morning dancing

Chopin Piano Concertos: classically elegant

2011-06-11T15:15:00.001-07:00

Chopin: The Piano Concertos--Lang Lang, pianist; Zubin Mehta conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Given that Frédéric François Chopin lived during the 1^st half of the 19^th century and generally is considered a romantic compositor, "romantically elegant" might be a better review title, but pianist, orchestra and conductor all perform with more polished reserve and measured restraint then with passionate ardor and fiery abandon, so I'm going with classical.

Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 is my own favorite of the pair, and listening to both in a row is enjoyable, though both performances have a sense of sameness about them that's not necessarily a negative thing at all. Not surprisingly, Lang Lang's keyboard technique approaches perfection, the orchestra plays extremely well and the recording itself has an almost ideal level of brightness and presence. As an aside, to all the non-pianists reading this, despite stereotypes to the contrary, Chopin's music is well-suited to the human hand and not technically difficult in the way Liszt's (for example) is, but it does take many hours of practice to get all but his simplest, shortest pieces to high-end performance-readiness. If you like piano music and if you like Chopin, I'd definitely recommend this released-in-2008 recording.

my amazon review: classically elegant

clear perfection!

2011-05-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

The four Overtures or Orchestral Suites, BWV 1066-1069, by Johann Sebastian Bach are some of my all-time favorites. I love this recording by Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert, the orchestra he founded and led for thirty years. I frequently find myself amazed at how well some older analog recordings have been digitally remastered and at other times distressed at the poor quality of others. This CD of a recording made in 1979 was released in 2007; the performances approach essence of perfection and the recording sounds clear and bright and rich.

my amazon review: clear perfection!

Harris & Copland: 3rd Symphonies

2011-03-04T16:09:00.000-08:00

Copland, Symphony #3; Harris, Symphony #3

With trilingual liner notes in English, German and French along with strikingly bright cover art featuring a DC-2 hovering above a horse-drawn stagecoach, this recording of two classic American symphonic standards is well-prepped for export! For both pieces Neeme Järvi conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. It's fair to say Roy Harris' Symphony No. 3 in one movement and five parts is an icon of 20^th century American music and especially given that the final, 4^th movement of Aaron Copland's Symphony No. 3 is a version of his "Fanfare for the Common Man," his 3^rd symphony isn't far behind in the category of iconic.

Basically I like the orchestra's playing under Maestro Neeme Järvi, who served as DSO Music Director from 1990 through the end of the 2004-2005 season. However, at times the music simply sits there, so in general I'd like to feel a greater sense of the narrative moving along and greater passion in the shapes of the phrases. Not surprisingly, the luminous sound of the Chandos recording is a joy to the ears! Do I recommend this CD? Definitely! It will give you another perspective on a pair of major orchestral works that are among my very favorites, and maybe yours, as well.

my amazon review: solid performances, clear sound

A Christmas Keeper!

2010-12-18T13:52:00.001-08:00

Christmas on the Border

...A Spicy Holiday Recipe of Texas Blues, Hot Country, and Mexican Salsa as well as a project and production from the town of Nashville, Tennessee, a place doesn't exactly border Mexico (or Canada, for that matter). "O Holy Night" and "What Child is This" are rocked-up essential classics; I could listen endlessly to a memorably haunting "The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy" or "I Wonder as I Wander." The style of "Joy to the World" and "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentleman," both just enough different from what you're used to that you listen more carefully all make for a CD to play over and over and recommend, too. Except for the definitely secular "Up On the Rooftop" the songs are classic North American (USA and Canada) Christmas worship, church pageant and radio top-40 favorites.

Since I included playlists from my other two Christmas CD reviews, here are the songs on this one:

1. Children Go Where I Send Thee
2. Joy to the World
3. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
4. Go Tell It on the Mountain
5. The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy
6. O Holy Night
7. I Wonder as I Wander
8. What Child Is This?

How apt and how fun this is as an example of contextualizing the Gospel and incarnating Christianity with cross-cultural musical styles, a little of this and a little of that, each still in its original idiom yet woven into the other idiom. It reminds me of the C.S. Lewis Dawn Treader quote on my Facebook page: "...said the Lamb, "For you the door into Aslan's country is from your own world." ... "There is a way into my country from all the worlds," said the Lamb...and he was Aslan himself..."

I have the impression the CD title is supposed to reference Tex-Mex style and culture, but cross-culture border styles of Southern California/ Northern Mexico and Southern Arizona/ Northern Mexico I'm familiar with aren't exactly like this CD. "Christmas on the Border" and chili pepper art both suggest songs sung in Spanish or at least partly so--in these here parts we've been known to have macaronic English/Spanish liturgies and many of us speak passable Spanglish. That's simply a passing comment, though, and I predict you'll enjoy the energy, twang, and harmonic color of Christmas on the Border (the CD).

my amazon review: A Christmas Keeper!

cool jazz christmas: CD

2010-12-18T13:51:00.001-08:00

Eric Darken and company bring an enjoyable Christmas music collection with another project from Nashville, Tennessee in
Cool Jazz Christmas, Refreshing Holiday Instrumentals."

For the most part the music conveys a sort of New-Agey, cool, casual and offhand sensibility that passes time pleasantly with an occasional sequence or riff that makes you want to listen again because it was unusual, unique and... repeatable. The sound is excellent and over all Cool Jazz Christmas is well-produced, but it's more the kind of performance you have playing in the background instead of sitting down with to savor every sound. However, "O Come, All ye Faithful" with Mark Baldwin on keyboards and sax by Mark Douthit is worth the price of the CD--I wanted to say there was a best out of all of tracks, and happily there is. The playlist is church, mall and radio standards, but even with quite a few newer songs and carols, what would the season be without these?

1. Winter Wonderland
2. Joy to the World
3. Deck the Halls
4. We Three Kings
5. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
6. Here We Come a Caroling
7. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
8. O Little Town of Bethlehem
9. O Come, All Ye Faithful
10. Pat-a-Pan
Front and back cover designs are beautiful enough (almost) to make me want them in LP-album cover size--remember when we used leave our currently best and favorite ones out for show? The credits conclude with, "Above all, thanks to the Creator of such wonderful and meaningful music. Merry Christmas!" Amen!

Yes, for a Cool Jazz Christmas: my amazon review

sounds like...

2010-12-18T13:49:00.000-08:00

Community Christmas at the Cathedral!

Released in August 2007 and featuring producer Mark Baldwin's guitar that often sears, sometimes sings and at times laments, Red Hot Christmas Blues reminds us of the frequent messiness of life, the apocalyptic hope of Advent and the surprise of God's Nativitytide appearance in the Bethlehem manger. Except for the introductory "Christmas Blues" vocal bewailing wintry conditions of broken life and broken bank account, playlist titles are Christmas carols you get to sing in church and listen to on radio and MP3 throughout the season. However, in liturgically logical order:

1. Christmas Blues
2. What Child Is This?
3. Silent Night
4. Go Tell It On The Mountain
5. I Wonder As I Wander
6. O Holy Night
7. Angel Shuffle
8. The First Noel

...these jazz illuminations carry a revelatory twist and provocative style you don't often get on the radio or at church. I cannot help but imagine Christmas Eve at the downtown cathedral or tall steeple, or just as easily these offerings could be from a smaller nearby parish with wide-open doors that invite and include all comers.

In 4 minutes and 47 seconds "Angel Shuffle," a wildly improvised version of "Angels we Have Heard on High" probably is my favorite among favorites on this CD. I won't try describing it but can assure you it's worth the price and the storage space--from someone (me!) who doesn't buy many CDs these days and gave away quite a few quite a while ago. Walter Bruggemann says only grief enables newness (something about getting out of denial, maybe?) and "Angel Shuffles" brings together sorrow, regret, loss and anger with the surprise of God's renewing presence in our very midst.
And would you believe, bible specialists Thomas Nelson published this music CD?! Not surprisingly, I love the artwork and package design by Christie Knubel. Finally, you easily can find Red Hot Christmas Blues on eBay and Amazon, so go for it!

my amazon review: sounds like... Community Christmas at the Cathedral!

grace has appeared: event design

2009-12-17T12:12:00.000-08:00

desert spirit's fire!: favorite music 5

2009-10-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

desert spirit's fire!: favorite music 5

Celebrating Dennis' Life

2009-10-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

in Celebration of the Life of Dennis Sabella
Saturday 03 October 2009

Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down............Dave Doherty
You Are My All In All....................................Dennis Jernigan
On Jordan's Stormy Banks............................."Promised Land"
from Southern Harmony
Prelude in F....................................................Douglas Moore
a fancy: the meadowlarks in the goldenrod......Leo Sowerby
Appalachian Dance.........................................Paul Nordoff
Pastorale.........................................................Paul Creston
Hill Song.........................................................Paul Nordoff
Song After Sundown........................................Randall Thompson
Lord, Be Glorified!...........................................Bob Kilpatrick.

days of march, march of days musical musings

2009-03-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here's another Musical Musings I did for RevGalBlogPals

We're now seriously into the season of Lent with its promise of the surprise (still!) of resurrection from the dead at the end of 40 days of wilderness wandering, praying and fasting. For this month's music I've chosen orchestral performances and familiar hymns. I have ready access only to the UCC's New Century Hymnal (NCH), the ELCA's Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) and the PC(USA)'s Presbyterian Hymnal (PH), so I've referenced hymn numbers in those books.

I'll start out with a bow to everyone in the southern hemisphere as they anticipate autumn and winter. Frances Wile wrote "All Beautiful the March of Days" in the year 1912 at the request of William Gannett, who wanted a winter hymn. It's usually set to "Forest Green" that you may know as an alternate to St. Louis for "O Little Town of Bethlehem." Ralph Vaughan Williams made a wonderful arrangement of the traditional English tune and I found it on a recording on Cyberhymnal: All Beautiful...

All beautiful the march of days, as seasons come and go;
The Hand that shaped the rose hath wrought the crystal of the snow;
Hath sent the hoary frost of heav'n, the flowing waters sealed,
And laid a silent loveliness on hill and wood and field.

And I just had to do it, in order to include autumn for the southern hemisphere and spring for the northern! Joshua Bell along with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields plays Antonio Vivaldi's suite of Concerti Grossi, The Four Seasons.

Robert Schumann's Spring Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38, is another seasonal romantic era classic; the CD I linked to is a fabulous (no surprise there) performance of all four Schumann symphonies by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi.

Some of us very recently sprung forward with our clocks and this is the musical musings for welcoming spring, so how better than with Igor Stravinsky's Sacre du printemps/Rite of Spring that was revolutionary and truly seminal when it debuted? I've opted for this one featuring Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

I've long loved the John D. Edward's lilting tune Rhosymedre for Samuel Crossman's "My Song is Love Unknown," but surprisingly of the 3 current hymnals I'm referencing, only NCH 222 uses that particular tune for those words.

My song is love unknown,
My Savior's love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take frail flesh and die?

On YouTube I found a fine interpretation of Ralph Vaughn Williams organ setting of Rhosymedre.

