February 11, 2024

For the last Sunday after Epiphany the organ prelude will be a David Cherwien setting of "Fairest Lord Jesus", hymn 383.  Dr. Cherwien (b. 1957) is a prominent midwestern organist, composer, and choral director in the Lutheran Church, and is the Artistic Director of the National Lutheran Choir.  After receiving his doctorate he studied further in both Germany and France with several well known organists and composers.

Our processional hymn is the well known "Songs of Thankfulness and Praise", 135; note that this 19th century hymn was harmonized by J.S.Bach.

 Our Gospel hymn is 137, the beautiful 18th century "O wondrous type! O vision fair of glory that the Church may share".  

The anthem is a tune composed in the 17th century, "Jesus, Source of my salvation, Conqueror both of death and hell".  This then also was harmonized by J.S.Bach, and our arrangement is by the contemporary Elwood Coggin.

During communion, Martha Bailey will play arrangements of both "Be still, my soul" and "Abide with me", settings by Sunita Staneslow, who composed these in 2020 while on the island of Unst, the northernmost island of Shetland.

Closing, we will sing the most popular "Lift High the Cross", 473, partly in honor of the DOK, who more or less adopted this great early 20th century hymn.

The postlude is a fairly bold setting of a bold hymn-- "How firm a foundation", 636, by the prolific and talented Dale Wood (1934-2003), of whom I have written numerous times!