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

Worship at Home:

Click here: Service Bulletin

Service Music:

Voluntary    Solemn melody    Henry Walford Davies (1869-1941)

Processional Hymn 518    Christ is made the sure foundation    Westminster Abbey

Song of Praise 417    This is the feast    Festival Canticle

Sequence Hymn 645    The King of love my shepherd is    St. Columba

Offertory Anthem    The Lord is my shepherd     Thomas Matthews (1915-1999)
Words: Psalm 23

Thomas Matthews sang and assisted Norman Coke-Jephcott at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, starting at age 8, and continued to be influenced by the leading church musicians of the time – David McK. Williams, T. Tertius Noble, Ernest Mitchell, Channing Lefevre and Lynwood Farnam. In 1936 he accepted the post of Organist/Choirmaster at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Philadelphia. During WWII Dr. Matthews conducted the famous Blue Jacket Choir. After the war assumed the music position at St. Luke’s, Evanston, Illinois and served on the Northwestern University School of Music faculty. In 1960 he became organist/choirmaster at Trinity Church, Tulsa, OK. Matthews served on the faculty of the University of Tulsa. Dr. Matthews composed over thirty published anthems of which “The Lord Is My Shepherd” is best known. It has sold well over one million copies. Tom’s skills as an improviser were legendary and some of the extant recordings of his improvisations are being transcribed for publication.

Sanctus S125    Richard Proulx (1937-2010)

Fraction Anthem    Christ our Passover    Jeffrey Rickard (b. 1942)

Communion Anthem    Bread of the world, in mercy broken    John Abdenour (b. 1962)
Text: Reginald Heber (1783-1826), found at Hymn 301

John Abdenour, B. A., B. Mus., J.D., sang as a boy in the choir of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Detroit and began organ study at the cathedral. He subsequently received degrees in Organ Performance and American History from Oberlin College. After pursuing a brief career as an attorney, he returned to his first love, sacred music. He undertook further study of Anglican choral training in 1996, when he spent a month in St Albans, singing with and studying the Choir of St Albans Cathedral, then directed by Barry Rose. John is the Director of Music at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fairfied, CT. He is a member of the Association of Anglican Musicians and has served as Dean of the Fairfield-West Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and has served as a faculty member of the Bridgeport AGO Pipe Organ Encounter. John lives in New Haven with his wife Margaret and son Michael.

Communion Meditation for Organ     White’s air    William Churchill Hammond (1860-1949)

Of deep importance to the Lamlein family, this is a piece that says “goodbye.” The musician that served our home church in Holyoke as organist for 60 years arranged “White’s air” in the mid-20th century. Played at almost all parish funerals, the inscription on the score reads: “Nobody knows where the original tune came from – it must have come from heaven.” It is shared today as a prayer of deep gratitude for our time together.

Closing Hymn 205    Good Christians all, rejoice and sing!    Gelobt sei Gott

Voluntary    Fantasy on Gelobt sei Gott    Healey Willan (1880-1968)