Grace Lutheran Music Ministry

How Does the Room Affect the Music We Make?

2010-07-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting talk by David Byrne relating the architecture of a building to the music that is made there ...

In Memoriam

2010-02-19T13:06:00.000-08:00

Two very prominent church musicians died yesterday:

Richard Hillert: March 14, 1923-Feburary 18, 2010

Richard Hillert, who is probably best known in Lutheran circles as the composer of Setting 1 in the Lutheran Book of Worship, died last night in his home following complications from a stroke he suffered last August. His funeral service of Holy Communion will be held at Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest, Illinois on Monday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m. For more information on Hillert's life and work, see the article his daughter has been compiling in Wikipedia.

Richard Proulx: April, 1937-Feburary 18, 2010

Richard Proulx, well-known composer, conductor, organist and music editor, also died yesterday in Chicago. For more information on Proulx's life and work, see the biography on his web site.

December 9 Devotional

2009-12-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

We were supposed to have Advent Vespers tonight, but due to an inordinately large amount of snow and very cold temperatures, everyone in Lincoln is advised to stay home! I wanted to share with you the devotion and hymn that we would have used tonight if the weather had cooperated!

This is from "O Come Emmanuel" by Gordon Giles, published by Paraclete Press. This is an excellent devotional book based on the hymns of Advent and Christmas.

December 9: The earth was waiting, spent and restless

"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." ---Romans 8:18-25

And here is the related hymn ... which can be sung to the same tune as "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence."

Earth was waiting, spent and restless,
with a mingled hope and fear,
faithful men and women praying,
"Surely, Lord, the day is near:
the Desire of all the nations --
it is time he should appear!"

Then the Spirit of the Highest
to a Virgin meek came down,
and he burdened her with blessing,
and he pained her with renown;
for she bore the Lord's Anointed
for his cross and for his crown.

Earth has groaned and labored for him
since the ages first began,
for in him was hid the secret
which through all the ages ran --
Son of Mary, Son of David,
Son of God and Son of Man.

Text: Walter Chalmer Smith (1824-1908)
Music: Picardy. French carol, 1887

O Jesus, Son of Mary, Son of David, bless us when we feel burdened with the cares of the world or pained by the hurts of others, that we may be refreshed by the mystery of your presence among us, and inspired by teh renown of your cross-crowning love, for you are the Son of God, and Son of Man, then, now, and forever. Amen.

Bound Together By Song

2009-11-10T05:35:00.000-08:00

Follow the link below to a newspaper article from Kansas City -- the article talks about the power of music to heal and to hold a community together as it tells the story of some amazing young Christians who continue to sing their faith in spite of incredible hardship in their young lives.

http://suntrib.com/200911056880/schools/schools/bound-together-by-song.html

Paul Manz -- In Memorium

2009-10-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

Paul Manz, church musician par excellence and composer of the renowned motet "E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come” died in St Paul, Minnesota on October 28th at the age of ninety years. What a wonderful example he has been to church musicians throughout his long career -- his influence is far-reaching and has, and will continue to, affect generations of worshipers. The following information is taken from an extensive obituary written by Scott Hyslop, and found on the web page of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (alcm.org)

Manz had a very successful career as a concert organist, playing at venues such as the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., with the National Symphony; Symphony Center in Chicago, with the Chicago Symphony; and Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, with the Minnesota Orchestra.

His concertizing took him to some of the most glorious cathedrals and concert halls in the world, but he remained always fully rooted in the music of the church. He was a leader of congregational song first and foremost. As a composer, he used the classic forms of Buxtehude and Bach, and reinvented them with a fresh, American voice. His compositions are played throughout this nation, and indeed the world, in worship. Indeed, he set the bar high for church musicians throughout the United States.

His advice to new church musicians was "“Love the people you have been called to serve”.

