October 2, 2022
Our prelude Sunday is a meditative "wandering" appropriately called "Contemplation". I have played this before, but it's been a while. The composer is the English organist, pianist, composer, and career educator, Alec Rowley (1892- 1958). The musical style of the piece is typical of his writing in that it is neo-romantic.
Our processional hymn, 535, "Ye servants of God", uses an 18th century text by the well known Charles Wesley. The familiar tune is from the same period. This hymn, along with our Gospel hymn, 11 (Awake, my soul, and with the sun), relates to the reading from Luke.
Our anthem, "Grace, Peace Unto You", is by the American contemporary, Michael Jothen, who, primarily working in the Lutheran Church, has been a prominent choral composer and clinician.
Communion music and notes are provided by Martha and Lynn Bailey.
Il Cantico delle Creature (Canticle of the Creatures) was written by Marino Bigaroni, O, F. M. in Assisi, Italy and the arrangement today is by harpist Robert M. Hutmacher, O.F.M. who now resides in Assisi and is an acquaintance of the Baileys.
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi was the founder of the Franciscans and one of the most venerated figures in Christianity.
In 1223, St. Francis arranged for the first live nativity scene where he incorporated the adoration by mankind for the birth of the Christ child with the recognition of the birth of the Christ child with the animal kingdom and the natural environment of the stable. Pope Gregory canonizes him. It became customary for churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on or around his feast day of October 4th.
Francis is known for his devotion to the Eucharist. According to Christian tradition, in 1224 he received the stigmata during the apparition of a Seraphic angel was was designated patron saint of Italy.
The text of “All Creatures of Our God and King” was written by St. Francis.
Our popular closing hymn, 541, "Come, labor on", is by another prominent musician of the early 20th century, Thomas Tertius Noble, using a 19th century text that also relates to the day's Gospel reading.
The postlude is based on "Old 120th", a 16th century hymntune, and is by the Anglo-Canadian, Healey Willan, although he was born and educated in England, and also served in churches there until 1913. He is from the same period as Alec Rowley; Willan, whose name can be found in our hymnal, lived from 1880-1968.