October 27, 2024 - 23rd Sunday After Pentecost

Prelude

Every Praise  arr. Jeff Cranfill

Offertory

He Comes To Us  Jane Marshall

Communion Meditation

More Than Amazing  Lincoln Brewster and Mia Fieldes

Postlude

Toccata in D Minor, BWV 565  Johann Sebastian Bach

Hymns

7 - Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies 

371 - Thou, Whose Almighty Word 

466 - Eternal Light, Shine In My Heart 

538 - God Of Mercy, God Of Grace 

671 - Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound 

410 - Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven

This Sunday will mark the debut of the Trinity Orchestra! They will play Jeff Cranfill's arrangement of "Every Praise', which incorporates the tune "Old 100th". The orchestra rehearses every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 3:00pm. If you play an instrument, we'd love to have you join us!

Jane Marshall

Albert Schweizer

The Offertory will be sung by the Trinity Choir. Written by Jane Marshall, "He Comes to Us" is rooted in the words written by Albert Schweitzer in his book, The Quest for the Historical Jesus. Schweitzer, who gave up two brilliant careers, one as a gifted writer and theologian, and that of an accomplished organist and musician, to become a medical doctor in Africa, wrote of what it means to hear and respond Jesus' call:

He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lakeside. He came to those men who knew him not. He speaks to us the same word: "Follow thou me!" and sets us to the tasks which he has to fulfill for our time. He commands. And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal Himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in his fellowship, and as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience who He is.

The anthem concludes with the famous chorale, "O Morningstar! How Fair and Bright"

O Morning Star, how fair and bright 

thou beamest forth in truth and light! 

O Sovreign meek and lowly.

Thou Root of Jesse, David’s Son, 

my Lord and Master, Thou hast won

my heart to serve Thee solely!

Thou art holy, fair and glorious, all-victorious, 

rich in blessing, rule and might o’er all possessing.

It's the Sunday before Halloween, so by popular request, Jack will play the Toccata in D Minor at the Postlude. The composition is widely accredited for its propelling rhythm, dramatic authority, and majestic notes, and rose to prominence when it appeared in “Fantasia,” a Disney cult classic. It was adapted by Leopold Stokowski for orchestra and was utilized in the opening sequence of the film. The piece was first published by Felix Mendelssohn in 1883 and went on to become one of the most celebrated creations in the organ repertoire. The first section of the composition, which you will hear on Sunday,  is a “toccata,” derived from the Italian word “tocacare,” which reads - “to touch.” It refers and represents a musical form that is crafted for keyboard instruments and is pre-designed to uncover the performer’s virtuosity - “touch.” Johann Sebastian’s take offers a typical essence, and is enriched with several fast “arpeggios,” - notes of the chord that is played in a series, not simultaneously. These notes are generally in a free form and provide the composer with more creative freedom. The Toccata starts in the upper ranges of the keyboard, predominantly with a single voice, which is subsequently doubled at the octave. It is then marked with the appearance of a diminished seventh chord, which is crafted “one note at a time.” This portion resolves into “D major.” It is further followed by three short passages, which are doubled at the octave and reiterates a short motif. The section reaches its climax by resolving into “D minor,” albeit with a flourish. The second section comprises of multiple figurations offering minimal connections, subsequently switching into “A minor,” the dominant key. The final section consists entirely of reiterations of the “three-figure note,” with profound similarity to the opening section. The piece concludes with “D minor,” which follows a short pedal flourish.

Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost

Prelude: Kingsfold Te Deum,   Sondra Tucker

 

The Prelude Sunday morning, Kingsfold Te Deum, will be offered by our Trinity  handbell ringers.  Both the KINGSFOLD (Hymn 292/480) and TE DEUM  (Canticle 21) tunes are heard separately in the beginning, then together in the final stanza. A great festival piece! This will be the Trinity Ringers first time playing together in service again since before summer, so we are excited to have them back! 

 

Processional Hymn: Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation/Westminster Abbey

 

The opening hymn Sunday morning is a very familiar hymn tune we know here at Trinity- Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation. The hymn tune was written by none other, Henry Purcell, who  was perhaps the greatest English composer who ever lived, though he only lived to the age of thirty-six. The hymn tune, Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation, was  translated in 1851 by John Mason Neale from the second part of the 6th- or 7th-century Latin monastic hymn Urbs beata Jerusalem.

 

Anthem: The Majesty and Glory of Your Name   Tom Fettke

 

The Choir Anthem on Sunday is the classic by Tom Fettke. The text is based on the Psalm appointed for Sunday, Psalm 8. This anthem came out in the early 90's and has become a favorite and church choirs throughout the world. Fettke took the text by Linda Lee Johnson and married it with music that paints a perfect picture of creation and our place in it. 

Tom Fettke

Here is a link to a story by Tom Fettke on the writing of this song.

https://marthagrimmbrady.com/2014/02/04/majesty-glory-name/

Be sure to listen to this arrangement sung on YouTube.  It is different from most because it sung by an all male group, but I found it to be most helpful because it helped me focus on the words, not the instruments. 

 

 

Closing Hymn: Hymn to Joy

Beethoven’s Ode to Joy is based on a simple musical theme, yet it has magic beyond words! Not only grabs the heart, but its message represents everything humanity should stand and fight for! The Ode to Joy (A die Freude) is an ode composed by the German poet and playwright Friedrich Schiller in the summer of 1785 and published the following year in the magazine Thalia. A slightly revised version was published in 1808, changing two lines of the first stanza and removed the last one.

Beethoven

The poem in the first version was composed of 9 stanzas of eight lines each and then reduced to 8 in the second version. Each verse is followed by a 4-line refrain, which is characterized as “chorus.”

It is well known throughout the World for having been used by Ludwig van Beethoven as a text of the choral part of the fourth and final movement of his Ninth Symphony. Micki was blessed to sing this with the Dallas Symphony in the early 90's!

 

 

Postlude: Concerto No II in a minor, Movement III,     J.S Bach/Vivaldi

 

Vivaldi's original concerto's figured bass continuo part was fleshed out by Bach, with the two solo parts and accompaniment spread out over the manuals of the organ. It is interesting to compare the original with Bach's transcription, as it gives some idea of Bach's skill and knowledge of what the organ was capable of. Bach was a literal 'one man band' when he played the instrument. Bach maintained the Italian style of the originals as well as most of the notes contained in the two solo violin parts. The violin and organ are two vastly differnet instruments, so the literal transrciption of most of the solo parts causes some real difficulties for the organist, but as Bach made these transcriptions for his own use, that was probably of no concern. The concerto is in three movements, but Sunday morning you will be hearing the third.

III. Allegro - The music returns to a brisk tempo and the key of A minor. After the initial statement is repeated, Bach changes the chords played by one of the solo violins to running sixteenth notes while keeping the original eighth notes of the original, one of the few actual alterations to the notes of the original. This adds brilliance to the music, perhaps Bach was flexing his organ playing muscles. He must have liked the effect for he repeats the changes later in the movement.