"Oh, Love, How Deep" by Thomas à Kempis (ELW 322, NCH 209, PH 83) is often sung to the tune "Agincourt Hymn," also called "Deo Gracias." How incredibly fitting for this liturgical season of Lent is the recurring for us:

For us baptized, for us he bore...For us he prayed, for us he taught...for us he gave his dying breath; For us he rose from earth again...for us he sent his Spirit here...

I love the intense brilliance of the reeds on the Agincourt Hymn played as a solo on the Reuter organ at St. Joseph Cathedral, Baton Rouge, LA.

Scored for rich, resonant double string orchestra, his Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis is another Vaughn Williams piece related to this season. Amazon listed more than a dozen CDs, and I chose this one because I have a copy and also particularly love The Lark Ascending, the piece in the CD title. The tune is variously called "Third mode melody"" or "Tallis third mode"; as in many past hymnals, ELW 332 uses it for a Lenten perennial, "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say," while NCH 509 features it in "How Deep the Silence of the Soul" (also apropos of Lent) and under the Season of Epiphany heading, Thomas Troeger's "We Have the Strength to Lift and Bear," NCH 178.

Often sung as a round, William Billings' "When Jesus Wept" is NCH 192 and PH 312 and American composer William Schuman made "When Jesus Wept" the basis of the second movement of his New England Triptych. A recording of the entire Triptych and some music by Charles Tomlinson Griffes, Alan Hovhaness, Charles Ives and Walter Piston can be found on the CD An American Tapestry.

Wendell Berry strongly advises us to "practice resurrection" in his Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front, and how better to do it than by singing a couple of still-current songs from what's now a generation ago!

Steve Winwood's Arc of a Diver is the album; "While You See a Chance" is the song...

Stand up in a clear blue morning until you see what can be
Alone in a cold day dawning, are you still free? Can you be?
When some cold tomorrow finds you, when some sad old dream reminds you
How the endless road unwinds you...

Stand up in a clear blue morning until you see what can be
Alone in a cold day dawning, are you still free? Can you be?
And that old gray wind is blowing and there's nothing left worth knowing
And it's time you should be going...

Christine McVie wrote "Don't Stop" that inaugurated Bill Clinton's first administration and the upbeat, energetic song made it into Fleetwood Mac's Greatest Hits

If you wake up and don't want to smile,
If it takes just a little while,
Open your eyes and look at the day,
You'll see things in a different way.

Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,
Don't stop, it'll soon be here,
It'll be, better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.

Why not think about times to come,
And not about the things that you've done,
If your life was bad to you,
Just think what tomorrow will do.

Don't you look back,
Don't you look back...

Keep on practicing resurrection, everyone--and God still will surprise us with Easter!!!

season of creation musical musings

2008-09-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

I'm loosely grounding this month's musical musings in the Season of Creation, a recent emphasis for liturgical observation as late summer cycles into fall in the northern hemisphere, winter into spring in the southern. The site explains

What Is the Season of Creation?

For four Sundays in September, prior to St Francis of Assisi Day, we join in celebrating with Christ the wonders of creation. In the liturgy, we follow the lead of the psalm writers and celebrate with creation — with the forests, the rivers and the fields, which praise the Creator in their own way. Bible readings focus especially on the story of Earth, which complements the story of God and the story of humanity in the Scriptures. We commit ourselves to a ministry of healing Earth, with Christ and creation as our partners.

Norman Habel gives us part of the history; here's an excerpt:

The season of Creation begins as an Australian story. I, like many in our Lutheran Church in Australia, grew up in the bush. I climbed every tree within miles. I felt close to creation: the soil, the streams and the sounds of the bush. Celebrating the creation I love has long been one of my dreams.

The Sundays of the first year in the three-year cycle of Creation are called Forest Sunday, Land Sunday, Outback/Wilderness Sunday and River Sunday. Congregations can turn the sanctuary into a vibrant part of creation as they celebrate with creation.

Check out these liturgies, too--this especially interests me as a theologian with particular interests in liturgical and ecological theology. As in the rest of the liturgical calendar, the Season of Creation pericopes place us in year A; here are links to Textweek's resources:

September 7 - 1A:Forest Sunday

September 14 - 2A: Land Sunday

September 21 - 3A: Outback/ Wilderness Sunday

September 28 - 4A: River Sunday

On this second Monday of September, I'm offering a potpourri of mostly vocal and choral music and I'm looking forward to instrumental and orchestral suggestions and from those of you who direct or sing in choirs, a few anthems to add to the list. A lot of this music is familiar, but nonetheless, I'm including some text from the music I've cited.

For our entrance song, most of us know William Monk's tune "Ellacombe" to Isaac Watts' hymn,

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God art present there.

I love the gorgeous singing and visuals in this performance of "I Sing the Mighty Power..."

By the Team Strike Force from Mars Hill Church I Sing the Mighty Power of God; and here a great slideshow accompanies the hymn.

In the scriptures, land and the created environment are inalienable gifts to be carefully and faithfully stewarded; land is an aspect of common-wealth; land grows the stuff of sacraments! In a special way during the Season of Creation we recognize and celebrate the natural, physical backdrop, the living, breathing stage of God's self-revelation in history and in Jesus Christ.

The Mennonite Youth Chorus sings Let All things now Living

As we know from scripture and from our own experiences, the desert, wilderness and the outback that lack most civilized urban amenities especially form a fertile backdrop and habitat for identity-formation. A garden well-tended grows into a city and the city becomes a place of multicultural encounters, a place for the fine arts to flourish and for a middle-class to evolve; the city is a crossroads of exchange and often a seat of government. But in the city religion and spirituality tend to become static, codified institutions..."Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness!"

The images strike me as a bit overdone, but the lively singing does real justice to Marty Haugen's Canticle of the Sun...

Praise for the sun, the bringer of day,
he carries the light of the Lord in his rays;
the moon and the stars who light up the way
unto your throne.

Praise for the wind that blows through the trees,
the seas mighty storms, the gentlest breeze;
they blow where they will, they blow where they please
to please the Lord.

Praise for the rain that waters our fields,
and blesses our crops so all the earth yields;
from death unto life her mystery revealed
springs forth in joy.

Praise for the fire who gives us his light,
the warmth of the sun to brighten our night;
he dances with joy, his spirit so bright,
he sings of you.

Praise for the earth who makes life to grow,
the creatures you made to let your life show;
the flowers and trees that help us to know
the heart of love.

Praise for our death that makes our life real,
the knowledge of loss that helps us to feel;
the gift of your self, you presence revealed
to bring us home.

Chorus

The heavens are telling the glory of God,
and all creation is shouting for joy.
Come dance in the forest, come, play in the field,
and sing, sing to the glory of the Lord.

© 1983 GIA Publications

In a parallel mood, The River is Here by Andy Park and what a lovely solo voice on this a cappella version of The River is Here!

Down the mountain the river flows
And it brings refreshing wherever it goes
Through the valleys and over the fields
The river is rushing and the river is here

The river of God is teeming with life
And all who touch it can be revived
And those who linger on this river's shore
Will come back thirsting for more of the Lord

Up to the mountain we love to go
To find the presence of the Lord
Along the banks of the river we run
We dance with laughter
Giving praise to the Son

Hebrew Bible scholar Walter Brueggemann insists theologians have concentrated far too much on covenant to the often near-exclusion of The Land. Listen to the cadence of the deuteronomic historian's relentless refrain, "into the land, into the land, into the land!" In the writings of the exilic 2nd Isaiah we discover a persistent theme of redemption and hope and humanity's salvation physically located in the midst of natural creation's redemption--the Reformers' theology of God's descent and infilling of everything created recapture these and other biblical passages and Martin Luther's theology of the ubiquity of the Risen and Ascended Christ is right in line with this!

Hillsongs gives a reflective interpretation of Did You Hear the Mountains Tremble and I especially like this joy-filled, energetic performance: Did You Hear the Mountains Tremble...

Did you feel the mountains tremble?
Did you hear the oceans roar?
When the people rose to sing of
Jesus Christ the risen one

Open up the doors and let the music play
Let the streets resound with singing
Songs that bring your hope
Songs that bring your peace
Dancers who dance upon injustice

Did you feel the darkness tremble
When all the saints join in one song
And all the streams flow as one river
To wash away our brokenness

And we can see that God you're moving
A time of Jubilee is coming
When young and old will turn to Jesus
Fling wide your heavenly gates
Prepare the way of the risen Lord

Fitting in with the mood of hope and expectation is Send Your Rain by Kelly Carpenter

Send Your rain oh Lord
Send Your rain to Your people
Send Your rain oh Lord
Send Your rain bring Your kingdom

Soften our hearts and pour out Your Spirit
Fill us anew, let Your rain come

May Your kingdom come
And Your will be done
On the earth, bring Your kingdom

© 1996 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing

I've long loved the vernacular music of the North American continent's prairies and plains; "The Lone, Wild Bird," set to the tune Prospect, from Walker's Southern Harmony (1835), is exquisitely rung by the St. Olaf College Handbells

The lone, wild bird in lofty flight is still with you, nor leaves your sight.
And I am yours! I rest in you, Great Spirit, come, rest in me, too.

The ends of earth are in your hand, the sea's dark deep and far off land.
And I am yours! I rest in you, Great Spirit, come, rest in me, too.

Each secret thought is known to you, the path I walk my whole life through;
my days, my deeds, my hopes, my fears, my deepest joys, my silent tears.

Milk and honey is a visible, tangible sacramental sign of the fullness of God's sovereignty and of distributive justice accomplished on earth. Flowing honey and surging milk begin with rich land and rivers of clean water. Ample milk results from bees pollinating fruits, flowers and other crops so that cattle graze on luxuriant grass, produce healthy calves and as a result fertilize grains and gardens; clean air and smog-free sunshine are a given! Hearty vineyards, healthy fields and sufficient water result in Israel's symbolic olives, grape and figs and for us (I'm thinking very locally) in citrus, tomatoes, avocados, berries, grapes and grains. Dairy and beef, honey and harvest lead to nourishment for the farmers, their families and the community, with overflowing abundance to sell, to barter and trade in order to get whatever essentials you cannot produce on your own. Likely I've left out a lot of probable connections, but my intent is clear: heaven's blessings aplenty on earth!

From Trinity Church on Wall Street, this CD includes Leo Sowerby's setting of one of the alternate canticles for Matins, the Benedicite, with its incessant celebratory refrain "Sing his praise and exalt him for ever" (or a close variant). As Walter Brueggemann essentially says, "of course the trees sing and clap their hands--no more clear-cutting! Of course the seas roar and everything in them rejoices--no more toxic waste and pollution!" Here's an excerpt from the Benedicite, found in the non-canonical Song of the Three Holy Children in Daniel 3:52-88:

Bless the Lord all you works of the Lord: sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord you heavens: sing his praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord you angels of the Lord: bless the Lord all you his hosts;
bless the Lord you waters above the heavens: sing his praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord sun and moon: bless the Lord you stars of heaven;
bless the Lord all rain and dew: sing his praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord dews and falling snows: bless the Lord you nights and days;
bless the Lord light and darkness: sing his praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord frost and cold: bless the Lord you ice and snow;
bless the Lord lightnings and clouds: sing his praise and exalt him for ever.

