November 19, 2023

The basis for the organ prelude is a Welsh folk song melody called "The Ash Grove", a very popular and recognizable tune which has been used for several hymn texts; our choir every so often has sung one of the Easter texts using the tune.  This setting, by the contemporary American, Wayne L. Wold (b. 1954, Lutheran, retired professor from Hood College in Frederik, Maryland) theoretically uses a text called "Let All Things Now Living Praise God".  

Our processional hymn, no. 9, uses an early 19th century tune called "Morning Song"-- also familiar.  The text relates to the Gospel reading from Matthew.  We will sing all the verses.

The short and to the point Gospel hymn is another "known quantity', no. 551, with a slightly more recent text, as you may note.  The tune name is "Festal Song".

Our anthem uses one of the most famous of all tunes-- the Pachelbel "Kanon".  Johann Pachelbel lived from 1653-1706, wrote a huge body of both sacred and secular works and was known to have brought the South German school of music to it's peak.  The setting of the canon that he wrote for chorus uses an adaptation of Psalm 103 as a text. 

You may note that our first communion hymn, 617, uses a melody (and bass) by the famous Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625).  Our second hymn, 574, uses a tune by the Russian, Dimitri S Bortniansky (1751-1825); our choir sometimes sings one of his anthems..

The closing hymn is definitely a favorite at Calvary-- "I want to walk as a child of the light,” hymn 490.  As you will note, both tune and text are 20th century.

The postlude is a setting of another familiar tune, "In Christ there is no East or West", 529 in our hymnal; the tune is, as you may know, an Afro-American spiritual. The setting is by the prolific American, Dale Wood, mainly 20th century and of whom I have written several times.

I should note that for the anthem accompaniment, our new digital keyboard will be making it's "dubut".  This purchase was made possible by several generous donations and through the fundraiser last May played by the BIltmore Brass.  Many accompaniments cannot be played effectively on the organ, and so having a decent digital keyboard for the first time will be most helpful!