Thursday, December 31, 2015

Best of 2015



In 2015, I:
Didn't date anyone
Didn't get engaged
Didn't get married
Didn't have a baby
Wasn't in a wedding
Wasn't a godparent
Didn't get a new job, and
Stayed in the Central Time zone

If you accomplished any of those, you're pretty cool. And I mean that in all honesty.

BUT...I did:
Have a golden birthday
Get a new computer
Get a new phone
Completed 22 academic credits from three institutions
Complete MCM classes (3.70 GPA)
Help lead a Lutheran youth convention
Get my writing published
Train for and run my first half-marathon
Play organ at some new places
Try some new coffeeshops
Run places I've always wanted to go
Make some new friends in hymnody (the best kind of friends!)
Do some hymnological research that none of you know anything about! (But will soon...all in good time!)

In 2016, I will:
Grow stronger in faith in my Savior
Eat
Sleep
Church
Music
Brew coffee
Run every day
Graduate (at least once, God willing)
Give my senior recital
Pass comps and orals
Finish writing a book
Travel
Make new friends
Be surprised by what the Lord sends me!

Happy New Year!


In Jesus' name 
Our work must all be done
If it shall compass our true good and aim,
And not end in shame alone;
For ev'ry deed 
Which in it doth proceed,
Success and blessing gains
Till it the goal attains.
Thus we honor God on high
And ourselves are blessed thereby;
Wherein our true good remains.
- Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary No. 4, v. 1






Saturday, December 26, 2015

My children's choir book


Part of the Christian life under the cross in this world deals with the endless trials of the photocopier. For the past two years I directed the 2-4 grade choir at my church's Christian day school, I spent way too much time entering hymn melodies and words into Sibelius, printing off PDFs, and then making 50-60 photocopies for every student, only to toss them after the service was done.  I also relied on week-to-week planning or rehearsals based around the next church-singing date.  Nope.

So, this summer, I had enough.  I did some research at St. James Music Press and our hymnal.  I typed and retyped a lot.  I went out and bought several reams of high-quality paper and this happy spring-green almost-tagboard.  Then, I went to work printing and resizing each page, arranging the text and music before double-siding the photocopies, and then ran 55 sets of each.


After self-collating these (you can tell I was pretty tired!), my wonderful brother helped me make three staplers in the sem library feel very special.  They were replenished on multiple occasions, and ate their fill of wholesome greens.

What's in them, you might ask?  Interspersed with the pieces are short paragraphs explaining rules of choral singing I usually over-repeat.  Because I don't have a whiteboard in the sanctuary - which would make my teaching WAY more effective! - this gives the students something visual to remind them.



The repertoire?  Well, hymns, especially doctrinally-solid hymns, are MUCH too hard for children to learn.  Those old Germans composed plenty of confusing tunes that don't appeal to young people today, and there's no way they could even try learning them.  Being connected to the past is overrated, because youth can certainly fend for themselves.  Let's see, the first song is "Shout to the Lord..."


Just kidding!!  Here are the pieces and choral teaching points covered:

Posture - Breathing
Three Kinds of Voices (chest, face, head)

A Mighty Fortress - Martin Luther, arr. William Roger Price

Kyrie:  Kyrie, God Father In Heaven Above
Gloria:  All Glory Be To God On High
Credo:  We All Believe In One True God
Sanctus:  Holy, Holy Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth - J.S. Bach
Agnus Dei:  Lamb of God, Pure And Holy

Onset (Starts of Words) - Short "I"Turns Into Long "E" - Long "E" is Kissed

As Longs the Deer - Mark Schweizer

How To Chant (i.e. Psalm 118:17, Doxology)

O Rest In The Lord - Felix Mendelssohn
I Pray Thee, Dear Lord Jesus - trad., arr. Alfred Fremder
Savior of the Nations, Come - trad., arr. Carol McClure

Consonant Pairs - Diphthongs - "R" Before A Consonant- Shh!

Grow On Long Notes - Commas and More - Performing and Leading

I'll probably continue to use this template for forthcoming school years; this has bought me so much time otherwise used toward collecting and planning.  If you have any questions about the contents of the choirbook or would like to have one, do let me know - I'd be pleased to help you with any of the resources.

Happy planning for the New Year - and remember, as the AC says, we keep art in our divine services "that the unlearned be taught"!




Friday, December 25, 2015

All My Heart Sings And Rejoices


Joy:  one of my favorite words (and my middle name).

Growing up, I loved most the hymns that sung of the joy brought to us at Christmas.  “Joy to the World,” the melody my aforementioned Advent tree played, was a favorite from the very beginning, and I decorate the house with those words.  “Now Sing We, Now Rejoice,” the amazing German-Latin carol of the 1300s, manifests the gladness found through the theology of the cross:  the Glory of Heaven lies in a manger, and comes to us because we cannot rise from the stable to Him.  Birgitte Katerine Boye’s famous hymn calls us to “Rejoice, Rejoice This Happy Morn” for God’s salvation and undeserved love. 

