August 27, 2023

There will be settings of 2 familiar hymns for the prelude, the first being a Peter Pindar Stearns setting of hymn 685, "Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me".  Mr. Stearns, 1931-2016, was from a prominent and musical New England family whose roots go back to 1650.  Among many other interests and accomplishments (and compositions in multiple genres), he taught for a number of years at the Mannes School of Music in New York.  The second setting will be based on the tune, "Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier", which is both 440  (the more familiar text) and 631 in our hymnal.  This setting is by Wayne L. Wold, of whom I have written before.  Born in 1954, he is a retired professor of music at Hood College in Maryland and college organist.

The processional hymn will be the great 19th century hymn by John Goss, "Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven" (410).  

At the Gospel, we will sing "O Spirit of the living God", 531, a familiar and singable tune, but slightly older than 410.  It's a wonderful text by James Montgomery, I hope you will note!

During the offertory, we will be fortunate to have a vocal duet by 2 of our choristers -- Diane crisp and Audy Walker.  They will sing "Forth In Thy Name, O Lord I Go", by the prolific Richard Shephard, (1949-2021), thought by some to be one of the most significant composers of his time, and associated with York Minster.  We often sing music by him.

During communion we will be treated to another vocal duet sung by Diane and Audy, this time the famous "Panis Angelicus" (O Lord Most Holy), by Cesar Franck.

Closing, we will sing hymn 470, "There's a wideness in God's mercy", another of the great hymns that came out of the 19th century!

The postlude is based on the processional hymn, and is a setting by Kenneth T. Kosche, contemporary American, professor of music at Concordia College in Wisconsin.