Sunday, February 4, 2024 – 5th Sunday after the Epiphany

Today, the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, we commemorate the revelation of the Glory of Christ in his transfiguration on that mountain top so long ago. Additionally, we sing our final “Alleluias” before embarking on the forty-day journey through Lent. You are encouraged to enthusiastically offer your final Alleluias as appointed throughout the liturgy, as well as singing them boldly on the opening hymn, “Ye watchers and ye holy ones.”  

Craig Phillips serves as Director of Music at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills, and is also a distinguished and popular composer of choral and organ music heard in churches and cathedrals across the United States. His organ and brass compositions have become a staple of the St. John the Divine festive repertoire, particularly as part of the Easter prelude. At the Offertory, the Chorale sings his anthem “Transfiguration” with a text authored by Mechthild of Magdeburg, a Christian medieval mystic. Her book “The Flowing Light of Divinity” is a compendium of visions, prayers, dialogues, and mystical accounts, and she was the first mystic to write in German. In the text of today’s anthem, she references the Gospel writers Mark and Luke at the proclamation “This is my Son, my beloved, My chosen One.” 

At the 9am Ministration, the SJD Chorale offers an a cappella setting of Psalm 121, “I will lift mine eyes” by Jake Runestad (b. 1986), who writes that in his setting he “…shaped the melodic lines to mimic that of a mountainous landscape and the tone colors to the bold hues of where the hills meet the sky.” At 11:15am, the trebles offer the spiritual “Let us pray” as arranged by Harry Burleigh, an American composer, arranger, and professional singer known for his baritone voice. 

Sunday, February 4, 2024 – 5th Sunday after the Epiphany

Felix Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah premiered during the Birmingham (England) Festival in 1846. It depicts various events in the life of the prophet Elijah, taken from the books 1 Kings and 2 Kings, as well as meditations from other portions of the Bible. Today, we hear two consecutive movements from this beloved oratorio, both of which are based on Psalm 121: “Lift thine eyes” at the Introit and the chorus “He, watching over Israel” at the Offertory.

During the Ministration we hear more words from the Psalmist, this time from Psalm 145: “The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.” The anthem was composed by 20^th century English organist and composer William Harris.

Our evensong series continues this afternoon at 4:30pm and is sung by full Choir of St. John the Divine. You are invited to attend and bring a friend to this moving service of sung evening prayer. A reception follows in Sumners Hall.

Sunday, January 28, 2024 – 4th Sunday after the Epiphany

Today at the Offertory, we hear the timeless text “O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us. Save us and help us, we humbly beseech Thee, O Lord.” Taken from The Order for the Visitation of the Sick, we hear these words as set to music by English organist and composer Sir John Goss. In addition to his tenure at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, Goss is perhaps best known for his hymn tunes, especially that for “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven.”

The metaphorical poem by Calvinist Baptist minister Richard Hutchins, comparing Christ to an apple tree, has been a favorite of many since it was first published in 1761. While many composers over the years have set this text, the austere setting by English composer Elizabeth Poston is probably the most well-known and beloved. The Chorale offers Poston’s work this morning during the Ministration. Listen how this unaccompanied anthem begins and ends with the austere singing of the sopranos – very fitting for the poem which speaks of our resting in “Jesus Christ the apple tree.”

Sunday, January 21, 2024 – 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th Century composers. Today, the Chorale sings his lyrical Cantique de Jean Racine at the Offertory. As we are called to follow Christ and become his disciples, the text of the anthem is one of humble supplication, calling upon the “Eternal Light of the earth and the sky” to dwell within and to awaken our souls, that we might tell of God’s mercy. This work for choir and organ was written by the 19-year-old composer during his final year in the École Niedermeyer de Paris and won the young Fauré first prize in the school’s annual composition competition. Frequently performed, Cantique de Jean Racine continues to be a favorite and a staple of the choral repertoire.

During the Ministration, we hear the familiar hymn “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,” sung to the elegant unison tune St. Helena as composed by Calvin Hampton, a leading American organist and composer in the mid-20th century. He served as organist and choirmaster at Calvary Episcopal Church in Manhattan for 20 years. Before Hampton’s death, Erik Routley, an authority on church music at that time, called Hampton “the greatest living composer of hymn tunes.” His settings of the Episcopal Liturgy are also widely used in Catholic churches. Six of his hymns are included in our hymnal as well as his settings of service music.

As both of our offerings this morning include a part for solo oboe, we welcome oboist Grace Tice to our worship. Grace freelances in Houston and is well-known in church music circles, as she is often requested to play at churches throughout the area. In 2021, she was featured on the CD “A Love So Fierce: the complete solo organ work of David Ashley White” recorded by cathedral organist Daryl Robinson at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston.

Sunday, January 14, 2024 – 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany

Epiphany is known as the season of light. We pray in today’s collect “Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth.” As such, our musical offerings reference this “light of Christ.” At the Introit, we hear the prayer “Eternal light, shine in our heart” as set to music by 20^th Century American composer Leo Sowerby. At the Offertory, the SJD Chorale sings the Charles Wesley hymn “Christ, whose glory fills the skies” by T. Frederick H. Candlyn, an English-born organist, composer, and choirmaster who spent most of his professional career at two Episcopal churches in New York, most notably St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue. 

Daniel L. Schutte (b.1947, Neenah, Wisconsin) is an American composer of Catholic liturgical music and a contemporary Christian songwriter best known for composing the hymn “Here I Am, Lord” which we sing today during the ministration. He was one of the founding members of the St. Louis Jesuits who popularized a contemporary style of church music set to sacred texts sung in English as a result of the liturgical reforms initiated by Vatican II. This hymn is particularly appropriate during the Epiphany season, as we are called to be a light to the world. More directly, the text comes to us from today’s appointed Old Testament as Samuel responds to God’s calling to him in the temple. 

Sunday, January 7, 2024 – 1st Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ

On this the first Sunday after the Epiphany, we commemorate the baptism of Christ and the Holy Spirit descending as a dove and speaking the words “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Christ’s baptism is one of the five major milestones in the gospel narrative of the life of Jesus, the others being the Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension. As we commemorate the baptism of our Lord, it is likewise appropriate that we celebrate Holy Baptism in both of our morning Church worship services. 

The devotional 12th Century Latin hymn “Jesu, dulcis memoria” has been widely sung over the centuries in both its original Latin form and later in a 19th Century English translation, “Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee.” Our worship begins at the Introit with a 16th Century setting of the Latin text by Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria. The hymn can also be found as #642 in The Hymnal.   

Samuel Sebastian Wesley was the grandson of Charles Wesley, the great hymnist and leader of the Methodist movement within the Anglican church. He enjoyed a distinguished career as a church musician having served various cathedrals as organist-choirmaster. As a composer, Samuel Sebastian Wesley composed almost exclusively for the Church of England, which continues to cherish his legacy. Today at the Offertory, the Chorale sings his anthem taken from Isaiah 26:3, “Thou Wilt Keep Him in Perfect Peace.” Listen for the soaring melodic lines in the music as well as the rich texture of the lower voices.

You are invited to return this afternoon at 4:30pm for our Epiphany Evensong as sung by the trebles of the choir. The term “trebles” refers to the upper voices. They are sung by our youth choristers and women of the choir. A reception follows in the Julia Garden with the burning of the greens.