February 22, 2026

The prelude is based on the hymn, "Come, Follow Me, the Saviour Said", a late 19th century hymn not in our hymnal.  The setting is by the famous German composer Max Reger (1873-1916), who wrote extensively in his short life and is said to have "bridged Bach counterpoint with Wagnerian harmony".  

Our opening hymn is most familiar, but, as you might read in the hymnal notes, it is very old: "The glory of these forty days" (143)-- words from the 6th c. and melody from the 16th c.!   The text of our Gospel hymn is much more recent-- 20th c.-- but the melody is againfrom the 16th c.  It's 149, "Eternal Lord of love, behold your Church."

Our beautiful anthem, "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee", is by the American contemporary, Peter Mathews (b.1944 in Canada, now living in Fla.), who, along with composing sacred choral music, composes art songs, chamber and orchestral music.  We have sung one other anthem of his.  

Communion hymns are "Forty days and forty nights" (150), and "O love, how deep, how broad, how high", 448.

Closing, we will sing "Now let us all with one accord" (147), a very appealing tune-- maybe that's why it's lasted through so many centuries-- do check out the hymnal notes Given it's the season of Lent, the postlude is subdued, but is positive still; it's Michael Burkhardt's setting of the appealing tune, "Come to Calvary's Holy Mountain".