HomeMy WebLinkAboutMusical Reflections on the Windows of St. Andrew's MUSICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE
WINDOWS OF ST. ANDREW'S
ORGAN RECITAL SERIES
FEATURING MUSIC RELATED TO THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS OF
ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
ALAN STRONG
ORGANIST
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TODAY'S RECITAL:
THE TRANSFIGURATION
February 20, 2010 – 2:30 p.m.
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church — 217 W. 26 St. – Bryan, Texas
MUSICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE WINDOWS OF ST. ANDREW'S
AN ORGAN RECITAL — ALAN STRONG, ORGANIST
THE TRANSFIGURATION
As we reach February, and the sixth recital in the series, our focus turns to the last pictorial window in the
west wall: The Transfiguration. Based on the scriptures in Matthew 17 (or similar passages in Mark 9 and
Luke 9), the window features the central figure of Christ with Moses on one side and Elijah on the other.
The music in this recital has been selected to relate to Moses, Elijah, Christ and the glory of God.
PROGRAM
Fantasia in G Major, BWV 572 J. S. Bach (1685 -1750)
Partite, "Christus, der ist mein Leben" Johann Pachelbel (1653 -1706)
(Variations on the chorale "Christ is my Life's Salvation ")
Prelude & Fughe `Dies sind heilgen ehn gebot" (These are the holy Ten Commands) J. S. Bach
BWV 678, 679; from Clavieriibung III
Variations on `Austria" (Glorious things of Thee are spoken) Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 -1809)
Eljah, Op. 70 Felix Mendelssohn (1809 -1847)
Introduction and Overture transcribed for organ by Alan Strong
Lift Thine Eyes
And the Light Shall Break Forth
Welsh Hymn Tune Preludes Raymond Haan (b. 1938)
Ar hydy nos (God who made the Earth and Heaven)
St. Denio (Immortal, invisible God only wise)
Hy (Alleluia! Sing to Jesus)
A freewill offering is being collected today — please use the baskets found at either door as you enter or leave.
Your generous contribution will help make it possible for programs such as this to continue to be offered.
Please join us in the Parish Hall for a reception following the recital.
The photograph of the `The Transfiguration" window, on the cover of this program is by Erica Peaslee.
ABOUT THE MUSIC ON TODAY'S RECITAL
Fantasia in G major—Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 -1750)
Though it's difficult to establish a precise date, scholars generally agree that the Fantasia for organ in G
major was composed sometime before 1712, probably while Bach was working at Weimar (1708 -17).
The Fantasia exhibits youthful vigor and clear influences of the organist and composer so greatly
admired by the young Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude. The three distinct parts of the piece can be viewed
as a tribute to the Trinity or, in the case of the Transfiguration, they might be applied to the three
figures of Moses, Elijah, and Christ. The piece opens with a light and transparent introduction, setting
the stage for the more dense, five -voice Grave section, described by one commentator as "one of the
most intense passages of unrelieved passion I have ever experienced." Bach purposefully balances the
opening rhapsodic arpeggios as the piece closes with heroic cadenzas in the manuals with pedal
punctuation, leading to a fully satisfying and triumphant close.
Partite, "Christus, deristmein Leben " — Johann Pachelbel (1653 -1706)
(Variations on the chorale "Christ is my Life's Salvation)
Somewhat overshadowed by the more well-known German Baroque composers of the eighteenth
century, Pachelbel is often credited with bringing the south German organ tradition to its peak. He
composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the
chorale prelude and the fugue have earned him a place among the most important composers of the
middle Baroque era. Pachelbel's music enjoyed enormous popularity during his lifetime, and his music
became a model for the composers of south and central Germany. Today, Pachelbel is best known for
the Canon in D, the only canon he wrote, but should certainly be remembered for so much more.
Pachelbel's apparent aff for the variation form is evident from his organ works that explore the
genre: chaconnes, chorale variations, and several sets of arias with variations. Among these is the
Partite, "Christus, der ist mein Leben" (Variations on the chorale "Christ is my T.ife's Salvation "). The
chorale melody was composed by Melchior Vulpius and first appeared in print in 1609. Pachelbel begins
his composition with a simple 4 -part arrangement of the chorale, followed by twelve variations, with the
number 12 seeming quite fitting in relation to Jesus, perhaps related to his twelve disciples.
Prelude & Fughetta, "Dies sind heilgen zehn gebot" (These are the holy Ten Commands) — J. S. Bach
Clavieriibung, German for "keyboard practice," is the title applied by Bach to a series of publications
completed between 1726 and 1740. The first volume is a set of six partitas, the second volume includes
the Italian Concerto and the French Overture, and the fourth volume contains the Aria with Diverse
Variations, later nicknamed the Goldberg Variations. Clavieriibung III is considered to be Bach's most
significant and extensive work for organ. Sometimes referred to as the German Organ Mass, it opens with
a Prelude (in E flat) and closes with a fugue (the great "St. Anne" fugue) which serves as the postlude. In
between are 21 chorale preludes setting parts of the Lutheran mass and catechisms, followed by four duets.
Among the chorales set in Clavieriibung III is Dies sind heilgen ehn Gebot (These are the holy Ten
Commands). Luther's text for this chorale is translated as: "These are the holy ten commands, which
came to us from God's own hands, by Moses, who obeyed His will, on the top of Sinai's hill." In the
prelude, the chorale tune (or cantus firmus) is in canon at the octave in the left hand; with five entries of the
melody, in canon, it is presented ten times, matching the number of commandments. The pair of voices
above and the pedal line below combine with the canon to produce some of Bach's most complex and
carefully crafted five -voice writing. Commentators have seen the canon as representing order, with the
pun on canon as "law." The pastoral quality of the organ writing in the upper voices at the opening has
been interpreted as representing the serenity before the Fall of Man; it is followed by the disorder of sinful
waywardness and finally order is restored in the closing bars with the calm of salvation.
The lively gigue -like fughetta has several similarities to the larger chorale prelude: they are both in
the mixolydian mode of G; the number ten occurs as the number of entries of the subject; and, just as
occurs in the prelude, the piece ends on a plagal cadence. The liveliness of the fughetta has been
viewed as reflecting Luther's exhortation to do "cheerfully what He has commanded." It also follows
from Psalm 119 which speaks of "delighting...in his statutes" and rejoicing in the Law.
•
Variations on `Austria "(Glorious things of Thee are spoken) — Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 -1809)
To be totally correct, this piece should be listed as Variations on `Gott erhalte Fran den Kaiser, "(God
preserve the Emperor Franz) but the multiple choices in identifying this piece simply speaks to the rather
interesting history of the tune, which has had a double life, as both a secular and sacred tune, for more than
two centuries. The melody had its earliest beginnings as a Croation folksong, probably known by Haydn
as a child, and gradually melding into all of the melodic ideas floating in the great composer's mind. In
1792, as Franz II ascended the throne as the sovereign of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nations,
as part of the effort to win the hearts of his subjects as their new ruler, he commissioned verses to be
written for a song that would inspire a feeling of unity; Haydn, at the time perhaps the world's greatest
living composer, was asked to set the verses to music. The new Imperial Anthem gave the Austrian
people an anthem that could stand alongside Britain's "God Save the King" and France's "Marseillaise."
Whatever the tune's actual origins, Haydn loved the melody, considering it, in fact, one of his favorites.
He used it as the theme for a set of variations in the slow movement of the String Quartet in C, Op. 76,
no. 3, now known as the "Emperor Quartet" because of the melody contained within it. Published
posthumously, in 1815, the set of variations for piano, for many years attributed to Abbe Josef Gelnick, is
considered by most experts to have been Haydn's own keyboard arrangement of the variations extracted
from the earlier string quartet. Each of the piano variations has its parallel with the version for strings,
making it essentially a piano transcription of the second movement of the string quartet. It is this set of
piano variations, adapted for organ, that are performed in today's recital.
The history of this well-known melody continues long after Haydn's death. Somewhat unofficial until
then, Haydn's song gained official status in 1826 as the "national anthem," being referred to as such in a
declaration by the Emperor, ordering that a military band arrangement of the tune be played for all official
functions. It remained the national anthem throughout text variations necessary as different emperors
ascended the throne. Amidst the complex politics of the early twentieth century, for a time it was the
national anthem of both Austria and Germany, with Germany using a text produced in 1841. The German
anthem, with the opening text' Deutschland, Deutschland fiber alles," acquired an unsavory reputation
during World War II, and the Austrians sadly relinquished the melody to their German neighbors, adopting
their present national anthem with a melody by another beloved Austrian composer, W. A. Mozart.
This brings us to the sacred connection for Haydn's melody. By 1802 the tune, known as "Austria,"
had been appropriated by both British and American compilers as a hymn tune. While other hymn texts
were set to it, the text that became the most popular was "Glorious things of thee are spoken," by John
Newton (1725 - 1807), an English sailor and Anglican clergyman who also wrote the words for the hymn
"Amazing Grace."
Elijah— Felix Mendelssohn (1809 -1847)
Selected movements: Introduction and Overture, "Lift thine eyes "; "And then shall your light break forth"
Looking for a subject for an oratorio to follow the excellent success of his first, St. Paul, Mendelssohn
pored over the Old Testament and was struck by a passage in the First Book of Kings, "_And behold the
Lord passed by," and he settled on Elijah as the subject for his oratorio. Begun in 1838, Mendelssohn
originally composed the oratorio to a German text by his friend Karl Klingenmann
depicting the life of
Elijah, taken from the books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings. With the oratorio not yet completed and set aside for a
time, upon being commissioned by the Birmingham Festival to write an oratorio, Mendelssohn had the
libretto translated by his English friend William Bartholomew. It was performed at the Birmingham Festival
in 1846, its premiere performance in English.
Mendelssohn introduces the work with four solemn chords and a declaration by Elijah, "As God the
Lord of Israel liveth, before whom I stand: There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to
my word." Elijah's curse is underscored with a succession of three tritones, the tritone considered the
most dissonant musical interval. This introduction sets the stage very clearly, the oratorio entering the
life of Elijah at the time that the Israelites have been worshipping Baal.
Mendelssohn demonstrates both his highly developed skills as a composer and as a lover of the music of
the Baroque period, producing an overture that is a rather lengthy
to omit an overture, feeling it interfered with the developing story line. He d la persuaded originally pied
Bartholomew, his English librettist, to add one but, for dramatic effect, it follows Elijah's curse in the
introduction. The overture continually gathers momentum – volume, speed, and density – reaching a climax
as it launches directly into the opening chorus in which the people beg for rain.
While any of several intervening movements could have been included, (some more easily adaptable to the
organ than others) the one chosen for today's recital is "Lift thine eyes," originally written for three -part, female,
a cappella chorus. The text is an adaptation of Psalm 121: "Lift thine eyes to the mountains, whence cometh
help. Thy help cometh from Lord, maker of heaven and earth." With Elijah standing next to Jesus on a
mountain at the Transfiguration, the command to "Lift thine eyes to the mountains," seems appropriate, and
the music is among the most beautiful written by Mendelssohn, or any composer.
Mendelssohn frames Elijah with tonally parallel fugues: the D -minor orchestral fugue in the overture and a
closing D -major fugue for orchestra and chorus. This closing chorus, adapting well to the organ, is a hymn of
praise, written to set the words "And then shall your light break forth." The chorus text ends with the words,
"Lord, our Creator, how excellent Thy Name is in all the nations! Thou fillest heaven with thy glory"—
.
certainly fitting, both as a tribute to Elijah and in honor of the Transfiguration.
Welsh Hymn Tune Preludes – Raymond Haan (b. 1938)
Born in Falmouth, Michigan, Raymond Haan is a graduate of Calvin College and the University of
Michigan. Mr. Haan is the Director of Music for the Cutlerville East Christian Reformed Church in Grand
Rapids, having held this position since 1960. He is the composer of some four hundred compositions for
organ, voice, choir, handbells, piano and other instruments.
His Welch Hymn Tune Preludes include settings of eight hymn tunes, three of which have been selected for
today's recital because of their relation to the Transfiguration, particularly in reference to the voice that comes
from the cloud that envelopes them, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with Him I am well pleased. Listen to
Him." The first hymn, "God who made the earth and heaven" is set to the Welsh tune, Ar hydy nos, also
known as the tune for the song "All through the night." The second, St. Denio, is the tune most often used for
the hymn Immortal, invisible, God only wise," with words by Walter Chalmers Smith (1824- 1908). A hymn
that is often sung in celebrations of the Transfiguration, the first verse continues with the phrases, "in light
inaccessible hid from our eyes, most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days." Also fitting well with the
Transfiguration is a line from the second verse: "thy justice like mountains high soaring above thy clouds,
which are fountains of goodness and love." Set to the Welsh tune, Hyrfydol, the third hymn, "Alleluia, sing to
Jesus" is a fitting tribute to God's beloved son. In Raymond Haan's prelude, near the end, we find a tribute to
Bach, with the melody of the hymn found in the pedal and scale passages in triplets above it, very similar to the
closing pages of Bach's Fantasia in G. Thus we dose today's recital dramatically, and completing an arch form
with Bach's composition performed at its beginning – honoring Christ, the Alpha and Omega.
ABOUT THE WINDOWS – by Sylvia Grider
When the current St. Andrew's church building was dedicated in 1914, a reporter for the Bryan Eagle
called the interior a "jewel box" and this nickname has stuck for nearly a century. The beautiful stained
glass windows are certainly the crown jewels in that jewel box. Installed when the building was
constructed, the windows have been loved and admired by generation after generation of parishioners
and visitors to the church.
The period from the turn of the century until the end of World War I was a high point in American
architectural history for the construction of monumental church buildings throughout the United States
which, in turn, led to the founding of several major glass studios to produce the windows for these
churches. These studios produced windows in a distinctive American style that was quite different from
those windows which were produced in Europe, primarily in France and England. The rumor persisted
for years that the St. Andrew's windows had been created by the craftsmen at Tiffany's, perhaps the
most well -known of these studios. Recent research, however, has revealed that the St. Andrew's
windows were produced by the artisans of Jacoby Art Glass Company of St. Louis, Missouri.
There are nine pictorial windows in the church. The large central window above the altar depicts the
Last Supper, flanked on the left by a window of St. Andrew, the patron saint of the parish, and on the
right by Jesus comforting Peter as he calms the stormy Sea of Galilee. The six windows which surround
the nave depict the life of Christ: the Nativity, Jesus with the little children, the Transfiguration, the
Resurrection, and the Ascension. The Transfiguration window, which is distinctly different in style from
the other windows, is a 1938 replacement for the original Jacoby window which was blown out by
lightning. All of the pictorial windows are in the distinctive neo- classical American style, distinguished
by realistic figures, background landscapes and architectural details. All of these windows are composed
of custom - rolled colored glass with hand - painted details, such as the faces of all the figures. The other
windows are opalescent glass with a central motif of either a cross or stylized lily blossom.
THE TRANSFIGURATION
The brilliant cobalt blue Transfiguration window has the most colorful history of any of the St.
Andrew's windows. Oral tradition has embellished the story, but the original window apparently was
damaged when lightning struck the church tower in March of 1937 and buckled some of the windows.
According to a 1967 church history, the visiting minister had just completed his Lenten sermon with the
closing words, "Repent ye now!" when the lightning struck, knocking him from the pulpit as the flash
ricocheted around the high ceiling of the church. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the central motif of
the window had to be replaced.
The replacement was crafted by the distinguished artist George Bryan Cooper -Abbs of J. Wippell &
Co. of Exeter, England. One story which has stayed in circulation for generations at St. Andrew's is that
this window was on one of the last ships to leave England before the Nazi bombing which destroyed the
southern English ports. According to the Bryan Eagle, the window was dedicated on May 29, 1938 and was
the gift of Mrs. C. E. Stickley in memory of her parents, long -time parishioners Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Hines.
