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The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany THE HOLY EUCHARIST February 7, 2021, 11:00 AM The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in the City of New York About the Music The organ prelude today is Fantasia on “Wondrous Love” by David Hurd, organist and music director at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. Fantasia on “Wondrous Love” was composed in the spring of 2016 for an anthology of organ pieces entitled Let All That Hath Breath, published in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Association of Anglican Musicians. It is dedicated in thanksgiving for David and Cecile Hurd, parents of the composer. The Fantasia is based on a melody from Wm. Walker’s Southern Harmony, 1835, and sets three stanzas of the hymn continuously. The first stanza, “What wondrous love is this,” is a gentle trio with the melody played on the pedals in the alto register. The second stanza, “To God and to the Lamb,” finds the melody in the tenor register, and this is a stronger and more dramatic section. In the third stanza, “And when from death I’m free,” the melody is in canon at the fourth in the alto and soprano register against an undulating accompaniment. A brief concluding coda references the opening trio. The postlude is the last of Four Spiritual Preludes, a suite of short organ pieces, also composed by David Hurd, based upon traditional melodies. Each piece presents a traditional Black Spiritual melody in an expressive texture and distinctive harmonic context. Deep River begins with the melody of its chorus harmonized largely by augmented triads and thirds in triplet figures. In the verse, the melody and alto voice are heard over chords in triplet patterns. A reprise of the chorus leads to a strong final cadence. The musical setting of the Mass today was commissioned in 1974 from Calvin Hampton (1938–1984) by the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship. When the Standing Commission on Church Music of the Episcopal Church compiled its 1976 Church Hymnal Series I, Hampton’s setting was included as the fifth of five new musical settings for Eucharist Rite II. Hampton’s eight-movement setting includes Kyrie, Trisagion, Lord’s Prayer, and Jesus, Lamb of God, in addition to the Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei to be sung at Mass today. The Gloria is in a flowing 6/8 meter with largely stepwise melodic motion supporting a gentle lyricism throughout. The Sanctus is in common time but maintains a similar lyricism through the fluid movement of the accompaniment. This Sanctus is the only movement from the setting which was included in The Hymnal 1982. (Hampton’s well-known setting of the Nicene Creed which is often sung at Saint Mary’s—S105 in the Hymnal—is from his Mass for the New Rite, also dating from 1974.) Calvin Hampton was organist and choirmaster at Calvary Episcopal Church in Gramercy Park, Manhattan, for much of his active professional life. He was especially admired for his brilliant organ playing, his wide- ranging and eclectic compositional palette and his imaginative liturgical and concert programming. The Cantor this morning is soprano Sharon Harms. During the Communion she will sing the solo motet Deus Abraham by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921). Saint-Saëns’ involvement in Paris church music began when he was appointed at age seventeen to an organist post at Saint Séverin. Soon thereafter he was appointed to similar post at Saint Merry. His last and most remembered tenure as organist was at the Church of the Madeleine where he served from 1857 to 1877. The genre of the “solo motet” may have originated in Italy with works by Lodovico Viadana (c.1560–1627) that specified solo vocal - 2 - performance. In France, this genre was distinguished from vernacular sacred songs (cantiques) by its adherence to Latin liturgical texts. Such solo motets and similar works for two, three, or four voices and organ became fashionable in later nineteenth-century France as a practical response to the short supply of trained church musicians resulting from the social, political, and ecclesial instabilities which characterized the earlier part of the century. Saint-Saëns’ Deus Abraham takes its text from the Tobit 7:15 and Psalm 127. About Today’s Cantor Praised as “superb,” “luscious-toned,” “extraordinarily precise and expressive,” and “dramatically committed and not averse to risk" by the New York Times, American soprano Sharon Harms is known for fearless performances and passionate interpretations of works new and old for the recital, concert, and operatic stage. A member of the Argento Ensemble, Ms. Harms has premiered the music of some of today’s leading composers and her repertoire spans a versatile spectrum of periods and styles. She has sung with Da Capo Chamber Players, East Coast Contemporary Ensemble, Eighth Blackbird, Ensemble Recherche, Ensemble Signal, International Contemporary Ensemble, Juilliard Center for Innovation in the Arts, Limón Dance Company, MET Opera Chamber Orchestra, New Chamber Ballet, Pacifica Quartet, Princeton Festival Opera, Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Talea Ensemble, and Third Coast Percussion, among others. She has also been a guest artist with the American Academy in Rome, Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Columbia University, Cornell University, June in Buffalo, MATA Festival, University of British Columbia, University of Chicago, University of Notre Dame, Radcliffe Institute, and Resonant Bodies Festival and a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. Ms. Harms is soprano faculty for the Composer’s Conference at Brandeis University and was a visiting guest instructor at East Carolina University in 2017. She appears on the Albany, Bridge, and Innova labels. www.sharonharms.com The Prelude Fantasia on Wondrous Love David Hurd (b. 1950) - 3 - THE HOLY EUCHARIST THE WORD OF GOD The Entrance & Opening Acclamation A bell is rung and music is played. The Celebrant enters, goes to the Altar, and says Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen. Then the Celebrant prays Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. People Amen. The Song of Praise The Cantor sings Gloria in excelsis. The setting is Setting V by Calvin Hampton (1938–1984). Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. - 4 - The Collect of the Day The Celebrant says The Lord be with you. People And also with you. Celebrant Let us pray. The Celebrant says the Collect, and the People respond, Amen. The Lessons The Congregation is seated. The first Lesson, 1 Corinthians 9:16–23, is now read. After the Lesson, the Reader says The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God. The Psalm The Congregation joins in saying Psalm 142. The Reader begins 1 I cry to the LORD with my voice; * All to the LORD I make loud supplication. 2 I pour out my complaint before him * and tell him all my trouble. 3 When my spirit languishes within me, you know my path; * in the way wherein I walk they have hidden a trap for me. 4 I look to my right hand and find no one who knows me; * I have no place to flee to, and no one cares for me. 5 I cry out to you, O LORD; * I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” 6 Listen to my cry for help, for I have been brought very low; * save me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. 7 Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your Name; * when you have dealt bountifully with me, the righteous will gather around me. - 5 - The Gospel Acclamation A minister prepares to proclaim the Gospel while the Cantor sings the appointed antiphon. Alleluia, alleluia. Alleluia, alleluia. Laudate Dominum, omnes gentes: Praise the Lord, all you nations; et collaudate eum, omnes populi. laud him, all you peoples. Alleluia. Alleluia. The Holy Gospel A Minister proclaims the Gospel, first saying The Lord be with you. People And also with you. Minister The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark. People Glory to you, Lord Christ. The appointed Gospel, Mark 1:29–39, is now proclaimed. After the Gospel, the Minister says The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise to you, Lord Christ. The Sermon The Reverend Stephen Gerth - 6 - The Nicene Creed The Celebrant leads the Creed, saying We believe in one God, All the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit Bow he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

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