Prelude: Allegro maestoso from Sonata No. 1 in G Major by Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
This week’s service opens with one of only two works which Elgar wrote specifically for solo organ. (His other organ Sonata, opus 87a in Bb, was originally written for orchestra and then transcribed for organ.) Elgar’s father was an organist, and young Edward would listen to him play at St. George’s Church in Worcester. Although violin was Edward’s primary passion, he also studied and performed as an organist in his early years.
The Sonata in G Major was composed hastily in 1895 at the request of Worcester Cathedral organist Hugh Blair. Within the span of just two weeks it was both composed and premiered. Talk about working on a deadline! While the haste with which Elgar wrote it is not at all evident in the masterful music, apparently it showed in a somewhat ragged first performance; Blair was given less than five days to learn it in time for its July premiere at an American Organists’ convention held at the cathedral.
In the first movement, Allegro maestoso, the noble majesty for which Elgar’s music is so well known immediately shines forth. One also hears symphonic sonorities which presage Elgar’s orchestral masterpieces, particularly the Enigma Variations which would follow four years later. In fact, a half century later another British composer, Gordon Jacob, would, in a sense, finish what Elgar had begun by transcribing the Sonata for full orchestra.
Introit: God Is Here, American folk hymn, arr. Kenneth Dake
The Festival of Voices choir invites us into worship by singing the very first arrangement I wrote for Marble fourteen years ago! However, this wonderful text by the British hymnist Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000) has traditionally been paired with an entirely different tune. First listen to God Is Here to the hymn tune Abbot’s Leigh, as sung by the St. Olaf Choir. (By the way, the St. Olaf Choir, which is without parallel in the country, can be heard in concert at Carnegie Hall next Sunday, February 7th at 3pm; if you love great choral singing you do not want to miss this!) Now, listen to the same text as sung to Holy Manna, which is the rousing American folk tune I selected for my arrangement.
Isn’t it amazing how the exact same words convey something entirely different when paired with a new tune? Abbot’s Leigh, with its expansive triple meter, brings out the transcendence of worship – the mystery of the divine presence. With its brisk tempo and folk quality Holy Manna, on the other hand, brings out the earthiness – the fully human and experiential aspect of worship. Each tune conveys the truth of the text – that in worship God and humanity are joined – albeit from opposite vantage points. I deeply resonate to American folk hymns, hence the choice of Holy Manna for my arrangement. My favorite phrase? “Here in silence, as in speech….God comes to each.” Silence is such a crucial component of both music and worship!
Prayer Response: There’s a Spirit of Love by Mark Miller
Dr. Brown’s sermon title, The Marble Message, immediately brought to mind this gem by our former Gospel Choir director (and permanent member of our extended family) Mark Miller. I created this harmonization of Mark’s lush melody for the choirs to sing on the occasion of Dr. Arthur Caliandro’s final Sunday as Senior Minister, exactly one year ago this week. The words very aptly describe one of the qualities that makes Marble such a special place: the incredible love that permeates the congregation and that is profoundly welcoming to all. Like the Holy Spirit, love may not be something we can touch or see, but the evidence of love abounds in our worship, especially when our hearts are joined together in singing God’s praise.
Hymn: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
A scripture verse served as Walter Chalmers Smith’s inspiration to pen the words to this beloved hymn: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God be honor and glory forever and ever.” (I Timothy 1:17) It was first published in London in 1867 and, like many of our hymns, there are several stanzas in the original poem which did not make it into the hymnal. For example,
Today and tomorrow with Thee still are now;
Nor trouble, nor sorrow, nor care, Lord, hast Thou;
Nor passion doth fever, nor age can decay,
The same God for ever as on yesterday.
What a poignant description of the timelessness of God, over whom chronological time has no authority whatsoever – to Him yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all simply now. This is pretty profound theology expressed in a very few precise words.
The melody, St. Denio, is thought to be of Welsh origin, and it was Ralph Vaughan Williams who conceived of this perfect marriage of tune and text. It is a particularly strong tune, and placing a hearty emphasis on the downbeat while singing makes it resound all the more:
Im-MOR-tal, in-VIS-i-ble, GOD only wise,
in LIGHT in-ac-CES-si-ble, HID from our eyes.
This is one of my very favorite hymns and, while it is not the case this week, I often choose this as the opening hymn on my first Sunday back following a vacation; it helps inspire me to return to the organ bench!
Hymn: Shine On Us by Michael W. Smith
I’ve been delighted to see that some Brooklyn townhouses still have their exterior Christmas lights on at night! For another couple of weeks we remain in the season of Epiphany, the season of light, and the themes of light and illumination run prominently through the musical selections this Sunday. Our middle hymn will be a beautiful contemporary praise song, Shine On Us, sung here by musical theater artist and Festival of Voices member Justin Nardecchia. The scripture reading for Sunday is from I John 1:1-5. In it John describes the core of what we as a church experience together – the Life of God, true fellowship with each other and with God – that we in turn invite others to experience with us. The Message translates verse 5 this way: “This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light.”
May God’s light shine on us, both as individuals and as a gathered community. May the light of Christ continue to shine through Dr. Michael Brown as he begins his second year as our Senior Minister. And may the inextinguishable light of the Holy Spirit shine through Marble to the world.