The only child of Otto Manz and Hulda (nee Jeske) Manz, German-Russian immigrants who had come to America to make a better life for their family, Paul Otto Manz was born on May 10, 1919, in Cleveland Ohio. At age five, Manz began piano lessons. He went on to study organ with Henry J. Markworth, Edwin Eigenschenk, Albert Riemenschneider, Arthur B. Jennings, Flor Peeters at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Antwerp, Belgium, and Helmut Walcha at the Dreikönigskirche in Frankfurt, Germany. Manz would subsequently return to Belgium for three more summers to study with Peeters.

In 1943, Manz married Ruth Mueller. They had four children: David, who died at birth; Michael, John, and Peter, and also took in the four orphaned children of Ruth's brother and sister-in-law: Mary, Anne, Sara, and John. Ruth died in July of 2008. Throughout their marriage, she was his partner and support, and a great influence on his work.

In 1946, Manz became the full-time director of Christian education and music at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. The congregation was happy to share Manz's gifts with the wider church, and so his job description changed many times in his 37 years at Mt. Olive.

He served on the faculties at the University of Minnesota and Macalester College in St. Paul before he became professor and chair of the Division of Fine Arts at Concordia College in St. Paul in 1957.

Eventually, Manz found himself leaving the Missouri Synod as it struggled with many issues in the 1970s. He went back to full-time church work at Mt. Olive, which gave him a specific mandate to use his talents to serve the church catholic. In 1983, he accepted a call to serve as Christ Seminex Professor of Church Music and Artist in Residence at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and as Cantor at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Luke. Manz retired from LSTC in September of 1992, but continued to do workshops and master classes all around the nation.

The Paul Manz Institute of Church Music, based at the Church of St. Luke in Chicago, the Institute enabled him to continue to serve the wider church. At age 80, he retired from the Paul Manz Institute of Church Music and St. Luke Church.

Paul Manz’s organ and choral works are internationally known and are used extensively in worship services, recitals, and teaching, and by church and college choirs. His motet “E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come”, having sold over one million copies, is regarded as a classic and has been performed and recorded in the United States and abroad.

Through the example of his life, through the legacy of his family, and ultimately through the legacy of music that he graced us with to stir our souls, to excite our imaginations, and to enable our prayer and proclamation, we hear Paul Manz say,

Thank you for the grace of singing with me across the years in good times and in bad, when our words have stuck in our throats and when our eyes have overflowed with joy. It has ever been a Song of Grace: ‘Love to the loveless shown that we might lovely be.’ I have just been the organist. Thank you for letting me play.

All Around the World

2009-09-29T07:37:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday we celebrated Mission Festival at Grace. What a fun service to plan and participate in. The music for the day highlighted the fact that God is present with people all over the world! We had hymns from Tanzania, Cameroon, Liberia, Argentina, Sweden, Great Britain, the U.S. (Muskogee Indian, Early American and contemporary American), the Latin Mass, Finland ...

And with these varied hymns came varied ways of singing and accompanying. Piano, percussion, organ, and a capella, even Native American flute. Lots of people said they enjoyed the music for the day, and that's good.

But more importantly, the music emphasized the unity of Christians around the world. We may not look alike, or think alike, or live in the same ways, but we all have been called to follow Christ and to serve others.

A few people have said to me that they don't like global hymnody because it is repetitive and simplistic. Well, sometimes it is. But I find a beauty in the simplicity of this music. Often the music is from a strictly oral tradition, which means that it will be repeptitive, but also means that it is easy to learn. Some of these pieces have been taught to our Sunday School students in a matter of minutes!

One of the best things about global music is its honesty. It was written for people to use in worship, with no intent to make the writer any money or garner any fame. It is simply praise or prayer to God. Most of the church's hymnody, even the more complex hymntunes of Western tradition, were written for the same purpose. Texts written perhaps by a pastor with a tune composed by the organist for a specific worshiping congregation ... that's really different than someone trying to crank out a "top 10" type of Christian praise song these days.

This all begs the question of what's to become of church music in an age of copyright and royalties. Of course we want musicians to be fairly compensated, but how do we do that while respecting the integrity of music in the church? How much does our materialistic, entertainment-oriented culture influence what we do in worship? How much should it influence worship? How does the idea of profit affect church music?

