Sunday, May 11th, 2014
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Organ Prelude: Allegro from Organ Concerto Opus 4 No. 4 in F, by: G.F. Handel
Processional Hymn: 690 Guide me, O thou great Jehovah
Gloria: S202 Healy Willan
Psalm: 23, chanted
Before the Gospel: Alleluia 7 Refrain/Refrain/Verse/Refrain
After the Gospel: Alleluia 7 refrain
Offertory Anthem: For the Beauty of the Earth, Rutter (downstairs, with piano and Elise)
Doxology
Sanctus Healy Willan S-114
Agnus Dei S-158
Communion Anthem: This Joyful Eastertide, by: Dr. Charles Wood
Organ Meditation: Adagio from Organ Concerto Opus 4 No. 4 in F, by: G.F. Handel
Communion Hymn: 343 Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless
Recessional Hymn: 478 Jesus, our Mighty Lord
Organ Postlude: Paean by: John Marsh
Music Notes
By: Ashley Sosis
This week and next week I will incorporate movements of Handel’s Organ Concerto in F Major, Opus 4, No. 4 in our morning Eucharist services. I will present this piece with a chamber group from the Long Bay Symphony in two concerts on May 17th and 18th. I wanted to share this piece with our congregation because it suits the Hood Memorial Portative organ so well, but also because I have the opportunity to point out that the concerto qualifies as a powerful piece of sacred music!
Handel invented his organ concertos as part of oratorio programs (The Messiah is an oratorio, and Handel wrote lots of others), to be played in the intervals between the acts by a chamber orchestra with a small organ like our Hood Memorial portative organ. The Organ Concerto in F major, Op. 4, No. 4 was composed in 1735 and was performed with Handel’s oratorio Athalia. The fourth Allegro movement came directly after the Hallelujah chorus at the end of Act I.
Speaking of Hallelujah choruses, it is easier to see a liturgical application in movements of Handel’s Messiah than it is to the (overall) violent and gloomy story of the reign of Athalia, queen of Israel and worshipper of Baal, which you can read starting at 2 Chronicles, chapter 22. The story of Athalia ends abruptly with her execution in the middle of chapter 23, so the libretto of the three act, 2 hour long oratorio has a LOT of additional dramatic material. The Hallelujah chorus is part of that additional material, sung by a chorus representing the people of Israel under the reign of Athalia who are praising God in the temple despite the threat of death. I originally approached this organ concerto as a secular piece of music and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was written to be an extension of a piece written specifically to praise God. May God be praised and glorified in all of the music we make here at Trinity!