Holy Eucharist Rite II at 10:30 a.m. sung by the Adult Choir, sermon by the Rev’d Susan Pinkerton.
Worship at Home:
Click here: Service Bulletin – Sermon Text
Subscribe to St. John’s podcasts at PodcastPeople or on iTunes
Service Music:
Voluntary Adagio from Symphony No. 5 Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)
Processional Hymn 76 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry Winchester New
Sequence Hymn 513 Like the murmur of the dove’s song Bridegroom
Offertory Anthem Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
Words: Psalm 42: 1-3
Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks,
so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
My soul is athirst for God,
yea, even for the living God.
When shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
My tears have been my meat day and night,
while they daily say unto me,
“Where is now thy God?”
A powerful, pleading “where is my God” is the central message of the Howells Psalm setting, but even more powerful is the imagery of the deer in placid fields, yet thirsty. From the first notes of the introduction, the listener is drawn into a musical landscape, which sounds as if it was already in progress long before we began hearing it.
Sanctus S130 Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Fraction anthem S164 Jesus, lamb of God Franz Schubert
Communion Motet Tota pulchra es Maria Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)
Words: Latin, 4th Century, sung by the women of the choir.
Tota pulchra es, Maria,
Et macula originalis non est in Te.
Tu gloria Ierusalem,
Tu laetitia Israel,
Tu honorificentia populi nostri.
Tu advocata peccatorum.
O Maria, Virgo prudentissima,
Mater clementissima.
Ora pro nobis,
Intercede pro nobis.,
Ad Dominum Iesum Christum.
You are all beautiful, Mary,
and the original stain (of sin) is not in you.
You are the glory of Jerusalem,
you are the joy of Israel,
you give honour to our people.
You are an advocate of sinners.
O Mary, Virgin most intelligent,
Mother most merciful.
Pray for us,
Plead for us,
To the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hymn in Procession Shall we gather at the river At the River
Voluntary Fugue in D minor Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
Buxtehude’s Toccatas are very different from the French Toccatas, made famous by Widor. Written in a free style in many tiny sections, each passing phrase brings on higher and more intense emotion. Presented today is the final fugue from one of these great works. Buxtehude was one of Bach’s mentors, and, after traveling to North Germany to study with him, Bach was nearly fired from his own church position for playing music that was too “out there.”