Make me a channel of your peace

The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
October 7, 2018
                                                                                                           Art:  St. Francis, Sue Betanzos, https://suebetanzos.com


 This morning, we are singing several texts by St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), whose feast day was celebrated on October 4. Read a short biography of St. Francis or watch a video here: St. Francis of Assisi

 Our entrance hymn, "All creatures of our God and King," is a translation of St. Francis' poem, "Canticle of Brother Sun." It celebrates the glory of God in creation, ending each stanza with a rousing "Alleluia."

The sequence hymn, "Lord, make us servants of your peace," is based on the famous "peace prayer" attributed to St. Francis.

 Our Cantate Choral Academy choirs have been learning about St. Francis in recent weeks and are offering two additional settings of these texts. "The Canticle of Brother Sun" is a cheerful, rhythmic arrangement by Douglas Wagner. Notice how our young choristers are singing in harmony, combining the text of St. Francis' hymn with a joyful "Alleluia" descant.

 The communion anthem, "Make me a channel of your peace," was composed by Sebastian Temple, a South African composer, in 1967. The hymn was arranged for choir and organ by English composer Martin Neary for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. The hymn was a favorite of Princess Diana's and was requested for her funeral. The unexpected descant on the last stanza lifts the simple, folk-like tune to a higher plane. Listen to this recording by the Westminster Abbey Choir: Make me a channel of your peace

 How incredible to be able to sing the words of this 13th century saint in Omaha, Nebraska in 2018! Through our rich heritage of Christian song, we celebrate the communion of all the saints, joining our voices in their everlasting hymn.

 The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
October 7, 2018

 Hymns:
400, "All creatures of our God and King," Lasst uns erfreuen
593, "Lord, make us servants of your peace," Dickinson College
"For the life that you have given," Pleading Savior
679, "Surely it is God who saves me," Thomas Merton
376, "Joyful, joyful, we adore thee," Hymn to Joy
Service Music: New Plainsong, David Hurd
Psalm: St. Martin's Psalter, Thomas Pavlechko
Anthems: 
The Canticle of Brother Sun  -Douglas Wagner
Make Me A Channel of Your Peace  -Sebastian Temple, arr. Martin Neary
Organ Music:
Prelude on Lasst uns erfreuen  -Wilbur Held
Processional of Joy  -arr. Hal H. Hopson

 Does your child love to sing? Cantate Choral Academy welcomes new choristers for our next unit starting October 17. Register online: Cantate Choral Academy


Comments

  1. Jackson HearnOctober 6, 2018 at 9:17 AM

    I played the Hopson at a memorial service this past Thursday. It's really nice.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Composer Michael McCabe

Image
The Third Sunday of Easter April 15, 2018 Sing to the Lord a new song!    -Psalm 96 Easter - a celebration of new life in Christ - serves as the perfect season for the creation and offering of new music. Our cathedral celebrates Nebraska composers, and we're blessed by a wealth of talent in this state. Today, our Cathedral Choir sings an anthem by Omaha composer and organist Michael McCabe. McCabe began his study of piano and organ as a child. As a student at Creighton University, McCabe was appointed university organist and choir director. During a 20 year military career, various assignments provided McCabe with unique opportunities to study with leaders in the field of Anglican church music, including Leo Sowerby, David McK. Williams, Thomas Matthews, and Dale Wood. McCabe has served numerous churches, including Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. As a published composer, McCabe was elected to ASCAP in 1972, and his ASCAP credits include NBC Television, forei
Read more

Come, Holy Spirit

Image
The Day of Pentecost May 31, 2020 We celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Today, we will hear organ settings of two classic Pentecost hymns. " Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist " ("We pray now to the Holy Spirit") is a German hymn. The first stanza dates to the Middle Ages, and additional stanzas were added by Martin Luther in the 16th century. The tune appears in organ chorales (organ compositions based on Lutheran chorale tunes) and cantatas by several Baroque composers, including this setting by Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707). Hear the authentic sound in this video recorded on a Silberman pipe organ built in  1721:  Nun bitten wir The organ postlude is a setting of the great plainsong hymn, Veni Creator Spiritus ("Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire"). This hymn dates from the 9th century and is typically sung on Pentecost and at ordinations. Originally in Latin, the hymn is found in an English translation in The Hymnal 1982
Read more

"Praying Twice" Says Farewell

Image
Trinity Cathedral's Praying Twice blog has ended. Thank you, faithful readers! I am moving to a new position as Associate Professor of Church Music at Virginia Theological Seminary.  I will be writing more in the future, and I'll share a link when my new blog is up and running. Marty Wheeler Burnett, D.Min.
Read more