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.