NOTES from Our Director of Music

Here I Am, Lord

How Great Thou Art

Amazing Grace

Hymn of Promise

In the Garden

Lord of the Dance

It is Well with My Soul

Be Thou My Vision

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Blessed Assurance & Because He Lives (tie)

The Old Rugged Cross

Holy, Holy, Holy!

O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing

Spirit Song

Victory in Jesus

Pass It On

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Christ the Lord is Risen Today

Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee & Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (tie)

 Someone recently shared this article entitled “Singing with the Lutherans.”  It was written by whom else, Garrison Keillor.

I have made fun of Lutherans for years - who wouldn't, if you lived in Minnesota? But I have also sung with Lutherans and that is one of the main joys of life, along with hot baths and fresh sweet corn.

We make fun of Lutherans for their blandness, their excessive calm, their fear of giving offense, their lack of speed and also for their secret fondness for macaroni and cheese. But nobody sings like them. If you ask an audience in New York City, a relatively Lutheranless place, to sing along on the chorus of Michael Row the Boat Ashore, they will look daggers at you as if you had asked them to strip to their underwear. But if you do this among Lutherans they'll smile and row that boat ashore and up on the beach! And down the road! Lutherans are bred from childhood to sing in four-part harmony. It's a talent that comes from sitting on the lap of someone singing alto or tenor or bass and hearing the harmonic intervals by putting your little head against that person's rib cage. It's natural for Lutherans to sing in harmony. We're too modest to be soloists, too worldly to sing in unison. When you're singing in the key of C and you slide into the A7th and D7th chords, all two hundred of you, it's an emotionally fulfilling moment. I once sang the bass line of Children of the Heavenly Father in a room with about three thousand Lutherans in it; and when we finished, we all had tears in our eyes, partly from the promise that God will not forsake us, partly from the proximity of all those lovely voices. By our joining in harmony, we somehow promise that we will not forsake each other. I do believe this: People, these Lutherans, who love to sing in four-part harmony, are the sort of people you could call up when you're in deep distress. If you're dying, they'll comfort you. If you're lonely, they'll talk to you. And if you're hungry, they'll give you tuna salad!   

        There are lots of Sundays, and it certainly depends on the hymn selection for the week, that I can feel that love of singing in our own congregation. By the way, Keillor also points out that “Lutherans like to sing, except when confronted with a new hymn or a hymn with more than four stanzas.”

        One of my goals this program year is to find ways to get more of us to participate in our music program.  It has been over a year since we’ve had our Family Choir participate in worship and I’ll be looking for more opportunities to have our children sing.  We have a number of talented instrumentalists, both young and old, and more will be heard from them.  We are looking for ways to grow our Praise Band.  Garrison Keillor…we hear you.

From Psalm 150 (CEV)…”Shout praises to the Lord!  Praise God in his temple.  Praise him in heaven, his mighty fortress.  Praise our God!  His deeds are wonderful, too marvelous to describe.  Praise God with trumpets and all kinds of harps.  Praise him with tambourines and dancing, with stringed instruments and woodwinds.  Praise God with cymbals, with clashing cymbals.  Let every living creature praise the Lord.  Shout praises to the Lord!

NOTES from Our Director of Music

Someone recently shared this article entitled “Singing with the Lutherans.”  It was written by whom else, Garrison Keillor.

I have made fun of Lutherans for years - who wouldn't, if you lived in Minnesota? But I have also sung with Lutherans and that is one of the main joys of life, along with hot baths and fresh sweet corn.

We make fun of Lutherans for their blandness, their excessive calm, their fear of giving offense, their lack of speed and also for their secret fondness for macaroni and cheese. But nobody sings like them. If you ask an audience in New York City, a relatively Lutheranless place, to sing along on the chorus of Michael Row the Boat Ashore, they will look daggers at you as if you had asked them to strip to their underwear. But if you do this among Lutherans they'll smile and row that boat ashore and up on the beach! And down the road! Lutherans are bred from childhood to sing in four-part harmony. It's a talent that comes from sitting on the lap of someone singing alto or tenor or bass and hearing the harmonic intervals by putting your little head against that person's rib cage. It's natural for Lutherans to sing in harmony. We're too modest to be soloists, too worldly to sing in unison. When you're singing in the key of C and you slide into the A7th and D7th chords, all two hundred of you, it's an emotionally fulfilling moment. I once sang the bass line of Children of the Heavenly Father in a room with about three thousand Lutherans in it; and when we finished, we all had tears in our eyes, partly from the promise that God will not forsake us, partly from the proximity of all those lovely voices. By our joining in harmony, we somehow promise that we will not forsake each other. I do believe this: People, these Lutherans, who love to sing in four-part harmony, are the sort of people you could call up when you're in deep distress. If you're dying, they'll comfort you. If you're lonely, they'll talk to you. And if you're hungry, they'll give you tuna salad!   

