The image of The Good Shepherd has spurred many compositions. Next to Christmas and Easter music, I think a close second, in terms of output, are the compositions that are centered around the words of the 23rd Psalm. Who doesn’t love this Psalm, or the images it evokes? All of thematic elements of God, as […]

The composition of Messiah, the complete 260-page oratorio, began on August 22, 1741, and was composed in just 24 days, when Handel finished the final orchestration on September 14, 1741. Handel composed Messiah without getting much sleep or even eating much food. Today’s offertory is a short movement from the last part of that monumental […]

What a glorious Holy Week and Easter! We’ve sung so much music, I can hardly keep track of it all. Next week, I’ll return to my usual commentary about specific pieces, but today I’d like to express my general gratitude for the choir, for their hard work, and for all their dedication over the last […]

I was first introduced to our offertory piece while in college. Its arranger, Arnold Sevier, was a guest at The Moody School of Music at the University of Alabama when I was just a freshman in 1994. The music was still in manuscript when we performed it with the composer at the piano. This arrangement […]

Today’s offertory is a quirky piece by Italian composer, Niccolò Zingarelli. I had never heard it before until I was enthusiastically introduced to it by our rector. We’ve sung it in years past, as it is befitting for the fourth Sunday of Lent, known as Laetare Sunday. The term “Laetare” comes from Isaiah 66:10, “Rejoice […]

When I choose choral music for Sunday, something that I always search for, is a compelling text and a well-crafted melody. Today’s offertory is a good example of an anthem that fits the bill.  My Spirit Longs for Thee, a text by John Byrom and music by Simon Lole, is a fine specimen of elegance […]

Today’s communion anthem is a well-known spiritual arrangement by Mark Hayes. There are several choral versions of this spiritual, but this one appealed to me for several reasons. I love how the music paints the words, but never obscures them. Like many spirituals this one utilizes repetition as a tool to drive home the meaning […]

In some translations of John, Jesus said that he came to give life to the fullest, other translations word it as life abundantly. This might conjure up images of joy, butterflies, rainbows, and riches. But that’s only one side of the story. A now-deceased friend of mine who spent 40 years as a church musician […]

Today’s prelude is a whimsical number by French composer Louis Vierne. It delights. But that’s the nature of a piece that’s full of spirit. It titillates, tickles, and teases. It is wiggly like a small, free-spirited creature. How fun! The creative act is spontaneous. You never know when the spirit will nip at you. Like […]

Fear paralyzes, especially when used in teaching. I’ve had teachers who have put the fear of God in me, but I never found them to be terribly effective. However, fear is a common educational tool. Call it “old school,” but I think it’s time for some “new school.” My grandparents attended a Pentecostal church, and […]