The window depicts the miraculous key moment when God reveals the true identity of Christ to Peter,
James, and John. Jesus had taken these three with him up on a high mountain and He was suddenly
"transfigured before them" as his clothes and countenance became shining white while Moses (representing
Jewish law) and Elijah (representing Jewish prophecy) appeared on either side of him. Out of a cloud came
the voice of God, proclaiming "This is my beloved Son." The event is described in Matthew (17:1 -6), Mark
(9:1 -8), and Luke (9:28 -36) and alluded to by two of the witnesses, Peter (2 Peter 1:16 -18) and John John 1:14).
The Transfiguration window captures this moment with the shining white robes and face of Jesus, with
Moses on the left and Elijah on the right (as one faces the window). The radiant golden beams or flames
surrounding Jesus contrast with the bright blue of the sky. The central motif is balanced between the highly
stylized greenery of the mountaintop at the bottom and the cloud from which God spoke at the top. The
nineteen medallions in the border depict well -known Christian symbols, especially various combinations of
Greek letters for "Jesus" or "Christ ". The discovery of the partially obscured monogram at the bottom, just
to the left of the phoenix in the corner (one of the symbols of resurrection) was the key to identifying the
artist and studio that crafted this magnificent window.
ABOUT THE ST. ANDREW'S ORGAN
There has been a pipe organ in St. Andrew's since 1926, only a dozen years after the building
was dedicated. The original Pilcher organ was an electropneumatic action organ with three manual
divisions and a pedal division for a total of 19 ranks of pipes and 29 stops. The pipes for all 19
ranks were installed where the Great and Swell divisions are presently located. What is now the pipe
chamber for the present Choral division (above the Narthex) continued to be used as a choir loft,
even after the organ was installed, near the altar. The organ console (the keyboards) was placed
directly beneath the pipes. The blower, which supplied the air for the organ, was placed outside,
which caused some interesting tuning problems during times of extremely cold weather.
The original Pilcher organ served the church well for many years and, in its earlier days, was
considered the best instrument in the area. On its 50t anniversary, in 1976, a committee was
formed to recommend a plan of action to restore and extend the life of the organ into the future.
It was decided to retain the best features of the original organ and to restore or replace parts to bring
the instrument up to modern standards. In order to conserve money and allow more extensive
changes to be made within the available budget, many parts were obtained from various sources. A
larger motor and blower were installed with several additional new and used windchests, retaining
several of the original windchests. A larger console was obtained, made by the Moeller Company,
that had originally served the Episcopal Cathedral in Springfield, Illinois. Twelve ranks of pipes
from the Pilcher organ plus the chimes were retained and one rank was re- voiced, with additional
ranks of pipes obtained from a variety of sources. Completed in 1982, the rebuilt and expanded
instrument now consisted of three manual divisions plus pedal with a total of 32 ranks and 34 stops.
The redesign also significantly changed the character and sound of the organ, making it an
instrument fitting more into the "American Classic" style, developed by the Aeolian Skinner
Company and adopted by others. An important feature of this style is versatility, with the ability to
fit well with music of many different eras.
By the late 1990s, problems began developing within the organ, due in part to the varying ages
and conditions of the console, windchests, and pipework. The church became aware that a full
renovation was in order, but cost estimates seemed too high. In 2004 the Fort Organ Co., who had
provided the tuning and servicing for the organ for a number of years presented a proposal: a
church for whom they had recently completed building a 40 -rank organ had decided they now
wanted an 80 -rank organ; this meant the Forts would be taking out the nearly new w-indchests from
that church— windchests that they were sure would fit the St. Andrew's pipe chambers perfectly.
With a total cost considerably lower than previous estimates, along with the same guarantee that
would come with a new organ, the St. Andrew's vestry completed negotiations with the Fort Co. so
that work on the renovation could begin in early spring, 2005. The work involved retrofitting the
console with state -of- the -art electronic components, replacing all of the windchests, and adding
several new ranks of pipes to be combined with pipes from the original Pilcher organ as well as
some from the 1982 renovation. With the work completed, St. Andrew's now has a 45 -rank,
American Classic Organ, which can once again be ranked as one of the best organs in the area.
ABOUT THE ORGANIST — Alan Strong
Alan Strong has served as organist at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church since 1992, first as
Organist /Choirmaster and, since 2004, as Director of Music. He holds the bachelor's degree from the
University of Nebraska at Kearney and completed both the master's and doctoral degrees in music
education at Indiana University, including organ study with Robert Rayfield. From 1978 -1989 he taught
elementary music in Hastings, Nebraska where he served as organist at St. Mark's Episcopal Pro - Cathedral
(1980- 1989). In 1989 he left Nebraska to take a position at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville,
Texas, teaching undergraduate and graduate music education, with a focus on teaching the Kodaly
Concept of music education. At Sam Houston he also taught private organ and performed as organist or
keyboard player for a variety of university choral and instrumental performances. In 1996 he performed as
the organ soloist for performances of the Poulenc Organ Concerto in Huntsville, Houston, and the Texas
Music Educators Association (TMEA) convention in San Antonio. In 2000, he left his teaching position
at Sam Houston State to pursue architecture study at Texas A&M University completing the Master of
Architecture degree in 2003. He taught music at St. Michael's Episcopal. School in Bryan from 2005 -2010,
teaching, at various times, both elementary and secondary music. This fall Dr. Strong accepted a part-time
teaching position at Blinn College, Bryan. Dr. Strong is active in the American Guild of Organists,
currently serving as Dean of the Brazos Valley Chapter of AGO.
ABOUT ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Mission of St Andrew's was organized at Millican, Texas in August 1866 by Bishop Alexander Gregg.
Services were held at the local school house. The Mission moved from Millican the following year. A
yellow fever epidemic reduced the population of Millican from 600 to 300 and the railroad from Houston
was extended to Bryan. The first Episcopal services in Bryan were held on the 10th of November, 1867 by
the visiting priest A.J. Yeater. The parish was organized at a meeting held on December 10, 1867 in the
office of George D. Haswell. The first rector was the Rev. Robert Jupe, from the Diocese of Alabama. He
oversaw the building of the first church, at what is now 25th and Parker streets. In 1875 the wooden
structure was replaced by a brick chapel, also at 25th and Parker. This chapel was the building
affectionately called the "Old Church" by the communicants and the residents of Bryan who remember it.
Plans for a new building were begun in 1907. The site chosen was the highest rise in the city, at the corner
of West 26th Street and Parker Avenue. The cornerstone was laid in 1912 and the congregation moved
into the new building in 1914. The first service was held on Palm Sunday of that year and the rector at that .
time was the Rev. Randolph Ray. The building was consecrated by the Rt. Rev. George Kinsolving,
Bishop of Texas, on May 3, 1914. The building, still in current use by the parish, is Gothic. Its distinctive
features are its memorial stained glass windows and its interior woodwork. A major renovation of the
parish hall, Sunday School rooms, and offices was begun in 1990 and the renovated building was dedicated
by Bishop Benitez on May 20, 1990. A much more complete history of St Andrew's than this short
summary is St Andrew's Bryan: The First 125 Years written in 1992 by parishioner Kathleen Davis. This
history in turn made use of a brief early history written in 1967 by Hazel Richardson for the congregation's
centennial celebration.
Future recitals in this series, each recital to be presented at 2:30 p.m.: March 20, The Crucifixion ; April 17, The
Resurrection; May 15, The Ascension
t t)
St. Andrew's
Episcopal Church
Bryan, Texas
217 W. 26th, Bryan, TX 77803
Web: www.standrewsbcs.org
E -mail: office @standrewsbcs.org
979 - 822 -5176
The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of Texas
The Rev. Dr. Sean Cox, Rector
The Rev. Hugh Magers, Honorary Associate Rector
Worship: Holy Eucharist — Sundays: 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.
Children's Chapel - 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services
Morning Prayer — each weekday 7:30 a.m.
MUSICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE
WINDOWS OF ST. ANDREW'S
ORGAN RECITAL SERIES
FEATURING MUSIC RELATED TO THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS OF
ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
ALAN STRONG
ORGANIST
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TODAY'S RECITAL:
THE CRUCIFIXION
March 20, 2010 — 2:30 p.m.
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church — 217 W. 26 St. — Bryan, Texas
MUSICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE WINDOWS OF ST. ANDREW'S
AN ORGAN RECITAL — ALAN STRONG, ORGANIST
THE CRUCIFIXION
In today's recital we focus on one of the most universally recognized images: Christ on the Cross. The
difficulty in selecting music for this recital comes not from finding fitting music but in selecting from the
thousands of possibilities. Some of the music in this recital fully reflects the horrifically violent act of the
Crucifixion, from the shouts of "Crucify him!" as Christ was condemned to death, through the painful
walk from Jerusalem to Golgotha, Jesus being nailed to the cross, and finally taking his last gasp of breath.
In between are some of the most poignantly beautiful pieces of music ever written, all inspired by the
event that Jesus knew he must endure, death on the cross.
PROGRAM
Marche Religieuse (`Lift Up Your Heads' ) Alexandre Guilmant (1837 -1911)
Le Chemin de la Croix, Op. 29 (The Stations of the Cross) Marcel Dupre (1886 -1971)
I. Jesus est condamne a mart (Jesus is condemned to death)
Passion, Op. 145, No. 4 Max Reger (1873 -1916)
Le Chemin de la Croix Marcel Dupre
III Jesus tombe sous le poids de sa Croix (Jesus falls the first time)
Herlich tut mich verlangen (0 sacred Head sore wounded) Johannes Brahms (1833 -1897)
Le Chemin de la Croix Marcel Dupre
IV. Jesus rencontre sa men (Jesus meets his mother)
Variations et Fugue sur le chant du Stabat Mater Alexandre Guilmant
(Variations and Fugue on the tune of the Stabat Mater)
Le Chemin de la Croix Marcel Dupre
VII Jesus consoles les filles d Israel gui le suivent (Jesus comforts the women of Jerusalem)
Le Chemin de la Croix Marcel Dupre
XL Jesus est attache sur la Croix (Jesus is nailed on the Cross)
Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso Theodore Dubois (1837 -1924)
(Verily, thou shalt be in Paradise today with me) transcribed for organ by Alan Strong
from Les Sept Pariles du Christ (The Seven Last Words of Christ), 1867
Le Chemin de la Croix Marcel Dupre
XII. Jesus meurt sur la Croix (Jesus dies upon the Cross)
Prelude on "Were You There" Leo Sowerby (1895 -1968)
A freewill offering is being collected today — please use the baskets found at either door as you enter or leave.
Y our generous contribution will help make it possible for programs such as this to continue to be offered.
Please join us in the Parish Hall for a reception following the recital.
The photograph of the window, `The Crucifixion'; on the cover of this program is by Erica Peaslee.
ABOUT THE MUSIC ON TODAY'S RECITAL
Marche Religieuse (1891) — Alexandre Guilmant (1837 -1911)
Before beginning the music directly related to the Crucifixion, the recital begins with Jesus' Triumphal Entry
into Jerusalem, musically represented by Guilmant's Marche Religieuse. Guilmant composed the piece in 1891,
based on the chorus "Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates," from Handel's Messiah. It was first heard in the United
States, performed by Guilmant himself, in 1904. Known for much of his life as an excellent composer,
outstanding church organist, renowned teacher, and brilliant concert organist, Guilmant completed numerous
concert tours in both Europe and America. Among his American appearances, Guilmant performed forty
concerts at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. It was in his second program at the
Exposition that he performed his Marche Religieuse, calling upon the full forces of the immense Exposition
organ, later to be installed in the Wanamaker Grand Court in Philadelphia. The opening section is quietly
joyful and the closing fortissimo section is majestically triumphant, both of these outer sections quoting the
theme borrowed from Handel. In the center is a fugue, in minor, perhaps as an intended prediction of the
events that were soon to follow during that final week of Jesus' earthly life.
Le Chemin de la Croix, Op. 29 (The Stations of the Cross; 1931/1932) — Marcel Dupre (1886 -1971)
Throughout his career, Dupre was renowned for his skills in both composition and improvisation, and his Le
Chemin de la Croix originated as a set of improvisations. In February 1931 Dupre gave a recital in Brussels where
he played some Bach which was followed by a reading of Le Chemin de la Croix (1911) by the French poet, Paul
Claudel (1868- 1955). After each of Cla.udel's verse meditations on the Stations of the Cross Dupre played a
short improvisation inspired by the preceding reading. In the following year, having elaborated and written
down the improvisations, he gave the premiere of the work we know today. In the entire set there are 14
pieces, for each of the 14 Stations of the Cross. Six of the 14 pieces have been selected for today's recital,
described below.*
L Jesus est condamee a mort (Jesus is condemned to death): Opening with Pilate's command, `Behold
the Man" sounded on a trumpet stop, the music becomes increasingly tumultuous as the crowd shouts for
the release of Barrabas (represented by the rhythm of his name), and for Jesus to be put to death (with the
rhythm of "Crucify" repeated over and over). The climax "to death," heard in the striking of two
immense dissonant chords, precipitates the quick dispersal of the mob, as the music suddenly descends, to
a quiet, but dissonant ending, as Jesus now awaits the result of his being condemned to death.
III. Jesus tombe sous le poids de sa Croix (Jesus falls the first time): A march, begun in movement II,
continues as Jesus' weariness becomes apparent. The "Suffering Theme" (a conjunct, descending triplet
within the interval of a diminished fifth) is heard high in the treble. Jesus' strength fails and He falls. In the
last few bars the "Redemption Theme" is heard for the first time (represented by an ascending group of the
four notes of a tetrachord; i.e., 4 consecutive pitches of the scale).
IV. Jesus rencontre sa mere (Jesus meets his mother): A flute solo with a string tone accompaniment
depicts the MaterDolorosa (sorrowing mother). No gesture, no words, escape from her, her grief is too deep.
The "Mary Theme" is represented by a descending major triad; heard here and again in Station XIII (not
played in today's recital) as she receives her son's lifeless body.
VIII, Jesus consoles les ales d'Israel gui le suivent (Jesus comforts the women of Jerusalem): Based on a
passage from Luke 23 (27 -31), the eighth station tells that, among the people who followed him were "women
who were beating their breasts and wailing for him." In response to them, Jesus' voice is heard, in a beautiful
countermelody, musically depicting his words, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for
yourselves and for your children."
XI. Jesus est attache surla Croix (Jesus is nailed to the Cross): Hammerblows expressive of the
implacable cruelty of the executioners becomes the theme of Crucifixion. Suffering (from Station III) is
combined with it. The ostinato pedal line is an extension of the Cross motif (descending jumps of perfect
fourths, preceded and followed by a major second).
XIL Jesus meurt surla Croix (Jesus dies upon the Cross): The agony of the slow passing hours has a
theme akin to that of the "Redemption Theme" but with the second note dotted, and with a fifth note added
to the upward progression. The dying Jesus speaks his seven last words. The earth trembles: Jesus has been
put "to death." An earthly stillness follows the final tremors and what are most assuredly Jesus' final breaths.
*Much of the material describing each of the movements comes from the book The Organ Works of Marcel Dupre by Graham Steed,
which is VoL 4 of the series The Complete Organ, 1999, Pendragon Press.
Passion (Passiontide), Op. 145, No. 4 — Max Reger (1873 -1916)
Completed in 1916, Op. 145, the Seven Pieces for Organ, is the last organ work by the German composer,
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger, known more commonly as Max Reger. Also including pieces for
Christmas, Easter , and Pentecost , No. 4 of this set, Passion, is built upon the chorale HerViebsterJesu, with
words from 1630 by Johann Heemian and a melody from 1640 by Johann Cruger. The melody used by J. S.
Bach in his St. Matthew Passion, giving Reger the idea of using it as the basis of his own piece with the title
Passion. The first verse of the English translation makes this piece particularly fitting immediately following the
piece by Dupre portraying Jesus being condemned to death. In this verse a question is asked: "Ah, holy Jesus,
how hast Thou offended, that man to judge Thee hath in hate pretended ?"
