All Saints' Sunday
All Saints' Sunday
November 3, 2019
Today, we celebrate All Saints' Day, which our Book of Common Prayer allows us to transfer to the Sunday following November 1. This feast commemorates all saints, known and unknown. It is one of the seven principal feasts of the church year, and one of the four days recommended for the administration of baptism.*
In addition to singing many of the great congregational hymns for this day, we will hear a choral setting of words by the prolific hymn poet, Issac Watts (1674-1748). The music is composed by Craig Phillips, Director of Music at All Saints' Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills, California.
The modern harmonic language provides new life to a classic All Saints' Day text, using occasional dissonance to highlight the meaning. The third stanza, a song of triumph over death, features a soaring duet between the first and second sopranos. Hear a recording and see the music: Give Us the Wings of Faith
Give us the wings of faith to rise
within the veil, and see
the saints above, how great their joys,
how bright their glories be.
Once they were mourning here below,
their couch was set with tears;
they wrestled hard, as we do now,
with sins and doubts and fears.
We ask them whence their vict'ry came,
they, with united breath,
ascribe their conquest to the Lamb,
their triumph to his death.
They marked the footsteps that he trod,
his zeal inspired their breast,
and, foll'wing their incarnate God,
they reached the promised rest.
Our glorious Leader claims our praise
for his own pattern giv'n;
while the great cloud of witnesses
show the same path to heav'n.
As is typical of Issac Watts' hymns, the final stanza contains a call to action. God calls us to praise and worship, following the pattern of Jesus and surrounded by the saints, that "great cloud of witnesses." As a favorite children's hymn states, "I sing a song of the saints of God...and I mean to be one, too."
*Definition from An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians, Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors. Church Publishing, Inc. New York, NY.
Music for All Saints' Sunday
November 3, 2019
Hymns
287 For all the saints, who from their labors rest Sine Nomine
293 I sing a song of the saints of God Grand Isle
296 We know that Christ is raised and dies no more Engelberg
For your generous providing Holy Manna
286 Who are these like stars appearing Zeuch mich, zeuch mich
618 Ye watchers and ye holy ones Lasst uns erfreuen
Service Music
Psalm 149 A Hymntune Psalter, Carl P. Daw, Jr. and Kevin R. Hackett
Sanctus S-128 William Mathias
Memorial Acclamation S-135 Jackson Hill
Great Amen S-146 McNeil Robinson II
Fraction Anthem S-155 Gerald Near
Anthems
Vidi aquam -Marty Wheeler Burnett
Give Us the Wings of Faith -Craig Phillips
Remember Your Servants, Lord -Russian Orthodox, arr. Richard Proulx
Organ Voluntaries
Prelude on Hyfrydol -Ralph Vaughan Williams
Prelude on Sine Nomine -Arthur Hutchings
November 3, 2019
In addition to singing many of the great congregational hymns for this day, we will hear a choral setting of words by the prolific hymn poet, Issac Watts (1674-1748). The music is composed by Craig Phillips, Director of Music at All Saints' Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills, California.
The modern harmonic language provides new life to a classic All Saints' Day text, using occasional dissonance to highlight the meaning. The third stanza, a song of triumph over death, features a soaring duet between the first and second sopranos. Hear a recording and see the music: Give Us the Wings of Faith
 |
| Composer Craig Phillips |
Give us the wings of faith to rise
within the veil, and see
the saints above, how great their joys,
how bright their glories be.
Once they were mourning here below,
their couch was set with tears;
they wrestled hard, as we do now,
with sins and doubts and fears.
We ask them whence their vict'ry came,
they, with united breath,
ascribe their conquest to the Lamb,
their triumph to his death.
They marked the footsteps that he trod,
his zeal inspired their breast,
and, foll'wing their incarnate God,
they reached the promised rest.
Our glorious Leader claims our praise
for his own pattern giv'n;
while the great cloud of witnesses
show the same path to heav'n.
As is typical of Issac Watts' hymns, the final stanza contains a call to action. God calls us to praise and worship, following the pattern of Jesus and surrounded by the saints, that "great cloud of witnesses." As a favorite children's hymn states, "I sing a song of the saints of God...and I mean to be one, too."
*Definition from An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians, Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors. Church Publishing, Inc. New York, NY.
Music for All Saints' Sunday
November 3, 2019
Hymns
287 For all the saints, who from their labors rest Sine Nomine
293 I sing a song of the saints of God Grand Isle
296 We know that Christ is raised and dies no more Engelberg
For your generous providing Holy Manna
286 Who are these like stars appearing Zeuch mich, zeuch mich
618 Ye watchers and ye holy ones Lasst uns erfreuen
Service Music
Psalm 149 A Hymntune Psalter, Carl P. Daw, Jr. and Kevin R. Hackett
Sanctus S-128 William Mathias
Memorial Acclamation S-135 Jackson Hill
Great Amen S-146 McNeil Robinson II
Fraction Anthem S-155 Gerald Near
Anthems
Vidi aquam -Marty Wheeler Burnett
Give Us the Wings of Faith -Craig Phillips
Remember Your Servants, Lord -Russian Orthodox, arr. Richard Proulx
Organ Voluntaries
Prelude on Hyfrydol -Ralph Vaughan Williams
Prelude on Sine Nomine -Arthur Hutchings
E
Comments
Post a Comment