Sacred Music (Church along with Synagogue and Other Religious/Liturgical arts)

[Rolodex]

Beautiful and powerful says this old atheist.

Thanks. It sums up to me about how to live as a Christian.

[chancery]

Our choir sang Brother James's Air (Gordon Jacobs), a setting of Psalm 23 which I remember singing as a boy treble,



and Non Nobis, Domine (William Byrd), ditto,

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Beautiful and powerful says this old atheist.

[northland10]

... which I remember singing as a boy treble,

Chancery will now entertain us singing the treble parts of

Tallis - If Ye Love Me

and half a dozen John Rutter pieces,

and some Vaughan Williams

And the Wilcocks descant for O Come All Ye Faithful

They are all probably stuck in his head but good.

[northland10]

Beautiful and powerful says this old atheist.

Thanks. It sums up to me about how to live as a Christian.

for the children down at the border
for the victims of our law & order

That's powerful (along with the rest of the text).

[Rolodex]

Beautiful and powerful says this old atheist.

Thanks. It sums up to me about how to live as a Christian.

for the children down at the border
for the victims of our law & order

That's powerful (along with the rest of the text).

Here's the composer doing it live. I hope they know how many people are touched by this song. It's so powerful, even in Spencer's gentle voice. I'm so glad to be able to share it with y'all.

[chancery]

Tallis - If Ye Love Me

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and some Vaughan Williams

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And the Wilcocks descant for O Come All Ye Faithful

check

They are all probably stuck in his head but good.

check

and half a dozen John Rutter pieces

Rutter was only a few years out of Clare College when I was at choir school.
Wikipedia says that he had started composing in college, and he might already have been on the radar of our very-well-connected OCM, but I'm pretty sure we didn't sing any Rutter.

If Ye Love Me, Remember Lord Not Our Offenses (Purcell), Laudate nomen domini (Tye) and Mass for Four Voices (Byrd), pieces that were part of the regular rotation when I was in the choir, are particularly stuck in my memory. Pinnacles of western civilization.

Funny thing about Vaughan Williams. He was a major figure in 20th century English church music, instrumental (I believe) in purging the repertory and reviving interest in Tudor music, editor of the influential Oxford Book of Carols, and a talented composer of first-rate choral music that is enjoyable to sing. But none of his choral music pierced my soul the way the works of those older composers did, and do.

[chancery]

I'll allow that "Come Down, O Love Divine" (Down Ampney) is a moving hymn.

[Rolodex]

But did you do the opening verse of Once in Royal David's City?

[chancery]

We didn't start the Nine Lessons & Carols service by singing "Once In Royal David's City" Kings College style, in procession, with first verse as a solo. The cathedral is just too big and too long; none longer, in fact.

One year I did read the first lesson, from Genesis, and was complimented afterwards by the bishop.