First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville VA February 10, 2013

February 10: Transfiguration Sunday First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville VA.
First Reading – Psalm 99
Second Reading – Luke 9:28-36

Theme: In the story of the transfiguration of the Lord, there is a lot of communication during the experience. Jesus praying, Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah, Peter, and finally God from the cloud. Only Peter doesn’t know what he is talking about, “not knowing what he said” (9:33). And aren’t we like Peter, not know what to say about our experiences of God? This sermon will affirm that reality and explore the way the church gives us speech about God, (like the Apostles’ Creed) so that we can bring to articulation what is impossible to fully say.

Prelude 

Deo Gracias....(Hymn # 75)……………………..John Dunstable, arr. E. Power Biggs

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow........Johann Gottfried Walther

Prelude..................................................................Jean Langlais

The Deo Gracias is the tune for hymn 75 which is a Transfiguration Sunday Hymn. 

Originally called the Agincourt Carol, it dates from the early 15th Century.  The original is located in the Wren Library of Trinity College, Cambridge.  It has been attributed to John Dunstable (1370-1453).  The arrangement for organ by E Power Biggs (1906-1977) became the basis for the harmonization in many hymnals.  The original carol was for two voices.  Everything else was added by Biggs in the late 1940’s in his “Treasury of Early Organ Music” published by Mercury Press. 

The “Doxology” tune “Old Hundredth” had its origin in the German chorale Nun' lob' mein' seel' den Herren which is the setting used here.  It was set by a number of Baroque composers including Buxtehude, Bach, and Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748), J. S. Bach’s cousin and contemporary.  The opening phrases of the chorale melody form the basis for the opening counterpoint.  The melody is carried by the pedal throughout, and the manuals move from chorale-related counterpoint to free fantasia. 

Prelude from “Organ Book” (1956)  by Jean Langlais (1907-1991) is a short work in a post-impressionistic style.  I chose to include it here because the chord changes echo, in a slightly slanted way, the changes in “Old Hundredth.”  This piece would have been “new” when First Presbyterian Church’s building on this site was dedicated.  It uses “fonds de 8 pieds” on the Positif (Principal 8) and the Recit (Diapason 8, Gamba) in contrast, anchored by the Pedal Bourdon 16.  

Also notice that the composers’ names all start with J.  That was unintended, but does remind us of I John, II John, and III John, which is a good thing. 

Opening Hymn: # 460  Holy God We Praise Your Name  (Grosser Gott air Loben Dich) 

Congregational Response to Forgiveness: #63, v. 4  (As with Gladdness Men of Old)

Anthem: How Lovely Are the Messengers – Mendelssohn 

How lovely are the messengers that preach us the gospel of peace.
To all the nations is gone forth the sound of their words, throughout all the lands their glad tidings.

Sermon. 

Hymn: # 426  “Lord Speak to Me that I may Speak”  (Canonbury)

Offertory:    How Brightly Shines the Morning Star…. Georg Philip Telemann (1681-1767)

This is the most typical of all Epiphany hymns and is particularly appropriate for Transfiguration Sunday, as it speaks of bright shining.  Telemann’s sprightly, bouncy little organ setting is in two voices, with the chorale melody up top and the counterpoint on the left hand.  The melody is on Positif 8’ Bourdon,  2 ⅔ Nazard, and 1 ⅗ Tierce.   The counterpoint is on the Recit (with box almost closed) 16’ Trompette,  4’ Principal, 2’ Octavin.   The counterpoint reminds me of “Sailor’s Hornpipe” which was from another age and another country.  The choice of this setting rather than any number of other ones was to parallel the idea of transformation.  

 Doxology : #68, v. 4  “To God the Father, God the Son”  (Puer Nobis Nascitur) 

Closing Hymn: 425  Lord of Light, Your Name Outshining  (Abbot’s Leigh)

Benediction Response: 305, v. 1   Jesus Our Divine Companion (Pleading Savior)

Postlude: Postlude in F Major..  Caleb Simper (1856-1942) 

Simper was an organist in Barnstaple, England.  He was a prolific composer of organ works and anthems.  Over 5 million of his compositions had been sold worldwide by the 1920’s.  This is from Book 4 of “Seventeen Voluntaries” and is in simple ABA form.  It features the Trompette Royal against the full organ. 

Alternate hymn harmoinzations used in this service include ones by Charles Callahan, Noel Rawsthorne, Michael Burkhart, V. Earle Copes, and T. Tertius Noble. 

First Presbyterian Church Charlottesville VA Feb. 3 2013

First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville VA  February 3.  Casavant organ. 

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Luke 4: 21-30

Sermon theme--- there is no “us” and “them” with God. In the Luke passage Jesus speaks in his hometown synagogue, telling the congregation the story of the widow of Zarephath and the story of the Syrian army general with leprosy named Naaman.  The congregation reacted quite negatively.  

