A Manz tribute and a choir repeat

A few weeks ago, the world lost one of the greatest organists and sacred music composers in recent history, Paul Manz. He had a profound influence on Lutheran church music and earned numerous awards, including an honorary docterate from my alma mater.

Manz was actually born in Cleveland, though he became most well known for his work in Chicago and Minneapolis churches, as well as concerts around the world. As a Lutheran, he was steeped in the hymn tunes, literature, and traditions that we all know so well, but he updated them with a spicier, more rhythmic sound for a fun change of pace.

His work has a large following - certainly, he is admired and idolized by Lutheran organists everywhere. I often use Manz's hymn arrangements; in fact, when you hear a hymn arrangement with a "modern" sound, you can probably safely assume that it's his. This week, the postlude will be "Lord, You I Love with All My Heart." It seems like an appropriate tribute for a church musician, since it epitomizes the church musician's philosophy since the time of Bach: "Soli deo gloria" (To God alone by the glory).

The choir will be reprising the anthem from last week: "Go, Ye, Into all the World." By repeating the anthem, we can focus on other places we can enhance worship, including the acclamation and antiphon, as well as a hymn descant. We're also hard at work preparing music for Thanksgiving. Make sure Nov. 25th is on your calendar for the Wednesday night service!

Concert series: Mount Union College Choir

Next Friday night (Nov. 20th at 7:30 pm), the concert series at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist continues in downtown Cleveland. The Mount Union College Choir will be performing a wide variety of works. The promo information I've read simply lists the composers (Handel, Victoria, Seelinck, Lauridsen, Walton, Vaughan Williams, Britten, and Whitacre), so I don't know how much of it will be sacred, but it's a safe bet there will be a great deal and that it will all be beautiful.

This is a great chance to hear some of the best choral literature performed in our own backyard, and it's another free event - free will offering only. Hope to see you there!

Military hymns

In honor of Veterans' Day, I wanted to mention some of the music of our soldiers. Growing up, I spent every Memorial Day playing in the band at the cemeteries of my hometown. Since I played trumpet, I was often called upon as well to play taps at military funerals. While I don't come from what I would consider a military family, I know that both of my grandfathers served our country, and one of the most moving aspects of the funeral of my one grandfather was the presentation of the flag to my grandmother in recognition of his service.

To be reductionist about military music, in general it comes in two varieties: marches and hymns. Of course, even the hymns can be a bit triumphalist for comfort sometimes (sing the opening few lines of the Marine Hymn and you'll see what I mean). The music that I find so powerful and relevant are the hymns of comfort and solace, the hymns of prayers for safety and a quick end to war.

My favorite (and probably the best known) in that category is the "Navy Hymn," known to us as "Eternal Father, Strong to Save." It was sung at the funeral of FDR and played at JFK's funeral procession as well. It's a popular funeral hymn, and I think that stems from the powerful symbol of God as Father, a strong protector and a comforter. This version of verse 4 epitomizes that in its text:

O Trinity of love and power!
Our family shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect us wheresoever we go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

The triune God of love and power is our protector whom we thank with hymns of praise. That's a succinct message of what the Christian faith means to many of us. To hear a midi version of this hymn and to read more verses (including some more specifically to the military) you can click here.

In closing, thanks to everyone, everywhere who serves our nation. I'd like to offer special thanks to my National Guardsman brother-in-law and prayers for everyone serving overseas. Please feel free to add your own names, thanks, and prayers in the comments.

Culinary musings

For lunch on Sunday, I grabbed a quick bite of fast food, still humming church music to myself. One of the dangers of the choir anthem from last week was that the chorus could easily get stuck in your head (or at least in mine). While eating, I was reflecting on the morning's services and thinking about the variety of music. (For second service people who haven't heard our "rock sound" yet, you'll get to hear the same anthem this coming week.)

My culinary musings had me thinking about the need for variety in our lives. Recently I prepared a meal that included a creamy pumpkin and squash soup, and in a moment of ambition I had decided to start the whole thing by making my own vegetable stock, in an all day project that made the house smell great. But Sunday there I was eating a hastily prepared sub sandwich and chips. They were about as different as could be, but I liked them both, in their own way.

Sometimes we hear and sing classical music that is complex and intellectual, like the Buxtehude prelude. Other times, we get to enjoy ear candy like the choir anthem, simple and fun. We can enjoy them both on their own terms and for their own merits. One could even make a case that the anthem's text provides the piece with more direct religious content than the organ prelude with its subtle symbology.

