Virtual Worship Service of Lessons & Carols December 27, 2020

Order of Worship Organ Prelude: In dulci jubilo, BuxWV 197 – Dietrich Buxtehude Toccata in F, BuxWV 156 – Dietrich Buxtehude Entrance Hymn: Once in royal David’s city (UMH 250) st. 1 – soloist, st. 2 – choir, st. 3 & 4 – sung by all Bidding Prayer Lord’s Prayer Invitatory Carol: I saw three ships – Mack Wilberg

First Lesson: Genesis 3: 8-19 Anthem: Jesus Christ the apple tree – Elizabeth Poston

Second Lesson: Genesis 22: 15-18 Hymn: Angels from the realms of glory (UMH 220)

Third Lesson: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 Anthem: For unto us a child is born – George Frideric Handel

Fourth Lesson: Isaiah 11:1-3a, 4a, 6-9 Hymn: Lo, how a rose e’re blooming (UMH 216)

Fifth Lesson: Luke 1:26-35, 38 Hymn: The angel Gabriel

Sixth Lesson: Luke 2: 1, 3-7 Hymn: Away in a manger (UMH 217)

Seventh Lesson: Luke 2: 8-16 Anthem: God rest ye merry Evanston – arr. David Willcocks

Eighth Lesson: Matthew 2: 1-11 Hymn: What child is this (UMH 219)

Ninth Lesson: John 1: 1-14 Anthem: The glory of the Father – Egil Hovland

Collect and Blessing Sending Hymn: Hark! the herald angels sing (UMH 240) Postlude: In dulci jubilo, BWV 729 - Johann Sebastian Bach

All music used with permission: license #A-726329 One License.net.

www.faithatfirst.com www.facebook.com/faithatfirst/ Worship Leadership for Dec. 27 Clergy: Rev. Grace Imathiu, Rev. Jane Cheema, and Rev. Bonny Roth Readers: Colin McDonald, Jim Hagedorn, Sharon and Blaine Rader, Jessica Radcliffe, Robert Harris, Kristi Hubbard and Matt Rader, Anna Ter Molen and Alexander Duggan. Minister of Music & Organist: Brian Schoettler Music Assistant: Cody Michael Bradley Guest Organist: Käthe Wright Kaufman Piano Duet: Libby G. & Cody Michael Bradley Virtual Choir Soloist: KD Daly String Quartet: Rachel Peters, Cheryl Haack, Ye Jin Goo, Caroline Paulsen

Music Note

First held 140 years ago at Truro Cathedral, the service of Lessons and Carols has been popularized by King’s College, Cambridge. The format of the service was devised by E. W. Benson and revised for King’s by Eric Milner-White. While the nine lessons remain fixed, the carols sung by congregation and choir are flexible and represent an ever-growing body of church music. This year we welcome organist Käthe Wright Kaufman to the bench. She recently served as Organ Scholar at Peterborough Cathedral and was also Organ Scholar at Truro Cathedral where this service was born. As a prelude to the service, she plays two pieces by Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707), a forerunner of Johann Sebastian Bach with whom Bach went to study in the winter of 1705.

The first piece is a setting of the hymn In dulci jubilo (With quiet joy) with the ornamented tune in the top part played on a combination of five ranks of organ pipes called a Cornet. It is followed by Buxtehude’s Toccata in F which consists of several sections. Organist Hans Davidsson suggests that they seem to follow a narrative that fits nicely with the Christmas story: “After the peaceful introduction with the shepherd’s pipe in solo and joyful ensemble, the playful pastoral scenes in consort style and canzona figuration followed, suddenly interrupted by the trembling of nature and a sudden storm of thunder and lighting. However, the thunderstorm soon disappeared, the birds started singing again, and the shepherds approached the manger, in which Mary tenderly sang lullabies for her child, showing him to the visitors, who in return and under the open evening sky with the Bethlehem star responded with rejoicing and joyful music.” The service concludes with another setting of In dulci jubilo by Johann Sebastian Bach in which phrases of the hymn in full chords are separated by interludes called Zwischenspielen. The Christmas star can be heard in the final section as the organ’s zimbelstern (“cymbal star”) plays a series of small bells.

The entrance and sending hymns of our Lessons and Carols have become almost as standardized as the scripture readings. The tunes of Once in royal David’s city and Hark! the herald angels sing are by Henry Gauntlett and Felix Mendelssohn – two significant players in the Bach revival of the mid-nineteenth century. Both tunes feature final verses in arrangements by David Willcocks, Director of Music at King’s 1956-1974. The first choral work is an arrangement by Mack Wilberg who has been conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir since 2008. The carol I saw three ships tells of the Magi and is first heard simply and then proceeds through a series of dramatic key changes. The carols that follow make a direct connection with the scripture that precedes them.

Elizabeth Poston composed her setting of Jesus Christ the apple tree in 1967 which begins and ends simply in unison. The angel Gabriel is Basque carol from outside our United Methodist hymnal that beautifully sets the Annunciation. Our string quartet joins for several carols this Christmas season including my new setting of Away in a manger. With a modified first line, we sing God rest ye merry Evanston – even though the tune was most popular in London. Hymnologist Erik Routley considers this a “ballad-carol” due to the extended length of each verse. Finally, a new piece for our choir this year is a setting of John 1 by Norwegian composer Egil Hovland (1924-2013) which prepares us for a new year “full of grace and truth.”

Brian Schoettler, DMA Minister of Music & Organist

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