Sunday Music Musings October 2, 2021
Dear Friends, it is happily a busy weekend with family, a wedding to play, Madison’s Bottle Hill Day and a retirement home performance at Winchester Gardens –I may have to keep this short!
Our prelude is based on the same tune as our Gospel Acclamation, Deo Gratias, originally a medieval carol celebrating the battle of Agincourt “our King went forth to Normandy…” Michael Burkhardt (b. 1957) is an incredibly prolific composer of mostly hymn-based works.
Christopher Dalitz is a composer of mostly SAB music available on cpdl under the Creative Commons License, including the lovely Kyrie our adults will sing.
Christopher Tye (c. 1505 – c. 1572) was an English composer and organist who studied at Cambridge University and in 1545 became a Doctor of Music both there and at Oxford. He was choirmaster of Ely Cathedral from about 1543 and also organist there from 1559. The title page to Tye’s Actes of the Apostles (London 1553) describes him as “one of the Gentlemen of his grace’s most honourable chapel,” and he may have been music teacher to King Edward VI, who reportedly quoted his father, Henry VIII, as saying “England hath one God, one truth, one doctor hath for music’s art, and that is Doctor Tye, admired for skill in music’s harmony.” Tye’s music includes psalm settings and masses, as well as pieces for consorts of viols, and works in English for the Church of England, including services and anthems, such as the short and lively O come Ye Servants of the Lord.
Johann Walther (1684 – 1748) has made an appearance in the last several Sundays, and Henry will play his first variation on the German Chorale often associated with baptisms, LIEBSTER JESU, after which the the choir will sing it in Catherine Winkworth’s (1827-1878) translation.
When one can only sing a final hymn it might as be the great Welsh tune HYFRYDOL by Rowland Hugh Pritchard (1811-1887) and words by the even greater Charles Wesley (1707-1788). Canadian Anglican composer Healey Willan’s (1880–1968) setting will play us out.
Tomorrow in celebration of St. Francis Day our children’s choirs will sing a few pieces outside–of course All Things Bright and Beautiful and God Our Loving Father (a Finnish hymn). Come have your pet blessed between 3 and 4, and stay for the outdoor communion service at 4. The older trebles will sing the round Now I Walk in Beauty and members ot the Daughters of Zion will sing We are Blessed. Giid luck to all the Marching Band kids who are deeo into the season. It is so great to be making live music in every way!
maestrasmusings 