Order of Service

HYMN: ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING

INVOCATION/WELCOME
Pastor Kevin Smith

PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY (arr. Allen)
Cathedral Orchestra

SONG OF MOSES (Beck)
Cathedral Choir and Orchestra

GABRIEL’S OBOE (Morricone)
Nola Dawson, oboe and Cathedral Strings

CAVATINE (Saint-Saens)
Michael Murphy, tenor trombone

Lascia ch’io pianga
Chayce Snitker, soprano and Cathedral Strings
Young Artist Participant

YOU ALONE WILL BE EXALTED (Berry)
Cathedral Choir and Orchestra conducted by Jeffrey Mummert

VOCALISE (Rachmaninoff)
Matthew Bennett, violin

O SACRED HEAD NOW WOUNDED (Hassler/Rouse)
Cathedral Choir, Dennis Bogart violin, conducted by Dr. Joshua Baum

THE LORD’S PRAYER (Malotte)
Guy Kramer, flugelhorn, Cathedral Orchestra conducted by Dr. Chris Waage

HALLELUJAH (Beethoven)
Cathedral Choir and Orchestra conducted by Dr. Joshua Baum

CONCERTO: Allegro (Mendelssohn)
Reilly Nash, piano, Cathedral Orchestra conducted by Dr. Chris Waage
Young Artist Participant

La donna e mobile (Verdi)
Dr. Joshua Baum, tenor

OFFERING
Pastor Kevin Smith

“Souvenir d’Amerique, “ Vieuxtemps,
Dennis Bogart, violin

MUSICIAN’S PRAYER (Duncan)
Cathedral Choir conducted by Marcus Duncan

BENEDICTION
Ron Steen

PROGRAM NOTES

PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY: "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" is a hymn based on Joachim Neander's German chorale Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, published in 1680.  John Julian in his A Dictionary of Hymnology calls the German original "a magnificent hymn of praise to God, perhaps the finest creation of its author, and of the first rank in its class." The melody used by Neander, first published in 1665, exists in many versions and is probably based on a folk tune. The text paraphrases Psalm 103 and Psalm 150. Catherine Winkworth published her English translation of Neander's hymn in 1863. It was the favorite hymn of King Frederick William III of Prussia, who first heard it in 1800. This arrangement is by trombonist, arranger and composer, Omar Allen.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Now to his temple draw near,
Join me in glad adoration!

SONG OF MOSES: John Ness Beck has written several works that are mainstays of choral repertoire.  Often using sacred texts, he has drawn on several passages of the Old Testament in this work, especially Deuteronomy chapters 27, 28 and 32. The text deals primarily with Moses’ words to Israel after being told by God of his impending death:

Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak,
And hear O earth, the words of my mouth.
My doctrine shall drop as the rain,
My speech shall distil as the dew,
As the rain upon the tender herb, as the showers upon the grass.

Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blest shalt thou be in the field;
The Lord shall open His good treasure and bless all the work of thine hand.
The Lord is my strength and song, 
He is become my salvation,
He is my God, I will exalt Him,
The Lord shall reign forever and ever.

GABRIEL’S OBOE: Ennio Morricone (1928-) Morricone is an Italian composer, orchestrator and conductor, who has written music for more than 500 motion pictures and television series, as well as contemporary and modern classical works. His scores have been included in over forty award-winning films. “Gabriel’s Oboe,” one of his most popular and enduring works, is from the film The Mission.  Greatly loved for its beautiful and haunting melody and rich harmonies, it has become a modern staple in orchestral repertoire. 

CAVATINE FOR TROMBONE AND PIANO, Op. 144 by Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) Saint-Saens studied organ and composition at the Paris Conservatory. His contemporaries regarded Saint-Saens as one of the world's best organists. Among symphonies, operas, vocal works and more, among his most famous works are "Carnival of the Animals" and the Organ Symphony, his third symphony. "Cavatine" is Saint-Saens's only work composed for solo trombone and was written later in his life. The cavatine, or cavatina is a simple aria in ABA form. Piano and trombone complement one another melodically flowing seamlessly back and forth.

LASCIA CH’IO PIANGA, by George Frideric Handel; "Lascia ch'io pianga,"originally "Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa," is an Italian-language  aria by composer George Frideric Handel that has become a popular concert piece. In 1711, Handel used the music for his London opera Rinaldo and its act 2 aria "Lascia ch'io pianga," or "Let me weep," sung by the character Almirena. Rinaldo was a triumph, and it is with this work that the aria is chiefly associated.

Let me weep over
my cruel fate,

and let me sigh for
liberty.

May sorrow shatter
these chains,
for my torments
just out of pity.