O let the earth bless the Lord: bless the Lord you mountains and hills;
bless the Lord all that grows in the ground: sing his praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord you springs: bless the Lord you seas and rivers;
bless the Lord you whales and all the swim in the waters: sing his praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord all birds of the air: bless the Lord you beasts and cattle;
bless the Lord all people on earth: sing his praise and exalt him for ever.

Paradise by John Prine could not relate better to loving stewardship of creation and the devastating loss that often follows rapacious treatment:"Daddy, won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County, down by the Green River, where Paradise lay?"--"I'm sorry, my son, you're too late in asking; Mr. Peabody's coal train has hauled it away."

But Israel became the prototypical people of God not in the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey but in the desert of the trek toward that promised-landed freedom. In the desert's sparse economy, with surprising gifts like water from the rock and manna from the sky, Israel and Yahweh encountered each other into the kind of relationship that later would enable God's people to recognize God's paradoxical self-revelation in Word and Sacraments as they recall and evoke and as by grace we recognize and celebrate God's paradoxical self-revelation sustaining presence in, with and under creation's commonest stuff: the utmost essentials for life produced from the heart of the earth.

Avalon sings "Psalm 151"--Testify to Love; as pleasing as the photographs in the other videos are, I like the clean white sans-serif type against black (I know, a couple of typos), allowing the words and music to speak by themselves.

All the colors of the rainbow
All the voices of the wind
Every dream that reaches out
Reaches out to find where love begins
Every word of every story
Every star in every sky
Every corner of creation lives to testify...

Didn't Paul insist we discern the body, recognizing and acknowledging the Risen Christ's hidden presence in the church and in the world—discerning the body particularly as we participate in the eschatological feast of the Eucharist? The person presiding at Holy Communion holds the entirety and completeness of the redeemed and restored cosmos in her or his hands as the risen, ascended One also is now descended, once again "incarnate," among and within the gathered and transformed Eucharistic community.

Morningside is a primarily Asian-American ministry of the Korean United Methodist Church that's based in New York City; along with all creation Morningside Ministry Praise celebrates with Make a Joyful Noise by David Crowder:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord
All the earth
Make a joyful noise to the Lord
All the earth

The flowers of the field
Are cry'n to be heard
The trees of the forest
Are singing
And all of the mountains
With one voice
Are joining the chorus of this world

And I will not be silent
I will not be quiet anymore

Running through the forest
Dive into the lake
Bare feet on beaches white
Standing in the canyon
Painted hills around
The wind against my skin
Every ocean
Every sea
Every river
Every stream
Every mountain
Every tree
Every blade of grass will sing

Here's an exceedingly rare live performance that features pianist Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour on guitar: Mountain Dance!

Mountain Dance on CD

As the Amazon reviewer says, the CD Sticks and Stones by brothers Don and Dave Grusin is OP, "out of print" but pre-owned copies are quite readily available. Happily I own the CD and highly recommend "River Song."

To conclude today's worship, a pair of North American classics, as Manfred Mann's Earth Band sings Bob Dylan's Father of Night, Father of Day by Bob Dylan, and I could not leave out the late, truly great Rich Mullins' "Calling Out Your Name!" Among many other options, it's on The Best of Rich Mullins: Platinum Series CD; and on YouTube, Calling Out Your Name

Well the moon moved past Nebraska
And spilled laughter on them cold Dakota Hills
And angels danced on Jacob's stairs; Yeah, they danced on Jacob's stairs
There is this silence in the Badlands
And over Kansas the whole universe was stilled
By the whisper of a prayer; The whisper of a prayer

And the single hawk bursts into flight
And in the east the whole horizon is in flames
I feel thunder in the sky; I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

I can feel the earth tremble
Beneath the rumbling of the buffalo hooves
And the fury in the pheasant's wings; And there's fury in a pheasant's wings
It tells me the Lord is in His temple
And there is still a faith that can make the mountains move
And a love that can make the heavens ring; And I've seen love make heaven ring

Where the sacred rivers meet
Beneath the shadow of the Keeper of the plains
I feel thunder in the sky; I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name
And I know this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song not sung in vain
I feel thunder in the sky; I see the sky about to rain
And with the prairies I am calling out Your name

Psalm 19:1-6, Psalm 65:5-13

fire and freedom musical musings

2008-05-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the Church celebrated the Day of Pentecost and for this year's festivities I have a roundup of music that expresses the Spirit of resurrection, renewal, restoration and reconciliation; I'm especially excited to hear about your particular Pentecostal Favorites in the comments!

It has been called "the apotheosis of the dance!"--Beethoven, Symphony No. 7; this Leonard Bernstein recording includes another of my Beethoven favorites, Symphony #2. Herbert von Karajan's classic version with the Berlin Philharmonic is complete on YouTube.

In the Acts 2 scriptures for Pentecost we hear Jesus promise, "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." In the book of Joel we find another Divine promise, "I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions," remembered so clearly by Peter and quoted in Acts 2. John reveals to the world in Revelation 21, "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God..." Aligned with that same Spirit of newness, Carly Simon sings "Let the River Run--Come, the New Jerusalem" from the 1988 film Working Girl:

We're coming to the edge, running on the water, coming through the fog, your sons and daughters. Let the river run, let all the dreamers wake the nation. Come, the New Jerusalem.

here's the sequence from the film.

Written and originally recorded long ago by The Youngbloods, "Get Together" reminds us "the Dove is on the wing," and Wilson Phillips has a recent version on their CD, California.

I had to include Bob Dylan's literally iconic Blowin' in the Wind, with its recurring response "The answer is blowin' in the wind" to the persistent question, "How many...". His own recording can be found in his album The Best of...

From J.S. Bach's 18 great chorales for organ, a splash of splendor for you organists to play or for anyone to listen to, his fantasy on «Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott» - "Come, Holy Ghost, Lord God," BWV 651; Walter Kraft has made a recording.

Also by The Fifth Evangelist, J.S. Bach, a sparkling bright motet for vocal soloists, chorus and continuo, BWV 226, «Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf» - "The Spirit Also Helps us in our Weakness..." I'm especially partial to this because I played organ continuo for a performance of this piece on a famous organ with a locally well-known chorus. I like this affordable 2-CD set that includes all ten motets performed by Helmuth Rilling with the Stuttgart Bach Collegium.

A hymn that may be less-familiar to those who haven't hung out in Lutheran circles is O Day Full of Grace, "Den signede Dag" written by N.F.S. Grundtvig, 1826, with tune composed in the same year by C.E.F. Weyse. The text includes, "God came to us then at Pentecost, his Spirit new life revealing, that we might no more from him be lost, all darkness for us dispelling. This flame will the mark of sin efface and bring to us all his healing." The hymn is #161 in the Lutheran Book of Worship and #627 in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.

Revelation Song by Kari Jobe is a Spirit-filled contemporary song in the contemporary praise genre.

Likely almost everyone knows and probably loves Ralph Vaughn Williams' elegant tune Down Ampney, "Come Down, O Love divine"; Bianco of Siena prayed the original...

Come down, O love divine, seek Thou this soul of mine, and visit it with Thine own ardor glowing...O let it freely burn, 'til earthly passions turn to dust and ashes in its heat consuming...

I've enjoyed playing Jan Bender's organ partita, "Four Variations on Down Ampney," published by Augsburg in 1971, but apparently it's currently out of print.

For a concluding taste of fire and freedom, I'll recommend Charles W. Ore's festive prelude on «Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott» - "Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord," published by Concordia; Charles Ore has recorded this piece along with more than a dozen others on From My Perspective; on the same site you can listen to an MP3.

May this season of Pentecost be a green and growing one for all of you...

Alleluia! The Spirit of Life fills the World! Alleluia, Alleluia!

Sunday music: 20 January

2008-01-20T21:27:00.000-08:00

I Will Lift My Eyes | Bebo Norman

Verse 1:
God, my God, I cry out
Your be-loved needs You now
God, be near, calm my fear
And take my doubt

Verse 2:
God, my God, let Mercy sing
Her melody over me
God, right here all I bring
Is all of me

Pre-Chorus:
Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

Chorus:
I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can�t climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold in-side
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

Bridge:
'Cause You are and You were and You will be for-ever
The Lover I need to save me
'Cause You fashioned the earth and You hold it to-gether, God
So hold me now (to chorus)

Outro:
God, my God, I cry out, Your be-loved needs You now

Son Of God | Lincoln Brewster

Hold my hand and walk with me
You're the light that makes me see
On this path my soul You lead
Oh my Shepherd walk with me

My Saviour, Glorious One
My Redeemer, living in my heart
Now and forever Your kingdom come
Jesus, Son of God
Jesus, Son of God

I need You more than breath
You're my hope in You I live
Angels worship at Your throne
Power and glory to You alone

Bridge: Jesus, oh Jesus
Holy is the Lamb of God
Jesus, oh Jesus
Worthy is the Lamb of God. REPEAT 2X

Blessed be Your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name

Blessed be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing you pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing you pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord Blessed be your name

Written by Matt Redman and Beth Redman © 2002 Thankyou Music (PRS) Administered worldwide by worshiptogether.com Songs except for the UK and Europe, which is administered by Kingsway Music.

The Church's One Foundation

Prayer response: Built on the Rock the Church Shall Stand

Choir anthem: Surely the Lord is in This Place

Offertory Music: The Way We Mend | Bebo Norman

Lately you've been all blue sky
And I've been rain
I don't mean to bust up your party
With all of my pain

But sometimes my shadows surround me
And you take me in your arms and say

It's the way we mend
We tear it all down and we'll start it again
And I don't know how but you find me where we begin
And that's just the way, the way that we mend

It's just that some voices remind me
I'm not strong enough
To put all my demons behind me
And carry this love

But just like an angel of mercy
You take me by my hand and say

They're pouring out
From my mouth
So many words all spoken wrong
But you come alive
And somehow I find my way

Concluding song: My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

sunday music: 11 november

2007-11-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

This morning I attended the (early) Praise service, so as not to miss breakfast at Second Sunday Café and to have some quiet time afterwards for study and prayer (ooops--prayer and study). We sang:

The River is Here - talk about *LIVELY* and one of my very favorites
I Will Exalt Your Name by Aaron Shust
My Savior, My God - "I am not skilled to understand...I only know at His right hand stand One Who is my Savior"
Word of God, Speak - another from MercyMe!
from Proverbs 18:10 - The Name of the Lord is a Strong Tower

sunday music: 04 november

2007-11-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

This morning we sang:

When the Saints Go Marching In
For All the Saints, stanzas 1,2,6
Choir Anthem: "We Are Surrounded by a Great Cloud of Witnesses" by Joseph Martin
For the Bread Which Thou hast Broken
If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee

sunday music: 28 october - reformation

2007-10-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

once again blogging my comment from the RevGals Sunday afternoon video...

