Monday, October 13, 2008

12 October - 22nd Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 23

Here are my music lists, as usual.


St. Joseph's Episcopal Church where I played my usual 10.30 am service. As usual, numbers are out of The Hymnal 1982.

The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist: Rite II
Prelude: Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele (Op. 122, No. 5; J. Brahms)
Pro: 408, Sing praise to God who reigns above (MIT FREUDEN ZART)
Song of Praise: S-236 (Benedictus es, Domine; J. Rutter)
Psalm: Psalm 106 (Guimont)
Seq: 339, Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness (SCHMÜCKE DICH)
Off: 321, My God, thy table now is spread (ROCKINGHAM)
Sanctus: S-125, Community Mass (Proulx)
Lord's Prayer: chanted (S-119 in Hymnal 1982)
Fraction Anthem: S-167, The disciples knew the Lord Jesus (M. Martens; Mode 6)
Comm: 701, Jesus, all my gladness (JESU, MEINE FREUDE; with Variation 3 from J. Walther's setting of Jesu, meine Freude as introduction)
Re: 569, God, the Omnipotent! (RUSSIA)
Postlude: Jesu, meine Freude (BWV 611; J.S. Bach)

I received lots of compliments for the music after the service today. So I did a bit of an experiment - introducing a hymn with a chorale prelude. Van Quinn does that a lot, and during Communion, for some hymns he would also play variations in between each stanza. This seems to have gone over very well with this lot. During the Communion Procession, they'd have the melody of the hymn in their heads, and by the time we got to singing the hymn, I was able to hear the congregation singing this hymn well. That made me happy.

I've been teaching my choir some simple choral anthems, and our first one will be Lutkin's setting of The Lord bless you and keep you. I think they're picking this up quite nicely, and at our last rehearsal, it was really sounding lovely.

As Duke University was on Fall Break, there was no service at the Episcopal Centre at Duke University. They'll resume their regular service schedule next Sunday.

In the meantime, my turn came up at Chapel of the Cross for the late Sunday afternoon service. I knew they were following a different track than we were at St. Joseph's (Gospel-related track in the RCL, as opposed to the Semi-Continuous track) so somehow I had the feeling I might have to prepare different voluntary music.

The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist: Rite II
Prelude: Grave from Voluntary VIII in C Major (from Fugues and Voluntaries (12) for organ or harpsichord; attr. G. F. Handel)
Pro: 24, The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended (ST. CLEMENT)
Psalm: Ps 23 (recited)
Seq: 487, Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life (THE CALL)
Off: 645, The King of love my shepherd is (ST. COLUMBA)
Sanctus: S-125, Community Mass (Proulx)
Comm: Voluntary in e minor: Adagio-Allegro (Op. 7, No. 7; John Stanley)
Re: 556, Rejoice, ye pure in heart! (MARION)
Postlude: Allegro from Voluntary VIII in C Major (from Fugues and Voluntaries (12) for organ or harpsichord; attr. Handel)

Although I've played the Stanley piece many times, I still had a few people approach me and ask me what that charming piece was I played for Communion. It really is a lovely piece.

Compline at Chapel of the Cross.

We've been using the Order for Compline, as set by David Hurd.

Here are our little additions:

O Lord, the maker (at ca. 5m 10s; William Mundy)
Psalms 31 and 134 (chanted to Tone 8)
Hymn: Jesus, Redeemer of the world (JESU, NOSTRA REDEMPTIO, plainsong Mode 8)
In manus tuas (Sheppard; sung in addition to "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit ...)
Nunc Dimittis with Faux-bourdons (H. Willan)
Salve Regina (Marian antiphon right after the Dismissal)
Ave Maria (Robert Parsons)
Organ Voluntary by the abfab David Arcus.

David also directed and was the cantor in Van Quinn's absence. He was very patient with us, and we managed to produce a lovely sound under his direction. I love how he injects little historical tidbits about the renaissance-era music we're doing. It's almost like getting into the minds of the musicologists who studied and edited this music. Really fascinating.

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