April 6 2014

April 6 is my first service as the official Director of Music and Organist at New Providence Presbyterian, Raphine VA.  I have been interim since October. 

My duties include selecting all service music, directing the Sanctuary Choir, directing the Bell Choir, playing the 1911 Estey Pipe organ and 1890's Steiff grand piano for services, maintaining the music library, and coordinating the music program of the church.  We currently use the "Blue" Presbyterian Hymnal from 1990, along with a supplemental hymnal published by the church in 2008.  

Prelude: "The Penitent's Prayer"  (Leslie F. Watson 1859-1933)

Introit "I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art" (Text attr. John Calvin.  Music: Genevan Psalter) 

Hymn 234: Psalm 121 "I to the Hills Will Lift My Eyes"

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

Anthem:  "Dry Bones"  (Spiritual arr. Donald Moore)

Hymn of Preparation #316 "Breathe On Me Breath of God"

Organ music during distribution: 

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross… (Garrett Parker)

Selections from Miniatures for Organ (Flor Peeters)

Selections from Book 8 of 17 Voluntaries (Caleb Simper)

Hymn #505 "Be Known to Us in Breaking Bread

Offertory:  The Last Supper (Jaromír Weinberger 1896-1967)

Hymn 655 (Supplemental Hymnal):  "O God Our Help In Ages Past"

Benediction Response:  Go With Us, Lord (Thomas Tallis 1505-1585)

Postlude: Prelude and Fugue in G Minor BWV558  (attr. J. S. Bach 1695-1750)

Music Notes:

Leslie F. Watson was born in Illinois and lived in Richmond Virginia from 1884. He was the first dean of the Richmond Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and was organist at St. John’s German Lutheran Church and Broad Street Methodist Episcopal Church. Twenty-two of his organ works were published by Lorenz. He and his wife Laura, who was the first female member of the AGO chapter, were the first and only couple in the Richmond Chapter to pass the AAGO guild examination. He also wrote compositions for and conducted the Richmond Philharmonic.

Jaromír Weinberger  was born in Prague and emigrated to the United States in 1921. He started piano study at age five and was composing and conducting by age 10. For a while he taught composition at the Ithica Conservatory in New York State. He returned to Czechoslovakia in 1926 where he was appointed director of the National Theater. He fled the Nazis and came to the United States in 1939 and became a citizen in 1948. He is best known for his opera “Schwanda the Bagpiper.” His dramatic "Bible Poems" were written in 1939 and reflect the gathering war clouds over Europe. The Last Supper, foreshadowing the events of Good Friday, is one of the movements of this suite for organ.