4 July - Sixth Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 9

I have just one list for you today. Oh yes, and notice this list is actually being posted in a timely manner! Shocked? ;)

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

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist Rite II
Prelude: Ayre of Four Parts (J. Dowland); Introductory Voluntary (F. Linley)
Processional Hymn: 544, Jesus shall reign where'er the sun (DUKE STREET)
Trisagion: S-100, New Plainsong (Hurd)
Psalm: Psalm 30 (Simplified Anglican Chant)
Sequence Hymn: 474, When I survey the wondrous cross (HAMBURG*)
Offertory Hymn: 483, The head that once was crowned with thorns (ST. MAGNUS)
Sanctus: S-130, Deutsche Messe (Schubert/Proulx)
Lord's Prayer: chanted (S-119 in Hymnal 1982)
Fraction Anthem: S-169, My flesh is food indeed (Urwin)
Communion Hymn: 321, My God, thy table now is spread (ROCKINGHAM)
Recessional Hymn: 541, Come, labor on (ORA LABORA)
Postlude: 719, O beautiful for spacious skies (MATERNA); Adagio (Anon., from B. Owen's A Century of American Organ Music)

* Whilst rehearsing the choir, much to my chagrin, I had programmed two hymns that shared a hymntune (474 and 321) in the Hymnal 1982. So I made the decision to switch hymntunes for the Sequence Hymn, using Hamburg (#101 in the Presbyterian Hymnal). According to my spy in the congregation, he reported that people sang it heartily as they knew that particular hymntune. Interestingly enough, that particular hymntune is not in the Hymnal 1982. Hmmm.

My "nod" to the 4th of July was the closing hymn, "Come, labor on". I guess to me, it sounded rousing enough, plus it goes along with the message of the second reading (Gal. 6:1–16). At the last minute, I decided I wanted the choir and congregation to join me in the postlude, and the choir and I chose America, the Beautiful.

Admittedly, reactions to that decision were mixed. I received overwhelmingly positive feedback from several people. I also received negative feedback from a few people. There was a reason why I did it after the dismissal. As far as I'm concerned, to me, it's just a postlude that I had the choir and congregation join in. One of my Facebook friends (who shall remain nameless) did as his postlude an organ transcription of "Stars and Stripes Forever". And the music the organ sub at First Presbyterian Church in Durham was practising (and I assumed he played as his voluntary music during that service) sounded awfully patriotic to me. To my mind, there is no difference.

One could say I could have very easily programmed a nationalistic hymn *during* the service, but I really did not want to do that. I generally choose music that reflects the readings of the day. And yes, I actually read them whilst selecting music.

I have a lot of lists to catch up on. I'm assuring myself, really, that I'll eventually post them. (Not sure if anyone else is reading them... if you are, please feel free to weigh in and leave a comment.)

I hope you've had a great 4th of July.