Those are just a couple of questions that church musicians, pastors, worship committees and others wrestle with. There are no easy answers, and the debate isn't going away. In another post (maybe next week!), I'll address some of the basic principles that I follow when choosing music for the choirs and the congregation of GLC!

Go, My Children, With My Blessing

2009-07-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

Our sending hymn this coming Sunday is "Go, My Children, With My Blessing." Let me say, I LOVE to play this hymn when you all are singing ... it is absolutely wonderful to hear how musical a large group of people can be. You treat the text and tune with such tenderness -- as a congregation, you actually do this kind of thing quite frequently, and that makes me one happy organist. :)

Cross Accent (Vol. 14, no. 1), which is the Journal of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, contained an interview with Jaroslav Vajda (1919-2008), who wrote the text that we will sing to this old Welsh tune today. It is very interesting to hear the hymnwriter's take on his work:

When I was working at Concordia Publishing House (CPH) as a book editor back in the early 1980s, . . . (I was) asked to write a text for the beautiful Welsh melody associated the 'All Through the Night.' Because evening or nighttime texts have limited use, the idea was for me to develop a ‘day-time text’ so the familiarity with and use of (this) lovely melody could be widened.

The original text, 'All Through the Night,' was a description of a mother singing a comforting song to her child at bedtime. One popular variation of the original Welsh text read in verse one;

Sleep my child, and peace attend thee
All through the night;
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night;
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loving vigil keeping,
All Through the night.

Most of the texts I have written have come abut through inspiration. I don’t remember struggling to put something original together in this instance . . . As I sat down to begin work on this assignment, instead of envisioning a mother singing to her child, I pictured our Heavenly Father singing to his children. The melody is so powerful and the parental image of the original is so appropriate a human metaphor of God’s love that it didn’t take me long to complete the text.

'Go My Children' personalizes the Benediction. I pictured the liturgy as a get-together, to which God has invited us, and incorporated the events that take place in the service. I placed the words of this hymn into the mouth of the blessing triune God. It occurred to me that when we sing this hymn, what we’re really doing is quoting God, just as we often quote the Word of God from Scripture . . . In the concluding stanza it is as if God is saying ‘I’ve enjoyed this get-together so much I can hardly wait for us to meet again. Go in peace. This is what you came for. This is what I am sending you home with.”

Go, My children, with My blessing, Never alone.
Waking, sleeping, I am with you; You are My own.
In My love's baptismal river I have made you Mine forever.
Go, My children, with My blessing, You are My own.

Go, My children, sins forgiven, At peace and pure.
Here you learned how much I love you, What I can cure.
Here you heard My dear Son's story; Here you touched Him, saw His glory.
Go, My children, sins forgiven, At peace and pure.

Go, My children, fed and nourished, Closer to Me;
Grow in love and love by serving, Joyful and free.
Here My Spirit's power filled you; Here His tender comfort stilled you.
Go, My children, fed and nourished, Joyful and free.

Together Again, and Bread Hymns

2009-07-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday the Bells of Grace played for worship. We wanted to play one last time with Andrew before he flies the coop and heads for doctoral studies at Florida State. I love working with the bell choir, especially because it is so much fun to see 12 or 13 individuals all come together to make fantastic music. If you've never played bells, it may be hard to believe how very much can go wrong so very easily. It makes it all the more of a joy to work with a group like we have at Grace right now. It's exciting when we can not only play the right notes, but actually make music as a group. Plus, we like each other, and it is great to have a chance to play once over our summer break!

Best wishes to Andrew in his new endeavors. He has been an absolute blessing to the music ministry at Grace for the past three years, and we are going to miss him!

We are now in the midst of several weeks worth of gospel readings that center on the idea of Christ as bread for the world. The church is holding a food drive in conjunction with these weeks of readings ... let's see how much food we can provide to the needy through the Lutheran Food Pantry!

