Spirituals

The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 3, 2019

Faithful Family  Larry Poncho Brown
Our children's and youth choirs have been learning about African American spirituals and will be singing an arrangement of one this morning: "Let us break bread together on our knees." This spiritual most likely originated in the West African Gullah slave culture in the southeastern United States.

Spirituals are distinct musical genre and one of the important American contributions to sacred music. Originally transmitted through oral tradition, they were transcribed by musicologists in the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century, spirituals were popularized by well known singers, including Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson, and by university choirs such as the Fisk Jubilee Singers. (Hear Marian Anderson's historic recording: Let Us Break Bread Together.) "Let us break bread together" may be the most widely known spiritual; it is included in many hymnals and sung around the world.

Next Sunday, we will sing another spiritual, "There is a balm in Gilead." Interestingly, the Episcopal Church was the first mainline denomination to include spirituals in its official hymnal. "Were you there when they crucified my Lord" appeared in The Hymnal 1940, the predecessor to our current hymnal.

February is African American History Month and a good time to remember the many significant contributions to sacred music by African American composers and musicians. Throughout this season, we are singing selections from the New Plainsong mass setting by David Hurd, a celebrated Episcopal composer. We give thanks for the many ways African American composers - known and unknown - enrich our worship through the gift of music.
Dr. David Hurd

Music for The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 3, 2019

Hymns
440   Blessed Jesus, at thy word   Liebster Jesu
538   God of mercy, God of grace   Lucerna Laudoniae
124   What star is this, with beams so bright (Stanza 5)   Puer nobis
533   How wondrous and great thy works, God of praise!   Lyons
530   Spread, O spread, thy mighty word   Gott sei Dank

Service Music
S-277   Gloria in excelsis   New Plainsong, David Hurd
Psalm 71:1-6   St. Martin's Psalter, Thomas Pavlechko
S-125   Sanctus   A Community Mass, Richard Proulx
S-154  Fraction anthem   New Plainsong, David Hurd

Anthems
I Will Give My Heart to the Lord   -Mark Patterson
Give Us Now Our Daily Bread   -Anne McNair (incorporating the spiritual "Let Us Break Bread Together")

Organ Music
Meditation on Liebster Jesu   -Joseph W. Clokey
Double Fugue   -John Keeble
 

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