Music for Lent-4-B (Mar 26) Laetare

Prelude:           -silence-
Processional Hymn: 239: The Glory Of These Forty Days
Penitential Rite:  Missa XI (orbis factor): chant
Gloria:            -none-during-Lent-
Readings:          512
Offertory:         (11) (sheet) God So Loved the World: Stainer
Acclamations:      185: Sanctus: chant
                   Missa XI (orbis factor): chant
Agnus Dei:         Missa XI (orbis factor): chant
Communion Hymn:    353: What Wondrous Love Is This
Final Hymn:        423: Lift High The Cross
Postlude:          -silence-

Music Notes:


We have reached the mid-point of our Season of Lent,
having completed three weeks, with three weeks remaining.
Today is "Laetare Sunday", so named from the opening word
of the Introit (Isaiah 66:10-11 and Psalm 121:1):
"Laetare Jerusalem (Rejoice Jerusalem)". The special
signs of joy (flowers, rose vestments, organ) permitted this
day encourage us in our course through this season of penance.


Sir John Stainer (1840-1901), born in London England,
lost an eye in a childhood accident but persevered in a
successful musical career. Chorister (1848-) at St Paul
Cathedral, organist at St Benet and St Paul (Upper Thames
Street, 1855-), St Michael College (Tenbury Wells, 1856-),
Christ Church (Oxford, 1859-), Magdalen College (1860-),
St Paul Cathedral (London, 1872-88) reforming the musical
service and increasing the number of musicians and expanding
the repertory. Founded the Oxford Philharmonic Society;
knighted (1888) by Queen Victoria; resigned from St Paul's
because of failing eyesight; Professor of Music (Oxford, 1889-).
A pioneer in the world of English musicology, noted collector
of music especially 18c English songbooks; made editions of
music (1901) of composers pre-dating Palestrina and Tallis.
Wrote over 230 services for St Paul's choir as well as
oratorios, anthems, hymns and cantatas; "The Crucifixion (1887)"
remains one of his best known works.

Not for weddings Handel Where Eer You Walk

Text seems appropriate ...
tune sounds nice ...
but the libretto tells a story that contradicts
Catholic love and marriage.

http://www.karadar.com/Librettos/handel_SEMELE.html
45. Air
Jupiter
Where'er you walk, cool gales shall fan the glade;
Trees, where you sit, shall crowd into a shade.
Where'er you tread, the blushing flow'rs shall rise,
And all things flourish where'er you turn your eyes.
   Where'er. . .

http://www.culturevulture.net/Opera/Semele.htm
Semele was a Theban princess and the only mortal to be
the parent of a god, that God none other than Dionysus/Bacchus,
offspring of Semele's union with Zeus/Jupiter. Of course, Zeus'
wife Hera/Juno was less than pleased with the goings on, so
she schemed Semele to a nasty end, consumed in flames
from the lightning that radiated from her lover. Dionysus,
a heaven-sent son, rescued his mother from Hades, made
her a goddess, and set her up in style on Mount Olympus,
a very good address indeed.
...
Handel begins with Semele abandoning her betrothed, Athamas,
in favor of her celestial lover and ends with her death. (Dionysus
has been left out, though in the Copley production he is given a
token appearance in the final tableau.) This Semele, initially
motivated by passionate love, later becomes dissatisfied, coveting
the immortality of the gods. Her presumption and vanity are in the
classic model of hubris, so that her fate - death resulting from
exposure to the full godliness of her lover - constitutes a fitting
and ironic resolution in the traditional classical mode.

Music for Lent-3-B (Mar 19)

Prelude:           -silence-
Processional Hymn: 238: Lord Who Throughout These Forty Days
Penitential Rite:  Missa XI (orbis factor): chant
Gloria:            -none-during-Lent-
Readings:          509
Offertory:         232: Somebody's Knocking At Your Door
                   (11) Zum Eingang: Schubert
Acclamations:      185: Sanctus: chant
                   Missa XI (orbis factor): chant
Agnus Dei:         (5) Missa XVIII (simplex): chant
                   Missa XI (orbis factor): chant
Communion Hymn:    335: Seek Ye First
Final Hymn:        388: God Whose Purpose Is To Kindle
Postlude:          -silence-

Music Notes:


At the Sat 5 pm Vigil Mass the Children's Choir leads the music.


Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) born in Vienna Austria, at a young age studied music (violin, piano) and was a choirboy; attended (1808-13) Stadtkonvikt. Worked as schoolteacher (1814-17), thereafter lived a modest bohemian existence largely supported by friends; noticed (1823) declining health. Throughout his short life, bridging classical and early romantic music periods, he wrote prolifically for: orchestra (9 symphonies), chamber instruments (piano, strings, winds), voice (600+ songs, choral, opera, 7 masses). His works were catalogued in chronological order by Otto Erich Deutsch (hence identified by "D" and number).


