Sunday, June 10, 2012

St. Barnabas - June 10, 2012

  • Organ Prelude: Three Liturgical Preludes – George Oldroyd
  • Processional Hymn “The son of Consolation!” (Ewing) 
  • Psalm 112 – Beatus vir – Antonio Vivaldi 
  • Anthem: Happy and blest are they (from ‘St. Paul’) – Felix Mendelssohn 
  • Offertory Hymn: 281 “Who are these like stars appearing” (All Saints) 
  • Communion Hymn 286 “Give me the wings of faith” (Westminster) 
  • Communion Motet: O Taste and See – Ralph Vaughan Williams 
  • Concluding Hymn 525 “The church’s one foundation” (Aurelia) 
  • Organ Postlude: Sortie in E flat - Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wely 
  • Music Notes: 
Dr. George Oldroyd (1887-1956) was an English organist and composer of Anglican church music. He was organist of St. Alban's Church, Holborn in London from 1919 to 1920, and then of St Michael's Church, Croydon from 1920 until his death in 1956. Both churches are firmly rooted within the Anglo-Catholic branch of the Anglican church, and Oldroyd composed both choral and organ music with its rich ritualistic traditions in mind. “Beatus Vir” is the Latin translation of Psalm 112 (page 860 of the BAS) which is the proper psalm for St. Barnabas’ Day. Today the choir will sing Antonio Vivaldi’s setting of these words between the first and second readings. The exuberance of the music is a perfect match for the text, “Happy are they who fear the Lord and have great delight in his commandments!” with soprano and alto solos alternating with the chorus. Vivaldi (1678-1741), also known as ‘The Red Priest’ (not for his political bent but because of his flaming red hair) was a composer, violinist and priest whose musical influence spread all across Europe during his lifetime. His best-known composition is ‘The Four Seasons’. 
Felix Mendelssohn began writing his oratorio “St. Paul” in 1832 and completed it early in 1836, with its first performance in Dusseldorf in May of that year. The first British performance was ten years later in Birmingham with Mendelssohn conducting and the world-famous Jenny Lind in the soprano role. The oratorio is in two parts. Part 1 recounts the preaching, persecution and martyrdom of St. Stephen (the first Christian martyr), the miracle of St. Paul’s conversion to Christianity, and concluding with Ananias commissioning Paul as a minister of Christ. Part 2 relates to Paul and Barnabas becoming ambassadors and evangelists of the Christian church, celebrated by the perhaps familiar “How lovely are the messengers”. Mendelssohn himself was a Jew who converted to Christianity but it’s not known if his oratorio has any relation to his personal experiences. “Happy and blest are they”, today’s anthem, is from Part 1 of “St. Paul” and is a soothing consolation on the death of St. Stephen with a musical elegance not often matched. 
“O Taste and See” (communion motet) was composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) to be sung during the communion service at the coronation of Elizabeth II. The text is from Psalm 34:8. 
Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély (1817-1869) was a French organist and composer who played a major role in the development of the French symphonic organ style and was a close friend of the organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, inaugurating many new Cavaillé-Coll organs. He was organist at the Parisian churches of Saint-Roch (1841-1846), the Église de la Madeleine (1847-1857), and Saint-Sulpice (1863-1869). Lefébure-Wély is buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. His most celebrated compositions are probably the Sorties in E-flat and B-flat major for organ. The Sortie in E-flat ends the service this morning. 

The choir will be on holiday from June 17 to September 2 (inclusive), returning on Sunday 9 September 2012.

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