It can be a challenge to find enough "bread" hymns for every week of this time in the church year, but I think we did it without repeating any. One of the great ones will be sung this week: "O Bread of Life from Heaven". This hymn uses a tune by Heinrich Isaac (1450-1517), and our hymnal uses J.S. Bach's harmony for the arrangement. It is fabby, of course! We are going to sing the first two verses in unison, as congregations likely would have done when Isaac wrote the tune, and then try the last verse using Bach's harmony. Sing harmony every chance you get when Bach's the arranger! The tune is Isaac's most famous; he set it to the text, Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen (Innsbruck, I must leave thee). It is haunting and gorgeous. The text for our hymn came from Maintzich Gesangbuch, 1661, translated from Latin to English by Philip Schaff, and Hugh T. Henry. Meditating on these words would be great preparation for this week's liturgy:

O Bread of life from Heaven,
O Food to pilgrims given,
O Manna from above:
Feed with the blessèd sweetness
Of Your divine completeness
The souls that want and need Your love.

O Fount of grace redeeming,
O River ever streaming,
From Jesus’ wounded side:
Come now, Your love bestowing
On thirsting souls, and flowing
Till all are fully satisfied.

We love You, Jesus, tender,
In all Your hidden splendor
Within these means of grace.
Oh, let the veil be riven,
And our clear eye in Heaven
Behold Your glory face to face.

A Worthwhile Quote

2009-07-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

"Life can be an art, Art is not just when you pick up your instrument and play. It's what you did this morning. Its how you treat your family. Its how you deal with people on the phone. Art is the way you live your life. It's a way of being, because when it comes to playing, you can never play what you are not. What you play is just a reflection of what you are, your consciousness."

- Ernie Watts, famed jazz & R&B musician (flute and saxophone).

Veni, Creator Spiritus

2009-05-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

Our hymn after the sermon this coming Sunday (Pentecost) combines both Gregorian Chant and a German chorale. The Gregorian hymn, Veni Creator Spiritus ("Creator Spirit, Heavenly dove") is No. 577 in ELW. It is believed to have been written by Rhabanus Maurus, a great German theologian and scholar, in the 9th century.

The hymn came to be used during Vespers and Terce during the week of Pentecost in the Roman Catholic Church. It is also has been a mainstay at special services such as ordinations, as well as the entrance of Cardinals to the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope, the coronation of kings and other solemn events. The hymn is also widely used in the Anglican Church, and appears for example in the Ordering of Priests and in the Consecration of Bishops in the Book of Common Prayer, 1662.

The chorale version of the same tune is found at ELW 578. Martin Luther had prepared a German translation of the Latin hymn, published in Erfurt in 1524. This chorale version by Joseph Klug appeared with Luther's translation in a hymnal from 1533. The early reformers often took chant melodies, made them rhythmic rather than free-flowing, and paired them with a German text. This was done so that people, not just the choir, would be able to sing the great truths of the faith.

This tradition of the German Chorale is one of Lutheranism's great contributions to the worship of the church at large. We will sing the hymn in alternation Sunday, with the choir singing the chant version and the congregation singing the chorale. By doing so we will be using two great traditions of the church: Gregorian chant and the German chorale, and we will be joining with the church across both time and space in singing this great hymn of Pentecost. These wonderful words are great to reflect on during the week leading up to Pentecost, and really, anytime at all.

Creator Spirit, Heavenly Dove

1 Creator Spirit, heav'nly dove,
descend upon us from above;
with graces manifold restore
your creatures as they were before.

2 To you, the Comforter, we cry;
to you, the gift of God most high,
true fount of life, the fire of love,
the soul's anointing from above.

3 In you, with graces sevenfold,
we God's almighty hand behold;
while you with tongues of fire proclaim
to all the world God's holy name.

4 Your light to ev'ry sense impart,
and shed your love in ev'ry heart;
your own unfailing might supply
to strengthen our infirmity.

5 Keep far from us our cruel foe,
and peace from your own hand bestow;
upheld by you, our strength and guide,
no evil can our steps betide.

