Music Notes from Organist Michael Latsko:

The prelude is “Introspection” by American organist and composer Richard Purvis (1913-1994) who spent most of his career (1947-1971) as organist-choirmaster at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Much of his music is tuneful, sometimes whimsical, and often incorporates elements of jazz and nightclub harmonies. “Introspection” is more on the serious side, perfectly appropriate as we begin the season of Lent. The main theme is repeated four times, almost note for note, with a music bridge between the second and third repetitions. The last iteration is altered slightly at the conclusion of the work, but still maintains a gentle, calming effect. With each repetition, one can imagine going inward, deeper each time, plumbing the depths, if you will. Indeed, Purvis has provided a musical script, if you will, for true personal introspection.]

Keith Perry sings the Kyrie from Mass for Three Voices by William Byrd (c. 1540–1623). Byrd’s only mass settings, for 3, 4, and 5 voices, were written between 1592 - 1599 and are the first compositions of the Ordinary of the Mass in England since the time of John Taverner (1490-1545) -- almost 100 years before. Considering his position within the Queen’s Chapel Royal, Byrd’s decision to compose a Catholic Mass is extraordinary. In fact, Byrd’s masses were conceived for a secret meeting of faithful Catholics and were originally designed for one-to-a-part singing due to the limited number of musicians available at the meetings.

Following the homily, I play a meditation (3 verse settings) on the hymn “Lord, who throughout these forty days,” (#142 H1982). The text is by Claudia Frances Hernaman (1838-1898) who wrote it in 1873; she composed more than 150 hymns, a great proportion of which are for children. The melody (St. Flavian) is from John Day’s Psalter (1552) as adapted and harmonized by Richard Redhead (1820-1901). Redhead was a chorister at Magdalen College, Oxford who, at age 19, became organist at Margaret Chapel (later All Saints Church), London where he stayed for 25 years. Redhead and the church's rector, Frederick Oakeley, were strongly committed to the Oxford Movement, which favored the introduction of Roman elements into Anglican worship.

The first two settings are by T. Tertius Noble (1867-1953), an English-born organist and composer. He was organist/choirmaster at a number of churches including Ely Cathedral and [old] York Minster in England and then, after 1913, in New York at St Thomas Episcopal Church (Fifth Avenue). At St Thomas, Noble established a choral tradition Anglican cathedral lines, oversaw the installation of a new organ, and founded the Saint Thomas Choir School for boys in 1919. Noble stayed in this position for 35 years. You may know him for his tune “Ora labora” (for the hymn “Come, labor on” #541 H1982). The third setting is by Texas-born Gerre E. Hancock (1934-2012) who came to St. Thomas in 1971, 23 years after Noble, and stayed for 33 years, 2 years less than Noble. For three decades, “Uncle Gerre” (as he was lovingly called) continued Noble’s work to build the choral tradition at St. Thomas to what some, including me, would say was the pinnacle. Hancock’s setting comes from his collection Organ Improvisations for Lent and Easter Hymns.

The postlude is Bach’s Prelude in a minor, BWV 559, another one of the so-called eight “little” preludes and fugues, BWV 553–560, a collection of works for keyboard and pedal attributed to Bach (for further information, see last week’s music notes). The “eight little” are charming works and appropriate for many liturgical uses and moods, happy and sad. This work is very different from last week’s and is, perhaps, more Bachian with its showy scales, virtuosic pedal work.

Officiant and Homilist: The Rev. G. Miles Smith