The Shepherd's Song


Psallam spiritu et mente.
I will sing with the Spirit and with the understanding also.
--Motto of the Royal School of Church Music (I Corinthians 14:15)
  
7 September 2014
In This Issue

7 September 2014  - The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

9:00am Eucharist, II

      Treble Choir / Canterbury Choir

      John Linker, Organist/Choirmaster

            Mendelssohn / Sonata IV, Op. 65, 6 (Vater unser in Himmelreich)

            Stravinsky / Pater noster

            Hymns

            376*                   Joyful, joyful, we adore thee                          Hymn to Joy

            538* (st. 1)         God of mercy, God of grace              Lucerna Laudoniae

            576*                   God is love                                                       Mandatum

            347*                   Go forth for God                                                     Litton

 

11:15am Eucharist, II                      

      Parish Choir

      John Linker, Organist/Choirmaster

            Mendelssohn / Sonata IV, Op. 65, 6 (Vater unser in Himmelreich)

            Parry / Psalm 149

            Stravinsky / Pater noster

            Hymns

            376*                   Joyful, joyful, we adore thee                         Hymn to Joy

            538*                   God of mercy, God of grace              Lucerna Laudoniae

            576*                   God is love                                                       Mandatum

            347*                   Go forth for God                                                    Litton

 

4:15pm Bluegrass Concert

       Backroom Bluegrass Band

            Program to be selected from the following

            By the Rivers of Babylon   

            The Old Country Church  

            That Old Time Religion  

            Amazing Grace

            Workshop Window  

            Red Haired Boy   

            Let There Be Peace on Earth   

            I Saw the Light medley  

            Let it Shine

 

5:00pm Eucharist, II

      John Linker, Organist

            Mendelssohn / Sonata IV, Op. 65, 6 (Vater unser in Himmelreich)

            Hymns

            376*                   Joyful, joyful, we adore thee                          Hymn to Joy

            538*                   God of mercy, God of grace              Lucerna Laudoniae

            24*                     The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended              St. Clement

 

[* = Hymns chosen from the 2009 Hymn Survey]
Backroom Bluegrass Band Performs this Sunday in Good Shepherd
Backroom Bluegrass Band
Kicking off our 2014/15 Sunday Afternoon Concert Series is the highly acclaimed local Backroom Bluegrass Band!

 

Friendship and fun are the foundation of the Backroom Bluegrass Band of Lexington, KY that "came together accidentally" in a backroom of Crestwood Christian Church during a talent show in October 2000. 

"We love the music and we love to perform and make people happy, but the camaraderie of our members is the essence of the band," says banjoist Bill Johnson. "We only hope our audiences have a quarter as much fun as we do." The Backroom Bluegrass Band is comprised of five principal members: Bill Johnson, who plays several instruments in addition to banjo, his spouse and bass player Jane Johnson, Dobro player and tenor Dan Pence, mandolin player Pat Soister, and guitarist and lead singer Walt Johnson, all of Lexington. 

The choice of music has also been a natural outgrowth of the group's personality and features traditional bluegrass, gospel tunes, and unique arrangements of traditional and original songs. The group's musical selections are a blend of their varied musical backgrounds from bass player Jane Johnson's classical musical training, to Pence's Texas roots and western swing influences. "It is remarkable that people from such diverse backgrounds can have such similar tastes in music," says Walt Johnson. "We love good string music, close harmonies, and creative arrangements. From the first evening we came together, it was like we were destined to be a band."

 

The Backroom Bluegrass Band's popularity is rising in Kentucky through word-of-mouth testimonials, keeping the group busy performing in a variety of settings. It has also led to their recording four CDs, including their two most recent ones entitled "Ghosts Along the Line," a collection of railroad songs, and "Wishing You a Merry Christmas," a Christmas CD.

           

The band is equally at home performing for a church social or worship service as it is for a large professional conference. Good music, good friends, and a desire to entertain people are a winning combination.

    

For further information, contact Walt Johnson at ahj1050@yahoo.com or 859-223-9213, or visit their website at www.backroombluegrassband.com.