Thanks, Cathy! really nice juxtapositions of everything. This morning the music included (and I won't comment on the congregation's singing):

O Day Full of Grace
O God Our Help in Ages Past
Borning Cry
Choir anthem: God is Our Refuge and Strength, with 2 trumpets - by Allen Pote
A Mighty Fortress is Our God

more: Laura, thanks for your condolences; it's now more than 24 hours post-borning cry, so obviously I survived. Mary Beth, Laura, I also love Siyahamba! And Teri, I'm convinced there is no such thing as adequate trinitarian language; I've been known to say "Creator, Redeemer Sanctifier God" in my sermon salutation, but that still doesn't quite fly. Everyone, what a wonderful musical feast!

sunday music: 21 october

2007-10-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

A Mighty Fortress (to anticipate next Sunday)
Nothing But the Blood
I Need Thee Every Hour
and a new one to me,
Overwhelmed

(commenting on the RevFals Sunday afternoon video comments...)

again: Episcopalians don't observe Reformation Sunday... oh, I know--it was so jarring to me (jarred me so?) the year or so I attended that episcopal church, though I knew ahead of time, and seriously considered going to another church for that Sunday. Luther and devils are such a fun mix; the accompaniment to A Mighty Fortress last Sunday really, really rocked. I wonder what'll top that on Reformation Sunday?

and more again: Cathy, in my experience the PCUSA, UCC, and the various Lutheran denoms all are huge on Reformation Sunday/Day, and (retreating to shorthand that says way too little) mostly consider it a major festival of the Spirit, somewhat akin to Pentecost, but I assume other church bodies within the theological traditions of the Reformation celebrate it, too.

sunday music: 14 october

2007-10-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

because i'm playing for an installation this afternoon, this morning i attended early eucharist with mostly prerecorded song accompaniments. we sang

Awesome God
Lord, I Lift Your Name on High
Healer of Our Every Ill
Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying

and concluded with alle, alle, alle--alleluia with miscellaneous percussion--they hand out the instruments and we get to pick the one we want.

[mostly] north american continent musical musings

2007-10-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

American Composer Listener-Participant Musical Musings

Like many members of this community, I have a formal background in music and regularly play the piano (sometimes organ) in church and elsewhere around town, so I've linked to scores for some of the music I enjoy playing, and almost for sure you'll be able to find bound or single hard copies or possibly an online PDF at nominal cost for most of the rest.

As I started this month's Musical Musings, I noticed most of the music came from a specific place, so initially I decided to focus on geography rather than genre, and I also opted for a short chronological span--the last half of the last century. Whether as listener or performer, much of the music I resonate with and keep returning to comes from those decades, and I ran with my instincts! Given that we all became increasingly familiar with non-Western expressions in the fine and popular arts that often ran parallel to alternative expressions of the church as the 2o^th century aged, my inclusive, multicultural side longed for this Musical Musings to reflect more diversity, but in the end, it really doesn't much at all. I've included music many of you likely know and possibly some none of you have heard. For the "albums," I've mentioned my favorite tracks, but you might find another more appealing. For each category I've invented a possible heading without specific comments about the individual tracks, but whatever your previous preferences, set your imagination free!

CDs/Songs: for worship and devotion

Leah Taylor - Faithful Friend

In Christ Alone, of Newsboys renown
Beyond the Tears
Falling Up

Darrell Evans - Trading My Sorrows: The Best of...

Trading My Sorrows
Your Love is Extravagant
- Youtube link

From Latter-Day Saint Paul Cardall - Songs of Praise - with guests Steele Croswhite and Cheri Magill

Grateful
Agnus Dei
Green Hill

Rich Mullins - The World As Best I remember It, volume 1, 1991

Calling Out Your Name
Step by Step - Youtube link

Mercy Me, Spoken For, 2002

Word of God, Speak

Samuel Barber: Prayers of Kierkegaard

Randall Thompson: The Peaceable Kingdom - excerpts from 1, 2 and 3 Isaiah juxtaposed and intertwined in a glorious cantata-style sequence for a cappella SATB chorus; I love it all, but esp recommend...

Say ye to the righteous - Youtube link
The paper reeds by the brook
Have ye not known? and
Ye shall have a song

secular vernacular variety assortment

David Benoit - Urban Daydreams, 1989

Wild Kids - originally for a Charlie Brown Peanuts Special, glory in the sound of Eric Marienthal's sax! (Youtube link)
When the Winter's Past (Song for a Stranger) - with Jennifer Warnes
Sailing through the City

Jewel Kilcher - Spirit, 1998

Absence of Fear - Youtube link
Life Uncommon - Youtube link
Down so Long - Youtube link
Innocence Maintained - Youtube link

Tracy Chapman - New Beginning - with wonderful photographs from the UC Santa Cruz Greenhouses

The Promise - Youtube link
Give Me One Reason - Youtube link

concert-hall array collection

Samuel Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915, 1947 - text taken from a prose poem by James Agee written in 1935, now included as the prologue to Agee's novel, A Death in the Family. If you sing and want to learn the piece to perform it; here's the vocal score with a piano reduction of the orchestral parts.

Roy Harris - Symphony No. 3, 1938 - 18 minutes long, 1 movement in 5 sections: raw, angular and elegant

Christopher Rouse - Phaethon, 1986 - started as a mini-concerto for orchestra to narrate part of the Greek myth, and turned out to be in memory of the Challenger's 7 astronauts

music to play for worship

Mark Hayes: Lord, Be Glorified - Keepsake Edition

Lamb of God - Twila Paris - Youtube link
He Is Exalted - Twila Paris - Youtube link
We Bow Down - Twila Paris - Youtube link
I Will Call Upon the Lord - Youtube link
You Are My All in All

Glory to His Name! Charity Book Putnam

Glory to His Name/Holy Manna Medley
On Jordan's Stormy Banks--Southern Harmony's "Promised Land" - Youtube link

Stephen Nielson At the Piano

Fanfare
O For a Thousand Tongues

music to play mostly outside of worship

For piano scores I've linked to Sheet Music Plus, with its huge selection and fast, cheap shipping, too

Lukas Foss - Fantasy Rondo, 1944: I played this one-movement piece with its ever-changing key signatures, time signatures, textures and dynamics as prelude to worship on one Trinity Sunday; together with Leon Fleisher, Foss was on the piano faculty the summer I spent at Tanglewood; Scott Dunn plays Lukas Foss' Complete Piano works

Vincent Persichetti - 3rd Piano Sonata, Opus 22, 1943: Declaration - Episode - Psalm - amazing! I also love to play Persichetti's relatively austere Organ Sonata, Opus 86, 1960

Paul Creston

Prelude and Dance, Opus 29, #2
Prelude and Dance, Opus 29, #1

--Creston wrote a zillion pieces called "Prelude and Dance" for almost every instrument and instrumentation imaginable

...and two more...

Because I won't get to do this very often, in Latin, written by a German
Ernst Pepping - Te deum (1956) for soprano and baritone solos, SATB choir, woodwinds, brass, timpani, drums and strings. I got an ancient Deutsche Grammaphon recording on vinyl on eBay and couldn't find a CD anywhere I looked, but here's a Te Deum details page

from KiwiLand--New Zealander Douglas Lilburn brings us elegance with Aotearoa Overture
(here is a Youtube link of the Aetearoa Overture - go for the listening, not for the visual)

sunday music: 07 october

2007-10-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

from my comment on the RevGals Sunday afternoon video...

Hyfrydol is one of my favorites, too--thanks! Church this morning:

opening: As Those of Old Their Firstfruits Brought - tune, Forest Green;
Blessed Be Your Name;
Did You Hear the Mountains Tremble? - from Hillsongs

Did you feel the mountains tremble?
Did you hear the oceans roar?
When the people rose to sing of
Jesus Christ the risen one

Did you feel the people tremble?
Did you hear the singers roar?
When the lost began to sing of
Jesus Christ the risen one

And we can see that God you're moving
A mighty river through the nations
When young and old will turn to Jesus
Fling wide your heavenly gates
Prepare the way of the risen Lord

Open up the doors and let the music play
Let the streets resound with singing
Songs that bring your hope
Songs that bring your peace
Dancers who dance upon injustice

Did you feel the darkness tremble
When all the saints join in one song
And all the streams flow as one river
To wash away our brokenness

And we can see that God you're moving
A time of Jubilee is coming
When young and old will turn to Jesus
Fling wide your heavenly gates
Prepare the way of the risen Lord

(chorus)

next: We Are Your People
closing: Just a Closer Walk--with sensational guitar riffs, etc.

more: Cathy, "Forest Green" is far and away my preferred tune for O Little Town. I just looked at this morning's bulletin again and realized I'd left out two: choir sang "Hungry, I Come" and the Offertory song was Kelly Carpenter's marvelous "Send Your Rain."

Leah, apparently Hydrofoiled again!

more again: Amy, "One Bread, One Body" is one of my favorites! Speaking of Beecher the tune, next Sunday afternoon I'm playing for an installation service because their usual organist has a prior commitment, and they're singing "Called as Partners in Christ's Service" to Beecher. I love that text, but I consider Beecher in the same overdone category as the aforementioned St. Louis for "Little Town."

sunday music: 30 september

2007-09-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

(commenting on the songs Sally posted for RevGals Sunday afternoon video): I love "Tell out my Soul" and "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light."

music in church this morning:

for the introit/call to worship a HS boy who's both a son and grandson of the congregation offered a song he composed at a recent retreat and accompanied himself on the guitar--beautiful, expressive singing and playing rather than the atonal strums and grunts we sometimes get. Congregation sang "I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art" and stanzas 1&4 of "O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee." Choral group of folks from the chancel choir sang "I Surrender, Lord" for the special music/anthem.

sunday music: 23 september

2007-09-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

"Come Thou Fount" is one of my truly all-time favorites--thanks so much! I'm wondering if I dare post this after reading mompriest's, but this is a diverse group...

We sang:

Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart;
Son of God, Eternal Savior and
Be Thou My Vision.

All very standards, but as it turned out, the music this morning was bloggable, nonetheless, and you can read about it if you're interested:

this morning's church music plus

sunday music: 16 september

2007-09-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

I love St. Bavo--both of them actually, though I'm thinking fondly of the organ in the Reformed SB and fondly of liturgy in the RC SB.

This morning I was the traditional organist/pianist for blended worship. Praise Band led "Blessed Be Your Name," "Did You Hear the Mountains Tremble" and "Free to Dance"; speaking of Nederlands, for the organ prelude I played a Toccata in C by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and his famous A minor Toccata for the postlude. My special music on the piano was a setting of "Promised Land" from Southern Harmony. Now that I've told you everything you asked for and probably more, I'll be back later to find out about Amazon.