YOU ALONE WILL BE EXALTED by Cindy Berry and orchestrated by Keith Christopher; Cindy Berry was born in Houston, Texas, and attended Houston Baptist University. She is a composer/arranger of sacred choral anthems for all voicings, for children’s anthems, and piano collections for several major publishers. She frequently serves as choral and keyboard clinician and leads “composer weekends” and various workshops throughout the country. Her goal as a musician is to always present her music as an offering of worship to God, and to help lead others in worshipping and praising God too. She has been the recipient of ASCAP Special Awards for many years. Cindy currently lives in Killeen, Texas, where husband Bruce is Minister of Music at First Baptist Church, and where she serves as a pianist and children’s choir director. Cindy and Bruce are the parents of three grown sons and have recently become proud grandparents.

Before the mountains were born
Or You brought forth the earth
You were God
Before the lightning flashed
Or the world had its birth
You were God
You alone will be exalted
You alone are King
Let the heavens rejoice
Let the mountains sing
That You are God
Let all creation crown You as King
For You are God
You alone will be exalted
You alone are King

How many are Your works O God
You are clothed in majesty
My eyes are fixed on You my Lord
You are from all eternity

You wrap Yourself in garments of light
You make the clouds Your chariot
You stretch out the heavens before You
And ride on the wings of the wind
You ride on the wind

Father Creator Savior of man
You are God
Master Redeemer great I Am
You are God
And You and You alone
You and You alone
And You alone will be exalted

VOCALISE Op. 34, No. 13 by Sergei Rachmaninoff; "Vocalise" is a song by Sergei Rachmaninoff, composed and published in 1915 as the last of his 14 Songs or 14 Romances, Op. 34. Written for high voice (soprano or tenor) with piano accompaniment, it contains no words, but is sung using any one vowel of the singer's choosing. It was dedicated to soprano Antonina Nezhdanova, the legendary soprano of Russian opera in the early 20th century. It is a melody of haunting beauty that has been arranged for almost every orchestral instrument as well as choir and jazz ensemble. This transcription for violin by M. Press and edited by Josef Gringold. 

O SACRED HEAD NOW WOUNDED by Hans Leo Hassler; O Sacred Head, Now Wounded is a traditional Christian Hymn that traces its origins all the way back to the Middle Ages. Based on a long medieval poem, Salve mundi salutare, the poem addressed the various parts of Christ’s body hanging on the Cross. The last part of the poem, from which the hymn is taken, speaks of Christ’s head. The music we roughly know was composed in 1600 for a secular love song and was later used as the basis for the German hymn in 1656. The unaccompanied violin solo that starts the piece, immediately places the listener into a world of contemplation, which is only further enhanced as the rolling piano accompaniment and choir enters later in the piece. 

O sacred Head, now wounded, 
with grief and shame weighed down, 
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, thine only crown: 
how pale thou art with anguish, 
with sore abuse and scorn! 
How does that visage languish
which once was bright as morn! 

What thou, my Lord, has suffered
was all for sinners' gain; 
mine, mine was the transgression, 
but thine the deadly pain. 
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! 
'Tis I deserve thy place; 
look on me with thy favor, 
vouchsafe to me thy grace. 

 What language shall I borrow
to thank thee, dearest friend, 
for this thy dying sorrow, 
thy pity without end? 
O make me thine forever; 
and should I fainting be, 
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love for thee. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER by Alfred Hay Malotte; Malotte composed a number of film scores, including mostly uncredited music for animations from the Disney studios. Although two movies for which he composed scores won best Short Subject Academy Awards (Ferdinand the Bull in 1939 and The Ugly Duckling in 1940), he is best remembered for a setting of The Lord's Prayer. Written in 1935, it was first recorded by baritone John Charles Thomas, and has remained popular in churches, concerts and recordings. Malotte composed a number of other religious pieces, including settings of the Beatitudes and of the Twenty-third Psalm which have also remained popular as solos. His secular songs, such as "Ferdinand the Bull" (from the Disney animated short of the same name), "For my mother" (a setting of a poem by 12-year-old Bobby Sutherland) and "I am proud to be an American" are less well remembered. Some of his works are collected in the library of the University of California Los Angeles and the Library of Congress. However, his setting of The Lord’s Prayer is a classic work and has been recorded by scores of artists including the likes of Elvis Presley, Andrea Bocelli, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and dozens more. This setting for flugelhorn is by the well respected and prolific instrumental arranger and composer, David Winkler.

HALLELUJAH: Christ on the Mount of Olives, Opus 85 is an oratorio by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was begun in the fall of 1802 based on a libretto by the poet Franz Xaver Huber, editor of the Wiener Zeitnung newspaper, with whom Beethoven worked closely. The structure of the work is interesting in that it is something of a dramatic oratorio rather than a religious choral mass or a dramatic opera.  It is scored for SATB chorus, soprano, tenor and bass soli, and orchestra. The “Hallelujah” concludes the work and is a song of praise to the Christ.

