Music Notes from Music Director and Organist, Michael Latsko:
The prelude is based on the hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!" (no. 362 in Hymnal 1982) the text of which was written by Anglican bishop Reginald Heber (1783–1826). It is usually sung to the tune "Nicaea," so named after the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) at which church leaders began to formulate the doctrine of the Trinity. The tune was composed by Englishman John B. Dykes (1823-1876), a church musician also ordained to the clergy who authored over 300 hymn tunes. Dykes wrote the tune specifically as a setting for Reginald's text and ever since their first publication together in Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861), the text and tune have been virtually inseparable.
This particular setting is by American composer David S. Harris about whom my research has turned up nothing other than he composed “Ten Hymn Preludes in Trio Style” in 1974 based on hymns found in the Latter Day Saints Hymnal. A “trio,” simply stated, has three separate parts, each played on a separate keyboard (2 for the hands, one for the feet). You will never hear more than 3 notes sounding at one time: the hymn melody played on the oboe and the pedal with a flute at 16’ pitch (both located in the organ case on the right side). The third part, for the left hand, features the Great 8’ flute (in the organ case on the left side).
The postlude is the Finale from a three-movement work based on the hymn “Holy God, we praise thy name” which is sung to the tune “Grosser Gott” (no. 366 in Hymnal 1982). The text is a paraphrase of the traditional “Te Deum laudamus” attributed to Roman Catholic priest, hymnologist and compiler Ignaz Franz (1719-1790). His works include the Katholisches Gesangbuch(Catholic Songbook) from around 1744 where this text and tune were published together.
The Finale is fugal, or canonic, in nature and was composed by American composer Henry Kihlken (1939-2017), a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Kihlken served numerous churches in Connecticut and Ohio who served a twenty-year tenure as organist of St. John Lutheran Church in Port Clinton, Ohio. I played this hymn numerous times during my high school and college years while serving in Roman Catholic parishes. It was always sung so robustly and boldly by usually reticent RC congregations that I dubbed it “the Roman Catholic national anthem.”
Officiant and Homilist: Fr. Miles Smith
The liturgical excerpts are from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The Renewal of Baptismal Vows begins on page 303.