hymn
Earlier this evening I was privileged to attend a Latin Mass at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.
I have to confess that when I first heard about the possibility of attending such a Mass, I assumed it would be conducted by Antonio Banderas and that Ricky Martin would provide the music. It turns out this was not the case.
It also turns out that that some people think that Latin is the way to go.
Accompanied gloriously on a 1925 George Kilgen & Son pipe organ, this Mass reminded me to be thankful that the worship of God takes many different forms.
I was also reminded that "Christ the Fair Glory" is, like, totally my favorite hymn ever. Did you hear the cover Enrique Iglesias did?
Christ, the fair glory of the holy angels,
Maker of all things, ruler of all nations,
Grant of thy mercy unto us thy servants
Steps up to heavenSend thine archangel Michael to our succor;
Peace maker blessed, may he banish from us
Striving and hatred, so that for the peaceful
All things may prosperSend thine archangel Gabriel, the mighty;
Herald of heaven, may he, from us mortals
Drive every evil, watching over the temples
Where thou art worshiped.
Send from the heavens Raphael thine archangel,
Health bringer blessed, aiding every sufferer,
That, in thy service, he may wisely guide us,
Health and blessing.
May the blest Mother of our God and Savior,
May the celestial company of angels,
May the assembly of the saints in heaven,
Help us to praise thee.Father Almighty, Son, and Holy Spirit,
God ever blessed, hear our thankful praises:
Thine is the glory which from all creation
Ever ascendeth.Words: Latin, 9th century, translated by Athelstan Riley
Music: Caelites plaudant, melody from Antiphoner, and harmonized by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Labels: hymn
I am sure this will be frowned upon by the cult that is Lake Delaware Boys' Camp, but I thought it might be best it the outside world knew what went on every summer in upstate New York (from an organist's perspective anyway).
6:50 a.m. - Boom. The cannon has just gone off, and a very sleepy bugler is blowing reveille. It's time to roll out of bed and stumble outside of my civil-war style canvas tent.
7:00 a.m. - Bugler blows a first call and the entire camp must "fall in" (stand at attention in ranks while attendance is taken by older campers). The "battalion" faces the flag and says the Pledge of Allegiance. Then an about face to recite the Lord's Prayer. Jumping jacks and/or general calisthenics follow. Then a lap around the tents.
7:20 a.m. - The chapel bell rings. Most of the camp is already inside. Hopefully, I have already managed a quick prelude. Then I start the opening hymn: probably Holy, Holy, Holy or something like it from the 1940 Hymnal. A sung, high Anglican Mass (with incense) follows. My musical responsibilities in this service include Kyrie, Gloria, Gradual hymn, Creed (in a semi-operatic setting by Caeleb Semper), offertory hymn (incense), Sanctus, Agnus Dei, communion hymn, post-communion hymn and a brief postlude.
Other things that fascinate me about the liturgy:
- the epistle is chanted by a camper
- the very brief (but spectacular) sermon by Father Ray Donahue (affectionately known as "Father D")
- a quasi-medieval prayer asking that the deceased founders of the camp be rewarded with eternal life
- the "Last Gospel" (prologue hymn of the Gospel of John) recited in unison before the closing hymn
8:25 a.m. - Breakfast. Yum. So far the only thing I have eaten is Jesus Christ.
9:15 a.m. - Drill. Campers grab fake wooden rifles and learn how to take orders from slightly older campers.
10:00 a.m. - Various and sundry sports and other activities are attempted. Croquet anyone?
12:00 p.m. - The chapel bell rings Angelus. (Three rings, pause, three rings, pause, three rings, pause, nine rings). Activity stops all over the camp, from the baseball field to the pool. Football plays halt mid-field; arguments cease midsentence (and usually don't resume afterward). Everyone is silent, and hopefully thinking quasi-religious thoughts.
12:10 p.m. - a bit of Free Time
12:45 p.m. - fall in for lunch.
12:55 p.m. - Lunch.
1:30 p.m. - Rest. Go to your tents and lie down (at least that's what the campers are supposed to do)
2:30 p.m. - More games and activities are attempted.
4:30 p.m. - more Free Time is had by all
5:15 p.m. - Police Call. Everyone is called back to Company Street (where the tents are) by the bugle. Campers are supposed to clean up their spot in the tent and wash their hands in preparation for evening inspection.