Herzlich tut mich verlangen (0 sacred head sore wounded) — Johannes Brahms (1833 -1897)
The two chorale preludes on Herzlich tut mich verlangen are from the Eleven Chorale Preludes, completed by
Brahms in 1896 (Op. 122; those who attended the December recital on the Nativity window will recall
hearing his setting of "Lo, how a rose e'er blooming "). The melody for the chorale Herzlich tut mich verlangen
is from 1601 by Hans Leo Hassler and the original German text is from 1611, by Christoph Krioll. Brahms
most assuredly had the Knoll text in mind as he set the chorale, his mind on the recent passing of his dear
friend, Clara Schumann, and his own final days on earth, as he was suffering from the illness that was to take
him only a year later. A translation of the German chorale text is: "My heart is filled with longing to pass
away in peace; For woes are round me thronging and trials will not cease. Oh fain would I be basting, from
thee, dark world of gloom, to gladness everlasting. 0 Jesus! quickly come."
The first version by Brahms is a basic chorale setting, with the melody in the soprano voice, decorated
with passing tones. The interval of a rising second and a rhythm that emphasizes the weaker second and
fourth beats play a major part in the pedal. In his second setting, Brahms places the melody in the pedal,
accompanied by a constant sixteenth note figuration. Relating this piece to the crucifixion, it is easy to
imagine the repeated eighth notes in the accompaniment as Jesus' struggling steps on his way to Golgotha.
The more familiar text set to the Hassler melody, "0 sacred Head, now wounded" is actually older than
the German chorale, originating as a Latin text written in the Middle Ages. It has been translated into
English several times, with one of the latest, made directly from the Latin hymn being produced in 1899 by
the English poet Robert Bridges (1844 - 1930). This translation, which begins, "0 sacred Head, sore
wounded, defiled andput to scorn," is the version found in the Episcopal Hymnal 1982.
Variations et Fugue surlechant du Stabat Mater— Alexandre Guilmant (1837 -1911)
(Variations and Fugue on the tune of the Stabat Mater)
The StabatMateris a 13`' century Latin hymn to Mary. The beginning lines of the translation for the Stabat
Mater dolorosa are: "At the cross her station keeping, stood the mournful mother weeping, close to her son at
•
the last." Guilmant's settings of the StabatMater contained in Book 3 of his LOrganisteLiturgique (The
Liturgical Organist), originally published in 10 books, consisting primarily of service music based on plainsong.
In the Variations, one might imagine Mary reminiscing, recalling memorable moments of her life with her son,
Jesus, some of them pleasantly joyful, some more poignant. The joyful nature of the fugue may seem out of
place, in relation to a hymn describing Mary standing at the cross; it might be viewed, though, as Mary's full
realization of the wondrous glory of this event, the culmination of Jesus' earthly ministry.
Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso— Theodore Dubois (1837 -1924)
(Verily, thou shalt be in Paradise today with me)
from Les Sept Paroles du Christ (The Seven Last Words of Christ), 1867
The composer of four operas, a large -scale ballet, several oratorios, and a Requiem Mass as well as many
orchestral works, Dubois was much overshadowed by his French contemporaries Charles Gounod, Gabriel
Faure, and Camille Saint -Saens in composition; he is best remembered today for his book Notes et Etudes
d 7 (Notes and Lessons in Harmony), still used as a source for harmonic practice in the Romantic
style. Dubois composed The Seven Last Words of Christ in 1867 for Saint Clotilde in Paris, where he was the
choir director (Maitre de chapelle). He scored the work for full orchestra, chorus, and soloists, but later
revised his orchestration to include only organ, timpani, and harp, the version most often heard today. In
today's recital, Dubois's tenor /baritone duet setting of the Second Word, "Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso"
(Verily, thou shalt be in Paradise today with me) has been transcribed for organ.
Prelude on "Were You There" (1942) — Leo Sowerby (1895 -1968)
Were You There is among the most well -known of all African- American spirituals. It is considered to be
among those spirituals in which the people who suffered through the tragedy of American slavery would
draw a dramatic parallel between their experience and that of the persecution and torture of the great
spiritual master and man of peace — a man who had done no wrong, and yet was crucified.
Leo Sowerby was an American composer and church musician from Grand Rapids, Michigan, who
composed in nearly all genres, including choral, orchestral, and other instrumental works, his organ
compositions being considered some of the finest organ literature of the twentieth century. From his set
of Ten Hymn Preludes, his setting of Were You There fully honors the inherent, natural qualities of the
African- American spiritual within a twentieth- century organ prelude. Beginning softly it gradually rises to a
full fortissimo, on the phrase that sets the words "Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble." With a gradual
diminuendo from that point, the piece ends softly, concluding with a chord that seems to hang in the air
without a resolution, acknowledging, as we do in this recital, that the Crucifixion is not at all the end, but
only a remarkable event in the life of Christ, to be followed in a short few days by the Resurrection.
ABOUT THE WINDOWS — by Sylvia Grider
When the current St. Andrew's church building was dedicated in 1914, a reporter for the Bryan Eagle
called the interior a `jewel box" and this nickname has stuck for nearly a century. The beautiful stained glass
windows are certainly the crown jewels in that jewel box. Installed when the building was constructed, the
windows have been loved and admired by generation after generation of parishioners and visitors to the church.
The period from the turn of the century until the end of World War I was a high point in American
architectural history for the construction of monumental church buildings throughout the United States
which, in turn, led to the founding of several major glass studios to produce the windows for these churches.
These studios produced windows in a distinctive American style that was quite different from those windows
which were produced in Europe, primarily in France and England. The rumor persisted for years that the St.
Andrew's windows had been created by the craftsmen at Tiffany's, perhaps the most well-known of these
studios. Recent research, however, has revealed that the St. Andrew's windows were produced by the
artisans of Jacoby Art Glass Company of St. Louis, Missouri.
There are nine pictorial windows in the church. The large central window above the altar depicts the
Last Supper, flanked on the left by a window of St. Andrew, the patron saint of the parish, and on the right
by Jesus comforting Peter as he calms the stormy Sea of Galilee. The six windows which surround the nave
depict the life of Christ: the Nativity, Jesus with the little children, the Transfiguration, the Resurrection, and
the Ascension. The Transfiguration window, which is distinctly different in style from the other windows, is
a 1938 replacement for the original Jacoby window which was blown out by lightning. All of the pictorial
windows are in the distinctive neo- classical American style, distinguished by realistic figures, background
landscapes and architectural details. All of these windows are composed of custom -rolled colored glass with
hand- painted details, such as the faces of all the figures. The other windows are opalescent glass with a
central motif of either a cross or stylized lily blossom.
THE CRUCIFIXION
The crucifixion is the iconic image of Christianity, ranging from the austere and stylized works of the
13 century master painter, Cimabue, to Mexican folk art depicting graphic and bloody suffering, and
every style in between. The St. Andrew's crucifixion window portrays the fragility and vulnerability of
Christ in human form, with only hints of blood from the wounds in his side and on his hands and feet.
The face is serene and unscarred, almost as though He is sleeping. The figure of Christ on the cross is set
against a sky blanketed with roiling clouds, as the golden rays of heaven dispel the dark storm clouds at the
bottom. A delicate, miniature landscape of Jerusalem is visible in the background at Christ's feet, below
the dark clouds.
Crucifixion Window — continued
The placard attached to the top of the cross bears the inscription, "INRI," which is the Latin
abbreviation for "Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judaeorum," or "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews," which
Pontius Pilate ordered attached to the cross Gohn 19:19).
This window, the gift of the Sunday School classes of 1912 -1914, has been beloved by generation after
generation of the children of St. Andrew's, in part because the feet are at the eye level of a child held in a
parent's arms to look closely at and touch the "boo boo" on Christ's feet.
With the Crucifixion window at the north end of the nave, and the Last Supper at the south end,
above the altar, the building is beautifully framed by these representations of the two great symbols of
Christianity – the Cup and the Cross – embracing the congregation sitting between and beneath them.
ABOUT THE ST. ANDREW'S ORGAN
There has been a pipe organ in St. Andrew's since 1926, only a dozen years after the building was
dedicated. The original Pilcher organ was an electropneumatic action organ with three manual divisions and
a pedal division for a total of 19 ranks of pipes and 29 stops. The pipes for all 19 ranks were installed where
the Great and Swell divisions are presently located. What is now the pipe chamber for the present Choral
division (above the Narthex) continued to be used as a choir loft, even after the organ was installed, near the
altar. The organ console (the keyboards) was placed directly beneath the pipes. The blower, which supplied
the air for the organ, was placed outside, which caused some interesting tuning problems during times of
extremely cold weather.
The original Pilcher organ served the church well for many years and, in its earlier days, was considered
the best instrument in the area. On its 50 anniversary, in 1976, a committee was formed to recommend a
plan of action to restore and extend the life of the organ into the future.
It was decided to retain the best features of the original organ and to restore or replace parts to bring the
instrument up to modern standards. In order to conserve money and allow more extensive changes to be
made within the available budget, many parts were obtained from various sources. A larger motor and
blower were installed with several additional new and used windchests, retaining several of the original
windchests. A larger console was obtained, made by the Moeller Company, that had originally served the
Episcopal Cathedral in Springfield, Illinois. Twelve ranks of pipes from the Pitcher organ plus the chimes
were retained and one rank was re- voiced, with additional ranks of pipes obtained from a variety of sources.
Completed in 1982, the rebuilt and expanded instrument now consisted of three manual divisions plus pedal
with a total of 32 ranks and 34 stops. The redesign also significantly changed the character and sound of the
organ, making it an instrument fitting more into the "American Classic" style, developed by the Aeolian
Skinner Company and adopted by others. An important feature of this style is versatility, with the ability to
fit well with music of many different eras.
By the late 1990s, problems began developing within the organ, due in part to the varying ages and
conditions of the console, windchests, and pipework. The church became aware that a full renovation was in
order, but cost estimates seemed too high. In 2004 the Fort Organ Co., who had provided the tuning and
servicing for the organ for a number of years presented a proposal: a church for whom they had recently
completed building a 40 -rank organ had decided they now wanted an 80 -rank organ; this meant the Forts
would be taking out the nearly new windchests from that church— windchests that they were sure would fit
the St. Andrew's pipe chambers perfectly. With a total cost considerably lower than previous estimates,
along with the same guarantee that would come with a new organ, the St. Andrew's vestry completed
negotiations with the Fort Co. so that work on the renovation could begin in early spring, 2005. The work
involved retrofitting the console with state -of -the -art electronic components, replacing all of the windchests,
and adding several new ranks of pipes to be combined with pipes from the original Pilcher organ as well as
some from the 1982 renovation. With the work completed, St. Andrew's now has a 45 -rank, American
Classic Organ, which can once again be ranked as one of the best organs in the area.
ABOUT THE ORGANIST — Alan Strong
Alan Strong has served as organist at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church since 1992, first as
Organist /Choirmaster and, since 2004, as Director of Music. He holds the bachelor's degree from the
University of Nebraska at Kearney and completed both the master's and doctoral degrees in music
education at Indiana University, including organ study with Robert Rayfield. From 1978 -1989 he taught
elementary music in Hastings, Nebraska where he served as organist at St. Mark's Episcopal Pro - Cathedral
(1980- 1989). In 1989 he left Nebraska to take a position at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville,
Texas, teaching undergraduate and graduate music education, with a focus on teaching the Kodaly
Concept of music education. At Sam Houston he also taught private organ and performed as organist or
keyboard player for a variety of university choral and instrumental performances. In 1996 he performed as
the organ soloist for performances of the Poulenc Organ Concerto in Huntsville, Houston, and the Texas
Music Educators Association (TMEA) convention in San Antonio. In 2000, he left his teaching position
at Sam Houston State to pursue architecture study at Texas A&M University completing the Master of
Architecture degree in 2003. He taught music at St. Michael's Episcopal School in Bryan from 2005 -2010,
teaching, at various times, both elementary and secondary music. This fall Dr. Strong accepted a part-time
teaching position at Blinn College, Bryan. Dr. Strong is active in the American Guild of Organists,
currently serving as Dean of the Brazos Valley Chapter of AGO.
ABOUT ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Mission of St Andrew's was organized at Millican, Texas in August 1866 by Bishop Alexander Gregg.
Services were held at the local school house. The Mission moved from Millican the following year. A
yellow fever epidemic reduced the population of Millican from 600 to 300 and the railroad from Houston
was extended to Bryan. The first Episcopal services in Bryan were held on the 10th of November, 1867 by
the visiting priest A.J. Yeater. The parish was organized at a meeting held on December 10, 1867 in the
office of George D. Haswell. The first rector was the Rev. Robert Jupe, from the Diocese of Alabama. He
oversaw the building of the first church, at what is now 25th and Parker streets. In 1875 the wooden
structure was replaced by a brick chapel, also at 25th and Parker. This chapel was the building
affectionately called the "Old Church" by the communicants and the residents of Bryan who remember it.
Plans for a new building were begun in 1907. The site chosen was the highest rise in the city, at the comer
of West 26th Street and Parker Avenue. The cornerstone was laid in 1912 and the congregation moved
into the new building in 1914. The first service was held on Palm Sunday of that year and the rector at that
time was the Rev. Randolph Ray. The building was consecrated by the Rt. Rev. George Kinsolving,
Bishop of Texas, on May 3, 1914. The building, still in current use by the parish, is Gothic. Its distinctive
features are its memorial stained glass windows and its interior woodwork. A major renovation of the
parish hall, Sunday School rooms, and offices was begun in 1990 and the renovated building was dedicated
by Bishop Benitez on May 20, 1990. A much more complete history of St Andrew's than this short
summary is St Andrew's Bryan: The First 125 Years written in 1992 by parishioner Kathleen Davis. This
history in turn made use of a brief early history written in 1967 by Hazel Richardson for the congregation's
centennial celebration.
The final two recitals in this series are scheduled for April 17 (The Resurrection) and May 15 (The Ascension).
Each recital is presented at 2 :30 p.m., on the third Sunday of the month.
St. Andrew's
Episcopal Church
Bryan, Texas
•
217 W. 26th, Bryan, TX 77803
Web: www.standrewsbcs.org
E -mail: office @standrewsbcs.org
979 - 822 -5176
The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of Texas
The Rev. Dr. Sean Cox, Rector
The Rev. Hugh Magers, Honorary Associate Rector
Worship: Holy Eucharist — Sundays: 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.
Children's Chapel - 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services
Morning Prayer — each weekday 7:30 a.m.
MUSICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE
WINDOWS OF ST. ANDREW'S
ORGAN RECITAL SERIES
FEATURING MUSIC RELATED TO THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS OF
ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
ALAN STRONG
ORGANIST
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TODAY'S RECITAL:
THE ASCENSION
May 22, 2010 — 2:30 p.m.
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church — 217 W. 26 St. — Bryan, Texas
MUSICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE WINDOWS OF ST. ANDREW'S
AN ORGAN RECITAL — ALAN STRONG, ORGANIST
THE ASCENSION
With the ninth and final recital in the series we reach a window that is particularly precious to the St.
Andrew's congregation: The Ascension. It is undoubtedly a beautiful window, but what makes it
especially precious is that it is one of the two that were severely damaged by vandalism, but it was
beautifully restored. While it would have been possible to focus exclusively on the event represented by
the window — The Ascension — this recital, as the final in the series, includes music celebrating several of
the events between Easter and Trinity.
