https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdN7vC2q9Mc 'Wake Awake, For Night is Flying,' arranged by F. Melius Christiansen (St. Olaf College Choir). "Wake, awake! for night is flying,"The watchmen on the heights are crying;"Awake, Jerusalem, arise!"-- Philip Nicolai (Hymnary.org) A couple of weeks ago, I attended a planning workshop at my parish church that took an unexpected turn. The workshop was … Continue reading ‘Awake, for night is flying’: An armchair theologian’s mission statement for Advent and the new year (1 of _?)
Praying to Einstein’s God (or Spinoza’s)? Dominican discernment journal (2 of _)
Raphael, 'Ezekiel's Vision,' 1518 (Wikimedia Commons). Second of (__) journals based on my answers raised by questions sent to Dominican Associates in advance f an Aug. 24 retreat at the motherhouse in Springfield. See HERE for more info in the first journal. Today's questions, on our Relationship with God, ask: “Who is God for you … Continue reading Praying to Einstein’s God (or Spinoza’s)? Dominican discernment journal (2 of _)
Lovely, beautifully filmed airing of Paul McCreesh’s Praetorius Christmas Mass on Mezzo, the French TV channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkfkLxmMm3Y Posted to YouTube channel Felices Cantus Baroque, Aug. 5, 2022 Found, while I was looking for something else (which is the way I find some of my favorite videos), a new performance of Paul McCreesh conducting the Gabrieli Consort and Players in the Praetorius Christmas Mass that McCreesh reconstructed out of 16th- and early … Continue reading Lovely, beautifully filmed airing of Paul McCreesh’s Praetorius Christmas Mass on Mezzo, the French TV channel
In dir ist Freude: A German chorale with roots in madrigal tradition that just makes me happy (especially this performance)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMcKrSjmo4s Capella de la Torre (https://www.youtube.com/@capelladelatorre7664) Dec. 8, 2020 Kind of a trifecta here. I've been posting YouTube videos lately of music that just makes me happy when I watch them, and this one hits at least three of my criteria: It's by one of my favorite early music groups, Capella de la Torre. It … Continue reading In dir ist Freude: A German chorale with roots in madrigal tradition that just makes me happy (especially this performance)
It’s beginning to look a lot like Advent — what better time for Christmas chorales, Praetorius and family heritage?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9a3tBYXFNE TENET Vocal Artists et al. of San Diego, in concert in New York City, Dec. 14, 2013 Last year I mentioned to my cousin John that I had downloaded the mp3 files of Praetorius' Mass For Christmas Morning performed by the Gabrielli Consort and conducted by Paul McCreesh. They came, of course, without liner … Continue reading It’s beginning to look a lot like Advent — what better time for Christmas chorales, Praetorius and family heritage?
Johan Walther: ‘Komm, Heiliger Geist’ in Castle Church Wittenberg; plus some family lore about Luther’s hymn arranger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PozwJVZts50 Ev. Schlosskirche Wittenberg, Reformationsjubiläum (Calvin Hobbes). Here's a musical family story. Well, more precisely a story of family heritage, with some world-class music mixed in along the way. At the end of the day, it's the story of why the hymnody of the 16th-century Reformation in Germany came to take up residence in the … Continue reading Johan Walther: ‘Komm, Heiliger Geist’ in Castle Church Wittenberg; plus some family lore about Luther’s hymn arranger
Dear Christians, one and all rejoice! — we can study Johann Walther’s (and Luther’s) first chorale book online
d r a f t https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpNsuVQ3sUg Selections by Today I stumbled across a YouTube post I expect to spend a lot of time with, even though it features music that's not exactly on the charts today -- and it's a pretty wonky thing to curl up with for light summer reading. It's an audio file … Continue reading Dear Christians, one and all rejoice! — we can study Johann Walther’s (and Luther’s) first chorale book online
John C. Mehrling, 1941-June 11, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90GonV40di8 St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, Saint Thomas Choir School, New York City, 2011 My cousin, John Calvin Mehrling of Waynesville, N.C., died unexpectedly Saturday, in a one-car accident on his way home from a live steam train outing across the mountains in Tennessee. Our extended family is scattered over two continents and … Continue reading John C. Mehrling, 1941-June 11, 2022
Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend / ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now’
d r a f t https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j219xJKXydg Detleff Korsen Text: Wilhelm II von Sachsen-Weimar (?) 1648, Strophe 4 Gotha 1651, Melodie: Gochsheim / Redwitz 1628, Görlitz 1648, Evangelisches Gesangbuch Nr. 155, aufgenommen in der Kirche St. Cosmae und Damiani in Hassel. Wikipedia has background "Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend" at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herr_Jesu_Christ,_dich_zu_uns_wend Also a digital … Continue reading Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend / ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now’
