Introducing Lutheran Summer Music: The CD

Lutheran Summer Music is an annual event that brings together students who have completed grades 8-12 for four weeks during the summer.  Band, choir, orchestra, piano, and organ students come together for encouragement and to improve their skills.

Lutheran Summer Music has produced a CD from their 2009 event.  Listen to excerpts, find out more and purchase the CD for just $18 here.

Also, check out the promo video below.

Advent III: Hark! A Thrilling Lutheran Worship Tune

Thanks to Brian Crow, who commented in the previous post, I was able to find the midi file for the LW tune.  Over at www.lutheran-hymnal.com there are midi files for all tunes in Lutheran Worship.

Click here to find the LW tune Freuen Wir Uns All in Ein.  Just click on the title, "Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding." Your browser may ask you to choose a program.  Windows Media Player will handle this file just fine.

Also on this website, texts and tunes for all hymns in The Lutheran Hymnal (1941).

This hymnal used the tune O Der Alles.  Click here to find the file.  The hymns are in alphabetical order starting with the letter G.  Look for "Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding" and you will find the midi file and lyrics link next to it.

Advent III: Hark! A Thrilling Voice is Sounding!

Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding!

"Christ is near," we hear it say.

"Cast away the works of darkness,

All you children of the day!"

Startled at the solemn warning,

Let the earthbound soul arise;

Christ, the sun, all sloth dispelling,

Shines upon the morning skies.

See the Lamb, so long expected,

Comes with pardon down from heaven.

Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,

One and all, to be forgiven.

So when next He comes in glory

And the world is wrapped in fear,

He will shield us with His mercy

And with words of love draw near.

Honor, glory, and dominion

To the Father and the Son

With the everliving Spirit

While eternal ages run!

AMEN!

Buxtehude: Advent Cantata

This one is sung in Finnish.  I could not find an English translation.

Part I

~~~~~

Part II

Table Talk Radio Twofer: Shows 74 and 75

Time to play Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller's favorite game, "Let's catch up with Table Talk Radio."
That is, until the next game comes along, and that will be his favorite!

Show #74: Vicars vs. Pastor
In this edition of Table Talk Radio, we are joined by Vicar Mark Pierson of University Lutheran Chapel in Los Angeles, CA--campus ministry for UCLA. Vicar Pierson talks about the campus ministry work at UCLA, the internet movie "Zeitgeist," then plays CACG with Pastor.

Show #75: Name that LCMS President
After playing Who Wants to be a Theologian, we are joined by Rev. Matthew Harrison to play "Name that LCMS President" and talk about his new book "In the House of My Fathers."

I really like the UCLA's campus ministry outreach with the sign RELIGION IS FOR THE WEAK.  Of course it is!  In the words of Martin Luther, "We are all beggars."  Vicar Pierson notes that for many who visit their table, it is the first time they are hearing the pure Gospel message, without any catches or snags or "You just have to..." following the message.

Introducing Higher Things Radio

Dare to be a Lutheran.  That's the motto of Higher Things, a "recognized service organization" of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.  The organization promotes Lutheran teaching and practice among today's youth. 

You may have noticed in the sidebar there is a blog called A My HT Fortress.  This is the blog of a pastor who is involved with Higher Things (HT).

Episode 66 features a discussion on Christmas myths.  There are many, and this show tackles a few of them.  I may have to start a new series called "What's Wrong with this Carol?"

Also, you will find a discussion of the appointed hymns of the day for Advent.

All for Hymn features these hymns as best as it can during Advent.

• Advent I: Savior of the Nations Come
• Advent II: Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending
  
• Advent III: Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding
• Advent IV: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
  

My parish uses the three-year lectionary, so the one difference is that this blog used On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry instead of "Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending" for Advent II.

It should be noted that three of these hymns have been or will be featured over at Lutheran Time Out this season.  Look for "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" with the companion "O Antiphons" each day from December 17-23.

Catch the current Higher Things Radio episode plus it's archive here.

There is a Higher Things promotional video here. (Note to HT: can I get an embed code for the video?)

Read about the mission and purpose of HT here.

This year's Higher Things conferences are in Logan, Utah, and Memphis, Tennessee.  There is a hunka-hunka burnin' information about it here.

Lastly, for those who think today's youth want Lite FM music in their worship services, here's a clip from the 2009 Higher Things conference in Grand Rapids, MI.  Yes, folks, this is today's junior and senior high schoolers singing Te Deum Laudamus in English to Gustav Holst's Jupiter movement in "The Planets."

Now for a confession: I was under the impression that this text and tune were a little cumbersome for my own congregation, then I found these children singing it! Perhaps I need to revisit this tune with my choir.

Look for more from this wonderful choir during Advent IV. Know of a good children's choir? Drop the link in the comment box and I will consider featuring them. There is a Schola Cantorum in Grand Rapids and another good children's choir in Fort Wayne. I can't find video or audio of them, though!

Time Out #43: Re-revisiting Jordan's Bank

This week's Time Out broadcast features the Hymn of the Day for Advent II, On Jordan's Bank.

Hear the golden voice Layman Dan from Necessary Roughness and Southern Lutheran Kantor on the mighty organ of Grace Lutheran Church in Little Rock, Arkansas.
 
In addition, All for Hymn featured this selection this week here, here, and here.