PROGRAM
Music Celebrating the Season from Easter through Trinity:
For the Sunday following Easter
Hymne pour le Dimanche de ,uaismodo Alexandre Guilmant (1833 -1897)
(Hymn for Quasimodo Sunday)
For Good Shepherd Sunday
First Organ Sonata
Pastorale
Finale
For Ascension
Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 -1958)
Bryn Calfaria (Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendor)
Rhoymedre (My song is love unknown)
Hyfrydol (Alleluia! Sing to Jesus)
For Pentecost
Choral varie sur le theme "Veni Creator" Maurice Durufle (1902 -1986)
(Choral variations on the theme "Veni Creator ")
For Trinity
Prelude & Fugue (St. Anne) in E Flat J. S. Bach (1685 -1750)
A freewill offering is being collected today — please use the baskets found at either door as you enter or leave.
Your generous contribution will help make it possible for programs such as this to continue to be offered.
Please join us in the Parish Hall for a reception following the recital.
The photograph of the window, `The Ascension'; on the cover of this program is by Erica Peaslee.
ABOUT THE MUSIC ON TODAY'S RECITAL
Hymne pour le Dimanche de Quasimodo — Alexandre Guilmant (1837 -1911)
(Hymn for Quasimodo Sunday )
We begin the recital by honoring the Sunday following Easter which historically (in particular in
Guilmant's time) has been referred to as Quasimodo Sunday. The nameQuarimodo comes from the Latin
text of the traditional Introit for this day, which begins `Quasi modo gentii infants... " (As newborn babies..."
from 1 Peter 2:2); literally, quasi modo means "as if in [this] manner." The hymn itself is the Ad regias Agni
dapes (At the Lamb's High Feast), probably from about the sixth century. The setting of this hymn chosen
for today's recital comes from Guilmant's 12- volume Organiste Liturgique (The Liturgical Organist). It is
intended that the hymn be performed with interludes composed by Guilmant alternating with verses of
the hymn being sung. In today's recital, the singing of the hymn is replaced by straightforward organ
presentations of the four -part setting of the hymn. Following the final presentation of the hymn, which in
the verses of the text is a doxology, praising the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Guilmant's composition
concludes with a brief but grand organ Amen.
Premiere Organ Sonate, Op. 42 — Alexandre Guilmant
Not only an outstanding church organist, composer, and renowned teacher, Guilmant was the first
international organ recitalist with a trans - Atlantic career, with several performing tours to the United States.
While a large percentage of his organ works were written specifically for use during the liturgical service, the
sonatas were written with these recital performances in mind, being written much in the style and character
of the organ symphonies of his contemporary C. M. Widor. Of the three movements of Guilmant's First
Organ Sonata, the second (Pastorale) and third (Final) have been chosen for today's recital. The pastorale is a
musical form that is intended to evoke rural life, particularly images of shepherds tending their sheep.
As with many pastorales, Guilmant's composition features melody lines for oboe and flute, relating to
the shepherd playing his pipe. Being designed to bring his recitals to a brilliant and thrilling close, the final
movements of any of Guilmant's sonatas are intended to show off his skills both as a composer and as a
virtuoso organist. This particular Final, from the First Organ Sonata, fits well with the joyful and celebratory
nature of the Easter Season.
Preludes on Welsh Hymn - Tunes — Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 -1958)
The son of a clergyman, Ralph Vaughan Williams studied composition at the Royal College of Music and
then served as an organist and choirmaster in several churches before his career as a composer developed,
having his first song, "Linden Lea ", published at age 30. Vaughan Williams composed only a small
number of pieces for organ, including the Preludes on Welsh Hymn - Tunes, published in 1920. The first of the
three hymn tunes, `Bryn Calfaria," was written by William Owen and is used to set the text "Lord,
enthroned in heavenly splendor," making it most appropriate to celebrate the Ascension. The tune
"Rhosymedre" was written by John D. Edwards (1806 -1885) who served as Vicar of Rhosymedre, North
Wales. In many hymnals (although not the Episcopal Hymnal 1982) " Rhosymedre" is used to set the text,
"My song is love unknown, my savior's love to me." The tune "Hyfrydol ", used to set two hymns, "Love
divine all loves excelling" and "Alleluia! sing to Jesus ", was written by Rowland H. Prichard (1811 -1887)
who lived most of his life in Bala, North Wales. The text of "Alleluia! sing to Jesus!" is most appropriate
in relation to the Ascension as it continues with "...His the scepter, His the throne. Alleluia! His the
triumph, His the victory alone."
Choral varie surle theme "Veni Creator", Op. 4, mvt. III — Maurice Durufle (1902 -1986)
(Choral variations on the theme ` Veni Creator ")
A list of Maurice Durufle's teachers reads like a who's -who of 19 century French composers, including
Toumemire, Vierne, Gigout, Dukas, and Guilmant. DurufI served as professor of harmony at the Paris
Conservatory and held the position of organist at St. Etienne -du -Mont for 25 years. One writer comments
that Durufle is "unabashedaly post - Romantic" and "his music is characterized by lyrical sweetness even
when it is Plainchant derived or contrapuntally rigorous." His very small compositional output (about 11
opus numbers) belies the quality and depth of his works, the best known of which is his Requiem.
The Op. 4, Prelude, Adagio, and Choral Variations on the theme "Veni Creator "was written for the 1930
"Friends of the Organs" competition, though portions of it may have been in existence well before that.
All three movements contain references to the Veni Creator tune; only the variations are included on
today's recital. The hymn, Veni Creator is attributed to the 8 century monk, Rabanus Maurus, opening
with the text "Come, Holy Spirit, make our souls your home, with celestial grace, animate our hearts." As
a hymn invoking the Holy Spirit it is especially appropriate for Pentecost. Durufle provides five variations,
opening with a very clear hymn -like setting, proceeding through three very gentle and quiet variations, and
concluding with a final toccata that continually builds until it reaches a dramatic and full- voiced close,
fitting well with the passage from the Book of Acts (2:1 -2): "When the day of Pentecost came, they were
all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind,
and it filled the entire house where they were sitting." No musical instrument can do better than the pipe
organ at producing the "sound like the rush of a violent wind "!
Prelude and Fugue ( "St. Anne") in Eb Major, BWV 552 – J. S. Bach (1685 -1750)
While any of Bach's organ preludes and fugues might be used as a prelude or postlude for a worship
service, the Prelude and Fugue in Eb are particularly appropriate because of their notable religious and
theological connotations, particularly in relation to the Trinity. They were selected by Bach to be included
and published in Clavieriibung III in 1739. Four volumes of Clavieriibung ( "keyboard practice ") were
published ublished durin Bach's lifetime, the first in 1731 and the last a decade later. Parts I, II, and IV of the
Clavieriibung contain works for harpsichord (six partitas in Part I, the French and Italian suites in Part II,
and the Goldberg Variations in Part IV), while Part III is devoted to compositions for organ. The Prelude
and Fugue in Eb are, respectively, the first and last pieces in Clavieriibung III. In between the prelude and
fugue are Kyrie and Gloria settings, based on German chorales, the Catechism chorales (chorales with
texts related to Lutheran catechism), and four duets, for use during communion.
Along with its obvious intent for use as music during a worship service, Clavieriibung III has a
number of very intentional numerical references to the Trinity. First there is the fact that it is the third
volume. Then there is the fact that the volume contains a total of 27 works (3 x 3 x 3). References to the
trinity can be found in the prelude, one of the longest and most complex of Bach's organ preludes, as it
follows an enlarged ternary structure with nine sections: ABACABACA (3 + 3 + 3). It also employs three
1 distinct textures: the "A" material in a French - Overture style with its dotted rhythms; the "B" sections
alternating between piano and forte (typically accomplished through the use of different organ divisions
and, in today's recital, between front and rear pipe chambers); and the "C" sections with nearly continuous
sixteenth notes. Serving as the postlude, and bringing the volume to a close, the fugue is filled with
references to the Trinity: it is in three main sections, each with its own subject (the melodic theme of a
fugue); it is in the key of Eb (as is the prelude, of course), which means it has a key signature of 3 flats; and
it concludes with a triple fugue, with three subjects layered on top of each other.
Finally we have the subject of the fugue, with even further theological connotations, both intended
and unintended by Bach. It is often referred to as the "St. Anne" Fugue because of the similarity of the
subject to the hymn tune, "St. Anne" (attributed to the English composer, William Croft), found in most
hymnals with the text, "0 God our help in ages past." Rather than basing a fugue on an English hymn
tune, it is more likely that Bach was making reference to a German chorale, with some authorities
suggesting Was mein Gott will, das (What God wants, may it always happen) and others 0 Her7nsAngst (0
my heart's fear). No matter what the chorale melody may have been that served as Bach's inspiration, few
present -day listeners can avoid thinking of the text, "0 God our help in ages past, our hope for years to
come " —a text that is certainly appropriate as we conclude not only this particular recital, but the entire
series of nine recitals.
ABOUT THE WINDOWS — by Sylvia Grider
When the current St. Andrew's church building was dedicated in 1914, a reporter for the Bryan Eagle
called the interior a "jewel box" and this nickname has stuck for nearly a century. The beautiful stained glass
windows are certainly the crown jewels in that jewel box. Installed when the building was constructed, the
windows have been loved and admired by generation after generation of parishioners and visitors to the church.
The period from the tum of the century until the end of World War I was a high point in American
architectural history for the construction of monumental church buildings throughout the United States
which, in turn, led to the founding of several major glass studios to produce the windows for these churches.
These studios produced windows in a distinctive American style that was quite different from those windows
which were produced in Europe, primarily in France and England. The rumor persisted for years that the St.
Andrew's windows had been created by the craftsmen at Tiffany's, perhaps the most well-known of these
studios. Recent research, however, has revealed that the St. Andrew's windows were produced by the
artisans of Jacoby Art Glass Company of St. Louis, Missouri.
There are nine pictorial windows in the church. The large central window above the altar depicts the
Last Supper, flanked on the left by a window of St. Andrew, the patron saint of the parish, and on the right
by Jesus comforting Peter as he calms the stormy Sea of Galilee. The six windows which surround the nave
depict the life of Christ: the Nativity, Jesus with the little children, the Transfiguration, the Resurrection, and
the Ascension. The Transfiguration window, which is distinctly different in style from the other windows, is
a 1938 replacement for the original Jacoby window which was blown out by lightning. All of the pictorial
windows are in the distinctive neo- classical American style, distinguished by realistic figures, background
landscapes and architectural details. All of these windows are composed of custom -rolled colored glass with
hand- painted details, such as the faces of all the figures. The other windows are opalescent glass with a
central motif of either a cross or stylized lily blossom.
THE ASCENSION
Christ's ascension into Heaven is the theme of perhaps the most beautiful and beloved window at
St. Andrew's, which is part of the reason the parish was so heartbroken when this window was heavily
vandalized in the spring of 2009.
The Ascension is often portrayed in Renaissance art with Christ surrounded by throngs of angels,
but the window image here is magnificent in its straightforward simplicity. As in the Transfiguration
window, there is no landscape or earthly background, just clouds and the golden shafts of light
streaming down, surrounding the triumphant risen Christ as he ascends toward Heaven. The interplay
of light and dark in the clouds gives depth to the image, and the dark clouds at Christ's feet echo the
roiling waves in the window at the right front of the church depicting Christ rescuing Peter.
The deep red color of Christ's robe symbolizes redemption payment for the sins of the world
through Christ's blood and suffering. The robe in the Ascension window provides another visual
counterpoint, mirroring the red of Christ's robe in the Last Supper window behind the altar and
symbolically tying these two windows together.
Because of its location on the east side of the church in the alcove formed by the entrance to the
Parlor, the Ascension window is in full, direct daylight only a few minutes a day, in the morning. The
rest of the day the window is either in shadow or softly backlit by diffused light. But in the mornings,
when the sun hits the window, the bright red robe literally glows against the radiant clouds, and the
face seems to come alive.
For many generations the children of St. Andrew's have kept alive the whispered but treasured
tradition that Jesus has six toes on his right foot in the Ascension window. Fortunately, the feet of
Jesus were not damaged when the window was vandalized. The face and hands, however, were so
badly cracked and chipped that they had to be replaced. These paintings, if possible, are even more
beautiful than the originals were.
The window is dedicated to the wife of Guy M. Bryan, Jr., an early benefactor of the church.
ABOUT THE WINDOWS — by Sylvia Glider
When the current St. Andrew's church building was dedicated in 1914, a reporter for the Bryan Eagle
called the interior a "jewel box" and this nickname has stuck for nearly a century. The beautiful stained glass
windows are certainly the crown jewels in that jewel box. Installed when the building was constructed, the
windows have been loved and admired by generation after generation of parishioners and visitors to the church.
The period from the turn of the century until the end of World War I was a high point in American
architectural history for the construction of monumental church buildings throughout the United States
which, in turn, led to the founding of several major glass studios to produce the windows for these churches.
These studios produced windows in a distinctive American style that was quite different from those windows
which were produced in Europe, primarily in France and England. The rumor persisted for years that the St.
Andrew's windows had been created by the craftsmen at Tiffany's, perhaps the most well-known of these
studios. Recent research, however, has revealed that the St. Andrew's windows were produced by the
artisans of Jacoby Art Glass Company of St. Louis, Missouri.
There are nine pictorial windows in the church. The large central window above the altar depicts the
Last Supper, flanked on the left by a window of St. Andrew, the patron saint of the parish, and on the right
by Jesus comforting Peter as he calms the stormy Sea of Galilee. The six windows which surround the nave
depict the life of Christ: the Nativity, Jesus with the little children, the Transfiguration, the Resurrection, and
the Ascension. The Transfiguration window, which is distinctly different in style from the other windows, is
a 1938 replacement for the original Jacoby window which was blown out by lightning. All of the pictorial
windows are in the distinctive neo- classical American style, distinguished by realistic figures, background
landscapes and architectural details. All of these windows are composed of custom -rolled colored glass with
hand- painted details, such as the faces of all the figures. The other windows are opalescent glass with a
central motif of either a cross or stylized lily blossom.
THE ASCENSION
Christ's ascension into Heaven is the theme of perhaps the most beautiful and beloved window at
St. Andrew's, which is part of the reason the parish was so heartbroken when this window was heavily
vandalized in the spring of 2009.
The Ascension is often portrayed in Renaissance art with Christ surrounded by throngs of angels,
but the window image here is magnificent in its straightforward simplicity. As in the Transfiguration
window, there is no landscape or earthly background, just clouds and the golden shafts of light
streaming down, surrounding the triumphant risen Christ as he ascends toward Heaven. The interplay
of light and dark in the clouds gives depth to the image, and the dark clouds at Christ's feet echo the
roiling waves in the window at the right front of the church depicting Christ rescuing Peter.
The deep red color of Christ's robe symbolizes redemption payment for the sins of the world
through Christ's blood and suffering. The robe in the Ascension window provides another visual
counterpoint, mirroring the red of Christ's robe in the Last Supper window behind the altar and
symbolically tying these two windows together.
Because of its location on the east side of the church in the alcove formed by the entrance to the
Parlor, the Ascension window is in full, direct daylight only a few minutes a day, in the morning. The
rest of the day the window is either in shadow or softly backlit by diffused light. But in the mornings,
when the sun hits the window, the bright red robe literally glows against the radiant clouds, and the
face seems to come alive.
For many generations the children of St. Andrew's have kept alive the whispered but treasured
tradition that Jesus has six toes on his right foot in the Ascension window. Fortunately, the feet of
Jesus were not damaged when the window was vandalized. The face and hands, however, were so
badly cracked and chipped that they had to be replaced. These paintings, if possible, are even more
beautiful than the originals were.
The window is dedicated to the wife of Guy M. Bryan, Jr., an early benefactor of the church.
Additional note on the Ascension window, by Alan Strong
As we reach the final recital in this nine- recital series, it seems appropriate that I include some
comments of my own on this particular window, The Ascension. While it is possible to see any of
the nine windows from the organ, this window is in the organist's most direct line of sight. When
two of our windows were vandalized and nearly destroyed, including the Resurrection and the
Ascension windows, and they had to be removed while they were being destroyed, my view from
the organ was seriously altered for several months. The relief and joy felt by the entire congregation
may have matched but could not have surpassed my own when the restored windows were put back
in place. The feelings I experienced when the Ascension window returned made me realize how
important the stained glass windows are to the overall feeling within the worship space at St.
