early Christmas gift at office door

At work, I got my first gift of the season, along with each of the other staff members. The donor was an annonymous angel. Thanks for reusing nice Nescafe bottles, for a home-grown, hand-made treat. Here's how fast mine went in one day. Had a little help at home :)

Hymn sing Nov. 20

I'm leading a hymn sing 4:30 p.m., this Sunday, Nov. 20 at Neffsville. Here's the title page of the program:

Come out and “occupy the hymnal”
Hymn Sing
Sunday, November 20, 2011, 4:30 p.m.
at Neffsville Mennonite Church
An afternoon of classic and gospel hymns
led by Glenn Lehman, assisted by
Jessica Spieser-Landes and a vocal ensemble

To see the list of hymns click here: http://www.harmonies.org/11.20.song.list.harmonies.pdf. See you!

One minor feature will be the first hymn, "In Thy Holy Place We Bow," published in 1911 by my favorite Mennonite composer, J. D. Brunk.

hymns outside

After playing the service at Neffsville in the morning, I went to the orchard of the 1719 Herr House and led half of the outdoor hymn sing. There were perhaps 50 persons there, selecting songs from three old Mennonite hymnals: 1902 Church and Sunday School; 1927 Church Hymnal; and the 1938 Life Songs. I might have dropped a few notes, but the tree behind me was dropping black walnuts at about the same frequency. photo by Sarah Schrock

Organ Jump Start class

"Created 2 Praise" week has come. Six young people and one high school guide bring their piano music to play on the pipe organ. Along with that fun, we figure out some of the unique features of the organ. Left to right after me: Dawson, Evan, Miriam, guide Morgan, Hannah, Julia, and Madeleine. They all play piano. We're off to a good start.

titles for 3.6.2011

Thanks, everyone, for getting really quiet during the end of my preludes. I played nine minutes of early composers, Clerambault (1676-1749), a French organist and composer, and Pachelbel (1653-1706), one of Bach's teachers. Here's Pachelbel's signature before the days of ball point pens. I segued into a well-known traditional hymn, words and music by Clara H. Fiske Scott (1841-1897), "Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth...." That is taken straight up from Psa. 119:18. Verse two starts, open my ears; and verse three begins, open my mouth. Clara was born in Illinois and lived as an adult in Iowa. She wrote tons of hymns. This is the only one still in use.

I played the melody on a tiny little high flute. The chorus goes: silently, now, I wait for Thee, ready my God thy will to do. It was so fitting that everyone was quiet.

A detail about Clara's life--there were accidents before interstates and fast cars. Clara died an untimely early death when a runaway horse threw her from the buggy in Dubuque, Iowa.

The offertory was Bach's "Jesu, joy of man's desiring."

spiritual for offertory 2.27.2011

Last Sunday I used an African American song, "Lord, I want to be a Christian." It seems as if everyone knows it. It's lovely to sing. You can find it in the blue hymnal at #444. I used an arrangement of it written by Phil Clemens when he was organist at College Mennonite Church, Goshen, Ind.

Fosdick hymn

Last Sunday we sang #557, "O God, in restless living." The author is Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969). He was known for some outstanding quotes: http://thinkexist.com/quotes/harry_emerson_fosdick/. He really hit the big time with his "God of grace and God of glory," #366, written with great social awareness in the Great Depression in 1931 (rich in things and poor in soul). Fosdick was the first pastor of Riverside church and pastor of maybe the world’s richest man at that time, John D. Rockefeller, Sr. #557 is not found in many hymnals. It is in our blue hymnal because it had become one of the classics of the Brethren. If the tune sounded familiar, it’s because it was used in the 1969 red hymnal and in many other hymnals with, "The sands of time are sinking." (photo, Riverside, Fosdick's church where 557 and 366 were first sung)

Feb. 13 hymns

We have "Brethren, we have met" in our hymnal because the Church of the Brethren share our blue hymnal. It was published first in 1825. The "trembling mourners" of stanza 2 refers to those people under conviction during revival meetings. They sat in a special section, waiting for the spirit to fall on them. We also sang "Will you let me be your servant." Richard Gillard was born in England and made his home in New Zealand. Describing his style as folk, he wrote this in 1976 as part of what then was known as scripture songs. If you look up Romans 12 and Colossians you can easily see why. One hymnal I consult has altered this first line to "won't you let me...."

Remember scripture songs? (See random image to illustrate the 1970s era above.) Well, they are alive and well, even though contemporary has taken center stage. People from Australia, too, pushed the idea of singing actual words from the Bible. Of course, Protestant hymns used to focus on the Psalms exclusively. The 1970 scripture song influence, which first sounded folk-ish and was supported only with an acoustic guitar, went on to be accepted well in the charismatic circles.

6 Feb. 2011 titles

The prelude's longest piece was from Bach's prelude and fugue in D major. The offertory was a piece I prepared based on "My faith has found a resting place," related to the receiving of members immediately before that. You can find that hymn in the green spiral, #43. Hymn watchers are noticing a bit of a comeback for this one by Eliza Edmunds, a Philadelphian from the cradle to the grave. Her years are 1851-1920. She is also known as the author of: More about Jesus would I know; When we all get to heaven; and Will there be any stars in my crown. The music comes from a Belgian opera composer, Andre Gretry (1741-1813)--we're talking powdered wigs and Haydn and Mozart and Thomas Jefferson. Never mind the composer, the words seem appropriate to affirming membership and faith.

Interwoven with that were musical quotes from a hymn Ray Denlinger called to my attention the other day: In heaven above, where all is love, where God the.... I was surprised to find that it was written in Swedish for the author's wife's funeral! I've heard it sung by men's quartets.

30 Jan 2011

Several persons noted with appreciation the main part of the prelude the 30th, but asked me what it was. It was "Praise the Lord, sing hallelujah," # 50 in the blue hymnal. I was caught by several of the phrases, all vigorous and some sounding especially well played in the pedals. #50 is based on Psa. 148.

resourcing event at Brynn Mawr

Last Saturday a half dozen plus organists, including me, participated in a day-long resourcing event at this Presbyterian church in Brynn Mawr. Since organ is my focus right now, I took a seminar on improvisation and a seminar on creative hymn playing by well-known composer and organist Charles Callahan.

What refresher courses do organists and other church-based musicians ask for days? Here's a sample: spiritual drumming, improving choral rehearsals, new hand bell techniques, children choir methods. The event was sponsored by the American Guild of Organists.

Christmas Eve brass ensemble

I want to name the brass players who festooned everyone in the lobby as they arrived for the Christmas Eve service . Doug Brubaker led the group with his trumpet. The others were: Jon Landis, trumpet; Taylor Lindsey, trombone; Sage Musselman, tuba; and Tracy Kile, baritone. So to you five, a big thank you for really good music. I could hear it from the organ bench. When it ended the various preludes in the sanctuary began.

Sunday off

The new year has barely turned the page of my calendar when I have the first Sunday off. It is Epiphany (Wise Men find the manger). By the time the coffee is aromatizing the kitchen I pop in a Westminster Choir College CD and hear organ, bell choir, and vocal choir while I meditate at home. Here's an online image of Westminster, where I got my master's degree in music in 1977.

While appreciation for Neffsville is mingling with the cup of coffee, thanks goes out for pianist Carolyn North who is subbing for me. My mind recollects the recent Christmas season and all the magnificent music (Al's bell tree and Doug's brass ensemble for two examples). Many cookies and gifts helped brighten the December days. Thanks to all.