Lent 5 - March 17, 2013

• Organ: Voluntary in F minor – Maurice Greene 
• Opening Hymn 432 “Jesus calls us! O’er the tumult” 
• Service Music: Missa L’Hora Passa – Ludovico da Viadana 
• Psalm 126 
• Gospel Acclamation 
• Offertory Hymn: “I cannot tell why He, whom angels worship” 
• Anthem: Lord, let me know mine end – Maurice Greene 
• Communion Hymns: 65 “Here, Lord, we take the broken bread” / 202 “There is a green hill far away” 
• Concluding Hymn 505 “Be thou my vision” 
• Organ: Choral Prelude on “St. Columba” – Charles Villiers Stanford

Music Notes

In honour of St. Patrick all of this morning’s hymn texts or tunes are of Irish origin.

One of the most prolific hymn writers of the 19th century was Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander (1818-1895). Alexander’s husband was William Alexander, bishop of Derry and Raphoe, and later the Anglican primate for Ireland. Cecil and her sister founded a school for the deaf, and she set up the Girls’ Friendly Society in Londonderry. Cecil Alexander wrote about 400 hymns in her lifetime, including ‘Once in royal David’s city’, ‘All things bright and beautiful’, ‘There is a green hill far away’ and ‘Jesus calls us o’er the tumult’.

Although written by an English-born Canadian professor (Wycliffe College) and later an Australian bishop, Charles Venn Pilcher (who, incidentally, also played bass clarinet in the Toronto Symphony from 1909 to 1918), the text of “Here, Lord, we take the broken bread” is set to a traditional Irish tune (St. Columba) which was arranged by the Irish-born composer, Sir Charles Stanford.

Perhaps the most famous Irish hymn is “Be Thou My Vision”. The words are attributed to Dallan Forgaill from the 8th Century and versed by Eleanor H. Hull in 1912. The melody is ‘Slane’, of Irish folk origin. It's named after Slane Hill where in 433 AD St. Patrick lit a fire in honor of Easter and in defiance of High King Logaire's decree that no-one should light fires before his pagan holiday was celebrated. Logaire was so impressed by Patrick’s devotion that, despite his defiance (or perhaps because of it), he let him contin-ue his missionary work.

“Lord, let me know mine end” is arguably the best anthem written in 18th century England. The text is taken from Psalm 39 in which the psalmist recognises the brevity and uncertainty of life, the sinfulness of man and the need to live a life pleasing to God, as this is his only hope. This beautiful and sincere anthem by Maurice Greene (1696-1755) contains expressive and effective contrapuntal vocal parts over an organ accompaniment, a rarity in its day. The duet for soprano and alto in the middle of the anthem finds the two voices interlacing and changing position as they consider the futility of man's desires.