Andrew's. It was at that point that I began considering the recital series that has been presented this
past year, most appropriately concluding with the very window that was its primary inspiration.
ABOUT THE ST. ANDREW'S ORGAN
There has been a pipe organ in St. Andrew's since 1926, only a dozen years after the building was
dedicated. The original Pitcher organ was an electropneumatic action organ with three manual divisions and
a pedal division for a total of 19 ranks of pipes and 29 stops. The pipes for all 19 ranks were installed where
the Great and Swell divisions are presently located. What is now the pipe chamber for the present Choral
division (above the Narthex) continued to be used as a choir loft, even after the organ was installed, near the
altar. The organ console (the keyboards) was placed directly beneath the pipes. The blower, which supplied
the air for the organ, was placed outside, which caused some interesting tuning problems during times of
extremely cold weather.
The original Pitcher organ served the church well for many years and, in its earlier days, was considered
the best instrument in the area. On its 50 anniversary, in 1976, a committee was formed to recommend a
plan of action to restore and extend the life of the organ into the future.
It was decided to retain the best features of the original organ and to restore or replace parts to bring the
instrument up to modern standards. In order to conserve money and allow more extensive changes to be
made within the available budget, many parts were obtained from various sources. A larger motor and
blower were installed with several additional new and used windchests, retaining several of the original
windchests. A larger console was obtained, made by the Moeller Company, that had originally served the
Episcopal Cathedral in Springfield, Illinois. Twelve ranks of pipes from the Pilcher organ plus the chimes
were retained and one rank was re- voiced, with additional ranks of pipes obtained from a variety of sources.
Completed in 1982, the rebuilt and expanded instrument now consisted of three manual divisions plus pedal
with a total of 32 ranks and 34 stops. The redesign also significantly changed the character and sound of the
organ, making it an instrument fitting more into the "American Classic" style, developed by the Aeolian
Skinner Company and adopted by others. An important feature of this style is versatility, with the ability to
fit well with music of many different eras.
By the late 1990s, problems began developing within the organ, due in part to the varying ages and
conditions of the console, windchests, and pipework. The church became aware that a full renovation was in
order, but cost estimates seemed too high. In 2004 the Fort Organ Co., who had provided the tuning and
servicing for the organ for a number of years presented a proposal: a church for whom they had recently
completed building a 40 -rank organ had decided they now wanted an 80 -rank organ; this meant the Forts
would be taking out the nearly new windchests from that church — windchests that they were sure would fit
the St. Andrew's pipe chambers perfectly. With a total cost considerably lower than previous estimates,
along with the same guarantee that would come with a new organ, the St. Andrew's vestry completed
negotiations with the Fort Co. so that work on the renovation could begin in early spring, 2005. The work
involved retrofitting the console with state -of -the -art electronic components, replacing all of the windchests,
and adding several new ranks of pipes to be combined with pipes from the original Pilcher organ as well as
some from the 1982 renovation. With the work completed, St. Andrew's now has a 45 -rank, American
Classic Organ, which can once again be ranked as one of the best organs in the area.
ABOUT THE ORGANIST — Alan Strong
Alan Strong has served as organist at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church since 1992, first as
Organist /Choirmaster and, since 2004, as Director of Music. He holds the bachelor's degree from the
University of Nebraska at Kearney and completed both the master's and doctoral degrees in music
education at Indiana University, including organ study with Robert Rayfield. From 1978 -1989 he taught
elementary music in Hastings, Nebraska where he served as organist at St. Mark's Episcopal Pro - Cathedral
(1980- 1989). In 1989 he left Nebraska to take a position at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville,
Texas, teaching undergraduate and graduate music education, with a focus on teaching the Kodaly
Concept of music education. At Sam Houston he also taught private organ and performed as organist or
keyboard player for a variety of university choral and instrumental performances. In 1996 he performed as
• the organ soloist for performances of the Poulenc Organ Concerto in Huntsville, Houston, and the Texas
Music Educators Association (TMEA) convention in San Antonio. In 2000, he left his teaching position
at Sam Houston State to pursue architecture study at Texas A&M University completing the Master of
Architecture degree in 2003. He taught music at St. Michael's Episcopal School in Bryan from 2005 -2010,
teaching, at various times, both elementary and secondary music. This fall Dr. Strong accepted a part-time
teaching position at Blinn College, Bryan. Dr. Strong is active in the American Guild of Organists,
currently serving as Dean of the Brazos Valley Chapter of AGO.
ABOUT ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Mission of St Andrew's was organized at Millican, Texas in August 1866 by Bishop Alexander Gregg.
Services were held at the local school house. The Mission moved from Millican the following year. A
yellow fever epidemic reduced the population of Millican from 600 to 300 and the railroad from Houston
was extended to Bryan. The first Episcopal services in Bryan were held on the 10th of November, 1867 by
the visiting priest A.J. Yeater. The parish was organized at a meeting held on December 10, 1867 in the
office of George D. Haswell. The first rector was the Rev. Robert Jupe, from the Diocese of Alabama. He
oversaw the building of the first church, at what is now 25th and Parker streets. In 1875 the wooden
structure was replaced by a brick chapel, also at 25th and Parker. This chapel was the building
affectionately called the "Old Church" by the communicants and the residents of Bryan who remember it.
Plans for a new building were begun in 1907. The site chosen was the highest rise in the city, at the comer
of West 26th Street and Parker Avenue. The cornerstone was laid in 1912 and the congregation moved
into the new building in 1914. The first service was held on Palm Sunday of that year and the rector at that
time was the Rev. Randolph Ray. The building was consecrated by the Rt. Rev. George Kinsolving,
Bishop of Texas, on May 3, 1914. The building, still in current use by the parish, is Gothic. Its distinctive
features are its memorial stained glass windows and its interior woodwork. A major renovation of the
parish hall, Sunday School rooms, and offices was begun in 1990 and the renovated building was dedicated
by Bishop Benitez on May 20, 1990. A much more complete history of St Andrew's than this short
summary is St Andrew's Bryan: The First 125 Years written in 1992 by parishioner Kathleen Davis. This
history in turn made use of a brief early history written in 1967 by Hazel Richardson for the congregation's
centennial celebration.
1 MUSICAL
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MUSICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE WINDOWS OF ST. ANDREW'S
AN ORGAN RECITAL — ALAN STRONG, ORGANIST
THE LAST SUPPER
We begin this recital series by focusing our attention on the largest of the windows, and the first to be
seen as one enters the church: the depiction of the Last Supper, located in the south wall, above the
altar. All of the music in today's recital has been written to be included in the communion service,
primarily reflecting Roman Catholic traditions, because of the composers whose music is included.
PROGRAM
Messe pour les couvents Mass for the Convents) Francois Couperin (1668 -1733)
Kyrie: Plein jeu
Kyrie: Fugue sur la trompette
Ofertoire sur les grands jeux
Sanctus: Recit de cornet
Elevation: Tierce en taille
Agnus Dei: Plein jeu
Dialogue sur les grands jeux
Schmiicke dich o liebe Seele (Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness)
Chorale J. S. Bach (1685 -1750)
Chorale Prelude, BWV 654 (from the "Leipzig Chorales ") J. S. Bach
Chorale Partita, LV52 Johann Gottfried Walther (1648 -1748)
Ten Pieces for Organ Theodore Dubois (1837 -1924)
Entree, `in the form of a carillon"
Ofertoire
Elevation
Communion
Sortie
Pieces sur l'hymne `Adoro to devote" Alexandre Guilmant (1837 -1911)
Ofertoire
Elevation, `in the style of Bach"
Sortie
Pange Lingua— Prelude Zoltan Kodaly (1882 -1967)
Organoedia (Organ Mass)
Agnus dei
Ite missa est
A freewill offering is being collected today — please use the baskets found at either door as you enter or leave.
Your generous contribution will help make it possible for programs such as this to continue to be offered.
Please join us in the Parish Hall for a reception following the recital.
ABOUT THE MUSIC ON TODAY'S RECITAL
Messe pour les Couvents (Mass for the Convents) — Francois Couperin (1668 -1733)
The French Baroque composer, organist, and harpsichordist, Francois Couperin was known as
Couperin le Grand ( "Couperin the Great ") to distinguish him from other members of the musically
talented Couperin family. Couperin's keyboard works include four volumes of harpsichord music,
containing over 230 individual pieces which can be played on solo harpsichord or performed as small
chamber works. The only surviving collection of organ music by Couperin comprises the Pieces d'orgue
consistantes en deux Messes (Pieces for organ consisting of two masses). With movements following the
traditional structure of the Latin Mass, both were intended to be performed with the organ alternating
with sung plainsong. Each of the two organ masses was intended for different audiences: the first for
parish churches and the second for convents or abbey churches. As opposed to the Mass for the
Parishes, utilizing plainchant for the cantus firms of several movements, the Mass for the Convents
contains no plainchant, as each convent and monastery maintained its own, nonstandard body of
chant. The heading for each movement defines where it fits within the mass (Kyrie, Sanctus,
Elevation, etc.) along with the designation for the registration the composer intended to be used.
"Plein jeu," for instance, indicated the use of principals, flutes, and mixtures, or what we might
currently refer to as "full organ." The "Grands jeu" is somewhat louder with the addition of reeds.
Of particular interest in this regard, in Couperin's organ mass, is the Elevation, with the indication,
"Tierce en taille," indicating that the melody, found in the tenor voice, is to be played on the tierce, a
1 3/5 mutation stop, usually played in combination with an 8' foundation stop.
Schmucke Bich o Liebe Seele (Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness)
The melody for this chorale, dating from 1649, was written by Johann Cri ger (1598 -1662) to set a
text by Johann Franck (1618 - 1677). The portion of the text that ties the chorale most closely to the
celebration of communion is found in the second verse: "At thy feet I cry, my Maker, let me be a fit
partaker of this blessed food from heaven, for our good, thy glory, given." Bach set the chorale more
than once, including utilizing it within several movements of the Cantata, BWV 180.
Following a presentation of the chorale as it was harmonized by Bach, the recital continues with
the chorale prelude, BWV 654, from among the group of compositions known as the Leipzig
Chorales. Also known as the Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, this set of organ compositions was
prepared by Bach during his final decade in Leipzig, consisting mostly of re- workings of earlier pieces
composed during his Weimar period (c. 1708 - 1717). Bach did not live to see this set of pieces
published, as it is presumed he intended, as the last of them was dictated by the great composer from
his deathbed.
Following the Bach versions is a set of three variations on the chorale by Johann Gottfried
Walther, whose life was almost exactly contemporaneous with his famous cousin, J. S. Bach. As an
organ composer, Walther became famous for his organ transcriptions of orchestral concertos by
contemporary Italian and German masters, including Albinoni, Vivaldi, and Telemann. As an organist
in Weimar (the same city where Bach served for a time), Walther wrote 132 organ preludes based on
Lutheran chorale melodies, becoming well known for his skill at producing sets -of partita, or variations.
Ten Pieces for Organ (1900) — Theodore Dubois (1827- 1924)
The French organist and composer, Theodore Dubois is best known for his religious works,
particularly the oratorio Les septparoles du Christ ( "The Seven Last Words of Christ" - 1867). His
complete list of compositions includes ballets, oratorios, operas, and three symphonies, as well as his
organ music. While his Twelve Pieces for Organ (1893) are perhaps better known, his Ten Pieces (1900)
contain a number of delightful works, several of which are fitting for a program focusing on the Last
Supper and communion. The Offertoire (Offertory), to be played as the elements are brought forward
and prepared, contains one of Dubois' most beautiful melodies. The Elevation is intended to be
played as the elements are uplifted before the congregation; and the Communion is appropriate to be
played as the congregation comes forward to the altar. As the prelude for this set of pieces, the
Entree `in the form of a carillon "utilizes a repeated 3 -note motive, commonly used by French
composers to imitate a three -bell chime upon which the other musical material is built. The set
concludes with a Sortie (literally "go out "), the title applied by French composers to pieces intended
as a postlude. This particular Sortie brings an exuberant close to this set of pieces by a sometimes
overlooked, but truly fine French composer.
Pieces surl'hymne `Adoro te devote" — Felix - Alexandre Guilmant (1837 -1911)
Adoro te devote is a Eucharistic hymn by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225 - 1274). The portion of the
hymn that relates it most directly to communion is verse three, which begins: "0 memorial
wondrous of the Lord's own death; Living Bread, that giveth all Thy creatures breath, Grant my
spirit ever by Thy life may live, To my taste Thy sweetness never - failing give."
The first international organ recitalist with a trans- Atlantic career, Alexandre Guilmant includes
among his organ compositions a number of settings of the hymn, three of which are included in
today's recital. These pieces were originally contained in one of the 10 books of L'Organiste litrugiste
(The Liturgical Organist), currently published in a single volume, produced specifically by Guilmant
to meet the needs of the church organist. Each of these three settings presents the hymn in a
different character: The Offertoire (Offertory) utili7es at zes the hymn tune as the subject for a fugue, a
moderate tempo, building to a full- voiced close. The Elevation, with the sub - heading "In the style of
J.S. Bach," sets the hymn tune as an elaborately ornate, though soft and gentle melody with
accompaniment; The Sortie (Postlude) is another fugue, with triplet figures throughout, has the
fullest registration and quickest tempo of the three.
Pange Lingua and Organoedia — Zoltan Kodaly (1882 -1967)
The Pange Lingua is another Latin hymn written by St. Thomas Aquinas. The text of the hymn
expresses the doctrine of transubstantiation, in which, according to the Roman Catholic faith (among
others), the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. One English translation
of the opening lines is: "Sing, my tongue, the Savior's glory, of His flesh the mystery sing; of the
Blood, all price exceeding, shed by our immortal King." Over the centuries, composers have
produced numerous musical settings of the text, including the version for SATB choir and organ by
Zoltan Kodaly, completed in 1929. Kodaly's work includes an organ prelude, incorporating musical
material from the later choral sections. Kodaly wrote two endings for the prelude: one, which leads
directly into the opening choral section, and another, which allows the prelude to be performed
separately, as it is performed in today's recital.
Organoedia is the title Kodaly chose for the set of pieces, originally written for organ (1942) which
he later revised for SATB choir, with the title Missa Brevis (literally, "Short Mass "). Kodaly obviously
had the mass text fully in mind as he produced the organ work, as there was very little alteration,
other than dividing it up among the voices and adding the text, as he completed the choral version
in 1944. The two final movements from the organ mass are presented in today's recital: the Agnus
Dei and Ite missa est. The Agnus Dei (with the text, "Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the
world ") has three main musical threads: The first is a four -note motive setting the words "Agnus
Dei." The second recalls the "Qui tollis" melody from the earlier Gloria movement. The third,
setting the text, "Dona nobis pacem" (Grant us peace) is a return to material from the Kyrie
movement. Knowing that Kodaly was writing this music during World War II, while seeking
shelter in a convent cellar, the "Dona nobis pacem" plea becomes all the more compelling. The title
for the final movement (which was not set with text for the choral version) comes from the final
words spoken in a Latin mass: "Ite missa est" which has been translated as "Go, it is sent" but
essentially means, "Mass is over!" Kodaly chose to set it, musically, as a rousing, full- voiced organ
postlude, based entirely on material from the Credo. This full- voiced declamation that the "mass is
over" seems a very fitting way to end this recital with its focus on the music written for celebrations
of the mass, the commemoration of the Last Supper.
