Archive for the 'Music' Category

Evening Hymn

Published April 12, 2011 Children , Family , Hymnody , Music 3 Comments

I can visually remember the words of the hymn up on the overhead in Mrs. Kraus’ first grade classroom. “Lord Jesus, who dost love me…” I can also remember having difficulty finding the hymn in the hymnal at home because we didn’t learn the first stanza.

Those final two stanzas of Paul Gerhardt’s evening hymn, “Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow” have probably been sung in our home more than any others. I have sung them to the all kids at bedtime since they were born. I have also sung these stanzas frequently in hospital rooms and in the sick room.

Tomorrow evening our school kids will be singing this hymn during our Lenten Compline service at church. They have been learning it and practicing it at school, and we’ve been singing it at night before bed.

I took one year of piano lessons in grade school, and a few lessons here and there since then. I’ve always wished I had stuck with it, and I’ve always had a strong desire to at least be able to play hymns. For many years now I have spent considerable time at the piano playing through hymns, often slowly and with many mistakes. Since we have had a piano in our home, I have been able to play much more regularly, and there are at least a handful of hymns that I can play fairly well. This evening hymn is one of those. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction to be able to accompany my children and sing these words with them.

Now rest beneath night’s shadow
The woodland, field, and meadow;
The world in slumber lies.
But you, my heart, awaken,
With prayer and song be taken;
Let praise to your Creator rise.

The rule of day is over
And shining jewels cover
The heaven’s boundless blue.
Thus I shall shine in heaven,
Where crowns of gold are given
To all who faithful prove and true.

Lord Jesus, since you love me,
Oh, spread your wings above me
And shield me from alarm.
Though Satan would assail me,
Your mercy will not fail me;
I rest in your protecting arm.

My loved ones rest securely,
For God this night will surely
From peril guard your heads.
Sweet slumbers may he send you
And bid his hosts attend you
And through the night watch o’er your beds. (CW 587)

VBS Music

Published March 3, 2010 Music , VBS 7 Comments

For the past several years I have been very pleased with the music that was included in the Vacation Bible School programs produced by Concordia Publishing House. Starting with the 2006 Treasure Cove and then 2007′s Quest for Truth, I was quite pleasantly surprised to find that they included music that, while fun and up-beat, was actually Lutheran. That is, the music actually taught scriptural truths beyond an occasional reference to God’s love or Jesus’ forgiveness. It helped that they included several hymns on the CDs. I was so happy with the music that I made sure to have plenty of extra copies of the CDs on hand for families to take home. I was happy to have kids (including my own) learning these songs by having them play over and over in their family minivans.

It appears that those days are over. I started noticing it last year. I noticed that the music was a little less singable for the kids, and contained less content. I also noticed that more of the songs had a lead singer rather than a chorus of kids. The songs were okay, but not great.

Just this week I reviewed the music CD for this year’s Planet Zoom. It seems that they have decided to take a completely different direction with the music this year. I listened to the entire CD and there wasn’t a song in it that I would really want to teach anyone, because they don’t actually teach anything. The predominant message of the songs is a generic reference to God’s love, followed by lengthy calls to get busy telling people about Jesus. “Buzzin’ in the Hive” talks about getting busy in God’s kingdom and doing what God gives you to do. “What Can I Do for Jesus” speaks for itself. It says that God’s done so much for us but doesn’t mention what he has done. That gets to the heart of the difference here. What I noticed before was that the music was specifically focused on Christ-for-us as opposed to merely Christ-in-us.

I can’t tell you how disappointed I am. I had made it a point to send feedback to Concordia letting them know how much I appreciated Christ-centered, distinctively Lutheran VBS materials, especially in the music. I will be sending them feedback this year, but it will not be positive. And even though I haven’t evaluated the rest of the materials, I won’t be ordering or using this VBS program.

I understand that they’re trying to sell VBS programs. I also understand that you can sell a VBS program to more churches (including non-Lutheran churches) if you make the content, music included, more generic. I remember thinking with some of the previous programs that I wonder what non-Lutherans would think of this music because it was clearly Lutheran language that taught beautiful scriptural truths.

If you are concerned about using music that teaches the faith in your Vacation Bible School, I can’t recommend Planet Zoom. If you are still deciding, I would encourage you to carefully evaluate the music BEFORE ordering or deciding. And if you find the same things I have, I encourage you to let them know what you think.

Most of the stuff of VBS doesn’t last long. The crafts will get thrown away, along with their leaflets. They might keep a souvenir or two, but might not remember what it was trying to teach. But music is something that sticks; it is supposed to plant truths deep within us. I have hoped that if anything goes home with the kids and sticks, it should be the music. But it’s got to be good.

Christmas Medley

Published January 2, 2010 Children , Music 2 Comments

For those of you who haven’t seen this on Facebook or YouTube, here is a little video of the kids singing a few Christmas songs. We got a new video camera for Christmas, and it’s perfect for exactly this kind of thing. Hope you enjoy, especially Isaiah and Lydia’s “Dueling Christmas Carols.”