Hallelujah! unto God’s Almighty Son.
Praise the Lord, ye bright angelic choirs,
In holy songs of joy.
Man proclaim His grace and glory!
Hallelujah! unto God’s Almighty Son.
Praise the Lord in holy songs of joy. 

CONCERTO No. 1 for Piano in G minor by Felix Mendelssohn; This popular work was written in 1830–31, around the same time as his fourth symphony ("Italian"), and premiered in Munich in October 1831. This concerto was composed during a travel in Italy after the composer met a pianist in Munich. In the first movement, “allegro con fuoco,” the piano enters after only a few bars of orchestral introduction. It was standard procedure in the classical-era concerto to precede the solo's entrance by a tutti, for various reasons - the length and purpose of these introductions differed, some offering a hint of what was to follow and some giving out almost all the movement's material, but none was so brief as this: in this sense, this was one of the first concertos of the Romantic age. The rest of the movement is fairly typical of concertos in its use of a modified sonata form, with a second, contrasting lyrical theme first heard from the piano over repeated accompaniment, and later on in the winds. 

A WORD FOR THIS OLD MAN (Gordon) This aria is from the opera The Grapes of Wrath, which follows the Joad family as they try to find a more hopeful future in the West during the Great Depression. Early in the trip, the family suffers the loss of their first family member, Grandpa Joad. Unwilling to let him be laid to rest without any words said, Grandma Joad presses ex-Reverend Jim Casy, a man who is struggling with his faith, to say a few words over Grandpa. He reluctantly agrees, and the words Casy shares come from a heart struggling to find God in a world of darkness but are a fervent prayer none-the-less. 

LA DONNA E MOBILE (Verdi) Set in the 1500’s, the plot of Rigoletto revolves around the hunchbacked jester Rigoletto, his daughter, Gilda, and his employer, the illustrious Duke of Mantua. The Duke inevitably seduces Gilda, and Rigoletto sets a plot of revenge in motion that goes terribly wrong. The aria La donna è mobile is one of operas most popular tunes and is a not-so-nice reflection sung by the Duke about the fickleness of women. 

Woman is fickle,
like a feather in the wind,
She changes her voice – and her mind.
Always lovely, 
pretty face,
in tears or in laughter – she is always lying.

Always miserable,
Is he who trusts her,
He who confides in her – his unwary heart!

SOUVENIR D’AMERIQUE, “Yankee Doodle”: In 1843 at the age of 24, Henri Vieuxtemps, the great French violin virtuoso and composer, began a six-month tour of America. Playing concerts from Boston to New Orleans, he was quick to admit that it was not a very successful series of engagements. He found that the American audiences were not accustomed to his repertoire of “musique classique” and he was not received with the same enthusiasm he was accustomed to in Europe. The exception was a set of brilliant variations he had written on the familiar tune, “Yankee Doodle.” At every concert this work was a rousing success. As Vieuxtemps later wrote “I became popular and got my foot in the door, for better or worse, opening the way for others.” Fourteen years later on his second tour, he found that artists such as Jenny Lind and Ole Bull had helped change the climate for concerts in the United States and were much more receptive to standard classical literature. But without fail, the Yankee Doodle variations remained a staple of Vieuxtemp’s repertoire.

THE MUSICIANS PRAYER: Composer and Cathedral Choir member Marcus Duncan offers these words of insight into his a cappella setting for choir:

 Of the handful of choral pieces I composed while in college at Northwest Missouri State University, “Musician’s Prayer” took the least time to create.  I was helping a fellow student with their own composition, when I wrote the music in an hour or two.  A couple weeks later, I remembered a plaque that I was given by my parents.  Once I had combined the words on the plaque with the music I had written, I presented it to a few friends that became the quartet that performed it on a choir tour.  Later the same quartet performed at the conclusion of my Senior Recital.  (I later married the alto.)

I have since gone on to share “Musician’s Prayer” with choirs at two different high schools at which I have taught. It remains the most meaningful of all my college compositions.  I have since expanded the “Amen” section, and I am very pleased to share the piece with the choir of Northland Cathedral.

God, please bless my music to glorify Your name.
May serving You always be my aim.
Let it be a witness to your majesty and love,
And remind us You watch from Your throne above.

May others see Your beauty in every note they hear,
And when they hear my music may they feel Your presence near.
Oh Lord, I ask for guidance in everything I do,
And pray You make my music an instrument for You.
Amen.

Additional note by Ron Steen: “The Musician’s Prayer” has become the theme song of the Cathedral Choir and is included on our CD, “Celebrating God’s Faithfulness.” We are honored that Marcus has shared it with us.