There are lots of Sundays, and it certainly depends on the hymn selection for the week, that I can feel that love of singing in our own congregation. By the way, Keillor also points out that “Lutherans like to sing, except when confronted with a new hymn or a hymn with more than four stanzas.”

One of my goals this program year is to find ways to get more of us to participate in our music program.  It has been over a year since we’ve had our Family Choir participate in worship and I’ll be looking for more opportunities to have our children sing.  We have a number of talented instrumentalists, both young and old, and more will be heard from them.  We are looking for ways to grow our Praise Band.  Garrison Keillor…we hear you.

From Psalm 150 (CEV)…”Shout praises to the Lord!  Praise God in his temple.  Praise him in heaven, his mighty fortress.  Praise our God!  His deeds are wonderful, too marvelous to describe.  Praise God with trumpets and all kinds of harps.  Praise him with tambourines and dancing, with stringed instruments and woodwinds.  Praise God with cymbals, with clashing cymbals.  Let every living creature praise the Lord.  Shout praises to the Lord!

APRIL  2011

Symbols of the season of Lent: purple…fasting…simplicity… preparation…quiet…ashes… renewal…the cross…repentance. The ―Gloria‖ and ―Alleluia,‖ triumphant and joyful acclama-tions, are omitted from the music we sing.

Few people today think of the season of Lent for its music. In the church, Christmas and Easter have almost cornered that market. However, when you look back at musical history, Lent has been an enormous source of inspiration for composers. Lenten music has its own particular beauty.

One scholar wrote that ―the idea of penance is not so popular today…people don’t want to be reminded of the suffering Savior.‖ In a way, Lenten music really began before the church did. Jesus and the apostles sang Passover hymns on the first Holy Thursday, as found in the Gos-pels of Matthew and Mark. While their music no longer exists, it is reported that the earliest Christians often sang of the passion and death of Christ.

Bach’s name is inseparable from Lenten music. His St. John and St. Matthew Passion ask us to contemplate a world thrown out of balance by sin, and he reminds us of the world’s dark-ness. Perhaps the best known Lenten hymn is O Sacred Head Now Wounded, which has now become the tune for several beautiful, updated texts found in our new hymnal. The music of Lent may not be ―easy-listening,‖ but it can be powerful, focused, and intentional.

During a recent service, we selected as our sending song Lift High the Cross. It is a hymn that I’ve always associated with the season of Easter. However, if you consider the words we sing, it has a strong Lenten message as well:

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,

Till all the world adore His sacred Name.

And through the verses…

Each newborn servant of the Crucified,

Bears on the brow the seal of Him Who died…

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,

As Thou hast promised, draw the world to Thee…

So shall our song of triumph ever be;

Praise to the Crucified for victory.

As a postscript regarding our recent visit by the Susquehanna University Concert Choir and Chamber Singers:

Certainly much credit goes to Bob Bortz for his tireless efforts to coordinate the event. But there were so many contributions from so many people from both our church and commu-nity that made the weekend a success. We had people step-up to prepare and serve food to the 70-plus singers, open their homes to host choir members, volunteer as greeters and ushers, assist with parking, and contribute time to clean up and prepare the church for their visit. As a thank you, the SU Choir returned on Sunday morning to worship with us and again share their music. It is an event that will not be soon forgotten.

FEBRUARY 2011

For some time now, I’ve been writing brief backgrounds on the music we sing during our Sunday worship in the “Today’s Music” in the bulletin. That research has provided me with all sorts of fascinating stories about the hymns we sing. And, as I have frequently mentioned, Martin Luther and the Reformation had a great deal to do with how the hymn has evolved.  Here’s a quick overview of how the hymn has developed.

The word “hymn” comes from the Greek “hymnos” and were originally songs written in honor of the Gods, leading figures, and heroes. There is a reference to Jesus singing in Mark 14:26 “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Later, music and texts were written by monks who turned them into plainsong hymns that became part of monastic
liturgy.

However, at the time of the Reformation in the 16th century, the reformers insisted that hymns hould be understood and sung by the people. They wished to get away from the plainchant hymnody which was performed by priests and monks. As an accomplished musician, Martin Luther was able to exert his influence. Bach followed with his harmonization of German chorales.

In England, Isaac Watts began to reform congregational singing. He is perhaps best known for “O God our help in ages past” and felt that texts should reflect the religious feelings of the people and not necessarily be scripturally based.

