Sunday, August 28

The organ prelude Sunday is a Percy Whitlock setting of "Song 13" (themselves settings of Psalms) by Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625).  Whitlock was an English organist and composer whose works  only began to gain wide recognition in the latter 20th century.  He lived only  from 1903-1946, another victim of TB.

Our processional hymn is the well loved "How firm a foundation", 636, the melody taken from "The Sacred Harp" (1844). The Gospel hymn, 61, may cause one to think Advent is here already, but it compliments the Gospel reading from Luke.  It is the very old (16th century)  hymn, "Sleepers, wake!  A voice astounds  us", harmonized by J. S. Bach.

Our day's anthem uses as a basis, the  text of Isaiah 11: 6-9, with music by the American contemporary, Anna Laura Page. Both communion hymns (510 & 312) relate to the day's reading from Isaiah; the first, "Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove", may cause one to think it's Pentecost Sunday.

The closing hymn, 68 -- "Rejoice! rejoice, believers", relates to the Gospel reading again. "Postlude II" is the postlude, and is by the famous French blind organist of the 20th century, Jean Langlais.