6 Teach us to know the Father, Son,
and you, of both, to be but one;
that through the ages all along
your praise may be our endless song.

7 Praise to your eternal merit,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Text: Rhabanus Maurus, 776-856; tr. composite

John Wesley on Hymn Singing

2009-05-19T14:49:00.001-07:00

I was flipping through the latest edition of "The American Organist" and came across these guidelines on hymn singing from John Wesley. You will recall that he was an Englishman who became very influential theologically and socially, and is credited with founding Methodism. He lived from 1703-1791, and remained within the Church of England for his whole life.

I was first exposed to these guidelines in Quentin Faulkner's class on hymnody at UNL, but I had kind of forgotten about them. Wesley had put them in a book called "Select Hymns" (1791). I am sure you will enjoy them!

1. Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.

2. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn them as soon as you can.

3. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a single degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.

4. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half-dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sang the songs of Satan.

5. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

6. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung be sure to keep up with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can; and take care not to sing too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

7. Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in evdery word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creation. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.

Prayer of St. Patrick

2009-03-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

It's St. Patrick's Day! On that note, here is a treasured prayer of St. Patrick's that is much loved all over the world:

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 the name,
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.

New Blog for GLC Sermons

2009-03-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

If you've come here looking for the sermons preached at Grace, I've created a new blog just for them. Check out

http://glcsermons.blogspot.com/

This blog will continue to be about music, worship, and other topics of interest to Lutherans!

Luther's 10 Commandments Hymn

2009-03-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, March 15, the first lesson is the story of the 10 commandments. We are going to sing Luther's hymn, "These Are the Holy Ten Commands" throughout the worship service. All 12 verses! But don't faint ... we'll do 4 verses for the entrance hymn, 4 for the hymn of the day, and 4 for the sending hymn.

This hymn is not in either LBW or ELW, which is a shame. Luther wrote 6 catechism hymns, and only three of them are in the ELCA's hymnals. But, the Missouri and Wisconsin synod hymnal do contain them, and we are thankful for that! I do think, that since ELCA people consider ourselves to be Lutherans, and since the Small Catechism is so important to our understanding of our faith, that our hymnals should make more of an effort to include Luther's catechism hymns. We have room for "Shine, Jesus, Shine" but not the 10 commandments. Yikes.

Alright, that was a bit of a diatribe. Back to this coming Sunday.

Andrew Gades, our assistant organist, is going to play a prelude based on this hymn. Here is what Andrew wrote about it for our bulletin:

"The prelude for today is an organ setting of today's hymn, "These are the Holy Ten Commands," a hymn in which Luther set the Ten Commandments into German. When Bach made this organ arrangement he used a musical pun to reinforce the text of the hymn. Bach places the melody in canon, similar to a round with one voice following the other. The pun is that in Latin, canon means law and Bach is using a musical canon for a hymn on the Ten Commandments, the most prominent example of the Old Testament Law. Also, Bach has the second voice start at a specific point so the first note of the hymn can be heard repeating ten times, once for each commandment."

That Bach ... very tricky! Always doing things with numbers and notes that most mortals couldn't quite imagine!

Martin Luther, Theologian

2009-02-18T14:22:00.001-08:00

“Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us” -- Martin Luther

Today, February 18th, the ELCA commemorates Martin Luther, theologian and reformer. An Augustinian monk who eventually effected cataclysmic changes in the Church, Luther thoroughly appreciated and understood the power of music. Unlike some reformers who were afraid of the power of music to move people, Luther believed that power was a gift, not a curse, and sought to use music to further the spread of the gospel.

Luther wanted the people to be able to sing the gospel, to proclaim the faith in song. He also believed music would help to catechize the people -- to teach them the truths of the faith. To accomplish this goal, he engaged some of the finest musicians of his day to write new music for the church, and even sat down to write a tune or two himself. This was the beginning of the wonderful tradition of chorales that the Lutheran church still uses and cherishes.

