Welcome, Happy Morning!

The Third Sunday of Easter
May 5, 2019

As our celebration of the Great Fifty Days of Easter continues, we enjoy singing the wide variety of Easter hymns found in The Hymnal 1982. Today's entrance hymn - "Welcome, happy morning!" - is a favorite among many Episcopalians. Hear a recording: Welcome, happy morning!
Vintage Victorian Easter card
The original Latin text dates from the sixth century and is drawn from a 114-line poem by Venantius Fortunatus. A popular hymn in the Middle Ages, it was translated into German in the 14th and 15th centuries. It is mentioned in correspondence between Archbishop Cranmer and King Henry VIII, and it was the first Latin hymn translated into English for church use. The translation we use today was created by John Ellerton in the 19th century.

 The tune, Fortunatus, is named for the author of the text. The music was composed specifically for Ellerton's translation by Sir Arthur S. Sullivan. He published this combination of text and tune in an English hymnal which he edited in 1872. 

 The hymn first appeared in the United States in the Episcopal hymnal of 1892, and it has been included in all subsequent editions. The musical style is distinctly British and holds striking similarities to Sullivan's popular operas of the period - H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado.

 Speaking of popularity, "Welcome, happy morning!" was a favorite hymn in Episcopal congregations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was often used as the entrance hymn on Easter Day. It retains that place of honor in a few parishes, especially in certain regions of the country. In most Episcopal churches, "Jesus Christ is risen today" has replaced it as the processional hymn of choice on Easter Day. However, one parish I served in Mississippi still begins every Easter Day with "Welcome, happy morning!" Learning about local traditions is one of the fascinating aspects of music ministry.

 Part of the joy of the Easter Feast is having plenty of time to sing all the great seasonal hymns - sometimes more than once! "Come, let us join our cheerful songs," raising our voices in the Easter chorus of praise and thanksgiving.

The staff and choristers of Cantate Choral Academy are singing at St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Elkhorn this morning. Through the support of a grant from the Bishop Clarkson Foundation, we have been offering choral music training at our satellite location in West Omaha this spring. The combined choirs sang at Trinity Cathedral last Sunday, and we are singing at St. Augustine's Church today. This marks the conclusion of our spring pilot project.




Music for the Third Sunday of Easter
May 5, 2019

 Hymns
179   “Welcome, happy morning!” age to age shall say (Fortunatus)


374   Come, let us join our cheerful songs (Nun danket all und bringet Her)

193, stanza 5   That Easter day with joy was bright (Puer nobis)
343   Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless (St. Agnes)
182   Christ is alive! Let Christians sing (Truro)

 Service Music


Gloria in excelsis S-278   -William Mathias

Psalm 30:1-6, 12-13 , A Hymntune Psalter   -Carl P. Daw, Jr. and Kevin R. Hackett
Sanctus S-128   -Mathias
Fraction Anthem S-167  The disciples knew the Lord Jesus   -Mode 6 melody, adapt. Martens

Music for Handbells
Thine Is the Glory                                                       arr.  Jason K Krug
Holy, Holy, Holy                                                          arr.  Bill Ingram

 Organ Music
Organ chorale: Christ ist erstanden                        Johann Sebastian Bach  
Awake, My Heart, with Gladness (Toccata and Chorale)                 Flor Peeters

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