Music Notes from Director of Music and Organist, Michael Latsko:

The PRELUDE is two short works based on the same German chorale: “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” (Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming, # 81 in Hymnal 1982). The first work is from “Partita on Two Christmas Carols” by German composer Max Drischner (1891-1971), a student of the famed harpsichord virtuoso Wanda Landowska (1879-1959) and a correspondent with Dr. Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965). Drischner is relatively unknown in America, but he composed prolifically, usually basing his always-joyful sounding music on “old chorales.” A partita is an instrumental piece or suite composed of a series of variations; these variations feature lots of running notes, but Drischner always keeps the melody obvious.

Twentieth-century English composer Eric Thiman (1900-1975, pronounced 'tea-man') is not as straightforward in his “Christmas Meditation on a Theme by Praetorius.” He hides the same melody within a rich, lush tapestry of decidedly 20th century harmonies. Thiman was largely self-taught as an organist and composer, and he composed a lot of music (about 1,300 compositions) for church choirs, both Anglican and so-called “non-conformist churches” (those other than the Church of England). He also wrote educational music for piano and other instruments.

The choir sings “This is the Record of John,” a verse anthem by Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) with text from the Gospel of John 1: 19-23. Although perfectly in sync with the gospel for the third Sunday of Advent, we needed a little extra time to prepare it for you so offer it today (we sang it last year in the Parish Hall with the piano accompanying, so it will sound a bit different this year). In a verse anthem, the music alternates between sections (the “verse”) for a solo voice (in this case our star tenor Keith Perry) and the full choir. Gibbons was a musical genius and this anthem is one of the most remarkable in the Tudor repertoire. The word painting (wherein the music reflects the literal meaning of a song's lyrics, such as in “make straight the way of the Lord”) is extraordinary. One commentator noted: “The music—originally set with an accompaniment provided by viols—seems brilliantly matched to the words: the question ‘Who art thou?’; the long notes at ‘and said plainly’; the florid reply ‘I am not the Christ’; the rising figure at the question ‘Art thou Elias?’. There are three sections for the soloist; each is answered in turn by the choir ending with the step-wise phrase sung immediately by all: ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’” (notes by William McVicker © 1997).

American organist, composer, and improvisateur Gerre Hancock (1934-2012) composed the two free harmonizations that make up the POSTLUDE. You will recognize the tune (although not the harmonies, hence the term “free harmonization”) as one of the most popular for Advent: Veni Emmanuel, or “O come, o come Emmanuel” the Latin text of which is taken from the ‘O Antiphons’ (so-called because each one begins with an ‘O’), traditionally used during the last seven days of Advent during the Roman Catholic Vespers service. The haunting melody has its roots as far back as 15th Century France. The actual composer of the music for one of the world’s most Advent songs is enigmatically anonymous. It was, however, the combination of the tune with John Mason Neale’s translation of the Latin text that began its life as a perennial favorite of the season. Hancock’s settings add to the mystique of the tune.

The Adult Choir, with solo and audio editing by Keith Perry

Officiant and Homilist: The Rev. G. Miles Smith

Liturgical excerpts are from The Book of Common Prayer 1979