For more information on Luther's life, you can go to these web sites:
http://christianity.about.com/od/lutherandenomination/a/martinlutherbio.htm

http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-home.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther

Brian Wren

2009-02-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

Dr. Brian Wren, the spouse of the Rev. Susan Heafield, and noted hymn writer, suffered a stroke on Friday, February 13 and was med-flighted to Boston for observation and treatment. Please keep Brian and Susan in prayer.

Brian Wren has authored many hymn texts, including these that are in ELW:
317, Jesus On the Moutain Peak
358, Great God, Your Love has Called Us
383, Christ is Risen! Shout Hosanna
389, Christ is Alive! Let Christians Sing
482, I Come With Joy

Here is a link to an interview with Brian Wren:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_14_117/ai_62087421/pg_5

Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness

2009-02-07T18:05:00.000-08:00

This Sunday, we'll sing a hymn that is new to us in the ELW, Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness. The text is by Rusty Edwards, Senior Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Marietta, Georgia. (Due to copyright, I'm not going to post the text here, but check it out at ELW #843). Here is what Rusty Edwards says about writing this text:

Have you ever started to do one thing, and then ended up doing something else? That's exactly what happened with the writing of "Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness."

In 1986, I heard some theologians talking about the language we use in communicating the gospel. One of them said that we talk too much about a concept of Christ, and not enough time about Jesus. I gave that thought some prayer, and decided that perhaps he had a point. Are we spending so much time with theory, that we miss the story?

I intended to create a Bible study. This study would look at the life and unique ministry of Jesus. I wanted people to get closer to Jesus. We would ask the question, "What on earth did Jesus really do?" Of course, the way to build a study such as this was to go back to the Bible, and read again, with new eyes, the story of his life.

I did just that, and was amazed at what he did. I began with the gospel of Mark, but then continued with the three other gospels. As I prayed, studied, and thanked God for the life of Jesus, I began to write down some of his works. The list grew longer. Suddenly, I gazed down at the list, and the list looked almost like a hymn. That's when the Bible study got put on hold for a while! Let the hymnwriting begin!

I had written a few texts by 1986 (e.g. "We all are one in mission"), but had mostly written tunes. So I was a little familiar with what makes a hymn, and how to structure that. I am grateful for the time I spent writing tunes for other people's words, because it has made me a more disciplined writer.

There are over one hundred names for Christ in the Bible, and many images for him as well. The one image that has always been my favorite is that of light. That's how the title came about. ....
"Praise the One" has appeared in ten major hymnals in the USA ...

I wish I could take credit for the wide use of the hymn, but I really can't. The Holy Spirit was the one who changed my mind. The Bible study became a song. The popularity of this song has everything to do with the message of the story. It has everything to do with Jesus. The text points directly to him, and the gospel unfolds in the words of the song. That is why we sing it.

Look for a moment at some of the things he was able to do. Besides being a liberating light, he freed prisoners from their inner chains. He gave sight to the blind. He preached. He was a healer. He fed the hungry. He calmed storms. He was living water!

Most of all, Jesus was love incarnate. John 3 reminds us that God didn't send Jesus to earth out of anger, but out of love for the world. Jesus was even willing to die, so that we might know the grace of God. And he rose from the dead! The song ends with words of joy. If anyone wonders if the church has any redeeming value, this hymns answers the question. Jesus is our redeemer.

This hymn will always be special becaue it puts the spotlight so brightly on the one who saved you and me. I am forever grateful to God for the opportunity to share the gospel through hymnwriting. It is a thrill to know that people are singing these words. It is a greater thrill to know that the Spirit is working through the singing to bring people closer to Jesus through the singing of "Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness."

--From CrossAccent, the journal of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, Vol. 15, No. 2

choir video on youtube

2008-11-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

Hi all, check out this video on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-5HgfFzUuk&feature=related

It's a choir from Madison, Wisconsin singing a Paul Gerhardt hymn, Evening & Morning. We sang it earlier this fall in worship ... it is one of THE great Lutheran hymns.

