Notes for Sunday's Music

Organ Music

J.S. Bach was a master of embellishment when it comes to treating chorale tunes (Lutheran hymns).  Such is the case with his beautiful coloratura setting for the opening voluntary of the Advent chorale Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659 (See Hymn 54 for tune).  Though it is scored for one player, it sounds more like chamber music, particularly in the way that the pedal line imitates a walking cello line. This piece makes use of the old technique called vorimitation, in which the tune is quoted by the accompanying voices even before it appears.Bach's works are often cited by their BWV number, short for Bach-Werke Verzeichnis, the thematic catalogue numbers of Bach's oeuvre as compiled by Wolfgang Schmieder (1901-1990).  Hymn 54 will be sung later this season.

Sunday's Hymns

Hymn 70 is a relatively new hymn with its debut printing in our Hymnal 1982. The text was born out of necessity as there were few hymns at the time that expressed the thought of John the Baptist as the herald of Jesus, and was penned by the Rev'd M.A.J. Waters in London, Ontario, in 1968. The tune Herald, sound is by Robert Powell, former organist of Christ Church, Greenville, SC, and also composer of service music we regularly sing (S280 and S129). The descant is by John Linker. Hymn 65, in regular use for almost two hundred years in the Church of Sweden, provides for English-speaking congregations a text with deep biblical roots set to a tune of remarkable rhythmic vitality. The tune dates from 1693 and was originally used with a text for a meal prayer. This tune is the subject of the organ improvisation following the service.

Choral repertoire

The Anthem at 11:15, "This is the record of John," is English Tudor composer Orlando Gibbons's most famous choral work. As a "verse anthem," this piece features a soloist throughout the work with choral interjections to provide punctuation. By contrast, a "full anthem" is scored for SATB choir throughout with no soloists. 

This Sunday we welcome organist Jane Johnson to play the 4:15pm recital. Jane received a B.M.M.E. degree from the University of Kentucky where she studied organ with Prof. Arnold Blackburn. She earned a Master of Music degree with an emphasis in Sacred Music from UK, and a Master of Arts degree with an emphasis in Church Music from Lexington Theological Seminary. She continues to study organ and harpsichord with Dr. Schuyler Robinson.  Jane has been a church organist for over 30 years.  Since 2000 she has served as organist at Crestwood Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Lexington. Jane is a Colleague of the American Guild of Organists, and also holds the Guild's Service Playing Certificate.  She is currently in her second year as Dean of the Lexington Chapter AGO. When not on the organ bench, Jane plays upright bass with the Backroom Bluegrass Band and is learning to play hammered dulcimer.  She is also Director of Student Affairs for the College of Fine Arts at UK.