December 15, 2024

J. S. Bach wrote not only a cantata (for the first Sunday of Advent) based on "Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland" (Now come, Redeemer of mankind) but also several organ settings of this hymn, 54 in our hymnal.  The prelude is one of these settings; the postlude is his setting from his "Orgelbuchlein", which contains 45 chorals for the liturgical year.  Note in the hymnal that the text for the hymn is by Martin Luther, although I gather he reworked it from a text by Ambrose of Milan from the 4th century.

During the processional we will sing the 18th century hymn, "Lo! he comes, with clouds descending", 58, text as you may note by Charles Wesley.  Our Gospel hymn, 65, though very lively, is a bit older, but one I think everyone knows and likes to sing-- "Prepare the way, O Zion, your Christ is drawing near".

Our anthem is "Gabriel's Voice", by Ian Higginson, a now prominent contemporary English composer, conductor, organist, and teacher at the University of Gloucestershire.  He seems to have a talent -- like John Rutter -- for writing a beautiful melody.

During communion we will again try to sing 2 Advent hymns -- in an attempt to sing all we can in the 4 Sunday's ; they are 640 and 66.

Closing, we will sing hymn 70, "Herald, sound the note of judgement, warning us of right and wrong".  Note that the music was written by the contemporary, Robert Powell, I assume still living in Greenville, SC.

The postlude I mentioned earlier!