Of course, we can't subsist on a diet of junk food, candy, and dessert. We even need a variety of healthful foods to stay healthy, just like Bach alone won't cut it for church music. I'm at work planning a smorgasbord for this Sunday; I hope you enjoy all the courses!

From Buxtehude to "rock"

This Sunday will demonstrate my usual goal of incoporating music from a wide variety of styles. The service has some of the greatest hymns from the ELW, including "At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing" and "On Our Way Rejoicing," the latter of which will include a choir descant on verse two.

The prelude will be Passcaglia in d minor by Buxtehude. I hope that's a name that is becoming familiar by now. This particular piece is built on a simple 7-note ostinato bass. An ostinato is a short phrase that is repeated throughout the piece, much like a canon. Pachelbel's Canon in D is familiar to most people, of course, and you can probably think of how that piece involves a repeated chord progression.

The Passacaglia in d minor represents Buxtehude's interest in symbolic numerology (an interest he shared with Bach and many other notable men and women of their era). The 7 note ostinato takes up 4 bars and occurs 28 times over the course of the piece. Overall, the structure modulates into 4 different keys, each of them for 28 bars. I've heard it described both as a tribute to Mary and as symbolic of the phases of the moon.

The choir's anthem, titled "Go, Ye, Into All the World," is composed in an entirely different style, with a driving rock beat (or at least as rock-like as a traditional ELCA service normally gets!). The song alternates between an up-tempo chorus that encourages us to "Spread the Gospel to every people" and lyrical verses. Overall, the text is based on Christ's "Great Commission." Not only is it a great piece of music on its own, but it also provides the perfect contrast to the Baroque prelude.

Psalm for a Lost Summer

I had to share a poem by that name, don't you think? Snow fell yesterday, and I spent part of my day today raking (yet again given our many trees). The summer has ended and is therefore lost to us. I can hardly read this poem without humming one of the psalm tones. It begs to be chanted! But I hope you enjoy and remember to savor the passing of the seasons.

"Psalm for a Lost Summer"

1. By the rivers of Estes Park, there we sat down, yes, we sighed, when we remembered Italy.
2. We pressed our pens against paper, and we sat under the pine trees, listening to the crows.
3. For there in Colorado we were captive at a high altitude, required to write without breath; and if we could not write, our consciences required us to read, and improve our minds.
4. How shall we write our poems in this strange land?
5. If I forget you, Venice, let my right hand forget to wind the fettuccini around the fork.
6. If I do not remember balmy Sorrento, let me never taste lemons again; if I prefer not Capri above my chief joy.
7. Remember, O Muse, the couple who strolled about Assisi; who said, How lovely this is, but next year let's vacation at home.
8. O Citizens of Assisi, do not blame us for the earthquake that destroyed your basilica; how happy we were, looking at your frescos during a thunderstorm.
9. Happy we shall be again, when we dash from this rented cabin, and drive down from these great stone mountains forever, Amen.

Take a break

It's a busy week for me, full of exams. We all have weeks that get a bit hectic or challenging for a variety of reasons, and I'm always reminded that they seem to go better when I have a break to work out, to listen to music, or to practice the organ or piano. It's important to step back from our busy, project-filled lives to have time to breathe and reflect on what's most important to us.

That's true not only at the level of our daily lives but within worship as well. Sometimes the logistics of worship can distract us from a prayerful attitude. Sometimes the repetition and the ceremony overpower the meaning. I recently reread a quote from an Anglican priest named Gordon Giles who wrote several books and articles on church music. On this issue he wrote:

"We say 'Lord, have mercy' so frequently that it can seem unremarkable and automatic, and seeking God's mercy in worship can become so common and instinctive that we barely notice that we are doing so. Similarly, we tend to sing hymns without thinking about what we are really singing to ourselves or to God or to each other...The Kyrie is all about seeking forgiveness, not only for ourselves, and for any individual sins we feel we may have knowingly or unknowingly committed, but also for the sins of the world, past and present, which, as we study history or read our newspapers, we very much lament."

It's important for us to sing and listen thoughtfully in worship. The tune and the text are simply vessels to convey deeper truths. This week take a moment to focus your attention on the text of our hymns and to the kyrie especially. Let your meditation refresh your spirit for the busy week ahead.

PS For my non-Ohio readers, there was a bit of snowfall here today. Christmas planning suddenly seems ever-so-important!