ABOUT THE WINDOWS — by Sylvia Glider
When the current St. Andrew's church building was dedicated in 1914, a reporter for the Bryan Eagle
called the interior a "jewel box" and this nickname has stuck for nearly a century. The beautiful stained
glass windows are certainly the crown jewels in that jewel box. Installed when the building was
constructed, the windows have been loved and admired by generation after generation of parishioners
and visitors to the church.
The period from the turn of the century until the end of World War I was a high point in American
architectural history for the construction of monumental church buildings throughout the United States
which, in turn, led to the founding of several major glass studios to produce the windows for these
churches. These studios produced windows in a distinctive American style that was quite different from
those windows which were produced in Europe, primarily in France and England. The rumor persisted
for years that the St. Andrew's windows had been created by the craftsmen at Tiffany's, perhaps the
most well-known of these studios. Recent research, however, has revealed that the St. Andrew's
windows were produced by the artisans of Jacoby Art Glass Company of St. Louis, Missouri.
There are nine pictorial windows in the church. The large central window above the altar depicts the
Last Supper, flanked on the left by a window of St. Andrew, the patron saint of the parish, and on the
right by Jesus comforting Peter as he calms the stormy Sea of Galilee. The six windows which surround
the nave depict the life of Christ: the Nativity, Jesus with the little children, the Transfiguration, the
Resurrection, and the Ascension. The Transfiguration window, which is distinctly different in style from
the other windows, is a 1938 replacement for the original Jacoby window which was blown out by
lightning. All of the pictorial windows are in the distinctive neo- classical American style, distinguished
by realistic figures, background landscapes and architectural details. All of these windows are composed
of custom -rolled colored glass with hand - painted details, such as the faces of all the figures. The other
windows are opalescent glass with a central motif of either a cross or stylized lily blossom.
THE LAST SUPPER WINDOW
The large central altar window of St. Andrew's is based on Leonardo da Vinci's famous "Last
Supper." The window was donated by the St. Andrew's Guild, predecessor to the current Episcopal
Church Women, "in memory of departed members." The distinctive iconography which is
characteristic of stained glass church windows is especially evident in this window. All of the
apostles are depicted with halos, except Judas, the figure in the lower right corner. The central
figure of Christ has a larger, cruciform halo. Christ is the only figure wearing a red cloak, which He
also wears in the Calming the Waters window and the Ascension window. John, seated to Christ's
right, is the only apostle without a beard. Andrew, on John's right, appears to have been painted by
the same artist who painted the figure in the St. Andrew window. The mountains, sky, drapes, and
architectural columns in the background are characteristic of the neo - classical style in window
design. Judas is holding his bag of silver and his downward gaze is focused on the floral topiary in
the foreground. The symbolism of yellow roses has changed over the centuries, but in stained glass
iconography yellow roses are the symbol of deceit and betrayal. Christ appears to be watching
Judas. The hair and face of the central right figure (Matthew ?) is much darker than any of the other
Apostles because many decades ago the window began to leak whenever it rained. Because the
window is too large to remove for in- studio repair, it had to be repaired in place. The glass and
paint used in the repair were darker than the originals and have continued to darken over time. One
can only imagine the generations of communicants who have looked up at this beautiful window as
they approached the altar to receive communion, taking part in the commemoration of the Last
Supper, depicted in the window above them.
ABOUT THE ST. ANDREW'S "AMERICAN CLASSIC" ORGAN
There has been a pipe organ in St. Andrew's since 1926, only a dozen years after the building
was dedicated. The original Pilcher organ was an electropneumatic action organ with three manual
divisions and a pedal division for a total of 19 ranks of pipes and 29 stops. The pipes for all 19
ranks were installed where the Great and Swell divisions are presently located. What is now the pipe
chamber for the present Choral division (above the Narthex) continued to be used as a choir loft,
even after the organ was installed, near the altar. The organ console (the keyboards) was placed
directly beneath the pipes. The blower, which supplied the air for the organ, was placed outside,
which caused some interesting tuning problems during times of extremely cold weather.
The original Pilcher organ served the church well for many years and, in its earlier days, was
considered the best instrument in the area. On its 50t anniversary, in 1976, a committee was
formed to recommend a lan of action to restore and extend the life of the organ into the future.
P g
It was decided to retain the best features of the original organ and to restore or replace parts to bring •
the instrument up to modern standards. In order to conserve money and allow more extensive
changes to be made within the available budget, many parts were obtained from various sources. A
larger motor and blower were installed with several additional new and used windchests, retaining
several of the original windchests. A larger console was obtained, made by the Moeller Company,
that had originally served the Episcopal Cathedral in Springfield, Illinois. Twelve ranks of pipes
from the Pilcher organ plus the chimes were retained and one rank was re- voiced, with additional
ranks of pipes obtained from a variety of sources. Completed in 1982, the rebuilt and expanded
instrument now consisted of three manual divisions plus pedal with a total of 32 ranks and 34 stops.
The redesign also significantly changed the character and sound of the organ, making it an
instrument fitting more into the "American Classic" style, developed by the Aeolian Skinner
Company and adopted by others. An important feature of this style is versatility, with the ability to
fit well with music of many different eras.
By the late 1990s, problems began developing within the organ, due in part to the varying ages
and conditions of the console, windchests, and pipework. The church became aware that a full
renovation was in order, but cost estimates seemed too high. In 2004 the Fort Organ Co., who had
provided the tuning and servicing for the organ for a number of years presented a proposal: a
church for whom they had recently completed building a 40 -rank organ had decided they now
wanted an 80 -rank organ; this meant the Forts would be taking out the nearly new windchests from
that church— windchests that they were sure would fit the St. Andrew's pipe chambers perfectly.
With a total cost considerably lower than previous estimates, along with the same guarantee that
would come with a new organ, the St. Andrew's vestry completed negotiations with the Fort Co. so
that work on the renovation could begin in early spring, 2005. The work involved retrofitting the
console with state -of -the -art electronic components, replacing all of the windchests, and adding
several new ranks of pipes to be combined with pipes from the original Pilcher organ as well as
some from the 1982 renovation. With the work completed, St. Andrew's now has a 45 -rank,
American Classic Organ, which can once again be ranked as one of the best organs in the area.
jf 111 " ,'. 1 -1'�! ,. MUSICAL
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October 17, 2010 — 2:30 p.m.
,�, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
� ' 217 W. 26 St. — Bryan, Texas
MUSICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE WINDOWS OF ST. ANDREW'S
AN ORGAN RECITAL — ALAN STRONG, ORGANIST
CHRIST RESCUING PETER IN THE WATER
Our second recital in the series focuses on the window to the right as you face the altar: Christ Rescuing
Peter in the Water . Scripture passages are found in all four gospels related to the disciples being in a
boat and encountering a storm, some with Jesus in the boat with them, others with him walking on the
water to come out to them. Only in Matthew (14:22 -33) do we have the story (depicted in the window)
including Peter also attempting to walk on the water and, when he takes his eyes off Jesus and sees the
wind and waves, he begins to sink; Peter cries out to Jesus who immediately reaches out his hand and
catches Peter. The music in today's recital relates to Peter, to storms, to being rescued from the depths
of despair, and to the assurance we hold through faith in Jesus Christ.
PROGRAM
Tu es Petrus aus dem Oratorium Christus (S. 664/1) Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886)
(You are Peter, from the oratorio Christus)
Grand Fantasia in E minor (The Storm) Jacques- Nicolas Lemmens (1823 -1881)
Out of the depths 1 cry to Thee...
Chorale: Aus tiefer not schrei ich dir J. S. Bach (1685 - 1750)
Two Partita on Aus tiefer Not schrei ich dir Georg Bohm (1661 - 1733)
De Profundis, from 79 Chorales, Op. 28 (1933) Marcel Dupre (1886 - 1971)
De Profundis, from Neuf Pieces (Nine Pieces, Op. 28, 1942 - 43) Jean Langlais (1907 - 1991)
Sonata No. 3 for Organ Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847)
Con moto maestoso
Andante tranquillo
Toccata on `Assurance" Kiyo Watanabe
A freewill offering is being collected today — please use the baskets found at either door as you enter or leave.
Your generous contribution will help make it possible for _programs such as this to continue to be offered.
Please join us in the Parish Hall for a reception following the recital.
The photograph of the window, Christ Rescuing Peter in the Dater, on the cover of this program is by Erica Peaslee.
ABOUT THE MUSIC ON TODAY'S RECITAL
Tu es Petrus (from the oratorio Christus) —Franz Liszt (1811 -1886)
Born in Hungary, Liszt showed his talents at the piano and as a composer at a very early age.
During a period of study in Vienna, Liszt had piano lessons with Carl Czerny and lessons in
composition with Antonio Salieri (well -known rival of Mozart). During a period of extensive touring
as a concert pianist "Lisztomania" swept across Europe, and it was testified that Liszt's mesmeric
personality and stage presence raised the mood of the audience to a level of mystical ecstasy. Liszt
retired from performing at the relatively young age of 35 and settled in Weimar in 1842 where he
remained until 1861, serving as Kappellmeister Extraordinare. In 1861 Liszt moved to Rome and,
after the deaths of two of his children, retreated to a period of solitary living at a monastery. Having
desired to take up a religious life at earlier points in his life, Liszt had joined a Franciscan order in 1857
and he received the minor orders in 1865. From 1869 until his death, Liszt undertook what he called
his "threefold existence" with regular journeys between Rome, Weimar, and Budapest.
The majority of Liszt's compositions during his time in Rome were religious works for choir.
The composition of his most famous oratorio, Christus occupied Liszt from 1862 to 1866. Covering
the life of Christ from birth to resurrection, Liszt's oratorio bears some similarities in its overall
structure to Handel's Messiah. The section headed "The Foundation of the Church" opens with the
chorus declaring "You are Peter [Tu es Petrus], and upon this rock I shall build my church" from
Matthew 16. The more gentle portions of the movement are based on words from a passage in
John (21:15 -17) in which Jesus asks Peter three times "Do you love me ?" As he did with others of
his own choral works, Liszt produced his own organ transcription of this portion of the oratorio,
and it is this organ transcription that is performed on today's recital.
Grand Fantasia in E minor (The Storm) — Jacques - Nicolas Lemmens (1823 -1881)
Born in Belgium, Lemmens' teacher wanted to make him into a musician capable of renewing the
organ - player's art in his home country. Lemmens spent a period of study in Germany, learning the
tradition of J. S. Bach, and, in 1847, won the Paris Conservatory's prestigious Prix de Rome with his
cantata, Le roi Lear ( "King Lear "). In 1849 he was appointed organ teacher at the Royal Brussels
Conservatory where he trained numerous young musicians, including Alexandre Guilmant and Charles -
Marie Widor. As an organist, Lemmens was particularly notable for his brilliant pedal- playing, due to
his intensive study of the organ music of Bach which, at the time, was not yet well known in France.
In the mid- nineteenth century, both church congregations and theater audiences clamored for
music that showed off the full capabilities of the pipe organs that were becoming increasingly larger.
Among the music that was particularly popular at the time were storm scenes, with the organ capable
of producing impressions of wind, thunder, and lightning. Popular within the list of storm pieces for
organ is the last of Lemmens' Four Pieces in the Free Style, originally published in 1866, with the title
Grand Fantasia in E minor and the subtitle, "The Storm." It is not only the longest but is also the most
technically demanding of the Four Pieces, with the "storm" (near the center of the piece) presented
through rapid chromatic scales, full chords, arpeggios, and dotted rhythms played on full organ. A
diminuendo leads to the "Prayer" — a calm and quiet passage after the "storm." Near the end of the
final section a hint of the "storm" and a fragment of the "Prayer" return at the end of the work.
Out of the depthslcryto thee, OLord! 130)
It is with a bit of liberty that the next set of pieces on the recital is included, all relating to Psalm
130 with the opening verse, "Out of the depths I cry to thee, 0 Lord!" Although the complete psalm
relates primarily to the redemption of Israel, its application has often been broadened to a more
general plea for aid from God. It is with this broadened sense of the meaning of the opening line of
the psalm that the music is applied to Peter, making a desperate plea for assistance, literally to be
rescued from the depths of the sea into which he finds himself sinking.
The text of Psalm 130 was expanded and broadened in the German chorale, Aus tieferNot schrei ich
deep affliction I ("From "From dee cry you") with two melodies existing side by side, from the early
� rY out to Y ou)
16 century. The less familiar of the two melodies, in a major key, is attributed to Wolfgang Dachstein
(1525), though Dachstein may have adapted it from a 15` century melody. In today's recital we hear
this melody as it was set in a four -part chorale by J. S. Bach, followed by a pair of variations by Georg
Bohm, a German Baroque organist and composer who served as organist at St. John's Church in
Luneburg from 1698 to his death in 1733. It is known that Bach loved and studied his works, having
been a pupil of Bohm's for a period of time.
The more familiar minor key version of the melody for Aus tieferNot is attributed to Martin Luther
(1524). In today's recital we hear it set in a four -part chorale by J. S. Bach, followed by settings by two
20` century French composers: Marcel Dupre and Jean Langlais. Being French Catholic rather than
German Lutheran, Dupre and Langlais would have been more familiar with the hymn in its Latin
version, with the title De profundis ( "Out of the deep ").
The Dupre setting comes from his 79 Chorales, Op. 28 (1933) intended to be used by organ
students who could then study Dupre's versions side by side with versions by J. S. Bach. Far beyond
dry etudes, the Dupre chorale preludes are wonderful 20 century settings of these chorale melodies.
Coming from his Neuf Pieces (Nine Pieces, 1942 -43) The setting of De Profundis by Langlais is
particularly appropriate for today's recital, with its opening measures of rocking chords, giving the
impression of the undulation of waves of water. These undulating chords are interspersed throughout
the piece, alternating with canonic presentations of the chorale melody, harmonized in Langlais' typical
free -tonal style. Among the settings of Out of the deep, the Langlais version certainly depicts most fully
the sense of pain and longing of someone pleading for aid from God.
Organ Sonata No. 3 (1845)— Felix Mendelssohn (1809 -1847)
Known throughout his lifetime as both a brilliant composer and consummate keyboard performer,
Mendelssohn was a skilled organist and, during his visits to Britain, he gave a number of well - received
organ recitals. Along with performances of Bach organ works, his improvisations were described in
glowing terms, with "soft movements full of tenderness and expression, exquisitely beautiful and
impassioned" and, "in his loud preludes there are an endless variety of new ideas." The pedal passages
were described as being "so novel and independent...as to take the auditor quite by surprise." All of
these qualities are evident in the organ sonatas, which were commissioned as a "set of voluntaries" by
the English publishers Coventry and Hollier in 1844 and were published in 1845.
Mendelssohn composed the set of six sonatas, using the term "sonata" as it would have been used
by Bach, for a collection or suite of varying pieces. Sonata No. 3, in A Major, has only two movements,
though the first movement is actually in several sections, making the sonata feel much more complete
than a listing of two movements might suggest. The first movement incorporates a processional piece
which Mendelssohn had written for the wedding of his sister Fanny, found in the opening and closing
sections of the movement. In between is brilliant fugal counterpoint in the manuals with statements in
the pedal of the chorale, Aus tieferNot schrei ich dir (the minor key version). In dramatic contrast to the
intensity of the fugue and the rousing, full organ closing of the first movement, the second movement,
Andante tranquillo, ends the sonata gently and quietly, as in a sense of meditative prayer
Toccata on `Assurance" — Kiyo Watanabe
Award- winning organist and respected composer Kiyo Watanabe is a native of Tokyo, Japan,
with degrees in organ performance from Baylor University and the Manhattan School of Music. He
has served as the organist at First United Methodist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas since 1996. His
Toccata on "Assurance," selected to close today's recital, is based on the hymn Blessed Assurance, with
words by Phoebe Knapp and music by the well -known hymn composer Fanny Crosby. This
rousing setting of the hymn, which opens with the words "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine" and
includes a refrain ending with the words "Praising my Savior all the day long," seems like a fitting
closing to today's recital, focusing on the image of Peter being assured of being saved, literally, by
the outreaching hand of Jesus.
