Friday, October 30, 2009

Sound of Majesty: Highlights from 10/29

Here are some highlights from this week's Sound of Majesty.

Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009:

Once again we hear Dr. Martin Jean at the organ of the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus, on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri.  Dr. Jean plays J.S. Bach's Organ Fugue in G Major.

Other highlights include a stirring a capella arrangement of "Were You There" by Jessye Norman and the Ralph Vaughn Williams arrangement of "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name" to the tune Miles Lane.  If you've not heard this arrangement and this tune, your ears might tell you it sounds kind of familiar until you get to "... and crown Him .... crown Him ... crown Him ... crown Him Lord of all."  You need a good organist, a fairly large choir (who can count) and a decent worship space to pull this one off.  Those "crown Him" phrases are really stretched out.

Rounding out the broadcast is the whistling St. Olaf Cantorei singing, "In Thee Is Gladness."

You can catch this broadcast and others in the audio archive here.  There are about 4 weeks of archives in the sight.  The direct link to the broadcast is here and the direct link to the playlist is here.

More on Paul Manz

A post over at Composing My Thoughts has a fairly complete biography of Paul Manz.

Dale Witte hosts this blog.  He is at music teacher at Winnebago Lutheran Academy in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and a composer.  Dale's work includes liturgical music that is used throughout the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

+Paul Manz+ 1919-2009

Composer and organist Paul Manz passed away Wednesday Evening.  Southern Lutheran Kantor has some details here.

Perhaps his most well-known piece was E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come.  You can learn the chilling background of this anthem here.

As stated in a previous post, this is an appropriate piece for this time of year, as we turn our focus to the end times.

Here it is, done by a small choir in an Episcopal Church.



Here is another version, adapted for an a-capella mens group.

Rejoice in heaven,
all ye that dwell therein
Rejoice on earth, ye saints below

For Christ is coming,
Is coming soon
For Christ is coming soon.