Sunday Worship for November 1, 2020
All Saints’ Day
Please view the embedded video of our service below by clicking on the arrow in the middle of the image.
About the Music:
The "Prelude on Brother James' Air' by Searle Wright (1918-2004) is based on the tune of Hymn 517. This tune, by the Scottish clergyman James L. M. Bain, is often associated with the 23rd Psalm. Mr. Wright served as director of music at St. Paul’s Chapel, Columbia University (1952-1971), and subsequently as professor of music at the State University of New York at Binghamton. He held various offices in the American Guild of Organists, most notably that of president (1970-71).
The music for our celebration of All Saints Sunday includes three selections from our Hymnal 1982 and a beautiful a cappella motet with special significance to us. While these selections are used in different order between the video and outdoor services, both will begin, following the prelude, with the quintessential hymn for this day, "For All the Saints" sung to one of the greatest tunes of the 20th century by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The name of the tune, Sine Nomine, literally means "without a name" and is thought to be a reference to those saints whose names are known only to God.
Hymn 517, "How Lovely is thy Dwelling Place" uses a paraphrase of psalm 84 and is sung to the tune "Brother James' Air", written around 1915 by James Leith Macbeth Bain, a Scottish healer, mystic, and poet known simply as Brother James. For the video service we will sing the well-known arrangement of this tune by Gordon Jacob as the anthem.
Hymn 560 is a musical setting of the Beatitudes, which is the appointed Gospel for All Saints Sunday, that comes from the Russian Orthodox liturgy.
The choral motet, "Beati Mortui" comes to us as a gift from its British composer, Tim Knight. Several weeks ago, our wonderful new organist, Dan Miller, played an organ voluntary by Tim Knight titled "Paean" which he had heard played at the National Cathedral. Mr. Knight took notice of Dan's video recording of his piece all the way from England and commented on Trinity's facebook page which started a correspondence between the two of them resulting in the composer sending us complimentary copies of this anthem. Being especially appropriate for All Saints Sunday, we quickly scheduled a special time to record it for use this Sunday. We are aware that Tim Knight has very recently had heart surgery and is currently recovering at home. We wish for him the very best, are grateful for his beautiful music, and hope that he enjoys our rendition of his lovely motet.
The Postlude this Sunday, "Festal Flourish", by Gordon Jacob (1895-1884), published in 1958, is a fanfare that prominently features the trumpet en chamade, the loudest stop on the organ. Jacob was a prolific English composer who was on the staff of the Royal College of Music for forty years from 1926, teaching composition and orchestration. His compositions include orchestral music, chamber music, songs and part-songs, and music for band and film scores.