In the 1800s, the Wesley brothers, John and Charles, insisted that hymns, both the words and music, should be written to inspire the congregation. The Wesleys made hymns the central focus of Methodist worship, and many admired the Methodists for their hearty and fervent singing. It later opened up all types of hymn styles, such as Gospel.

Since the end of the 19th century, there has been an explosion in hymn-writing. That is certainly evident in our new ELW hymn book. We’re also finding many new texts written to the more traditional and familiar hymn tunes. I’ve come to know that certain hymns can mean a great deal. They are remembered from childhood, or perhaps are associated with a particular family event or great occasion. And the tradition will continue to evolve.

JANUARY 2011

Last March, our church hosted the 32-voice Wagner College Choir from Staten Island, New York. Those of you who recall their visit will remember how special that Friday night concert was. And our host families who helped to house the students overnight found the experience rewarding as well.

We’re pleased to announce that this year we’ll be hosting another college choir from a Lutheran university. On Saturday, March 5, at 7:00 pm, Christ’s Church will welcome the 70-voice Susquehanna University Choir and Chamber Singers as part of their 2011 Concert Tour. The choir will then return to our church on Sunday morning to participate in our worship service at 10:30.

You will certainly be hearing more about the Susquehanna Choir concert in coming months. Some of you know that both Betsy and I are graduates of Susquehanna and Bev & Bob Bortz and Chris Mudge attended SU as well. There are many Susquehanna alumni living in the area. Our challenge now is to get the word out so that we can fill the church on March 5^th and to find families willing to host the students.

Susquehanna has had a rich tradition of fine musical performance for more than 100 years. More recently, the choir’s reputation has grown as well as the number of students. In 2008, Susquehanna culminated its Sesquicentennial with a Concert Celebration at Carnegie Hall. Recently, the choral program has opened a new chapter in its great history as Rodney Caldwell (BM Luther College, MM and DMA from The University of Arizona) was appointed as the new Director of Choral Activities. The Choir is the flagship choral ensemble in the Department of Music. While many of the choir’s members are music majors, other disciplines are well represented. The choir will perform both sacred and secular music. We will also hear the Chamber Singers, a group selected by audition from amongst the choir members.

Susquehanna University is a national liberal arts college with 2,200 undergraduates from 36 states and 13 countries. Students may enroll in one of three schools: the School of Arts, Humanities & Communications; the School of Natural & Social Sciences; and the Sigmund Weis School of Business. It is located in Selinsgrove, PA, a town of about 5,000 situated on the banks of the Susquehanna River, 50 miles north of Harrisburg. While founded in 1858 by Lutherans, SU welcomes individuals of all backgrounds and beliefs.

Dr. Caldwell visited our church in October and was very impressed with the acoustics in our sanctuary and our overall facilities, including our wonderful grand piano. A special part of their performance occurs when the choir sings a cappella surrounding the audience standing in the outside aisles. Their concert is sure to be an experience for all ages not to be missed. And to have them again present for our Sunday worship at 10:30 will be special. We’re planning to have our choir join them for an anthem or two, along with some special hymn selections.

Over coming weeks, we’ll be organizing committees to assist with all that needs to be accomplished to prepare for their visit. Please mark your calendars now for this very special event:

THE SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY CHOIR

Concert: Saturday evening, March 5, at 7:00pm

Worship: Sunday morning, March 6, at 10:30am

DECEMBER 2010

Our chancel choir has presented it in several different formats over the years…our service of “Lessons & Carols” on the 4^th Sunday of Advent. This year it will be part of our worship on Sunday, December 19^th, a single service at 10:30 am.

As I’ve noted in years past, the original was a “Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” and is the story of the promise of the Messiah and the birth of Jesus, as told in nine short bible readings from the prophetic books and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols and choir music. It was created by the Bishop of Truro in Cornwall, England, for use on Christmas Eve in 1880. I found a reference that indicates one of the reasons for the service was to keep men out of the pubs on Christmas Eve. At any rate, the original has been adapted and used by churches all over the world, most often in Anglican, some Roman Catholic, and Lutheran churches. In the UK, this service has become the standard format for schools’ Christmas carol services.

Our “Lessons & Carols” on Sunday the 19^th will be an adaptation of the original format.  We will not include all nine lessons and have reduced the number of carols that we will sing. The composer/arranger for our Lessons is Jonathan Willcocks, one of Britain’s best-known composers. In his work, he has melded two carols/hymns together and has found ways to have the congregation join in as well. It is customary for the service to begin with the hymn “Once in Royal David’s City.” That will be our processional/entrance song for the day. We will conclude the service with “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”

Make a note for this year’s Service of Lessons & Carols:

Sunday, December 19, at a single service at 10:30am.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

Planning for our fall music program, with even a few thoughts about Christmas, has begun.  As part of that process, I was recently looking over our music library and noticed how dramatically the music we now select has changed since I agreed to take on this position in the Fall of 1991. As I start my 20^th season, I also think of how much we’ve also changed the pattern and structure of our Sunday morning worship. In the late 1990s, we added a new hymnal, With One Voice, and more recently, introduced an entirely new hymnal with new liturgical settings.  And I certainly would never have imagined that our choir accompaniment would at times come from a CD.