Piano Music 2004-2005

2007-06-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

Dec-03
Sonata in e minor, Opus 57, Appassionata: Allegro assai | Beethoven

Mar-04
Fantasy in F minor, Opus 49 | Frédéric Chopin

Apr-04
Suite for Piano: I – Moderate; II – Bright; III – Calm | Norman Dello Joio
Suite for Piano: IV – Moderate | Norman Dello Joio

May 04
Sonata in D Major, Opus 10, No. 3: Presto | Beethoven
Sonata in D Major, Opus 10, No. 3: Rondo, Allegro | Beethoven

June 04
Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Opus 28 – from Old Notebooks | Sergei Prokofiev

July 04
Images, Series I : «Reflets dans l'eau» | Claude Debussy
Images, Series I: «Mouvement» | Claude Debussy

Aug-04
Magnificat Primi Toni | Buxtehude
Marian Antiphon IV: "Salve Regina" - Toccata | Hermann Schroeder

September 04
Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, BWV 903 (1720) | J.S. Bach

October 04
Partita: "A Mighty Fortress" – Psalm 46| Cor Kee
"A Mighty Fortress" – Psalm 46 | Dietrich Buxtehude

Sep-04
Suite Bergamasque: "Clair de lune" | Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: "Passepied" | Debussy

Oct-04
Partita: “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” - Psalm 46 | Cor Kee
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott | Buxtehude

Nov-04
O Heiland, reiss der Himmel auf! |Ernst Pepping
Wachet auf! | Paul Manz

Jan-05
Clavierübung Dritter Teil: J.S. Bach
Christe, aller Welt Trost, BWV
Clavierübung Dritter Teil: J.S. Bach
Allein Gott… BWV

Feb-05
Sonata in A flat Major, Opus 31, No. 3: | Beethoven
"Presto"
Sonata in A flat Major, Opus 31, No. 3 | Beethoven
Rondo, "Allegro"

Mar-05
Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826: Sinfonia | J.S. Bach
Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826: Capriccio | J.S. Bach

April-05
Sonatina No. 1 | Dimitri Kabalevsky
Toccata | Geoffrey Bush

May-05
Fantasy Rondo | Lukas Foss
All Glory Be to God on High! | Paul Manz

Apr-05
Sonata No. 18 in E flat major Opus 31 no. 3 - 1802 | Beethoven
1. Allegro
Sonata No. 18 in E flat major Opus 31 no. 3 - 1802 | Beethoven
2. Scherzo: Allegretto vivace
Sonata in D Major, Opus 10, No. 3: | Beethoven
“Presto”
Sonata in D Major, Opus 10, No. 3 | Beethoven
Rondo, "Allegro"

Piano Music 2003

2007-06-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

Dec-02
Prelude in D, Opus 38, #5 | Kabalevsky
Pavane | Morton Gould
Toccata | Roy Harris

Jan -03
Sonatas: C Major, D Minor, A Major | Domenico Scarlatti
Blessed be the Lord God Almighty | Bob Fitts

Feb-03
Sonata in E, Opus 14, #1: Allegro; Allegretto | Beethoven
Sonata in E, Opus 14, #1: Rondo | Beethoven

Mar-03
Sonata in C minor, Opus 10, #1: Allegro molto e con brio; Adagio molto | Beethoven
Appalachian Dance | Paul Nordoff

Apr-03
Intermezzo in Bb, Opus 117, #2 | Johannes Brahms
Intermezzo in Eb, Opus 117, #1 | Johannes Brahms
Sinfonia 11 in G Minor | J.S. Bach

May-03
Andante and Rondo Capriccioso, Opus 14 | Mendelssohn
Lord, I Lift Your Name on High | Founds/Hayes

Jun-03
Prelude and Dance, Opus 29, #2 | Paul Creston
Prelude and Dance, Opus 29, #1 | Paul Creston
I Will Enter His Gates/This Is the Day | arr. by Mark Hayes

Jul-03
Sonata #30 in E, Opus, 109: Vivace, ma non troppo – Adagio espressivo; Prestissimo | Beethoven
Shine, Jesus Shine! | Kendrick/Hayes

Aug-03
Impromptu in Gb, Opus 90, #3 | Franz Schubert
How Excellent is Thy Name | Tunney/Hayes

Sep-03
Images, Book II: Fish of Gold | Debussy
2 Waltzes in E, Opus 39, #5 & 12 | Brahms

Oct-03
Sonata in Ab, Opus 26: Andante con Variazioni; Scherzo, Allegro molto | Beethoven
Sonata in Ab, Opus 26: Rondo, Allegro | Beethoven

Nov-03
Scherzo #3 in C# minor, Opus 39 | Frédéric Chopin
Psalm 103: Bless the Lord | Andraé Crouch

Piano Music 2002

2007-06-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

Dec-01
Sonata in A, Opus 2, #3: Largo appassionato | Beethoven
a fancy (the meadowlarks in the goldenrod) | Leo Sowerby

Jan-02
Canon in D Major | Johann Pachelbel
Sonate II: Lebhaft | Paul Hindemith

Feb-02
Sonata in D, Opus 28, Pastorale: Allegro; Andante | Beethoven
Sonata in D, Opus 28, Pastorale: Rondo - Allegro, ma non troppo | Beethoven

Mar-02
Hill Song | Paul Nordoff
Fugue in F# minor from WTC, Book 1 | J.S. Bach
Third Piano Sonata: Episode | Vincent Persichetti

Apr-02
[several] Goldberg Variations | J.S. Bach
Godspell: O Bless the Lord, My Soul | Stephen Schwartz

May-02
Fantasy Rondo | Lukas Foss
Prelude & Fughetta | Vittorio Giannini

Jun-02
Sonata #6 in F, Opus 10, #2: Allegro; Allegretto | Beethoven
Sonata #6 in F, Opus 10, #2: Presto | Beethoven

Jul-02
Song After Sundown | Randall Thompson
Prelude in F | Douglas Moore
Starscape | Robert Help
Intermezzo | Arthur Berger

Aug-02
Arabesque #2 in G | Claude Debussy
Arabesque #1 in E | Claude Debussy

Sep-02
Third Piano Sonata: Declaration | Vincent Persichetti
Third Piano Sonata: Psalm | Vincent Persichetti

Oct-02
Sonata in Eb, Hoboken XVI.52: Allegro | Haydn
Fantasia in C minor | J.S. Bach

Nov-02
Ballade #3 in Ab, Opus 47 | Frédéric Chopin

Organ Recital 13

2007-06-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

GOOD FRIDAY CONCERT | IN THE CHAPEL

MARCH 24

Ricercar Brevis | J.P. Sweelinck

To Thee Alone, Lord Jesus Christ | J.P. Sweelinck

Partita: What God Does Is Rightly Done | Johann Pachelbel

Intonations II and V | Helmut Bornefeld

From Mass on the 6th Tone | André Raison
Kyrie – Christus – Quoniam Tu Solus – Agnus Dei – Deo Gratias

Chorale Preludes:

To Jordan Came Our Lord, The Christ | J.S. Bach
These Are The Holy Ten Commandments | J.S. Bach
Kyrie, God Father For Evermore | J.S. Bach
O Christ, Our Hope Alone | J.S. Bach
Kyrie, God The Holy Ghost | J.S. Bach

Organ Recital 12

2007-06-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

IN THE CHAPEL – March 8

Trumpet Tune, called Bonduca | Henry Purcell

Three Chorale Preludes | Johann Gottfried Walther

In Deepest Need Johann | Pachelbel

Fugue, or Voluntary in D | William Selby

Organ Recital 11

2007-06-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

IN THE CHAPEL – February 21

Toccata in C Major | Johann Pachelbel

Partita: In God, My Faithful God | Buxtehude

Four Chorale Preludes | Ernst Pepping

Organ Recital 10

2007-06-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

Church of the Epiphany 3

Prelude: “Sonatina” | Hugo Distler
Schnelle – Schnelle – Gehende – Flinke
Hymn: "Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones" - Vigiles et Sancti
Call to Worship...
Solo: Cantata 51: «Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen» | J.S. Bach Chorale – Alleluia
Scripture: Psalm 98
Response: "They’ll know we are Christians..." | Peter Sholtes
Vocal Solos: "There is a Balm in Gilead" | Hall Johnson
"Ride on, King Jesus" | Hall Johnson Prayer
Organ Music: «Herzliebster Jesu» | Helmut Walcha
«Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen» | Helmut Walcha
Offertory Duet: "Give Ear, O Lord" | Heinrich Schütz
Homily
Duet: Cantata 140, Wachet auf - «Mein Freund ist mein» | J.S. Bach
Hymn: "Praise the Lord, ye Heavens Adore Him" - Hyfrydol
Benediction and Choral Amen P
ostlude: «Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ» (II) | Ernst Pepping

Organ Recital 9

2007-06-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

Tabernacle Church, United Church of Christ, Salem

Prelude and fugue in F Major | Dietrich Buxtehude Two Chorale Preludes: Ernst Pepping

«Jesus Christus, under Heiland, der den Tod überwand»
«Zeuch ein zu deinen Toren»

Chorale preludes from Clavierübung, Part 3: J.S. Bach

«Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit», 2 manuals and pedal, cantus in soprano, BWV 669
«Christus, aller Welt Trost», 2 manuals and pedal, cantus in tenor, BWV 670
«Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist», Organo pleno, cantus in bass, BWV 671

Fantasie, Opus 5b | Hermann Schroeder
Partita: «Werde munter, mein Gemüte» | Johann Pachelbel
Concerto in A minor, BWV 593, after Antonio Vivaldi – Opus 3, No. 8 | J.S. Bach
Allegro - Adagio - Allegro

Organ Recital 8

2007-06-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

Church of the Epiphany 2

Toccata and Fugue in F Major | Dietrich Buxtehude
Mein Junges Leben hat ein End | Jan Pieter Sweelinck
Schübler Chorales: Johann Sebastian Bach

«Kommst du non, Jesu» - "Come thou, Jesus"
«Wo soll ich fliehen ihn?» - "Whither shall I flee?"
«Wachet auf!» - "Wake, awake"

Sonata III (1940) | Paul Hindemith

Oh Lord, to whom should I complain . . .
Awake, my treasure . . .
I bid her then . . .

