The image of The Good Shepherd has spurred many a composition. 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 […]

Today’s service is brought to you by George Frideric Handel. I hope you like his music, I certainly do! When I was taking music history in my undergrad days, I remember being so profoundly affected by the story of Handel’s childhood. The legend goes that his father tried to influence him to study law, not […]

The postlude today is a fiery toccata by Canadian composer and organist, Lynnwood Farnam. From 1908 until 1913, he served as organist at Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal, and during this time made several trips to Boston, befriending organists in the area and making connections. He was then appointed organist and choirmaster at Emmanuel Church in […]

The body responds to music, in a number of ways. It responds physically (dance); it responds visually (imagination); and it responds emotionally (heart). We’ve all been there. When the music starts pumping, and you can’t help but get up and dance, your body is calling you to get up and move! Sometimes we simply can’t […]

Today’s offertory anthem, Wash Me Throughly, by Samuel Sebastian Wesley, is an old staple in the anthem repertoire, especially during the season of Lent. S.S. Wesley, if you recall, was the grandson of Charles Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Samuel Sebastian was also credited with helping to design the curved, radiating pedalboard found on most modern organs. […]

Today’s offertory anthem is another favorite of mine, although I have historically used another arrangement of this well-known spiritual. I hope to introduce you to the other arrangement of Precious Lord, by Arnold Sevier. Part of the reason why I didn’t choose that particular version this morning is because it requires the choir to divide into more […]

Today’s offertory anthem is a well-known spiritual, arranged rather uniquely, by Mark Hayes. There are several choral versions of this particular spiritual, but this one appealed to me for a number of 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 […]

The prelude today, O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß, is another example of a chorale prelude (an organ piece whose main thematic material is based on a German hymn, or chorale). This particular hymn is not in our hymnal, so you’re probably not familiar with it. The first stanza opens addressing the listener “O Mensch” (O human being) and requesting […]

This particular Sunday in the liturgical year is bittersweet. It’s our last opportunity to sing “Alleluia” before we begin the Lenten season, while it bookends the season of Epiphany. It’s one of those Sundays where we can savor the more robust anthems and voluntaries that we so enjoy after Christmas. We often refer to this […]

Today’s service is brought to you by the great state of North Carolina. Well, not exactly, but you will notice that someone else is seated at the mighty Fisk this morning. Please welcome Dr. Adam Ward as our guest organist today. A native, and life-long resident of North Carolina, Dr. Ward’s prelude selection is composed […]