Preludes: 

The preludes include a chorale prelude on the first hymn by a 17th century German Baroque composer and a prelude reminiscent of Hebrew song by a Jewish American composer of the 20th century.  The Bloch piece is intended as a portrait of the congregation in Luke 4. 

Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation…. Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748)  

   Walther was a contemporary of his cousin, J. S. Bach.  He is best known as the compiler of the first dictionary of music and musical terms, and for his transcriptions of Italian and German orchestral concerti for the organ. His output included 132 chorale preludes.  

Prelude I ……… Ernest Bloch (1880-1959)

Bloch was born in Switzerland and began playing violin at age 9 and started composing soon thereafter. He studied at the conservatories in Brussels, Frankfurt, and Paris and settled in the United States in 1916, becoming a citizen in 1924.  He was the first Musical Director of the Cleveland Institute of Music and later director of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  He wrote operas, Symphonies, works for violin and piano, works for chorus and orchestra,  This is the first piece of a book of six preludes for organ published in 1949.  

Hymn: Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty.   Fanfare on the Trumpet Royale by Joyce Jones.  2nd Verse harmonization by Noel Rawsthorne, 3rd verse with descant. 

Anthem: “The Gift of Love” by Hal Hopson  (with piano by Bryce Hayes, interim choir director)

Hymn: In Christ There is No East or West..  Introductory fanfare by Joyce Jones.  Final verse harmonization by Noel Rawsthorne

Offertory:  Ah, Holy Jesus, How Has Thou Offended? …… Helmut Walcha (1907-1991)

Born in Leipzig, Walcha was blinded after a smallpox vaccination at age 19.  He entered the Leipzig Conservatory and became assistant to the organist at Thomaskirche. His recordings of the complete organ works of Bach are considered among the best.  He learned by memorizing part by part by hearing the works played by others.  Walcha wrote four volumes of chorale preludes on Lutheran hymns and arrangements for organ of orchestral works by others.  

The first of the 18 verses of this hymn on which this chorale is based looks at the response by the congregation in the synagogue to the sermon by Jesus in today’s scripture.  The chorale prelude is registered with the Bourdon 16 and Rohrflote 4 in the pedal playing the ostinato,  the Positif 4' Flute a Fuseau and 4' Principal played down an octave for the drone, and the Recit Hautbois 8  with tremolo for the chorale cantus.  

Doxology-- tune of Puer Nobis Nascitur 

Music during communion chosen from:

Miniatures for Organ-- Flor Peeters (1903-1986)  Featuring the strings and flutes. 

 A native of Belgium, Peeters studied at the Lemmens Institute, named for the composer, and returned to teach there as well at other colleges.  He was a renowned organist and composer in the 20^th century. 

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross -- Garrett Parker

Garrett Parker is currently working as a staff composer for the Lorenz Publishing Company.  He writes useful and tuneful music for church use.  The three variations on When I Survey The Wondrous Cross are a part of “Continuous Communion Meditations for Organ.”

Two Chorale Preludes by Robert Graham (1912-92):  “Jesus Loves Me” and “Do Lord”

Robert Graham  graduated cum laude from the Eastman School of Music, and served as a chaplain’s assistant at Camp Hood TX during World War iI and later in Yokohama Japan.  He returned to Japan as a missionary in 1951 as a missionary teacher of music under the direction of the National Council of the Episcopal Church.  There he became head of the music department for Rikkyo Jo Gakuin School in Tokyo, now known as “St. Margaret’s School” where a Taylor and Boody organ was installed in 1998.  He was also a lecturer for All-Japan Church Music Institute, and analyst for Sei-kwo Hymnal Revision Committee.  As of 1960 he had 147 compositions in print through 21 publishers.  He wrote more than a hundred choral compositions and cantatas, numerous songs, organ solos, piano pieces, and orchestral works.  He retired to Arizona in 1956. Bob presented Graham’s cantata “Dawn of Redeeming Grace” while organist/choirmaster at Hinton Avenue Methodist in 1962 and at Covenant Presbyterian in 1968l

Hymn: Jesus Our Divine Compassion, tune: Pleading Savior  

First verse by the choir.  Second verse by the congregation.

The first verse is then used with choir and congregation as the benediction response with harmonization by Charles Callahan. 

Postlude:  “Prelude and Fugue in F Major BWV 556…… attr. J. S. Bach (1685-1750)

One of “Eight Short Preludes and Fugues”, this piece is listed with a BWV number.  The eight short preludes and fugues were attributed to Bach until the 20th century when scholars began to doubt if he actually composed this series of pieces.  Some suggested that either Tobias Krebs or Ludwig Krebs, both students of Bach, composed them.  More recent scholarship suggests that Bach may have composed them himself, but for Pedal Clavichord, not organ.  The Pedal Clavichord was the “home practice organ” of the 17th century.  Of quiet tone, it allowed quiet practice in the home, a boon to performers in the colder months when churches were not heated.