March 31, 2024

Although there is important singing of hymns and chants at both our Maundy Thursday service and Good Friday, I will concentrate on our Easter Sunday celebration, which will have two trumpets as well as our choir to aid in the worship.  

The prelude music will consist of 3 pieces, the first being a setting of the familiar hymn "Thine Be the Glory", arranged for 2 trumpets and organ by the American contemporary, Nigel Williams.  The original tune is from Georg Fredrick Handel's oratorio, "Judas Maccabaeus".  Following this I will play a couple of variations on the well known "Christ Is Alive! Let Christians Sing", hymn 182; the settings are by Jonathan Reuss, the contemporary church musician of whom I have written several times.  The final prelude piece will be a Christina Harmon arrangement of Sigfried Karg-Elert's "Praise the Lord with Drums and Cymbals"; this popular organ work has been arranged for many combinations of instruments, including handbells!  Karg-Elert was an early 20th century German composer, and our arranger, Christina Harmon, is a contemporary Texan who seems to be very prolific.  In any case, though I don't know of the piece ever using "drums and cymbals", it is a most festive and fitting work!

The hymns probably need no introduction: opening is the favorite, "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" (207); Gospel hymn, one we love at Calvary, 178-- "Give thanks to the Risen Lord".

The anthem, "The Strife is O'er", uses the text of hymn 208, but uses another and "brighter" but familiar tune.  I think you will find it much more celebratory.  The arrangement is by the Englishman, Henry G. Ley (1887-1962), who, among many accomplishments, trained originally as a chorister at St.George's Chapel, Windsor.

All communion hymns are favorites-- "The day of resurrection" (210), "O sons and daughters, let us sing!" (203), and "Come ye faithful, raise the strain of triumphal gladness" (199).

Closing, we will sing hymn 199, "Alleluia! Hearts and voices heavenward raise".

The postlude will be the "Allegro" (first movement) of Antonio Vivaldi's famous "Concerto for Two Trumpets and Orchestra".......Only, of course, there is no "orchestra"-- just the organ.... which works perfectly well!