 
Notes for Sunday's Music

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), though a Romantic composer, was very interested in compositional styles from previous eras, and was instrumental in the first Bach revival in the mid 19th century. Each of his six Sonatas utilize intricate fugal writing akin to Bach. Sonata No. 6 is a set of variations on the choral Vater unser im Himmelreich (Our Father in Heaven), the Lord's Prayer. The chorale tune by Martin Luther and be found at Hymn 575. The chorale and the first three variations as well as the Finale (Andante) are played for the opening voluntary, and last two variations (Allegro molto and Fugue) are played for the closing voluntary.

 

The text of the Lord's Prayer is also featured in the Motet sung at the Offertory, Igor Stravinsky's Pater noster. Stravinsky (1882-1971) though best known for his ballets The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring, entered a phase of neoclassical composition in the 1920s, from whence his brief Pater noster originates. This motet was written in 1926 (coincidentally the same year the cornerstone for Good Shepherd was laid), and was written to mark Stravinsky's re-entry into the Orthodox faith after a lapse. Harmonically, Stravinsky places one foot in the riches of his tradition in maintaining a strong sense of tonal center throughout, and the other firmly in the twentieth century, eschewing functional harmony. Strong beats of the text always fall on downbeats within the shifting metric patterns echoing ancient chant patterns.
Rehearsals for the year are in progress
Rehearsals for the 2014 season are in progress!  There are openings in each group available for those who would like to make a joyful noise!  Our repertoire for this year includes everything from classical masterworks through contemporary works.  From isorhythm to minimalism, we'll sing it all. For a child, there is no better education not only with regard to music, but also verbal communication (often in several languages), social education, and spiritual education are all part of the package.  Be in touch as soon as possible and we'll get you plugged in. 859 252 1744
Music Theory classes commence on Mondays beginning September 8th.  Though originally designed to complement the chorister's education, theory classes are open to anyone of any age regardless of choir affiliation.  Spanning from basic notation to complicated harmonic and formal analysis, theory classes meet you where you are on the path of musical literacy.  Space is limited - please ring 859 252 1744 if you'd like to enrol.  And, as with all of our offerings, this is FREE of charge!

Upcoming Sunday Afternoon Concerts in Good Shepherd

We are launching our second annual concert series each Sunday afternoon throughout the academic year beginning in September 2014.  Though these concerts are primariliy organ recitals, 

many different genres of music will be celebrated throughout the year.  

Please spread the word and invite your friends!

All Sunday afternoon concerts are at 4:15pm (unless otherwise noted) and admission is free, 

however, donations are gratefully accepted.


 

7 September 2014 - 4:15pm - Concert by Backroom Bluegrass Band (Lexington, KY)

 

14 September 2014 - 4:15pm - Organ Recital by Eugene Lavery (Louisville, KY)

 

21 September 2014 - 4:15pm - Organ Recital by John Linker (Lexington, KY)

 

28 September 2014 - 4:15pm - Choir Concert by Unversitatis Schola Cantorum, J. Young, Director (Lexington, KY)

 

5 October 2014 - 4:15pm - Organ Recital by Brian Hunt (Lexington, KY)

 

12 October 2014 - 4:15pm - Organ Recital by Robert Poovey (Rochester, NY)

 

19 October 2014 - 4:15pm - Organ Recital by Owen Sammons (Paris, KY)

 

26 October 2014 - 4:15pm - Organ Recital by Mitchell Miller (Bloomington, IN)

 

2 November 2014 - 6:00pm - Annual All Saints' Concert by Good Shepherd Choirs

 

9 November 2014 - 4:15pm - Organ Recital by Louis Perazza (Philadelphia, PA)

 

16 November 2014 - 4:15pm - Organ Recital by Jerry Martin, MD (Lexington, KY)

 

23 November 2014 - 4:15pm - Organ Recital by Kevin Faulkner (Elizabethtown, KY)

 

30 November 2014 - 4:15pm - Organ Recital by Owen Sammons (Paris, KY)

 

7 December 2014 - 4:15pm - Organ Recital by Jane Johnson (Lexington, KY)

 

14 December 2014 - 4:15pm - Choir Concert by Cantabile, Donna Bonner, Director (Lexington, KY)

 

21 December 2014 - 5:00pm - A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols
Good Shepherd Choir at St Paul's Within the Walls, Rome, June 2013
Church of the Good Shepherd | 859 252 1744 | office@goodshepherdlex.org | http://goodshepherdlex.org
533 East Main Street
Lexington, Kentucky  40508


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