ABOUT THE WINDOWS — by Sylvia Grider
When the current St. Andrew's church building was dedicated in 1914, a reporter for the Bryan Eagle
called the interior a "jewel box" and this nickname has stuck for nearly a century. The beautiful stained
glass windows are certainly the crown jewels in that jewel box. Installed when the building was
constructed, the windows have been loved and admired by generation after generation of parishioners
and visitors to the church.
The period from the turn of the century until the end of World War I was a high point in American
architectural history for the construction of monumental church buildings throughout the United States
which, in turn, led to the founding of several major glass studios to produce the windows for these
churches. These studios produced windows in a distinctive American style that was quite different from
those windows which were produced in Europe, primarily in France and England. The rumor persisted
for years that the St. Andrew's windows had been created by the craftsmen at Tiffany's, perhaps the
most well -known of these studios. Recent research, however, has revealed that the St. Andrew's
windows were produced by the artisans of Jacoby Art Glass Company of St. Louis, Missouri.
There are nine pictorial windows in the church. The large central window above the altar depicts the
Last Supper, flanked on the left by a window of St. Andrew, the patron saint of the parish, and on the
right by Jesus comforting Peter as he calms the stormy Sea of Galilee. The six windows which surround
the nave depict the life of Christ: the Nativity, Jesus with the little children, the Transfiguration, the
Resurrection, and the Ascension. The Transfiguration window, which is distinctly different in style from
the other windows, is a 1938 replacement for the original Jacoby window which was blown out by
lightning. All of the pictorial windows are in the distinctive neo- classical American style, distinguished
by realistic figures, background landscapes and architectural details. All of these windows are composed
of custom -rolled colored glass with hand - painted details, such as the faces of all the figures. The other
windows are opalescent glass with a central motif of either a cross or stylized lily blossom.
JESUS RESCUING PEI R IN THE WATER
The narrow window to the right of the Last Supper window depicts the pivotal episode when
Jesus saves Peter from drowning (Matthew 14: 24 -31). Jesus had walked on the water to reach the
boat, to the astonishment of the fishermen. Peter then said, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on
the water." And Jesus said, "Come." And when Peter came down out of the boat, he walked on the
water, to go to Jesus. But when Peter saw how the wind was rising, he was afraid and began to sink,
crying out, "Lord save me!" And Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying, "0
man of little faith, why did you doubt ?"
This dramatic scene has been a favorite of artists since at least the Renaissance. Most
representations depict not only Jesus and Peter but also sailors and boats in the background to provide
perspective and scale. The boats and sailors in the St. Andrew's window (visible behind Jesus'
upraised arm) are sketched in brown monotone, with little artistic detail. One has the impression that
these tiny, cartoon -like figures were painted by an apprentice rather than a master artist.
The depiction of the turbulence of the storm is achieved through a combination of painting and
leading (or caming*). The cames at Jesus' feet are curved around the waves to create the perspective
of a flattened surface where Jesus is standing, and the shaded painting of the water enhances the effect.
The wind is blowing Jesus' cloak out behind him. The roiling clouds, also outlined by curved cames,
are painted in dark gray strokes, darker than the water, which enhances the depth of the scene.
This window is dedicated to George D. Haswell, one of the founders of St. Andrew's, and his
Consort, Eliza Tyler. "Consort" is a formal and practically obsolete term for "wife," and this
terminology has perplexed and amused modern parishioners for many generations.
*A came is a divider bar used between small pieces of glass to make a Larger glazing panel, sometimes referred to as leaded
glass. This process is then referred to as "leading" or "caming." Cames are mostly made of soft metals such as lead, zinc, copper
or brass. They generally have an H- shaped cross section, although U- shaped cross sections are used for the borders of panels.
•
ABOUT THE ST. ANDREW'S ORGAN
There has been a pipe organ in St. Andrew's since 1926, only a dozen years after the building
was dedicated. The original Pilcher organ was an electropneumatic action organ with three manual
divisions and a pedal division for a total of 19 ranks of pipes and 29 stops. The pipes for all 19
ranks were installed where the Great and Swell divisions are presently located. What is now the pipe
chamber for the present Choral division (above the Narthex) continued to be used as a choir loft,
even after the organ was installed, near the altar. The organ console (the keyboards) was placed
directly beneath the pipes. The blower, which supplied the air for the organ, was placed outside,
which caused some interesting tuning problems during times of extremely cold weather.
The original Pilcher organ served the church well for many years and, in its earlier days, was
considered the best instrument in the area. On its 50 anniversary, in 1976, a committee was
formed to recommend a plan of action to restore and extend the life of the organ into the future.
It was decided to retain the best features of the original organ and to restore or replace parts to bring
the instrument up to modern standards. In order to conserve money and allow more extensive
changes to be made within the available budget, many parts were obtained from various sources. A
larger motor and blower were installed with several additional new and used windchests, retaining
several of the original windchests. A larger console was obtained, made by the Moeller Company,
that had originally served the Episcopal Cathedral in Springfield, Illinois. Twelve ranks of pipes
from the Pilcher organ plus the chimes were retained and one rank was re- voiced, with additional
ranks of pipes obtained from a variety of sources. Completed in 1982, the rebuilt and expanded
instrument now consisted of three manual divisions plus pedal with a total of 32 ranks and 34 stops.
The redesign also significantly changed the character and sound of the organ, making it an
instrument fitting more into the "American Classic" style, developed by the Aeolian Skinner
Company and adopted by others. An important feature of this style is versatility, with the ability to
fit well with music of many different eras.
By the late 1990s, problems began developing within the organ, due in part to the varying ages
and conditions of the console, windchests, and pipework. The church became aware that a full
renovation was in order, but cost estimates seemed too high. In 2004 the Fort Organ Co., who had
provided the tuning and servicing for the organ for a number of years presented a proposal: a
church for whom they had recently completed building a 40 -rank organ had decided they now
wanted an 80 -rank organ; this meant the Forts would be taking out the nearly new windchests from
that church — windchests that they were sure would fit the St. Andrew's pipe chambers perfectly.
With a total cost considerably lower than previous estimates, along with the same guarantee that
would come with a new organ, the St. Andrew's vestry completed negotiations with the Fort Co. so
that work on the renovation could begin in early spring, 2005. The work involved retrofitting the
console with state -of -the -art electronic components, replacing all of the w-indchests, and adding
several new ranks of pipes to be combined with pipes from the original Pilcher organ as well as
some from the 1982 renovation. With the work completed, St. Andrew's now has a 45 -rank,
American Classic Organ, which can once again be ranked as one of the best organs in the area.
a MUSICAL
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TODAY'S RECITAL:
i ST. ANDREW
t i , v If A# re milk � ♦ November 21, 2010 — 2:30 p.m.
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
� fillfr 1 217 W. 26 St. — Bryan, Texas
NIVAIWAra
MUSICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE WINDOWS OF ST. ANDREW'S
AN ORGAN RECITAL — ALAN Si RONG, ORGANIST
ST. ANDREW
With this church bearing the name of Andrew as its patron saint, it seems most appropriate for the
recital focusing on the St. Andrew window to be scheduled in November, the month in which St.
Andrew's Day is celebrated. In honor of St. Andrew, the music in today's recital celebrates the fact that
he is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece and Russia, among several other countries.
PROGRAM
Hebrides Overture; Fingal's Cave, Op. 26 Felix Mendelssohn (1809 -1847)
Cinq melodies populairesgrecques (Five Greek Folksongs) Maurice Ravel (1875 -1937)
Transcribed for organ by Alan Strong
1. Chanson de la mariee— = urtvn6E rtStpo7tgp61Ka —
The Song of the Bride
2. Lei -bas, vers l'eglise — Ka&W oTOV Ayto Fi6Epo —
Yonder by the church
3. Quel gallant m'est comparable — floio aa(Knc aav Kat µova —
What Gallant Compares with me?
4. Chanson des cuielleuses de lentisques — M'avt4AoS Siam, µarea pop —
Love song of the lentisk gatherers
5. Tout gai!— f iapou .tnt, Epupvei <o
Everyone is Joyous!
Fantaisie for Organ, Op. 110 Alexander Glazunov (1865 -1936)
Prelude
Pastorale
Fugue
A freewill offering is being collected today — please use the baskets found at either door as you enter or leave.
Your generous contribution will help make it possible for programs such as this to continue to be offered.
Please join us in the Parish Hall for a reception following the recital.
The photograph of the St. Andrew window, on the cover of this program is by Erica Peaslee.
ABOUT THE MUSIC ON TODAY'S RECITAL
Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave), Op. 26 —Felix Mendelssohn (1809 -1847)
In the Nineteenth Century it was common for wealthy young men to undertake a "Grand Tour"
of Europe to gain perspective and culture. Mendelssohn's tour began in 1829 and lasted four years,
taking him through every major country and city of the time. His first stop was London, his second
Scotland, where he visited the Hebrides — an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland — and the
renowned Fingal's Cave, on the Isle of Straffa. Tremendously impressed by the beauty and immensity
of the place, he quickly jotted down what would become the opening notes of an overture, including
them in a letter written home that same evening. In a note to his sister, Fanny, he said, "In order to
make you understand how extraordinarily the Hebrides affected me, I send you the following, which
came into my head there." More than a year passed before the composer finally completed the
overture, tentatively titled "Die einsame Insel," or "The Lonely Island." Mendelssohn later revised the
score, completing it by June 20, 1832, with the title Die Hebriden, (or The Hebrides). The title of
Fingal's Cave was also used: on the orchestral parts Mendelssohn labeled the music The Hebrides, but on
the score he labeled the music Fingal's Cave.
As is common with Romantic era pieces, this is not an overture in the sense that it precedes a play
or opera; the piece is a concert overture, a stand -alone musical selection, and has now become part of
standard orchestral repertoire. Although it is program music, it does not tell a specific story; instead,
the piece depicts a mood and "sets a scene." The overture consists of two primary themes; the
opening notes of the overture state the theme Mendelssohn wrote while visiting the cave. This lyrical
theme, suggestive of the power and stunning beauty of the cave, is intended to develop feelings of
loneliness and solitude. The second theme, meanwhile, depicts movement at sea and "rolling waves."
As one writer notes: We can hear the breaking of the waves, almost see the basalt columns and
strange colors, and above all experience the overwhelming vastness of the cavern. Many composers,
before and since, have used music to depict the physical world, but in Fingal's Cave, Mendelssohn set an
example that has never been equaled."
Mendelssohn produced an arrangement of the Hebrides Overture for piano duet at the same time he
completed the orchestral version. It is from this piano duet version that the piece is performed today,
as a "duet for one" at the organ, utilizing the state of the art capabilities of the St. Andrew's organ.
Csnq Melodies Populaires Gtecques (Five Greek Folksongs) — Maurice Ravel (1875 -1937)
Most of the Greek folk songs that were later set with accompaniments by Ravel come from
melodies recorded on wax cylinders from the collection of Hubert Pernot (1870 - 1946), a French
Hellenist and linguist. In 1898 -99 Pernot visited the Greek island of Chios, then under Ottoman rule,
on a mission by the French ministry of education. Transcriptions of the songs were made by the French
composer and music critic Paul Le Flem (1881 - 1984). The texts of the songs were translated into
French by the musicologist and music critic Michel Dirnitri Calvocoressi (1877- 1944), of Greek origin
himself, who then presented the songs to Ravel, his lifelong friend. The one song that is not from the
Pernot set (no. 3) comes from the collection published by Pericles Matsas in Constantinople in 1883.
Ravel transferred some of these songs into his own musical idiom in 1904 -1906, for piano and
voice. Under the title Cing Melodies Populaires Grecques, the songs became quite popular. Ravel later
orchestrated two of them, and the remaining three were orchestrated by Manuel Rosenthal, making it
possible to perform the entire cycle in the concert rather than the recital hall. The transcription for
organ, performed in today's recital, was produced from Ravel's piano versions of the songs.
The English translations of each of the songs are given below:
1. Chanson de la mariee — =IJTtV f GE TtetpoTt p61Ka - The Song of the Bride
Awake, awake, my darling partridge,
Open to the morning your wings.
Three beauty marks; my heart is on fire!
See the ribbon of gold that I bring
To tie round your hair.
If you want, my beauty, we shall marry!
In our two families, everyone is related!
2. La -bas, very l'eglise — K &rW arov Ayio !1.6Epo — Yonder by the church
Yonder, by the church,
By the church of Ayio Sidero,
The church, 0 blessed Virgin,
The church of Ayio Costanndino,
There are gathered,
Assembled in number infinite,
The world's, 0 blessed Virgin,
All the world's most decent folk!
3. Quel gallant m'ect comparable — foto aaiKrlc aav KaL Ova — What Gallant Compares with me?
What gallant compares with me,
Among those one sees passing by?
Tell me, Lady Vassiliki!
See, hanging on my belt,
My pistols and my curved sword.
And it is you whom I love!
4. Chanson des cuielleuses de lentisques — M' tvr4Xoc Elam, µ&rya you — Love song of the lentisk gatherers
0 joy of my soul, joy of my heart,
which is so dear to me, joy of my soul and heart ,
treasure
lY Y
you whom I love ardently,
Y,
you are more handsome than an angel.
O when you appear, angel so sweet,
Before our eyes, Like a fine, blond angel,
under the bright sun, Alas! all of our poor hearts sigh!
5. Toutgai! flapouµru, Epupv 1KO - Everyone is Joyous!
Everyone is joyous, joyous!
Beautiful legs, tireli, which dance,
Beautiful legs; even the dishes are dancing!
Tra la la, la la la!
Fantasy for organ, Op. 110 (1934 -35) — Alexander Glazunov (1865- 1936)
Alexander Glazunov was a major Russian composer, as well as an influential music teacher. He
has a significant place in Russian music as he succeeded in joining together recognizably Russian and
clearly European musical styles, fully exemplified in the Fantasy for Organ. Known mostly for his
orchestral music, the Fantay is among a small number of works the composer produced for the
organ. Written in 1934 -35, it is the last work to which he assigned an opus number, just a year
before his death. It was dedicated and first performed by Marcel Dupre who also acted as technical
consultant. The gently spiritual quality of the opening Fantasia sets this work distinctly apart from
Glazunov's other organ works, which conform to the more strict formal structure of eighteenth
century organ preludes. The middle section of the work is a gentle and beautiful pastorale,
delightfully evoking images of shepherds and idyllic rural scenes. The work concludes with a finely
constructed fugue that closes with a coda, with fortissimo chords and running pedal lines that easily
take the mind into some immense Russian cathedral.
ABOUT THE WINDOWS - by Sylvia Grider
When the current St. Andrew's church building was dedicated in 1914, a reporter for the Bryan Eagle
called the interior a "jewel box" and this nickname has stuck for nearly a century. The beautiful stained
glass windows are certainly the crown jewels in that jewel box. Installed when the building was
constructed, the windows have been loved and admired by generation after generation of parishioners
and visitors to the church.
The period from the turn of the century until the end of World War I was a high point in American
architectural history for the construction of monumental church buildings throughout the United States
which, in turn, led to the founding of several major glass studios to produce the windows for these
churches. These studios produced windows in a distinctive American style that was quite different from
those windows which were produced in Europe, primarily in France and England. The rumor persisted
for years that the St. Andrew's windows had been created by the craftsmen at Tiffany's, perhaps the
most well-known of these studios. Recent research, however, has revealed that the St. Andrew's
windows were produced by the artisans of Jacoby Art Glass Company of St. Louis, Missouri.
