Holy Eucharist Rite II at 10:30 a.m. sung by the St. John’s Adult Choir, sermon by the Rev’d Todd FitzGerald.

Worship at Home:

Click here: Service Bulletin

Service Music:

Voluntary    Intermezzo from Symphony VI    Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)

Processional Hymn 665    All my hope on God is founded    Michael

Gloria in excelsis S278    William Mathias (1934-1992)

Sequence Hymn    Healing river of the Spirit    Beach Spring

Offertory Anthem    O How Amiable    Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Text from Psalms 84 and 90

O how amiable are thy dwellings, thou Lord of hosts!
My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.
Yea, the sparrow hath found her a house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young:
even thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house.
They will be alway praising thee.
The glorious majesty of the Lord our God be upon us;
prosper thou the work of our hands upon us.
O prosper thou our handiwork.
O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) is regarded as the greatest English composer since Purcell (who died in 1695—a long time in between “greats”). His compositions span the entire breadth of styles and genres, from symphonies and oratorios to folksong collections. He served as editor of the 1906 English Hymnal, with Percy Dearmer. Vaughan Williams composed this simple anthem for a pageant in aid of the church of Abinger in 1934, with the subtitle: “Anthem for the dedication of a church or other festivals.” The homophonic texture and inclusion of the first verse of O God our help in ages past at the end of the piece make it an accessible and inclusive work.

Sanctus S128    William Mathias

Fraction Anthem S166    Agnus Dei    Gerald Near (b. 1942)

Communion Motet    Nunc dimittis in C    Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end, amen.

Communion Hymn 314    Humbly I adore you    Adoro devote

Hymn in Procession 680    O God, our help in ages past    St. Anne

Voluntary    Fantasy on St. Anne    Christa Rakich (b. 1952)

Concert and recording artist Christa Rakich performs widely throughout North America, Europe, and Japan. She is Visiting Professor of Organ at Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio. She maintains two Artist-in-Residencies: here at St. John’s and the Congregational Church of Somers. Past Artist-in-Residencies have included the University of Pennsylvania and First Lutheran Church in Boston. She has won particular acclaim for her interpretation of early music and the works of J.S. Bach. This delightful fantasy is from a set of variations written in the style of Johann Pachelbel (yep, the Canon guy).