5:45 p.m. - Retreat. Campers fall in by the flagpole. The cannon is blown off again, just for kicks, and the flag is taken down. Then we march to the Mess Hall for dinner.
6:00 p.m. - Dinner. Yum.
6:45 p.m. - Evening games, unless the grass is still wet from all the rain, in which case we'll be watching a movie in the Field House.
8:30 p.m. - Bugle blows "cots up," signaling everyone to get ready for bed.
9:00 p.m. - Tattoo. All campers are to be in their tents.
9:08 p.m. - Angelus is rung, followed by taps. Then lights are shut off and Company Street is closed.
"That sounds awful!" was one alto's response to the 8 bar descant I composed for Sunday after Ascension. There was a good bit of grumbling from the rest of the section as well.
My descant was composed for David Ashley White's tune "Palmer Church" (Hymn 327 in the Hymnal 1982)
Given that the hymn is eight verses long, this descant will be part of the textural contrasts employed during its singing Sunday morning. I also felt that it would be an appropriate gesture during Eastertide, especially the Sunday after the Ascension. My descant employs one word: "Alleluia!"
David Ashley White (b. 1944) is a Houston composer whom I met for the first time in Lübeck, Germany. As a native Houstonian, and an acquaintance of David Ashley White, I didn't hesitate to write descant to his tune.
After the complaints, however, I thought a bit more about what I had done.
My descant begins after the first bar of the tune, and echoes it in contrary motion. So there is a bit of a surprise factor, but this really isn't so unusual or innovative. In the first few bars, I think I am successful in my desire to begin a "Texan trope" of White's melody.
I can see objections arising in my prolongation of the B in bar 4 which begins a series of calculated dissonances in bar 5. Bar 5 contains dissonances of a second with the tune on beats 1, 3 and 4. Beats 3 and 4 contain a stepwise voice exchange between C and D.
The remaining notes are consonant, except the penultimate E which forms a (rather pleasing) eleventh and a "tonic anticipation" for the final E-minor chord (which I was tempted to Picardy, but didn't).
So what's wrong with this? It's a little dissonant I guess. In retrospect, and in an attempt to assist the team of musicologists who monitor my every note, I will admit that this descant is heavily influenced by Jean Sibelius (1865-1959). I have been listening to a lot of Sibelius Symphonies lately (particularly in conjunction with year-end festivities) and I think I accidentally absorbed some of his techniques.
In listening to Sibelius, its hard to hear the seams; he blends everything together. Rather than admit that Ashley White's tune has a "middle," I try to obscure the midpoint with the held B. The stepwise voice exchange is something that Sibelius often employs in his symphonic writing where he has different timbres at his disposal.
These techniques emerged in my writing not only because of the "Finnish Factor" but also because of the phrasing and subject matter of the text.
Alpha-Omega, unto whom shall bow
all nations at the doom, is with us now.-Bangor Antiphoner, ca. 690; tr. John Mason Neale (1818-1866), verse 8.
There is no line-end comma in this verse. That funky B helps tie the tune together where other verses (except 6) would pause.
The inbreaking of God's presence is highlighted with my "Alleluia!" but it is an Alleluia of fear. God is the first and the last; the risen and ascended Christ who will bring all things to completion at a "doom" of his design.
Is this too much to think about 8 bars of music? Does all my rambling make my descant any less "awful?" Or, rather, does it make it more awe-full? I don't know, but I am willing to listen, learn, and to make changes. Feel free to listen to the score, print it, and try it yourself. (Drop me a line if you do.)
The descant is dedicated to one of my choristers who, not surprisingly, was particularly taken with the tune name.
Labels: hymn
At the end of each verse of the hymn, thwack, thwack go the stops for some seconds, preparatory to the grand display in the interlude, which I have heard played on something equivalent to the piccolo, producing a ridiculous contrast with congregational singing.
-James M. Hewins. Hints Concerning church Music, the Liturgy and Kindred Subjects. Boston: A. Williams & Co., 1857. p. 104.
Labels: hymn
Snow for a Daylight Savings/Palm Sunday? Improbable! Some thoughts:
- Did Jesus have to scrape ice off of his donkey?
- Were the disciples an hour late to the procession?
- During the announcements, a rector in Lakewood accidentally referred to Easter as "Christmas."
- An organist in Bay Village played an Epiphany hymn
- A congregation in Medina heard their organist improvise on "In the bleak midwinter" during communion.
Labels: hymn
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