November 27, 2022

For our first Sunday in Advent, maybe my favorite church season, you will hear 2 different tunes for "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus", both different from what we often sing, which is hymn 66 in our hymnal. The organ prelude tune is based on the tune "Jefferson", and is a setting by the American, Wilbur Held (1914-2015-- yes, he lived to be 100). Dr. Held's life covered a beginning and some education in Chicago, a long career teaching at Ohio State, and a long productive retirement in California. His studies include associations with big names such as Leo Sowerby and Marcel Dupre.

Our processional hymn, 57, "Lo! He comes with clouds descending", is another text by Charles Wesley (he also composed the words to hymn 66), a text using an older tune, as you will note in the hymnal. The hymn should be very familiar!

Also familiar should be our Gospel hymn, 601, "O day of God draw nigh". I'll let you check out it's origins, using the info in the hymnal.

The anthem is the second setting of "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus", by the very prominent English organist and composer, Henry G. Ley (1887-1962). The text is that of our hymn 66.

Our communion hymns, 53 (Once he came in blessing), and 75 (There's a voice in the wilderness crying), are both well loved, but, as you might note, jump from the 16th century to the 20th.

Closing will be hymn 74, "Blest be the King whose coming", the same tune we sing on Palm Sunday, a very old melody.

The postlude will be a J. S. Bach setting of "O Thou of God the Father", an old and traditional Advent hymn.