Every year I mention how fortunate our church is to have such a wonderful, talented choir to support our worship. A number of choir members have been part of this group for far longer than my tenure. We should also be grateful for those who have joined in recent years and the young people who sing with us. 

Our Chancel Choir rehearsals will resume on Sunday, September 19, with practice beginning at 9:10 am in the Choir Room (Room 202). It is at this time of year that I always extend an invitation to new people to join us. We’re very fortunate to have strong leadership in all our vocal sections, so it’s very easy to get started with us. You may have noticed that a number of our members sit in the congregation with their families and then come forward for the anthem.  That certainly continues to be an option. While some of the music can be challenging, Betsy and I try to select anthems that are singable and do not take weeks of practice to master. In some cases, we have CD recordings that can help in learning a piece.

If this is something that you’ve thought about, please come out on the 19^th. Or share your e-mail address and we’ll keep you informed of what we’re planning.

HANDBELL RINGERS SOUGHT!

Our handbell choir plays once a month October through May. The group is actively looking for new ringers who can play on a regular or semi-regular basis.  The only prerequisite is the ability to read music.  Please contact Betsy Selinger if you are interested: email address: betsyselinger@gmail.com.

We’re still looking for volunteers to operate and monitor our new sound system. It is not difficult and definitely does not require someone with technical expertise. You just need to stay alert during the service (no daydreaming) and have a good ear. We need individuals for both the 8 and 10:30 services. Please contact me @ kselinger@ccivideo.com so we can setup an orientation session. Our more experienced operators will let you sit with them to get comfortable with the system. We hope to establish a schedule that would ask you to serve only once every three months.

FEBRUARY 2010

I was asked a while ago what the word or phrase was that is noted in our Sunday bulletin to the right of the hymn titles. I quickly answered, “Oh, that’s the hymn tune.” While the reply answered the question, I’ve since thought about whether it was complete enough of a response. So here goes a little lesson in what I’ll call “Hymn Tune 101.”

All of our hymns are indexed by a tune name as well as by author, arranger, source, and musical meter. You can find some of that information at the bottom of the hymn page, with additional acknowledgements listed in the rear Indexes of the hymnbook. One hymn tune can have multiple texts. For example, the tune “Duke Street” might be familiar as I Know That My Redeemer Lives! That tune might have been inspired by the eight verses that Samuel Medley had already composed. (Yes, Medley was his last name and he wrote over 230 hymns.) This popular tune also eventually became the setting for two of Isaac Watts’ texts, Jesus Shall Reign and Give to Our God Immortal Praise! It has always been regarded as a “sturdy and much loved tune” and was the setting for various texts sung during the Billy Graham Crusades in the 1950s. I found at least 30 other authors writing to this melody and appearing in other hymnbooks.

The tune “Duke Street” has been attributed to John Hatton who is said to have known Samuel Medley and composed it in 1710. Little is known about Hatton other than that he lived on Duke Street in St. Helen’s, Lancaster, England, and that his funeral was conducted at the Presbyterian chapel there.

There are times when the writer of the verses also composes the music. They often name or index their hymn tune by words from the text, the name of a loved one, or perhaps the town or region in which it was written. Sometimes a song writer is inspired by a biblical text, some poetry, or prose. You will also notice in the acknowledgements that many of the tunes we sing have been composed by a different author than writer of the text.

Our new ELW worship book has many new texts written by a number of contemporary authors to traditional hymn tunes such as “Duke Street.” While not all hymn tunes meet the definition, these are some of the attributes that are considered important:

·         It must be suitable for singing

·         Musical style generally considered to be suitable for devotional use in public Christian worship

·         Singable by a group

·         Usable with minimal instrumental accompaniment

For the early church, a successful “hymn tune” was like a folksong and sung by rote rather than from a book. It was sung as heard rather than as composed and written down. One of the first things that I noticed in our new ELW was how many of the familiar tunes now have new and/or revised texts set to them. There are a number of hymn tunes written in the 1700s that now have a text composed in the last 25 years. Through a familiar melody, the writer has found new ways of speaking to our culture.

So that concludes our brief lesson and makes my reply more complete.