Schubert's "Deutsche Messe (D 872)", composed in 1826, consists of settings of devotional poetry by Johann Philip Neumann (1774-1849), who was a professor of Physics at the Vienna Polytechnical Institute; the collaboration resulted in a practical Austrian folk-style Mass for use by that student congregation. It consists of eight songs; these are titled according to the appropriate points during the Mass at which they are to be sung (e.g., "Zum Eingang" is translated "at the entrance" and was intended as its processional hymn). During the Easter Season we will be using the Richard Proulx adaptation of these Mass-Songs to the texts of the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation, Amen, Agnus Dei.

Music for Lent-2-B (Mar 12)

Prelude:           -silence-
Processional Hymn: 329: Beautiful Savior
Penitential Rite:  Missa XI (orbis factor): chant
Gloria:            -none-during-Lent-
Readings:          506
Offertory:         x
                   (11) O Wondrous Sight: Monteverdi
Acclamations:      185: Sanctus: chant
                   Missa XI (orbis factor): chant
Agnus Dei:         Missa XI (orbis factor): chant
Communion Hymn:    413: Tis Good Lord To Be Here
Final Hymn:        298: Praise To You O Christ Our Savior
Postlude:          -silence-

Music Notes:


During the Season of Lent our music becomes more reflective.
Our instrumental music is reduced to a minimum; the "fasting"
from solo organ works provides a silence before and after Mass;
all are encouraged to prepare for the Sacred Mysteries, and to
give proper thanks at the end, without distraction. We use the
ancient chants of the Church. Our hymns help us express the themes
of the season and day; this weekend two pieces hilight the Gospel.


"Tis Good Lord To Be Here" summarizes the event and petitions
for Jesus' abiding presence. The tune was composed in 1745 by
Johann Martin Speiss (1715-1772) who also wrote numerous solos,
motets, sonatas, masses, requiems, when not performing his duties
as prior of the Benedictine Irsee Monastery (near Kaufbeuren
Schwaben Germany, from whence the tune has the title SWABIA).
The tune was adapted by Anglican pastor and hymnist (writer of
poetry and hymn tunes and harmonies) William Henry Havergal
(1793-1870); his daughter Frances was also a hymnist. The text
is a poem written in 1888 by Joseph Armitage Robinson (1858-1933),
an Anglican scholar of New Testament and Patristics.


"O Wondrous Sight" is by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) who
was born in Cremona Italy and received his earliest training
from Marc' Antonio Ingegneri, head of music at Cremona Cathedral.
In 1590 he entered the service of the Gonzaga Dukes of Mantua
(Vincenzo, Francesco, Ferdinando) as a viol/violin player;
in 1599 he married court singer Claudia de Cattaneis (who bore
him three children before dying in 1607); in 1602 he became
master of the ducal chapel. From 1613 until his death he was
choirmaster at St Mark's in Venice; in 1632/33 he was ordained a
Catholic priest. One of the major composers in the history of
western music, he served as a transitional figure from the
Renaissance to the Baroque. His compositions were varied and many,
including: the earliest opera to retain a place in modern repertoire
[L'Orfeo (1607)]; collections of canzonettas, motets, madrigals;
service music such as Vespers for the Blessed Virgin Mary (1610); masses.

Music for Lent-1-B (Mar 5)

Prelude:           -silence-
Processional Hymn: 243: Forty Days And Forty Nights
Penitential Rite:  Missa XI (orbis factor): chant
Gloria:            -none-during-Lent-
Readings:          503
Offertory:         240: Hosea
                   (11) Serenity: Ives
Acclamations:      103-104-105: Mass of Creation: Haugen
                   Missa XI (orbis factor): chant
Agnus Dei:         (5) Missa XVIII (simplex): chant
                   Missa XI (orbis factor): chant
Communion Hymn:    469: Ashes
Final Hymn:        356: I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say
Postlude:          -silence-

Music Notes:


During the Season of Lent our music becomes more reflective. Our instrumental music is reduced to a minimum; the "fasting" from solo organ works provides a silence before and after Mass; all are encouraged to prepare for the Sacred Mysteries, and to give proper thanks at the end, without distraction. We use the ancient chants of the Church. Our hymns help us express the themes of the season and day.


Charles Edward Ives (1874-1954) was born in Danbury Connecticut, studied music first with his musician-banker father George [Union Army bandmaster, cornet player, band director, theater orchestra leader, choir director, teacher], and later at Yale (1894-8) with Horatio Parker, and showed some sign of becoming a relatively unconventional composer. After graduation he went into insurance, and was organist at several churches; in 1907 he opened his own insurance company (Ives and Myrick) and was an innovator in the field.


Composition remained a weekend activity but he created works that anticipated some of the most radical developments of 20th century music [dissonance, polytonality, polyrhythm, experimental form]. Most pieces were written between 1890 and 1922, and include 200+ songs, 5 violin sonatas and other chamber music, 2 piano sonatas, 5 symphonies, other orchestral music, 2 organ pieces. Most of his music had been written without prospect of performance, and public recognition of his achievements came only in the 1930s.


"Serenity" was written in 1909 for choir and orchestra, and rewritten in 1919 for voice and piano.