Three Advent Chorale Preludes:

«Es flog ein Täublein weisse» - "The White Dove" | H. Schroeder
Veni, Redemptor gentium - "Come, Saviour of the Nations" | Paul Manz
«Es kommt ein Schiff, geladen» - "There Came a Ship" | E. Pepping

Prelude and Fugue in B minor | J.S. Bach

Organ Recital 7

2007-06-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

Church of the Epiphany 1

Prelude and Fugue in F sharp minor | Dietrich Buxtehude Chorale Preludes:

Renew me, O eternal Light | Paul Manz
What God does is Rightly Done | Paul Manz

Concerto No. 12 in B flat Major | G.F. Handel
Pomposo - Allegro maestoso
Orgelsonate (1957) | Hermann Schroeder
Allegro risoluto - Larghetto cantabile - Allegro con spirito
Sonata No. 1 in E-flat, K. 61 | W.A. Mozart
Chorale preludes from Clavierübung, Part 3: J.S. Bach

All glory be to God on high - 2 manuals and pedal
To Jordan, when Our Lord had gone - manuals
These are the holy ten commandments - manuals
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour - 2 manuals, chorale in pedal
We all believe in one true God - Organo pleno, 4 voices

Organ Recital 6

2007-06-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, South End

Prelude and Fugue in G Minor | Dietrich Buxtehude

Chorale Partita: «O Gott, du frommer Gott» BWV 767 | Johann Sebastian Bach

Introduction and Folk Song | Hugo Norden

Adagio, Allegro, und Adagio, K. 594 | W.A. Mozart

«Unter der Linden grüne» | Jan Pieter Sweelinck

Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, BWV 544 | Johann Sebastian Bach

Organ Recital 5

2007-06-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

Christ Church Harwichport 2

Fanfare in C Major | Henry Purcell

Fantasy in C Minor, BWV | 562 J.S. Bach

«Ich dank dir, lieber Herre» - I thank Thee, Precious Lord | D. Buxtehude

Sonata IV in E Minor, BWV 528 | J.S. Bach
Adagio Vivace; Andante; Un poco allegro

Balletto del Granduca | J.P. Sweelinck

Sonatina | Hugo Distler
Schnelle; Schnelle; Gehende; Flinke

Chorale Preludes | Paul Manz

«Lobe den Herren» – “Praise to the Lord”
«Jesus, meine Freude» – “Jesus, all my gladness”
«Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her» – “All Glory be to God . . .”
«Was Gott tut, das ist Wohlgetan» –“Whate’er our God ordains is right”

«Lasst uns erfreuen» - "Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones" | D.N. Johnson

Organ Recital 4

2007-06-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

Christ Church Harwichport 1

Come, Holy Spirit, Lord God | D. Buxtehude

Under the Linden Tree | J.P. Sweelinck

Adagio, Allegro and Adagio, K. 594 | W.A. Mozart

Choral Preludes | J.S. Bach

All Glory be to God on High, BWV 711
Once He Came in Blessing, BWV 703
All Praise to Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, BWV 723

Chaconne in F Minor | J. Pachelbel

Choral Preludes | H. Walcha

O Saviour, Throw the Heavens Wide
Joyfully the Shepherds Praised Him
All my Heart this Night Rejoices
Ah, Holy Jesu
Each Morning is Fresh and New

Concerto in A Minor after G. Torelli’s Opus 8, No. 7 | J.G. Walther
Vivace – Adagio

Organ Recital 3

2007-06-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

Old West Church

Come, Holy Spirit, God and Lord | Dietrich Buxtehude

Concerto I | Ernst Pepping
Intrada – Aria alla Passacaglia

Under the Linden Tree | Jan Pieter Sweelinck

Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 532 | Johann Sebastian Bach

Chaconne in F Minor | Johann Pachelbel

All Glory be to God on High - «Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr» | Paul Manz
Like the Golden Sun Ascending - «Werde Munter» | Paul Manz
Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty Paul Manz - "Neander" | Paul Manz

Come, God Creator, Holy Ghost - «Komm, Gott, Schöpfer, Heilger Geist» | Ernst Pepping

Organ Recital 2

2007-06-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Grace Church Salem 2

Toccata, Aria, and Fugue | Jan Bender

Sonata (1961) | Vincent Persichetti
Andante, Allegro - Larghetto - Vivace

Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue, BWV 564 | Johann Sebastian Bach

Revelations (1965) | Daniel Pinkham
Pastorale - Litany - Toccata

Toccata | Leo Sowerby

Organ Recital 1

2007-06-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

Grace Church Salem 1

Toccata in C | Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck

Passacaglia in D minor | Dietrich Buxtehude

Partita, «Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme» | Hugo Distler
Toccata - Bicinium - Fugue

Tiento de quarto tono | Francisco Correa de Arauxo

Quarto tiento de septimo tono | Francisco Correa de Arauxo

Fantasy, «Nun freuet euch, lieben Christen gmein» | Dietrich Buxtehude

Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 548 | Johann Sebastian Bach

French Baroque Registration

2007-06-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

Baroque: no great contrasts of mood, tempo, color, texture

François Couperin, 1668-1733; Pièces d'orgue - 1696

Plein jeu | fonds 16, 8, 4, 2 + mixture (+ bourdon)
Plein jeu | fonds 8, 4, 2, mixture, trompettes 8, 4
Petit plein jeu | positiv: no 16, may have reeds 8, 4
Grand jeu | Great: bourdon, mutations, cornet, prestant 4, trompette 8, 4
Petit jeu | same on positif - cromhorne if no trompette

As a stop, tremulant is inadequate without anything else!

Stop used to be a stop, is now a GO!

Gothic Blokwerk

The music grew out of the instrument; the wrong organ for the music will not be playing the music.

A one stop organ would be a mixture

Prohibit inequality by:

dots over notes
more than a pair of notes slurred togeher

or, written instructions:

égales
marqué
martelées
détachées
également
croches égales

Oberwerk [OB] = Hauptwerk [HW] until 19th century

bibliography:

Fenner Douglass, The Language of the Classical French Organ, New Haven, 1969.
Robert Davidson(?), "Ornaments," Graves, 5th edition, VI, page 448 (notes inégales)
Frederick Neumann, "Inégales," Harvard Dictionary of Music, 2nd edition, page 412.

Piano Music 2005

2007-05-23T13:24:00.002-07:00

Jan-05

Clavierübung Dritter Teil:
Christe, aller Welt Trost, BWV 670 | J.S. Bach

Clavierübung Dritter Teil:
Allein Gott… BWV 675 | J.S. Bach

Feb-05

Sonata in A flat Major, Opus 31, No. 3:
“Presto” | Beethoven

Sonata in A flat Major, Opus 31, No. 3
Rondo, "Allegro" | Beethoven

Mar-05

Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826: Sinfonia | J.S. Bach

Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826: Capriccio | J.S. Bach

April-05

Sonatina No. 1 | Dimitri Kabalevsky

Toccata | Geoffrey Bush

May-05

Fantasy Rondo | Lukas Foss

All Glory Be to God on High! | Paul Manz

Apr-05

Sonata No. 18 in E flat major Opus 31 no 3 1802
1. Allegro | Beethoven

Sonata No. 18 in E flat major Opus 31 no 3 1802
2. Scherzo: Allegretto vivace | Beethoven

Sonata in D Major, Opus 10, No. 3:
"Presto" | Beethoven

Sonata in D Major, Opus 10, No. 3
Rondo, “Allegro” | Beethoven

Piano Music 2004

2007-05-23T13:24:00.001-07:00

Dec-03

Sonata in e minor, Opus 57, Appassionata - "Allegro assai" | Beethoven
Do you hear what I hear? | Noel Regney & Gloria Shayne

Jan-04

3 in blue jazz preludes
--Allegretto; Andantino; Allegro ma non troppo-- | Ann Southam
Thy Word is a Lamp...Psalm 119:105 | Amy Grant
We've Come This Far by Faith | Albert A. Goodson

Feb-04

Impromptu in C# minor, Opus 28, No. 3 | Hugo Reinhold
Shout to the Lord! | Darlene Zschech

Mar-04

Fantasy in F minor, Opus 49 | Chopin

Apr-04

Suite for Piano: I – "Moderate"; II – "Bright"; III – "Calm" | Norman Dello Joio

Suite for Piano: IV – "Moderate" | Norman Dello Joio

May 04

Sonata in D Major, Opus 10, No. 3: "Presto" | Beethoven
Sonata in D Major, Opus 10, No. 3: "Rondo, Allegro" | Beethoven

June 04

Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Opus 28 – from Old Notebooks | Sergei Prokofiev

July 04

Images, Series I : «Reflets dans l'eau» | Claude Debussy
Images, Series I: «Mouvement» | Claude Debussy

Aug-04

Magnificat Primi Toni Buxtehude
Marian Antiphon IV: "Salve Regina" - Toccata | Hermann Schroeder

September 04

Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, BWV 903 (1720) | J.S. Bach

Sep-04

Suite Bergamasque: "Clair de lune" | Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: "Passepied" | Debussy

Oct-04

Partita: "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" - Psalm 46 | Cor Kee
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott | Dietrich Buxtehude

Nov-04

O Heiland, reiss der Himmel auf! | Ernst Pepping
Wachet auf! | Paul Manz

Piano Music 2003

2007-05-23T13:23:00.001-07:00

Dec-02

Prelude in D, Opus 38, #5 | Kabalevsky

Pavane | Morton Gould

Toccata | Roy Harris

Jan -03

Sonatas: C Major, D Minor, A Major | Domenico Scarlatti

Blessed be the Lord God Almighty | Bob Fitts

Feb-03

Sonata in E, Opus 14, #1: Allegro; Allegretto | Beethoven

Sonata in E, Opus 14, #1: Rondo | Beethoven

Mar-03

Sonata in C minor, Opus 10, #1:
Allegro molto e con brio; Adagio molto | Beethoven

Appalachian Dance Paul Nordoff

Apr-03

Intermezzo in Bb, Opus 117, #2 | Johannes Brahms

Intermezzo in Eb, Opus 117, #1 | Johannes Brahms

Sinfonia 11 in G Minor | J.S. Bach

May-03

Andante and Rondo Capriccioso, Opus 14 | Mendelssohn

Lord, I Lift Your Name on High | Founds/Hayes

Jun-03

Prelude and Dance, Opus 29, #2 | Paul Creston

Prelude and Dance, Opus 29, #1 | Paul Creston

I Will Enter His Gates/This Is the Day | arr. by Mark Hayes

Jul-03

Sonata #30 in E, Opus, 109
Vivace, ma non troppo – Adagio espressivo; Prestissimo | Beethoven

Shine, Jesus Shine! | Kendrick/Hayes

Aug-03

Impromptu in Gb, Opus 90, #3 | Franz Schubert

How Excellent is Thy Name | Tunney/Hayes

Sep-03

Images, Book II: Fish of Gold | Claude Debussy

2 Waltzes in E, Opus 39, #5 & 12 | Brahms

Oct-03

Sonata in Ab, Opus 26
Andante con Variazioni; Scherzo, Allegro molto | Beethoven

Sonata in Ab, Opus 26 Rondo, Allegro | Beethoven

Nov-03

Scherzo #3 in C# minor, Opus 39 | Frédéric Chopin

Psalm 103: Bless the Lord | Andraé Crouch

Piano Music 2002

2007-05-23T13:20:00.001-07:00

An old list; since this basically is my piano repertoire blog, I'm really trying to list the pieces I've performed as well as eventually a complete list of music at or close to performance level.

Dec-01

Sonata in A, Opus 2, #3: Largo appassionato | Beethoven

a fancy (the meadowlarks in the goldenrod) | Leo Sowerby

Jan-02

Canon in D Major | Johann Pachelbel

Sonate II: Lebhaft | Paul Hindemith

Feb-02

Sonata in D, Opus 28, Pastorale: Allegro; Andante | Beethoven

Sonata in D, Opus 28, Pastorale: Rondo - Allegro, ma non troppo | Beethoven

Mar-02

Hill Song | Paul Nordoff

Fugue in F# minor from WTC, Book 1 | J.S. Bach

Third Piano Sonata: Episode | Vincent Persichetti

Apr-02

from Goldberg Variations | J.S. Bach

Godspell: O Bless the Lord, My Soul | Stephen Schwartz

May-02

Fantasy Rondo | Lukas Foss

Prelude & Fughetta | Vittorio Giannini

Jun-02

Sonata #6 in F, Opus 10, #2: Allegro; Allegretto | Beethoven

Sonata #6 in F, Opus 10, #2: Presto | Beethoven

Jul-02

Song After Sundown | Randall Thompson

Starscape | Robert Help

Intermezzo | Arthur Berger

Aug-02

Arabesque #2 in G | Claude Debussy

Arabesque #1 in E | Claude Debussy

Sep-02

Third Piano Sonata: Declaration | Vincent Persichetti

Third Piano Sonata: Psalm | Vincent Persichetti

Oct-02

Sonata in Eb, Hoboken XVI.52: Allegro | Haydn

Fantasia in C minor | J.S. Bach

Nov-02

Ballade #3 in Ab, Opus 47 | Frédéric Chopin

Unremembered! | Don’t recall…

North Park Wednesdays in Lent

2007-04-06T15:15:00.001-07:00

07 March

Come Just As You Are

Come just as you are.
Hear the Spirit's call.
Come just as you are.