Navidad de las Luminarias

Published December 6, 2009 El Paso , Music Leave a Comment

Last night I attended the annual Christmas concert by the Bruce Nehring Consort in El Paso. I went last year, and wrote about it here. My impressions were pretty much the same as they were last year (since the sang basically the same concert). But it was worth hearing again.

Bruce Nehring Consort

Singing the Catechism

Published May 10, 2009 Children , Music , Teaching 5 Comments

In 2006, we introduced Concordia Publishing House's new Sunday School curriculum, Growing in Christ, to our congregation in California. We did that for several reasons, but probably the biggest reasons were that it followed the flow of the church year and that it was distinctly Lutheran. One of the ways that the curriculum is distinctly Lutheran is its regular connections to Luther's Small Catechism. As a part of that, I was so pleased to find that on the CDs which accompany the student materials in the lower level there were newly composed tunes for singing the words of the Small Catechism. The first quarter had sections from the first article of the creed. The tunes were catchy and memorable.

The one downside, I thought, was that the translation used for these recordings is just a little different from the catechism translation published by Northwestern Publishing House and generally in use in the WELS. When we are dealing with texts to be memorized, consistency and uniformity is usually a plus. It makes me think of Luther's comments in his preface to the Small Catechism:

In the first place, let the preacher above all be careful to avoid many kinds of or various texts and forms of the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, the Sacraments, etc., but choose one form to which he adheres, and which he inculcates all the time, year after year. For [I give this advice, however, because I know that] young and simple people must be taught by uniform, settled texts and forms, otherwise they easily become confused when the teacher to-day teaches them thus, and in a year some other way, as if he wished to make improvements, and thus all effort and labor [which has been expended in teaching] is lost.

Also our blessed fathers understood this well; for they all used the same form of the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments. Therefore we, too, should [imitate their diligence and be at pains to] teach the young and simple people these parts in such a way as not to change a syllable, or set them forth and repeat them one year differently than in another [no matter how often we teach the Catechism]. From bookofconcord.org

On the other hand, I realize that our translations must adjust over time so that they might remain understandable and memorable. I know that I learned the words of the catechism slightly differently than I teach them today (but I've re-learned them in the new version). And both are different from the way my parents learned them, and in a completely different language than my grandparents learned them. So while the translation issue is something I'm aware of, I'm not too concerned about it. I have thought that if a student of mine were able to learn the words of the catechism by heart and they happened to use a slightly different wording, I wouldn't make them re-learn it using the official WELS translation. 

790004.jpg So I haven't made much use of these recordings—yet. But I'm now thinking that perhaps I should. In the most recent quarter of Growing in Christ, the section of the catechism on the kids CDs is The Sacrament of the Altar. The CD has been playing in our van's stereo for about 10 weeks now. And Lydia, our three year old, loves to sing along with it and pretty much has the whole section memorized. It's like pulling teeth to get my 7th and 8th graders to memorize these words, but a three year old sings without hesitation, "What is the Sacrament of the Altar? It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ…" She will even sing these words outside of the car, while playing around the house. And if I start singing a phrase, like, "Where is this written?" She will sing, "The holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and St. Paul write…" (I just tried it and that's exactly what she did.) Even Isaiah, our two year old, will sing along with parts.

And then, just this morning, I was teaching Bible Class on the Lord's Supper and when I started reading a section on Communion from the Small Catechism, I could hear the melody in my head as I read the words. This has even helped me.

So I decided that it would be worth it to purchase the whole collection and to encourage others to do the same. You can purchase the recordings on CD from Concordia, as well as in a printed songbook. Or, you can download the whole thing or piece by piece (much more expensive) in iTunes or on Amazon.com. For just $7.99. That's really nothing when I think of how much it is worth to me to have these words of faith imprinted on the minds and hearts of my children.

Strings & Choir

Published March 30, 2009 El Paso , Music Closed

Yesterday I attended another performance by the Bruce Nehring Consort of El Paso. This one featured Charles Gray, a violinist and conductor from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and substitute violinist with the Minnesota Orchestra.

The concert focused on choral and orchestral works of Haydn and Mendelssohn. 2009 is the 200th anniverary of Haydn’s death and Mendelssohn’s birth.

Once again I was impressed with the Lutheran music. The concert began with a double choir Sanctus by Mendelssohn. Later on they also sang a Kyrie by Mendelssohn and Herzliebster Jesu (O Dearest Jesus) in a setting by John Ferguson.

One thing that especially struck me this time is just how much a difference good acoustics make. Professor Gray spoke about a few of the pieces—sans microphone or sound system—and you could hear him just fine. I just thought to myself how much easier it would be to preach in such a space. I know that the ideal acoustics for music are not the same as for speaking, but I regularly feel like I need to shout in order to be heard. 