Why all of the rejoicing?  Hearing of the Father’s great gift of His Son, we cannot withhold song from rising to Him.  Whenever Scripture tells us “Rejoice, for…” it’s bringing us another promise which must make a faith-filled heart glad.  Through the delightful imagery of his sweet hymn, “All My Heart Sings And Rejoices,” Paul Gerhardt tells all why he is glad on Christmas, and incites others to do the same.  The full translation given here is from the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary.[1]

All my heart sings and rejoices
As I hear
Far and near
Sweetest angel voices.
“Christ is born!” their choirs and singing
Till the air
Ev’rywhere
Now with joy is ringing.

This doesn’t appear to initiate a battle culminating in Calvary, but according to the theology of the cross, it does.  In order to deliver us, the eternal God took on our very flesh at a point in time, and will forever possess this human nature.

Forth today the Conqu’ror goeth,
Who the foe,
Sin and woe,
Death and hell, o’erthroweth.
God is Man, man to deliver;
His dear Son
Now is one
With our blood forever.

Paul Gerhardt, as the other great apostle of the same name, loves drawing up rhetorical questions.  This digs deep into the stony soil of our false assumptions, upheaving the needless doubt and worry paved there. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32).


Shall we still dread God’s displeasure,
Who, to save,
Freely gave
His most cherished Treasure?
To redeem us, He hath given
His own Son
From the throne
Of His might in heaven.

Should He who Himself imparted
Aught withhold
From the fold,
Leave us broken-hearted?
Should the Son of God not love us,
Who, to cheer
Suff’rers here,
Left His throne above us?

He has not left us, and shows His love by His birth.  What has He done that we should “thank and praise, serve and obey Him”?

He becomes the Lamb that taketh
Sin away
And for aye
Full atonement maketh.
For our life His own He tenders,
And our race,
By His grace,
Meet for glory renders.

This promise is brought to us right away, in His incarnation – not only after and on account of His death.  The blessings of Christ’s death and resurrection go backwards and forwards. 

Hark!  a voice from yonder manger,
Soft and sweet,
Doth entreat:
“Flee from woe and danger.
Brethren, from all ills that grieve you
You are freed;
All you need
I will surely give you.”

Gerhardt, as we well know, didn’t always have a white Christmas, chestnuts roasting on the open fire, snow, mistletoe, and presents ‘round the tree – so to speak.  His pastoral ministry happened during the Thirty Years’ War, he was put out from his position several times due to his beliefs, both his wife and son passed away during his lifetime, and because of disease and war he buried many parishioners. The real trouble he faced, though, was the curse of sin, life in the flesh where “nothing good dwells.”  Knowing that the Lord told him, like the leper, “Be of good cheer!  Your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2), he could then go forward in joy, even singing to others -

Come, then, banish all your sadness,
One and all,
Great and small;
Come with songs of gladness.
Love Him who with love is glowing;
Hail the Star
Near and far
Light and joy bestowing.

Ye whose anguish knew no measure,
Weep no more;
See the door
To celestial pleasure.
Cling to Him, for He will guide you
Where no cross,
Pain, or loss
Can again betide you.

Hither come, ye heavy-hearted,
Who for sin,
Deep within,
Long and sore have smarted.
For the poisoned wounds you’re feeling
Help is near,
One is here
Mighty for their healing.

This hymn speaks to Christians dealing with life – all of them.  Life under the cross is burdensome, and especially so at Christmas.  Gerhardt certainly empathizes with the needy family, the lonely single Christian, the couple mourning a child, the worker awaiting a job, and the pastor wondering why the harvesting proves difficult.  Is Christmas joy for them, too?

Hither come, ye poor and wretched;
Know His will
Is to fill
Every hand outstretched.
Here are riches without measure;
Here forget
All regret,
Fill your hearts with treasure.

This replenishing of our store of wealth has nothing to do with our reaching for the gift, how clean our hands are, or how tightly we grasp it.  Christ, through His Holy Spirit, uncurls our fisted fingers and places the gift of Himself and His atonement in our hands – the same priceless value and completeness for all.

Let me in my arms receive Thee;
On Thy breast
Let me rest,
Savior, ne’er to leave Thee.
Since Thou hast Thyself presented
Now to me,
I shall be
Evermore contented.

Guilt no longer can distress me;
Son of God,
Thou my load
Bearest to release me.
Stain in me Thou findest never;
I am clean,
All my sin
Is removed forever.

Because clothed in the glistening robe of His righteousness, the believer can and should say “Yes!  Come into my heart,” but only because the Lord has already let Himself in. 

I am pure, in Thee believing,
From Thy store
Evermore
Righteous robes receiving.
In my heart I will enfold Thee,
Treasure rare,
Let me there,
Loving, ever hold Thee.

Most of all, this gift brings joy because it looks forward to eternity.

Dearest Lord, Thee I will cherish,
Though my breath
Fail in death,
Yet I shall not perish,
But with Thee abide forever
There on high,
In that joy
Which can vanish never. 





[1] Worship Committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.  “All My Heart Sings And Rejoices.”  Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary No. 115.  St. Louis:  MorningStar Music Publishers, 1996.