Come and see, come receive,
Come and live forever.
Life everlasting,
Strength for today.
Taste the living Water
And never thirst again.

Come just as you are.
Hear the Spirit's call.
Come just as you are.
Come.

~~Joseph Allen Sabolick~~

© 1993 Maranatha Praise, Inc.

Opening: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed? - Martyrdom
Closing: Father Most Holy - Christe Sanctorum

14 March

I Stand In Awe Of You

You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard

Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depth of Your love?
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above

Chorus

And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You

~~Mark Altrogge, 1987~~

Opening: Jesus, Refuge of the Weary - O Du Liebe Meiner Liebe
Closing: My Song is Love Unknown, stz 1, 2, 7 - Rhosymedre

21 March

French Suite No. 2 in C minor, 1722 - BWV 813 | J.S. Bach
Allemande, "Allegro Moderato"

Opening: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross - Hamburg.
Closing: Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love

28 March

French Suite No. 5 in G Major, 1722 - BWV 816 | J.S. Bach
Allemande, "Allegretto"

Opening: Come to Calvary's Holy Mountain
Closing: O Day Full of Grace

[Good] Friday in Holy Week

2007-04-06T14:07:00.001-07:00

Prelude: WTC Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 14 in F-sharp minor, 1722 - BWV 859 | J.S. Bach

Opening Hymn: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed?

Closing Hymn: Were You There?

Thursday in Holy Week

2007-04-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

Prelude: French Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major, 1722 - BWV 815 | J.S. Bach

Allemande; "Allegro Moderato"; Sarabande, "Andantino"; Gavotte, "Scherzando"; Air, "Un Poco Allegro"

Opening Hymn: Go to Dark Gethsemane

Closing Hymn: Wondrous Love

Postlude: Song After Sundown | Randall Thompson

Wednesday in Holy Week

2007-04-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

Prelude: Partita No. 3 in A minor, 1726 - BWV 827 | J.S. Bach

Fantasy: "Allegro Moderato"; Sarabande: "Andantino con Moto"

Opening Hymn: Fairest Lord Jesus

Closing Hymn: When Israel was in Egypt's Land

Postlude: Holy Ground | Geron Davis, 1979; © 1983 Meadowgreen Music

Tuesday in Holy Week

2007-04-03T20:52:00.001-07:00

Prelude: Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, 1726 - BWV 825 | J.S. Bach

Prelude: "Moderato"; Menuet I, II: "Allegretto"

Opening Hymn: Jesus Walked this Lonesome Valley

Closing Hymn: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Postlude: I Love You, Lord | Laurie Klein

Monday in Holy Week

2007-04-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

Prelude: Sinfonia No. 11 in G minor, 1723 - BWV 797 | J.S. Bach

Opening Hymn: At the Name of Jesus

Closing Hymn: Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me

Postlude: Lamb of God | Twila Paris

Wednesday's Repertoire

2007-01-14T22:06:00.000-08:00

This coming Wednesday I'll be playing for a party; here's my playlist in approximate, subject-to-revision order:

Andante in C Major | Franz Schubert
Dance in E Major | Claude Debussy
Canon in C minor | Ralph Vaughan Williams
Two-Part Invention in F | Ralph Vaughan Williams
Homage to Frédéric Chopin | Halsey Stevens
Canon in D | Johann Pachelbel
Impromptu in G-flat Major, Opus 90, No. 3 | Franz Schubert
Fantasy Piece, Opus 12, No. 4 | Robert Schumann
Arabesque #1 in E | Claude Debussy
Arabesque #2 in G | Claude Debussy
Night Piece, Opus 23, No. 4 | Robert Schumann
Song after Sundown | Randall Thompson
Morning Song | Paul Creston
Pastorale | Paul Creston
Two Waltzes in E, Opus 39, Nos. 5 and 12 | Johannes Brahms
a fancy – the meadowlarks in the goldenrod | Leo Sowerby
Ballade, Opus 65, No. 5 | Edvard Grieg
Prelude, "La Fille aux cheveux de lin" (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair)| Claude Debussy
Three Waltzes in A-Flat Major| Franz Schubert
Sonatina, Opus 16, "Intermezzo" | Lars-Erik Larsson
Hillsong | Paul Nordoff
Prelude in F | Douglas Moore
Three Preludes | David Carr Glover
Poetic Waltz No. 1 | Enrique Granados
Mazurka, Opus 7, No. 1 | Frédéric Chopin
Waltz, Opus 69, No. 1 | Frédéric Chopin
Three Sonatas in C Major, d minor, A Major | Domenico Scarlatti

Beethoven Sonatas 2006

2006-12-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

Although I've already posted my list of Beethoven Sonatas on this blog, I need to wrap up my "performed" category by blogging the sonatas and discrete movements I've played in public over the past few years.

No. 1 in F minor, Opus 2 no 1 | 1796

1.Allegro
2.Adagio
3.Menuetto & Trio : Allegretto
4.Prestissimo

No. 2 in A major, Opus 2 no 2 | 1796

1.Allegro vivace
2.Largo appassionato
3.Scherzo & Trio : Allegretto
4.Rondo : Grazioso

No. 5 in C minor, Opus 10 no 1

1.Molto allegro e con brio
2.Adagio molto
3.Finale : Prestissimo

No. 6 in F major, Opus 10 no 2

1.Allegro
2.Allegretto
3.Presto

No. 7 in D major, Opus 10 no 3

1.Presto
2.Largo e mesto
3.Menuetto & Trio : Allegro
4.Rondo : Allegro

No. 9 in E major, Opus 14 no 1

1.Allegro
2.Allegretto
3.Rondo : Allegro commodo

No. 10 in G major, Opus 14 no 2

1.Allegro
2.Andante
3.Scherzo : Allegro assai

No. 12 in A flat major, Opus 26

1.Andante con variazioni
2.Scherzo & Trio : Allegro molto

No. 13 in E flat major, Opus 27 no 1

1.Andante - Allegro
2.Allegro molto e vivace
3.Adagio con espressione
4.Allegro vivace - Presto

No. 14 in C sharp minor, Opus 27 no 2 | 1801 "Moonlight"

1.Adagio sostenuto
2.Allegretto & Trio

No. 15 in D major, Opus 28 "Pastorale"

1.Allegro
2.Andante
3.Scherzo & Trio : Allegro vivace
4.Rondo : Allegro ma non troppo

No. 16 in G major, Opus 31 no 1 | 1802

1.Allegro vivace
2.Adagio grazioso
3.Rondo : Allegretto

No. 17 in D minor, Opus 31 no 2 | 1802 "Tempest"

1.Largo - Allegro
2.Adagio
3.Allegretto

No. 18 in E flat major, Opus 31 no 3 | 1802

1.Allegro
2.Scherzo : Allegretto vivace
3.Menuetto & Trio : Moderato e grazioso
4.Presto con fuoco

No. 23 in F minor, Opus 57 | 1805 "Appassionata"

1.Allegro assai
2.Andante con moto
3.Allegro ma non troppo

No. 24 in F sharp major, Opus 78 | 1809

1.Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non troppo
2.Allegro vivace

No. 26 in E flat major, Opus 81a | 1809 "Les Adieux"

1.Adagio - Allegro

No. 30 in E major, Opus 109

1.Vivace, ma non troppo - Adagio espressivo
2.Prestissimo

Piano Music 2006: Contemporary Christian

2006-12-27T12:03:00.000-08:00

Today I'm wrapping up 2006 by posting the music I've performed in public over the past few years.

from Godspell, "O Bless the Lord, my Soul" | Stephen Schwartz
Blessed Be the Lord God Almighty | Bob Fitts
Lord, I Lift Your Name on High | Rick Founds
I Will Enter His Gates/This is the Day | arranged by Mark Hayes
Shine, Jesus, Shine! | Graham Kendrick
How Excellent is Thy Name | Dick & Melodie Tunney
Psalm 103, "Bless the Lord" | Andraé Crouch
Do You Hear what I Hear? | Noel Regney & Gloria Shayne
Thy word...Psalm 119:105 | Amy Grant & Michael Smith
Shout to the Lord!| Darlene Zschech
More Precious than Silver | Lynn Deshazo
I Love You, Lord | Laurie Klein
We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise | Kirk Dearman
Holy Ground | Gerron Davis
Hymn to Freedom | Oscar Peterson
Come, Let us Worship and Bow Down | Dave Doherty
We Are an Offering | Dwight Liles
Christ the Lord is Risen Today | Jack C. Goode
Lamb of God | Twila Paris
We Bow Down | Twila Paris
You Are My All in All | Dennis Jernigan

Piano Music 2006: 20th Century American

2006-12-27T12:01:00.000-08:00

Today I'm wrapping up 2006 by posting the music I've performed in public over the past few years.

Scottish Poem in f minor, Opus 31, No. 2 | Edward MacDowell
Pavane | Morton Gould
Song after Sundown | Randall Thompson
Hillsong | Paul Nordoff
Appalachian Dance | Paul Nordoff
Prelude and Fughetta | Vittorio Giannini
Prelude in F | Douglas Moore
American Ballads: "Streets of Laredo" | Roy Harris
Toccata | Roy Harris
Morning Song | Paul Creston
Prelude and Dance, Opus 29, No. 1 | Paul Creston
Prelude and Dance, Opus 29, No. 2 | Paul Creston
a fancy - the meadowlarks in the goldenrod | Leo Sowerby
Sonata No. 3 | Vincent Persichetti
       "Declaration" - "Episode" - "Psalm"
Excursions, Opus 20 | Samuel Barber
       I. Un poco allegro
       II. In slow blues tempo
       III. Allegretto
       IV. Allegro molto
Fantasy Rondo | Lukas Foss
For Lenny | Lukas Foss
Scherzo Ricercato | Lukas Foss
3 in blue jazz preludes | Ann Southam
       Allegretto; Andantino; Allegro ma non troppo

Piano Music 2006: Frédéric Chopin

2006-12-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

Today I'm wrapping up 2006 by posting the music I've performed in public over the past few years.

Ballade No. 3 in A-flat, Opus 47
Fantasy in f minor, Opus 49
Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp mnor, Opus 39

Piano Music 2006: 20th Century European

2006-12-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

Today I'm wrapping up 2006 by posting the music I've performed in public over the past few years.

