The prelude, "Chorale in E", is by Gordon Young, 1919-1998, a prominent American organist and composer from the Midwest, who, among other studies, had been a scholarship student at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and a student of Alexander McCurdy. A "chorale" is simply a hymn-like composition. Though the title states "E" (E Major), the chorale, after a brief interlude, is also presented in E Flat before it returns to E Major.
Read MoreThe prelude is another set of variations, this time based on the well known hymn, "Christ is made the sure foundation" (518), music by the famous Henry Purcell. The variations are by Richard Proulx (1937-2010), the American who wrote several of our hymns, harmonized others, and wrote a number of descants in our hymnal. The variations actually are named for the organ stops he was thinking of using for each, but on our organ they do need to be modified a bit.
Read MoreThe prelude is a set of 4 short variations (or "reflections" as the composer calls them), based on another hymn not in our hymnal-- "O Radiant Light, O Sun Divine". They are a very quiet and generally meditative set of "reflections" on the hymn, by the American contemporary, David Lasky, a most active composer of sacred choral and organ music, who resides in Vermont but plays for a Catholic church in Leominster, Mass.
Read MoreThe prelude is based on a beautiful hymn tune not in our hymnal: "Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown", a traditional Scottish melody. The setting is by the California native and prolific composer, Dale Wood (1934-2003). Our processional hymn is the well known "The spacious firmament on high", from "Creation", by Franz Joseph Haydn, hymn 409. The Gospel hymn is 632, "O Christ the Word Incarnate", harmonized by Felix Mendelssohn, as you may note; the melody of course, dates back to the 17th century.
Read MoreSince we were not able to hold services last Sunday, the prelude, choir anthem, and postlude will be part of this Sunday's 10:30 service; they all do fit in the season and anyone interested can reread last week's notes! The hymns will change, however, since the readings change.
Read MoreThe prelude is a set of variations I play almost every year during Epiphany, based on the hymn "Puer Nobis", 124 in our hymnal, "What star is this, with beams so bright". They are by the American contemporary, Michael Burkhardt, artist in residence at East Michigan University and popular composer and choral clinician.
Read MoreThe prelude is based on the hymn "Awake, awake, for night is flying" (tune name, "Wachet auf"), and is a set of variations by the American Lutheran composer of organ and choral music, Paul Manz (1919-2009). This is a very popular hymn from the 16th century, and we will sing it before the Gospel reading. Note this harmonization is by J. S. Bach. Depending on time, I will play 2 or all 3 of the variations by Manz as a prelude to the service.
Read MoreJ. S. Bach wrote not only a cantata (for the first Sunday of Advent) based on "Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland" (Now come, Redeemer of mankind) but also several organ settings of this hymn, 54 in our hymnal. The prelude is one of these settings; the postlude is his setting from his "Orgelbuchlein", which contains 45 chorals for the liturgical year.
Read MoreThe hymn "People, Look East" is the basis for the organ prelude; it is a setting by Robert Hobby (American, b. 1985), whose music I play quite often. The hymn, not in our hymnal, is based on a poem by Eleanor Farjeon, and of course refers to looking in the direction of the rising sun, which signifies Christ's coming. Years ago we performed a cantata based on the hymn.
Read MoreIt's been my opinion that for organ preludes what helps people meditate and prepare for worship is settings of hymns appropriate for the day. If I am wrong, please tell me! In any case this might be most true during Advent and Christmas. So....for this first Sunday of Advent the prelude will be a Wilbur Held setting of "Come, thou long-expected Jesus", 66 in our hymnal, but this is a different tune. The tune name is "Jefferson", and will probably sound familiar whether it really is or not!
Read MoreThe prelude is a Lynn L. Peterson setting of the "Shaker" tune "Holy Manna", which is used for both hymns 580 and 238 in our hymnal. Lynn Peterson, b. 1962, has her doctorate from Concordia College, and has composed organ and choral music all her life.
Read MoreThe hymn tune on which the prelude is based ("Dundee") is used 3 times in our hymnal: 125, 526, and 709. You will recognize it and may also note that it is very old, from "The Psalms of David", 1615. Stephen Gabrielsen, best known for writing "Carol of the Bells", wrote this set of short variations on the hymn tune. He was a prominent American performer and composer (1940-2013).
Read MoreMany hymn tunes are used for different texts, as is the one on which the prelude is based; that is "Kingsfold", which 480 in our hymnal is "When Jesus left his Father's throne". It is also used for 292, "O Jesus crowned with all renown". Charles Callahan (1951-2023), American, graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and prominent organist and composer, wrote a short set of variations on the tune, which I'll play.
Read MoreOne of the many hymns appropriate for "All Saints Sunday" is "Jerusalem, my happy home", and the prelude will be a Robert Hobby (b. 1962, American) set of variations on the tune. Although we are not singing the hymn, it is 620 in our hymnal-- also 304 with another text. We often sing both. I haven't played much of Hobby's music recently, but have played a lot in the past; as far as I know, he, along with composing and conducting workshops, is still music director at a large Lutheran church in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Read MoreThe prelude is a setting of a hymn tune I think everyone knows and loves, but one not in our hymnal; it is "When love is found" (tune name, "O Waly Waly"). The setting is by a female composer I had heard a lot about in my Penn State days, Emma Lou Diemer (1927-2024), who received 2 degrees from Yale and a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music. Besides hymns, she wrote chamber and orchestral music also-- a very talented woman!
Read MoreThe prelude is a Dale Wood setting of the Scottish hymn tune "Come, O Traveler Unknown", unfortunately not in our hymnal but one of those tunes that "sounds familiar". Mr. Wood (1934-2003) also might be familiar, as I have written about him before. His body of works is most extensive and widely used. Our processional hymn is "Ye servants of God, your master proclaim", a text by Charles Wesley (1707-1788) set to a melody very familiar to us at Calvary but from the same period.
Read MoreThe prelude, by Ralph Vaughan Williams, uses the hymn tune known as "Aberystwyth" by the Welsh composer Joseph Parry (1841-1903). This tune is used 3 times in our hymnal 349, 640, & 699. Mr. Parry wrote over 400 hymns (this being one of the more famous), along with oratorios, cantatas & operas. The English composer Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) is known to us all. I will play his arrangement of the theme and then Variation No. 3.
Read MoreRobert Powell's set of variations on "If You But Trust God to Guide You" is the prelude Sunday for our "combined" service at 9:30. The tune by Georg Neumark (1621-1681) is that of hymn 635. Mr. Powell (b. 1932) composed the Sanctus (S129) that we use sometimes; I have written about him several times and, as far as I know, he is still living in Greenville, SC.
Read MoreThe prelude is a Dale Wood setting of "Fairest Lord Jesus", hymn 383. Mr. Wood (1934-2003) was a prolific American composer and choral director of whom I have written before. Many organists depend on his compositions, which are simple but of high quality. Our processional hymn is a favorite of many, hymn 390, "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation". Note in the hymnal notes that the melody is over 400 years old!
Read MoreThe organ prelude is J. S. Bach's setting of Martin Luther's 16th century hymn, "We all believe in one true God", which of course is the Nicene Creed. I will first play Bach's harmonization of the chorale (or hymn) itself, then his fugue like setting, which is only one of several by different composers of the era.
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