Sixth Sunday of Easter

May 29, 2011

Some of the great Easter hymns we sing are hundreds of years old, with deep roots in church tradition.  Old doesn’t necessarily mean good (I know that will shock some of you – especially being written here by me), but hymns which still speak after so many years have to have something about them.  Our first hymn this Sunday is from the 20^th century!

            Now The Green Blade Riseth will be our processional hymn and is an example of a more modern classic, by JMC Crum (1872-1958).

            First published in 1928 its haunting melody NOEL NOUVELET is combined with powerful and persuasive imagery.  It is not a comfortable or particularly easy hymn to sing well, but it speaks to our hearts – and will probably still be speaking many years from now, like the ancient Easter hymns of our spiritual ancestors. The hymn is written with considerable skill and a deep sense of wonder at the power of God in creation.

            “Now the green blade riseth from the buried grain. / Wheat that in dark earth many days has lain”, we see the contrasting colors, the green of the blade, the black winter earth, and though most of us are city dwellers, or outskirts of our fair city now, we still respond to the sense of spring after winter.  I’m just thinking of all the rain we’ve had and looking forward to being able to spend time in my garden with my chickens and planting flowers.  When, O WHEN will the sun shine again?

            The last verse makes the connection of scripture to the truths of human nature in relationship with God explicit:  When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,/ Thy touch can call us back to life again;/ Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been…”

            This is very powerful writing, which leaves us, whenever we look out over a personal wasteland, or despair over loss, the gift of hope.  In grieving this past week over the death of our dear friend Bill Grace, what comfort we can gain from God’s promise to “call us back to life again!” and “Love is come again like wheat that springeth green.”  THANKS BE TO GOD!

            Our sequence hymn, We Sing of God, the Mighty Source, is a profound and mystic text by one of the great British poet, Christopher Smart (1722-1771).  Smart was the son of the steward of Lord Vane’s estate and a highly educated scholar.  After a brilliant beginning his life went into a swift decline and in the end he was sadly in and out of asylums and debtor’s prison.   

Smart’s text is matched here with a tune by Samuel Sebastian Wesley that appears in our Hymnal for the first time.  Samuel was born August 14, 1810, at St. Pancras, London, a grandson of the great hymn-poet Charles Wesley.  His father was a musician who idolized Johann Sebastian Bach, hence Samuel’s middle name.  Studying music with his father, Samuel became a chorister in the Royal Chapel at age 10, and later, organist of various London churches and cathedrals.  Wesley was considered the greatest organist of his day.   He was famous for his ability to play extemporaneously, and since he improvised most of his playing, few of his pieces survive.  He devoted his composition chiefly to the Church of England, having great determination to improve the standards of cathedral music and the status and salary of musicians.  I LIKE THAT!

            The recessional hymn, Alleluia, Alleluia! Hearts and Voices Heaven-ward Raise, was written by Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1885).  Wordsworth was ordained deacon in 1833 and priest in 1835.  He was the youngest son of the Rev. Christopher Wordsworth, rector of Lambeth and later master of Trinity Col, Cambridge, and the nephew of the poet William Wordsworth. He had close contact with his uncle through regular correspondence and visits with him until his death in 1850.  Interestingly, Wordsworth’s  hymn writing began after this date when he was in his forties, and all of his hymns were written before he became bishop of Lincoln in 1869.  The kind of people populating his country parishes influenced his hymn writing. Eric Routley says, “Essentially the teacher and pastor in his hymns,” Wordsworth tailored his work for his parishioners while exercising his poetic ideals and drawing on his high churchmanship.  Sometimes he even tailored the hymns to mundane concerns that he had with his congregations. 

                                                           

            The anthem sung by the singers in the loft will be Antonio Lucio Allegri’s, Agnus Dei, based on the Miserere for the Holy Mass.  Allegri's Miserere is widely recognized as being one of the finest to come from the Golden age. It may receive more performances throughout the world than any other piece of unaccompanied sacred music.  Some of you will enjoy reading the fascinating story I found about this masterpiece here:

http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/allegri/miserere.php

The Singers in the loft at Grace Anglican Church will sing a shortened version of this beautiful piece in Latin. The words translate to:

                        Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world have mercy upon us.

                                Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world have mercy upon us.

                                Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

   So, I encourage you to click on this link:

                        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh31j6L95Ok&feature=youtu.be

Sit back and and enjoy listening to a choir singing this beautiful sacred work.  Perhaps we will have a choir like this someday – it is my dream!  Also, I wish to thank Sharon Helppie, Abbe Adams, Darrell Ludders & Pat O’Neil for their time and dedication to making our services so beautiful on Sundays.

See you on Sunday.

LJ        

Sources:

Hymns and Human Life, Erik Routley

Behind the Hymn with Rev’d Mark Woods

Oxford University Press

Companion to the SDA Hymnal

Hymnal 1982 Companion

www.classical.net/music

www.classicalarchives.com