There are nine pictorial windows in the church. The large central window above the altar depicts the
Last Supper, flanked on the left by a window of St. Andrew, the patron saint of the parish, and on the
right by Jesus comforting Peter as he calms the stormy Sea of Galilee. The six windows which surround
the nave depict the life of Christ: the Nativity, Jesus with the little children, the Transfiguration, the
Resurrection, and the Ascension. The Transfiguration window, which is distinctly different in style from
the other windows, is a 1938 replacement for the original Jacoby window which was blown out by
lightning. All of the pictorial windows are in the distinctive neo- classical American style, distinguished
by realistic figures, background landscapes and architectural details. All of these windows are composed
of custom -rolled colored glass with hand - painted details, such as the faces of all the figures. The other
windows are opalescent glass with a central motif of either a cross or stylized lily blossom.
ST. ANDREW WINDOW
According to John (1:35 -40), Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, from whom he first
. heard about Jesus. Then Matthew (4:18 -20) tells that Jesus saw Andrew and his brother, Peter,
fishing in the Sea of Galilee and called them to follow him and become "fishers of men." Thus Peter
and Andrew are always numbered among the first four of the Twelve Apostles. Beyond a few
Biblical references such as these, most of what we know about St. Andrew, including the distinctive
iconography, is drawn primarily from medieval legend, apocryphal chronicles, and oral tradition.
We know that after the death of Jesus, the Apostles dispersed worldwide to spread the gospel.
Andrew reportedly preached throughout Asia Minor, going as far as Russia and perhaps even
Turkey. He was martyred sometime during the reign of Nero in Patras on the northern coast of the
Greek Peloponnese. His feast day, November 30, commemorates the date of his death. His holy
relics were moved from Greece to Constantinople sometime during the fourth century and much
later to Amalfi, in Italy. According to various legends, some of the relics moved supernaturally from
Constantinople to Scotland where the modern city of St. Andrews stands today. As the result of
Andrew's missionary travels and the veneration of his relics, Andrew is the patron saint of Russia,
Ukraine, Scotland, Romania, Greece, Malta, and Portugal.
The iconography of St. Andrew is related primarily to his death. He is nearly always depicted as
an old man with a long white beard, either holding or crucified on a decussate (X- shaped) cross,
commonly known today as a St. Andrew's cross. It is said that he requested such a cross because he
felt unworthy to be put to death in the same manner as Christ. St. Peter was crucified head down
for the same reason. Furthermore, St. Andrew was bound to the cross rather than nailed in order
to prolong his death agony. In heraldry, the St. Andrew's cross is known as a saltire and is featured
on the flags of both Scotland and England as well as, some say, the battle flag of the Confederacy.
The St. Andrew window is dedicated to early Bryan business leader George W. Smith, Sr. who
was also one of the founders of the parish.
MUSICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE
WINDOWS OF ST. ANDREW'S
ORGAN RECITAL SERIES
FEATURING MUSIC RELAYED TO THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS OF
ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
ALAN STRONG
ORGANIST
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TODAY'S RECITAL:
THE NATIVITY
December 19, 2010 — 2:30 p.m.
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church — 217 W. 26 St. — Bryan, Texas
MUSICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE WINDOWS OF ST. ANDREW'S
AN ORGAN RECITAL — ALAN STRONG, ORGANIST
THE NATIVITY
With the fourth recital in the series we reach December, the perfect time for featuring the first window
on the west side of the Nave: The Nativity. The music in today's recital begins with music related to
Advent, to Mary, and then to directly to the Nativity itself, with music of composers who are primarily
German and French.
PROGRAM
Three Schiibler Chorales J. S. Bach (1685 -1750)
l/achet auf, raft uns dei Stimme (Wake, Awake for Night is Flying)
Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter (Come thou Jesu, from heaven to earth)
Meine Seele erhebt den herren (My soul Both magnify the Lord)
Sonate No. 4, Op. 98 Josef Rheinberger (1839 -1901)
First Movement
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming) Johannes Brahms (1833 -1897)
Symphonie Gothique Charles Marie Widor (1844 -1937)
Movement IV
Trois Poems Evangeliques Jean Langlais (1907 -1991)
La Annonciation (The Annunciation)
LAnge (The Angel)
La Vierge (The Virgin)
Le Coeur de la Vierge (The heart of the Virgin)
Magnificat
La Nativity (The Nativity)
La Creche (The Manger)
Les Anges (The Angels)
Les Bergers (The Shepherds)
Le Sainte Famille (The Holy Family)
Silent Night (from Die Natala) Samuel Barber (1910 -1981)
Variations on `Adeste Fideles" Marcel Dupre (1886 -1971)
A freewill offering is being collected today — please use the baskets found at either door as you enter or leave.
Your generous contribution will help make it possible for programs such as this to continue to be offered.
Please join us in the Parish Hall for a reception following the recital.
The photograph of the St. Andrew window, on the cover of this program is by Erica Peaslee.
ABOUT THE MUSIC ON TODAY'S RECITAL
Three Schiibler Chorales—Johann Sebastian Bach (1685- 1750))
The collection of six organ chorale preludes by Bach, with the tide Sechs Choral von vershiedenerArt
(Six Chorales of Various Kinds) was printed about 1748. The title "Schiibler Chorales" derives from
the engraver and publisher Johann Georg Schiibler, who is named on the title page. At least five of
them are transcribed from movements in Bach's cantatas; it is assumed the sixth most likely comes
from a cantata as well — perhaps one of the 100 or so "lost" cantatas by Bach.
Three of the Schiibler Chorales have been chosen for this recital because of their relation to the
Nativity, or to Advent, the season leading up to the Nativity. The first, WachetAuf ruff uns die stimme
(W ake, awake,'the night is flying) is transcribed from the fourth movement of the cantata by the same
name (BWV 140). In the cantata it is written as a trio for oboe, continuo, and tenor, with the full
tenor section singing the chorale melody in unison. The text of the chorale is based upon Jesus'
parable of the 10 virgins, from Matthew 25:1 -13, which ends with the line, 'Watch, therefore, for you
know neither the day nor the hour."
The second chorale prelude in today's recital is transcribed from the second movement of cantata
BWV 137 (Lobe den Herren, den machtigen Konig derEhren: Praise the Lord, the might King of honor). In
the cantata it is written as an alto solo with a violin obbligato; for the chorale prelude Bach transcribed
it with the melody in the pedal with the instrumental lines in the manuals. For the chorale prelude
Bach chose the Christmas text, Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter (Come, thou, Jesu, from
Heaven to Earth descending).
The third chorale prelude, Meine Seele erhebt den Herren (My soul doth magnify the Lord) is transcribed
from the fifth movement of the cantata of the same name (BWV 10). In the cantata it is written as a
duet for alto and tenor. As a chorale the text is the German chorale version of the Magnificat.
Organ Sonata No. 4, Op. 98 — Josef Rheinberger (1839 -1901)
When only seven years old, Josef Rheinberger became organist at Vaduz Parish Church in Munich,
and his first composition was performed the following year. In 1851 (at age 12) he entered the Munich
Conservatory where he later became professor of piano and subsequently professor of composition. In
1877 Rheinberger obtained the rank of court conductor, with responsibility for the music in the royal
chapel. A prolific composer, Rheinberger is remembered almost exclusively for his organ compositions,
including concertos, sonatas, trios, meditations, fughettos and solo pieces. His organ sonatas were once
declared to be "undoubtedly the most valuable addition to organ music since the time of Mendelssohn."
The first movement of Rheinberger's Organ Sonata No. 4 features the chorale melody employed by
Bach for his chorale prelude, Meine Seele erhebt den Herren. It is stated the first time, several pages
into the score, in a very simple chorale setting with the marking "p" (piano: soft). It is repeated,
accompanied first by eighth notes and then triplets, becoming increasingly richer and fuller in terms of
both harmony and dynamics. Following a repetition of the material from the opening pages, the chorale
melody returns once more, just before the final "ff ' section of the movement.
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming) — Johannes Brahms (1833 -1897)
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, most commonly translated to English as "Lo, How a Rose E'er
Blooming" is a Christmas carol of German origin. The text is thought to be penned by an anonymous
author, first appearing in print in the late 16 century. The focus of the text is Mary, who is compared
to the mystical rose praised in the Song of Solomon 2:1: "I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys."
The familiar harmonization was written by composer Michael Praetorious in 1609. By this time the
hymn had been adopted by protestants who changed the focus from Mary to Jesus (citing Isaiah 11:1:
"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of its roots ").
The tune was used by Johannes Brahms as the basis one of the Eleven Chorale Preludes, completed in
1896 (Op. 122, no. 8). The melody of the German carol is fully contained in the chorale prelude, though
buried as Brahms surrounds it with non - harmonic tones that are sounded on a beat with the actual
melody note sounded on a weak beat. Work on some of the Eleven Chorale Preludes may have been
completed earlier, but the bulk of them were produced shortly after the passing of Brahms' lifelong
friend, Clara Schumann, and at a time that his friends noticed a disturbing change in his appearance,
perhaps brought on by the liver cancer to which he was to succumb less than a year later. Brahms may
have known it was the last summer he was to see, as the set includes two settings of the chorale 0 Welt
ich muss dich lassen (0 world I now must leave thee), the second of which contains the last notes the
composer ever wrote.
Symphonie Gothique — Charles Marie Widor (1844 -1937)
Widor wrote music for a wide variety of instruments and ensembles, but only his works for organ
are played with any regularity today. Prominent among his organ works are his ten organ symphonies.
Widor was at the forefront of a revival in French organ music made possible in particular through the
work of the French organ builder Aristide Cavaille -Coll whose organs, compared to any produced
earlier, had a much warmer sound and a more truly orchestral range of voicing with unprecedented
abilities for smooth crescendos and diminuendos. Not alone in the practice, Widor was among a
number of organ composers who took advantage of the qualities of these new organs and wrote music
that was truly symphonic in scope, and who then applied the title "symphony" to these organ works.
The last two of Widor's organ symphonies, respectively termed "Gothique" (Op. 70, 1895) and
"Romane" (Op. 73, 1900) are both driven by thematic material from plainchant. Symmphonie Gothique
uses the Christmas Day introit "Puer natus est" (Unto us a child is born) in the third and fourth
movements. The fourth movement (performed on today's recital) takes the "Puer natus" theme
through a variety of rhythmic and harmonic variations, reaching a climax in true Widor symphonic
style just before stating it once more, very quietly, like the echoes of the Christmas introit in an
immense cathedral.
Trois Poemes E'vangeligues— Jean Langlais (1907 -1991)
Blind from the age of two, the composer, organist, and teacher, Jean Langlais studied at the
Institution des Jeunes Aveugles (National Institute for the Young Blind) in Paris where his harmony
teacher was Albert Mahaut, a former pupil of Cesar Franck. In 1930, Langlais won the first prize in
organ in Marcel Dupre's class at the National Conservatory and, in 1934, he won a composition prize in
Paul Dukas' class where he was one of the composer's last students. Among Langlais' earliest organ
works, the This Poemes Evangeliques (Three Evangelical Poems) were completed during this same period,
in 1932. The first movement, LaAnnonciation (The Annunciation) depicts the appearance of the angel
Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, with subtitles for the various sections: LAnge (The Angel); La Vierge (The
Virgin); Le Coeur de la Vierge (The heart of the Virgin); and Magnificat. The last section includes the
plainchant of the Magnicat, followed by a beautiful and gentle coda. The second movement, La Nativite
(The Nativity) is among the most popular of the organ pieces by Langlais. The piece musically paints a
complete picture of the manger scene, with the several sections subtitled La Creche (The Manger), Les
Anges (The Angels), Les Bergers (The Shepherds), and Le Sainte Famille (The Holy Family).
Silent Night (from Die Natal!) — Samuel Barber (1910 -1981)
Die Natali: Chorale Preludes for Christmas (Op. 37) is Samuel Barber's only numbered work not to use
original material for its composition; it is in fact an arrangement of several popular Christmas carols, for
orchestra. Commissioned for the seventy -fifth anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, it was
premiered on Dec. 22, 1960 with Charles Munch leading the BSO. Of the seven carol arrangements,
Barber was fond enough of the Silent Night variations that he later arranged them for organ.
Variations on `Adeste Fideles "— Marcel Dupre (1886 -1971)
Marcel Dupre's skills as a composer and performer came together when he improvised, brilliantly,
at the organ. This set of variations is a result of his skills at improvisation, and wouldn't exist for
others to perform were it not for twentieth century technology. The explanatory paragraph in the
score reads: "This improvisation was reconstructed from Skinner Organ Company Pipe Organ roll
No. 762 recorded by Marcel Dupre at The Skinner Studio, New York City, in 1929. The perforations
have been translated into musical notation, eliminating all possibility of error." The credit for
reconstructing and editing a performing organ score from the pipe organ roll (similar to a piano roll) is
given to Rollin Smith. Including this work by Dupre completes the organ composition teaching circle,
as Dupre was one of Widor's students and one of Langlais' teachers.
ABOUT THE WINDOWS — by Sylvia Grider
When the current St. Andrew's church building was dedicated in 1914, a reporter for the Bryan Eagle
called the interior a "jewel box" and this nickname has stuck for nearly a century. The beautiful stained
glass windows are certainly the crown jewels in that jewel box. Installed when the building was
constructed, the windows have been loved and admired by generation after generation of parishioners
and visitors to the church.
The period from the turn of the century until the end of World War I was a high point in American
architectural history for the construction of monumental church buildings throughout the United States
which, in turn, led to the founding of several major glass studios to produce the windows for these
churches. These studios produced windows in a distinctive American style that was quite different from
those windows which were produced in Europe, primarily in France and England. The rumor persisted
for years that the St. Andrew's windows had been created by the craftsmen at Tiffany's, perhaps the
most well-known of these studios. Recent research, however, has revealed that the St. Andrew's
windows were produced by the artisans of Jacoby Art Glass Company of St. Louis, Missouri.
There are nine pictorial windows in the church. The large central window above the altar depicts the
Last Supper, flanked on the left by a window of St. Andrew, the patron saint of the parish, and on the
right by Jesus comforting Peter as he calms the stormy Sea of Galilee. The six windows which surround
the nave depict the life of Christ: the Nativity, Jesus with the little children, the Transfiguration, the
Resurrection, and the Ascension. The Transfiguration window, which is distinctly different in style from
the other windows, is a 1938 replacement for the original Jacoby window which was blown out by
lightning. All of the pictorial windows are in the distinctive neo- classical American style, distinguished
by realistic figures, background landscapes and architectural details. All of these windows are composed
of custom -rolled colored glass with hand - painted details, such as the faces of all the figures. The other
windows are opalescent glass with a central motif of either a cross or stylized lily blossom.
THE NATIVITY WINDOW
The St. Andrew's Nativity window is a masterpiece of portraiture on glass. The three faces are
rendered with such delicacy and love that one wonders if the artist used living models for them. The
headband and errant lock of hair tucked behind Mary's ear gently remind us how young Mary was
and also enhance the overall naturalness of the scene. The folds of the drapery are so realistic that
one is tempted to reach up and touch what appears to be a silken cloth completely covering the
manger.
In the 13 century, St. Francis of Assisi established the iconography of the birth of Jesus when
he created elaborate nativity scenes to instruct his largely illiterate parishioners about the event.
Because of the relatively narrow vertical constraints of the window at St. Andrew's, there is only
room for the Holy Family, but we know that the angels, shepherds, and wise men are all there, just
out of visual range. The brilliant blue of Mary's robe gives the scene a sparkle and vibrancy that is
lacking when the more subdued hue of "Marian blue" is used by artists. A board sheepfold fence
bisects the scene and provides a light frame for Mary and baby Jesus while Joseph leans against the
rock face of the grotto, his brown cloak almost fading into the background. The pine trees in the
background stand stark and black against the pre -dawn sky. At the bottom of the frame, a small
cluster of ivy creeps across the stone floor of the stable. Christian symbolism regards ivy's need to
cling to a support emblematic of frail humanity's need for divine support. Ivy also symbolizes Jesus
as the giver of everlasting life and destroyer of death.