A Commentary on "A Mighty Fortress"

2008-10-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, follow this link for a commentary on Luther's hymn "A Mighty Fortress". It is from the website of The Lutheran, which you should bookmark anyway. You can also sign up for weekly updates from the magazine.

http://www.thelutheran.org/detail/article.cfm?article_id=7558

Keep checking back, I'll be posting a few photos from Reformation here in a couple of days!

Martin Luther Favorites

2008-10-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

Martin Luther Hymns are so awesome! I was going to post my top three favorites, a tactic I thought might be fun for various church/worhip/music topics, but then I decided that it would be really hard to pick three fave Luther hymns. So, I'll just list some I can think of right now ... these are off the top o' me head, so there's fair warning.

1) A Mighty Fortress. Um, duh. I mean, really, how could you go wrong with this? Obvious choice for Reformation, also excellent processional or recessional for funerals ... and for those of you who were at Grace on the Sunday after September 11, 2001, did you not think about this hymn differently when singing it has the Hymn of the Day after Pr. Jacobson's incredible sermon? Wow.

2) Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word. Another Reformation Sunday standard, but useful at many times of the year. I think it is a great sending hymn. I have all three verses memorized, and you should, too! They are short!

Lord, keep us steadfast in your word. Curb those who by deceit or sword would wrest the kingdom from your Son and bring to naught all he has done.
Lord Jesus Christ, your power make known, for you are Lord of lords alone. Defend your Holy Church that we may sing your praise triumphantly.
O Comforter of priceless worth, bring peace and unity on earth. Support us in our final strife and lead us out of death to life!

3 ) Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands. I LOVE this for the Hymn of the Day on Easter. Some congregations think this is too difficult, but you GLCers sing it with gusto. You know how I am at Easter anyway, and this just really is the high point of the service for me.

4) Isaiah in a Vision Did of Old. So lovely. Sigh...

5) Out of the Depths I Cry to You ... What is Ash Wednesday without this wonderful hymn? Text and tune are both from Luther; his translation of Psalm 130.

OK, so those are my top five. And I said I was picking three! Here are a few others you may know ... so make your list up and tell me your faves!

From Heaven Above to Earth I Come
Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord
Dear Christians, One and All Rejoice
O Lord, We Praise You
Salvation Unto Us Has Come
To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray
Grant Peace We Pray

That's it for now my computer battery is dying! Watch for the next update to the GLC Music Ministry Blog, and let me know your favorite Luther hymns!

Choir Schedule for October

2008-10-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

October 5: Youth Choir & John Lunde

Strengthen for Service, The Lord Now Sends Us Forth, Psalm

October 12, Consecration Sunday: Adult Choir

Ubi Caritas, vs. 1 of Psalm

October 19, Confirmation Sunday: Adult Choir

Evening & Morning by Paul Gerhardt
Possibly also "O Lord, Increase My Faith" by Gibbons

October 26, Reformation Sunday!!!! All Choirs and Brass

Adult Choir & Girls: God is Ever Sun and Shield (Bach)
Bell Choir: Random Ring on A Mighty Fortress
Cherubs and Sunday School Kids: vs. 2 of Lord, Keep Us Steadfast

Welcome!

2008-09-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

In yet another effort to let you all know what's going on with the music minstiry at Grace, I've created this blog. I'll post here at least weekly, with updates on schedules, music, topics of interest, etc.

We have a lot going on at church this week!

On Wednesday night at 7, we'll have our first Evening Prayer service of the season. These short (15 minute) services are led by the Cherub and Youth Choirs, but everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend!
On Saturday at 10 a.m., we have the Blessing of the Animals service. Out on the lawn east of the church, we'll assemble with critters of various sorts and ask God's blessing on all of creation, and especially our precious pets. Bring your animals on a leash or in carriers; and be sure to bring your kids or grandkids. This is a fun service for them!
On Sunday, the Youth Choir and John Lunde will sing for the service.
Sunday is also a day that we will honor our pastors, both current and retired, during fellowship hour. October is Clergy Appreciation Month.

That's all I can think of for now ... see you all at rehearsals and services!