New Providence Presbyterian Church, Raphine VA March 23

Music for March 23 -- Lent 3 and Baptism

Prelude:  "Prelude"  (Jean Langlais 1907-1991)

Introit:  "Blest Be The Tie That Binds"

Hymn: Psalm 95 (Insert) sung to "St. Anne." 

Response to Assurance of Pardon: "Gloria Patri" 

Hymn of Preparation for Baptism #492:  "Baptized in Water"

Prayer Response:  "Kyrie"  (John Merbecke 1510-1585)

Anthem:  "Lord, For Thy Tender Mercies Sake" (Richard Farrant 1525-1580)

Hymn 644 (Supplemental Hymnal):  "Bringing in the Sheaves"

Offertory:  "Simple Gifts"  (Russell Schulz-Widmar  b.1944) 

Doxology

Hymn 645 (Supplemental Hymnal)  "Jesus Saves!"

Benediction Response:  Dresden Amen  (Johann Naumann 1741-1801)

Postlude:  Give Thanks Unto God  (Emma Louise Ashford 1850-1930)

Music notes:

It is not often that we have the opportunity to participate in a worship service where both the Gospel Text and the Sacrament of Baptism fit in perfectly with the grand old Gospel Hymn "Bringing in The Sheaves."  When a child is brought into the Family of God in Baptism we are sowing seeds to be reaped in a Godly life.  The hymn refers to John 4:35-36 and Revelation 14:15.   

Today's Prelude, starkly minimalist-modern in style,  was composed by Jean Langlais, blind from birth, and organiste titulaire at the Basicila of St. Clotilde in Paris from 1945-88. Today's sermon title "Salvation" led me to think of the first verse of "Amazing Grace" which let me to think of the blind composer Langlais and the piece which moves from dissonance to consonance bit by bit.  Today's Offertory "Simple Gifts" is based on the Shaker hymn "Tis the Gift to Be Simple" and speaks to our offerings and also to baptism.  The composer was Professor of Liturgical Music at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin TX.   Emma Louise Ashford's music was published under the name E. L. Ashford, as it was thought in her day that people would not buy music composed by a woman. She composed over 600 pieces, including organ voluntaries, sacred cantatas, hymns, song cycles, anthems, and music for piano and organ instruction, as well as writing the Vanderbilt University "Ode" for Vanderbilt'sd 25th Anniversary. 

Registrations:

Langlais:  Swell: Salicional 8.  Great:  Melodia 8.  Pedal: Bourdon 16.

Schulz-Widmar:  Swell: Stopped Diapason 8.  Great: Melodia 8.  Pedal Bourdon 16

Ashford:  Swell: Harmonic Flute 4   Great: Dulciana 8, Open Diapason 8.  Pedal: Bourdon 16.  Swell to Pedal, Great to Pedal, Swell to Great 8, Swell to Great 4