Bruce Nehring, the director of this group, is a consultant in church acoustics and pipe organ design. He is apparently very concerned about the acoustics of the spaces in which they perform. He had actually received some criticism for using churches for many concerts—not only because much of the music was originally written for the church, but also because the churches were frequently spaces that enhance the sound of the music. Here is a quote from the program from yesterday:

“This belief in architectural proportions to musical sound piqued Nehring’s interest in using spaces not usually thought of as concert halls which led to his use of the Union Depot for concerts.”

The Union Depot is El Paso’s train station, built by the same architect as Washington D.C.’s Union Station.

Choräle

Published January 25, 2009 Music Leave a Comment

It's always nice to end a long day with a little Paul Gerhardt. This album is probably more useful if you know a little German, but it's worth a listen either way.

Bruce Nehring Consort

Published December 10, 2008 Music 1 Comment

Bruce-sketch
Last Friday night Sara and I went to a Christmas concert here in El Paso called the "Navidad de Las Luminarias." It's an annual event put on by the Bruce Nehring Consort, "El Paso's Professional Singers and Chamber Players." It's a sacred music concert and is held at the chapel at Loretto Academy. It was really quite good, and I appreciated the selection of music. Here are my favorites:

I think this was the first time I've been to a sacred concert that was not a part of our church or schools. Like I said, I really enjoyed it and appreciated it. But I did notice that the pieces that were the most edifying, the deepest (and I think, the most beautiful) were the ones written by Lutherans. Lutheran pastors like Cyriakus Scheegaß (1546–1597) and Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608). Lutheran cantors like Johann Kuhnau and J.S. Bach. So much of this kind of music was created for the church by her servants, and while it's fun to listen to it today by "professional singers and chamber players," it makes me a little disappointed that many—including Lutherans—are completely unaware of the musical heritage of the Lutheran church. IIt would be a shame if we relegated this rich heritage to museums and community groups dedicated to furthering "the arts." Shouldn't such music be most and best used in places where it was originally conceived—where the music's original purpose of teaching and comforting the saints could continue even today? 

That's not to say Lutherans no longer write and perform good, spiritually edifying music. There are many good things happening all over the place—though it's harder to find in outlying areas (like West Texas). There have also been a few wonderful efforts recently to encourage this very thing. One is the Singing the Faith DVD, which helps to teach people about this heritage and why it's important. The other, more recent project, is the DVD Children Making Music, which encourages us to pass our heritage on to the next generation. Ultimately, encouraging young musicians is the best way to make use of and carry on the rich music of the past and to encourage the development of similar music for our day—music written to carry the proclamation of the gospel, to sing the faith into the hearts of God's people.

Seminary Chorus

Published March 14, 2008 Music Leave a Comment

I’ve received a number of comments on the recording of the Seminary men singing the Agnus Dei. One of the reasons I posted that clip was to give a preview of what we’re going to have here on Easter Sunday, when the Seminary Chorus is going to be in Modesto for Easter Sunday. They will be here as a part of their tour of Nevada and California.

Some people have commented that this was just what they needed—especially on a busy Wednesday in Lent. It brought me back to those lenten Wednesdays at Sem when I lived up in Kewaskum, about a 40 minute drive from school. Classes went from 7:30am to 12:30pm, when we would quickly eat lunch in the cafeteria. I would then drive up to West Bend to work until about 4:00, then rush home so that I could teach catechism to a couple 6th graders at St. Lucas. As soon as that was done I had to get back in the car and drive down to some church in the Milwaukee where the Seminary Chorus was singing for a 7:00 service. When I finally got home around 9:00 it was time to get started on preparing for another day of classes.

Chorus2Those were long days, but I remember how much I appreciated being able to sing with that group. The songs we sang were, I assume, encouraging and edifying to the people of those congregations. But the message of Scripture carried by those songs was encouraging and edifying to me, and it was just what I needed on those long days of Lent.

The first time I heard the Seminary Chorus was in high school. The year was 1995. That spring was also the last time the choir toured California, but they also made a stop in Minnesota at my home congregation. As a sophomore in high school I was already on track towards the pastoral ministry. I was in my second year of Latin and knew exactly what I needed to be ready for MLC. But hearing the Seminary Chorus in concert solidified my desires and made me look forward to wearing those blue robes.

Humanly speaking, the Seminary Chorus had a large part in my becoming a pastor. It sparked the interest in a curious high schooler, encouraged a busy seminarian, and I’m looking forward to next Sunday when I pray they will again encourage a Californian congregation as they celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.

Agnus Dei

Published March 8, 2008 Music 9 Comments

Sempodcast
One fond memory I have from the Seminary is the daily chapel services. In particular, I remember singing the Agnus Dei once a week during Lent. We sang it in Latin, usually in four parts. Very often the organist stopped playing so that the student body sings acapella.

The chapel services at the Seminary are now available by podcast. I downloaded a recent service in which they sang the Agnus Dei, and cropped it out for you.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace. Amen.

WLS Daily Chapel Podcast

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