Sonata II: "Lebhaft" | Paul Hindemith
Sonata #3 in a minor, Opus 28 | Sergei Prokofiev
Prelude in D, Opus 38, #5 | Dimitri Kabalevsky
Impromptu in C# minor, Opus 28, #3 | Hugo Reinhold
Arabesque #1 in E | Claude Debussy
Arabesque #2 in G | Claude Debussy
Images, Series I: "Reflets dans l'eau" | Claude Debussy
Images, Series I: "Mouvement" | Claude Debussy
Images, Series II: "Poissons d'or" - Fish of Gold | Claude Debussy

Piano Music 2006: 18th - 19th Century European

2006-12-27T11:55:00.000-08:00

Today I'm wrapping up 2006 by posting the music I've performed in public over the past few years.

Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, BWV 825 | J. S. Bach
Partita No. 2 in c minor, BWV 826 | J. S. Bach
Sinfonia No. 11 in g minor, BWV 797 | J. S. Bach
Three Sonatas in C Major, d minor, A Major (sorry, no Longo or Kirkpatrick Nos.) | Domenico Scarlatti
Canon in D Major | Johann Pachelbel
Sonata in E-flat, Hoboken XVI.52, "Allegro" | Franz Josef Haydn
Novelette in F, Opus 21, No. 1 | Robert Schumann
Impromptu in G-flat Major, Opus 90, No. 3 | Franz Schubert
Impromptu in A-flat Major, Opus 90, No, 4 | Franz Schubert
Impromptu in B-flat Major, Opus 142, No. 3 | Franz Schubert
Andante and Rondo Capriccioso | Felix Mendelssohn
Two Waltzes in E, Opus 39, Nos. 5 and 12 | Johannes Brahms

You Are My All in All

2006-12-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

You Are My All In All

by Dennis Jernigan

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all!

Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all!

Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is your name!
Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is your name!

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising again, I bless your name
You are my all in all!
When I fall down, you pick me up
When I am dry, You fill my cup
You are my all in all!

Hymn to Freedom

2006-12-20T15:51:00.000-08:00

Hymn to Freedom | 1962

Music: Oscar Peterson

Lyrics: Harriette Hamilton

When every heart joins every heart and together yearns for liberty,
     that's when we'll be free.
When every hand joins every hand and together molds our destiny,
     that's when we'll be free.
Any hour any day, the time soon will come when men will live in dignity,
     that's when we'll be free, we will be
When every man joins in our song and together singing harmony,
     that's when we'll be free.

personal dna

2006-12-09T21:09:00.000-08:00

Animated Creator

You are a Creator

Your imagination, confidence, willingness to explore, and appreciation of beauty make you a CREATOR.

You are independent, and you enjoy your self-sufficiency.

Defying convention, you are very innovative, and you have a vivid imagination.

The look of things is important to you, and you have a keen eye for aesthetic beauty in multiple arenas.

You have a strong interest in what is new and exciting—and that includes forging ahead with new ideas, not simply discovering what is already out there.

Your eagerness to seek new and varied experiences leads you into many different situations.

You're not set on one way of doing things, and you are creative when it comes to finding novel solutions to complex problems.

You trust yourself to be innovative and resourceful.

Your confidence allows you to take your general awareness and channel it into creativity.

Your independent streak allows you to make decisions efficiently and to trust your instincts

You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.

If you want to be different:

Appreciate the earthly, practical elements of things—there is beauty in form as well.

While you are good at thinking abstractly, focusing on details a bit more may help you discover things about the world.how you relate to others

You are Animated

You are outgoing, comfortable with others, and up for anything, which makes you ANIMATED.

Some people find crowds and parties exhausting, but not you! You are able to be yourself in many situations.

Sometimes it is hard for you to understand why others feel the way they do, but that doesn't stop you from trusting them or having faith that they are good people.

You know the world is complicated and that there is often more than one side to a story, so you are careful not to make judgments about others too hastily.

You would rather experience the world than sit back and observe it—you are not one to sit on the sidelines.

You are an independent thinker and don't get too worried about how others might perceive you—you are not self-conscious about being the active, engaged person that you are.

Although you have a keen understanding of different people's life circumstances, you occasionally have trouble seeing why people get so upset and emotional about things—they should just lighten up and have fun!

In addition to having faith in the world, you have faith in the people around you—you trust others to do the right thing and to be honest.

Your independent streak allows you to make decisions efficiently and to trust your instincts

You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.

If you want to be different:

Remember that time alone can be just as fulfilling as time spent with others—take some time for yourself and you might find that there are many things in your inner world that are just as compelling as the world outside your window.

Your open-mindedness about the ways of world gives you an understanding of people's differences, but that knowledge doesn't always translate into sympathy. Don't be afraid to let your trust and understanding influence your feelings.

Animated Creator

Beethoven Piano Sonatas

2006-11-03T16:44:00.000-08:00

With morning dancing being primarily a music blog, I figured it would make sense to post my Beethoven sonata list from suncountry living here. The sonatas I can play are bold indigo; if you're wondering at what level I play the Indigo Sonatas, they're either at public performance level or will be there as soon as I have them scheduled for a live gig.
[update] As it turned out, I've indigoed only the sonata number and opus number rather than going through and indigoing all the separate movements; for most of the sonatas I play all the movements, anyway.

No. 1 in F minor, Opus 2 no 1 | 1796
Dedicated to Joseph Haydn
1.Allegro
2.Adagio
3.Menuetto & Trio : Allegretto
4.Prestissimo

No. 2 in A major, Opus 2 no 2 | 1796
Dedicated to Joseph Haydn
1.Allegro vivace
2.Largo appassionato
3.Scherzo & Trio : Allegretto
4.Rondo : Grazioso

No. 3 in C major, Opus 2 no 3 | 1796
Dedicated to Joseph Haydn
1.Allegro con brio
2.Adagio
3.Scherzo & Trio : Allegro
4.Allegro assai

No. 4 in E flat major, Opus 7 | 1797
Dedicated to Countess Babette von Keglevics
1.Allegro molto e con brio
2.Largo, con gran espressione
3.Allegro
4.Rondo : Poco allegretto e grazioso

No. 5 in C minor, Opus 10 no 1
Dedicated to Countess Anne Margarete von Browne
1.Molto allegro e con brio
2.Adagio molto
3.Finale : Prestissimo

No. 6 in F major, Opus 10 no 2
Dedicated to Countess Anne Margarete von Browne
1.Allegro
2.Allegretto
3.Presto

No. 7 in D major, Opus 10 no 3
Dedicated to Countess Anne Margarete von Browne
1.Presto
2.Largo e mesto
3.Menuetto & Trio : Allegro
4.Rondo : Allegro

No. 8 in C minor, Opus 13 | 1799 "Pathétique"
Dedicated to Prince Carl von Lichnowsky
1.Grave - Allegro di molto con brio
2.Adagio cantabile
3.Rondo : Allegro

No. 9 in E major, Opus 14 no 1
Dedicated to Baroness Josefine von Braun
1.Allegro
2.Allegretto
3.Rondo : Allegro commodo

No. 10 in G major, Opus 14 no 2
Dedicated to Baroness Josefine von Braun
1.Allegro
2.Andante
3.Scherzo : Allegro assai

No. 11 in B flat major, Opus 22 | 1800
Dedicated to Count Johann Georg von Browne
1.Allegro con brio
2.Adagio con molto espressione
3.Menuetto
4.Rondo : Allegretto

No. 12 in A flat major, Opus 26
Dedicated to Prince Carl von Lichnowsky
1.Andante con variazioni
2.Scherzo & Trio : Allegro molto
3.Marcia funebra sulla morte d'un eroe
4.Allegro

No. 13 in E flat major, Opus 27 no 1
Dedicated to Princess Josephine von Liechenstein
1.Andante - Allegro
2.Allegro molto e vivace
3.Adagio con espressione
4.Allegro vivace - Presto

No. 14 in C sharp minor, Opus 27 no 2 | 1801 "Moonlight"
Dedicated to Countess Giuletta Giucciardi
1.Adagio sostenuto
2.Allegretto & Trio
3.Presto agitato

No. 15 in D major, Opus 28 "Pastorale"
Dedicated to Joseph Edlen von Sonnenfels
1.Allegro
2.Andante
3.Scherzo & Trio : Allegro vivace
4.Rondo : Allegro ma non troppo

No. 16 in G major, Opus 31 no 1 | 1802
1.Allegro vivace
2.Adagio grazioso
3.Rondo : Allegretto

No. 17 in D minor, Opus 31 no 2 | 1802 "Tempest"
1.Largo - Allegro
2.Adagio
3.Allegretto

No. 18 in E flat major, Opus 31 no 3 | 1802
1.Allegro
2.Scherzo : Allegretto vivace
3.Menuetto & Trio : Moderato e grazioso
4.Presto con fuoco

No. 19 in G minor, Opus 49 no 1 | 1792?
1.Andante
2.Rondo : Allegro

No. 20 in G major, Opus 49 no 2 | 1792?
1.Allegro ma non troppo
2.Tempo di menuetto

No. 21 in C major, Opus 53 | 1803 "Waldstein"
1.Allegro con brio
2.Introduzione : Molto Adagio
3.Rondo : Allegretto moderato - Prestissimo

No. 22 in F major, Opus 54 | 1804
1.In tempo d'un menuetto
2.Allegretto

No. 23 in F minor, Opus 57 | 1805 "Appassionata"
1.Allegro assai
2.Andante con moto
3.Allegro ma non troppo

No. 24 in F sharp major, Opus 78 | 1809
1.Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non troppo
2.Allegro vivace

No. 25 in G major, Opus 79 | 1809
1.Presto alla tedesca
2.Andante
3.Vivace

No. 26 in E flat major, Opus 81a | 1809 "Les Adieux"
1.Adagio - Allegro
2.Andante espressivo
3.Vivacissimamente

No. 27 in E minor, Opus 90 | 1814
1.Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck
2.Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorzutragen

No. 28 in A major, Opus 101 | 1816
1.Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten Empfindung
2.Lebhaft. Marschmaessig
3.Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll - Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr, und mit Entschlossenheit

No. 29 in B flat major, Opus 106 | 1818 "Hammerklavier"
1.Allegro
2.Scherzo : Assai vivace
3.Adagio sostenuto, appassionato e con molto sentimento
4.Largo - Allegro risoluto

No. 30 in E major, Opus 109
1.Vivace, ma non troppo - Adagio espressivo
2.Prestissimo
3.Andante, molto cantabile ed espressivo

No. 31 in A flat major, Opus 110
1.Moderato cantabile, molto espressivo
2.Allegro molto
3.Adagio, ma non troppo - Fuga : Allegro, ma non troppo

No. 32 in C minor, Opus 111
1.Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato
2.Arietta : Adagio molto, semplice e cantabile

new blog.

2006-10-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, was I ever ecstatic to get the morningdance blogspot address; this blog mainly will be for listing my musical repertoire, and most likely I'll include some public performance details.

I chose the next to plainest template hoping to be sufficiently ambitious to experiment with fonts and text colors...I've long loved IMPACT!