In dir ist Freude / ‘In Thee is Gladness’: Notes and links so I can learn it
d r a f t https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1mog6POXNY Evangelische Kirche St. Sebald, Nürnberg, July 24, 2017 (Calvin Hobbes) I came across this 16th-century German hymn online when I was looking for something else. (Serendipity. Story of my life, at least in its better moments.) Checked it out. Decided to try to learn it. Discovered it transposes well … Continue reading In dir ist Freude / ‘In Thee is Gladness’: Notes and links so I can learn it
DRAFT ‘Now rest beneath night’s shadow …’ DRAFT
d r a f t https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKyiGWYOQLU St. Thomas Boys' Choir Leipzig, 2016 (CHOR GESANG - Das Musikmagazin). "He who sings prays twice" -- St. Augustine (Catechism of the Catholic Church) Maybe I shouldn't admit this in public, but I've had prayer at the top of my B list for quite a while now. After a … Continue reading DRAFT ‘Now rest beneath night’s shadow …’ DRAFT
Praying for good courage in a hospital emergency room … and quiet confidence while sweating out a scary diagnosis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phngTmv7IW4 From "Mountain Vespers" service for Holden Village by Dr. Kent Gustavson Many of us pray best in church, or in the resonant silence of an empty cathedral. Others pray at home, relying on candles, music or other aids to help ease them into a prayerful attitude. Me? It seems like I pray best in … Continue reading Praying for good courage in a hospital emergency room … and quiet confidence while sweating out a scary diagnosis
A new (church) year’s resolution poses a question — is music ‘an agnostic’s spiritual practice?’ My answer: I don’t know yet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjAuBTLdqPg&t=18s Paula Bär-Giese, soprano; and Hans Meijer, lute, in character as Katie von Bora and Martin Luther, perform 'From heaven above I come' and 'A child is born in Bethlehem' agnostic (n.) 1870, "one who professes that the existence of a First Cause and the essential nature of things are not and cannot be known" … Continue reading A new (church) year’s resolution poses a question — is music ‘an agnostic’s spiritual practice?’ My answer: I don’t know yet
Advent festival at Sewanee: ‘Comfort, comfort ye …,’ but there’s a catch: We’ve got to act on the things that give us comfort
Screen shot from Sewanee's website. Click HERE to watch video of this year's Festival of Lessons and Carols (on YouTube) ... and HERE for bulletin with lyrics. One of the silver linings to sheltering in place during the Covid-19 pandemic has been re-establishing connection with old friends on social media ... and, through them, nostalgia … Continue reading Advent festival at Sewanee: ‘Comfort, comfort ye …,’ but there’s a catch: We’ve got to act on the things that give us comfort
Spiritual direction, August-September
Email, lightly edited to make sense of a couple of really clunky sentences, that I sent today to my spiritual director in advance of our September meeting. Excerpts from my earlier posts are in italics and linked to the original posts to this blog. Hi Sister -- Here's the usual note to confirm our appointment … Continue reading Spiritual direction, August-September
‘Letting grace renew us’ — a little book by a Swedish dean of Harvard Divinity and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QviA2iOsOo Gott ist gegenwärtig [God himself is present]. Heilig-Geist-Kirche, Menden, Germany When we got our mail out of quarantine earlier this week, a little volume by Krister Stendahl titled Energy for Life: Reflections on the Theme "Come Holy Spirit -- Renew the Whole Creation" tumbled out. Perhaps I should explain. The mail wasn't directed to … Continue reading ‘Letting grace renew us’ — a little book by a Swedish dean of Harvard Divinity and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit
Word, sacrament, a Lutheran chorale and reading the bible: Lessons from a Swedish immigrant church in Chicago during a time of cholera
First phrase of chorale by Philipp Nicolai Svenska Psalmbok (1819), Nos. 55, 412. O Gud! ditt ord och sakramentLåt aldrig bliva från oss vändt ...-- Svenska Psalmbok (1819), No. 412, v. 6[O God, let your word and sacrament / never be turned away from us ...] No doubt it's just a coincidence, but since I … Continue reading Word, sacrament, a Lutheran chorale and reading the bible: Lessons from a Swedish immigrant church in Chicago during a time of cholera
Is it time yet? Yes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Advent — ‘Savior of the Nations, Come’ and the presence of God with us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyXynduy6JA Johann Walther and Michael Praetorius | Nun komm der Heiden Heiland Instrumenta Musica - Ercole Nisini | Excerpt from concert 31 Dec. 2016 A couple of weeks ago, I took one of those quizzes that go around on Facebook. What's your favorite season, I was asked. Spring or summer, I answered. I couldn't decide … Continue reading Is it time yet? Yes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Advent — ‘Savior of the Nations, Come’ and the presence of God with us
Ordinary Time 