Notes

One of my graduate school teachers always said, “We must perform the music of contemporary American composers often; otherwise, how will they be encouraged to write new good music for us?” When a patron or institution has the rare, significant opportunity to commission a new musical work, new relationships are formed: between patron and composer, between composer and choir, between composer and congregation (either as singers or listeners), between God and cosmos. If the new work is then re... Read More

As Sundays and other feast days have specific names in the liturgical year (Fourth Sunday of Easter, Day of Pentecost, et. al), numerous Sundays and feasts have liturgical nicknames as well, and this Sunday (April 26) is one, “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The lectionary readings all point to the Resurrected Christ, Jesus the Good Shepherd, who calls each of his flock by name. In Sunday’s Acts reading, the arrested Peter proclaims himself in good health “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, th... Read More

We can all name our favorite Christmas carol, but what about a favorite Easter carol, New Year’s carol, harvest carol or summer carol? The carol is normally a religious song associated with a particular season of the year, and although carols are found in France, Germany, Italy and Spain, the carol itself is distinctively English. The original Medieval carol was also distinctive in its form: a burden (or refrain) repeats after each carol verse and was sometimes sung before the first verse a... Read More

During the season of Easter, also known as the Great Fifty Days of Easter (“trumping” the Forty Days of Lent with the Resurrection), our Gospel lessons each Sunday are accounts of Jesus appearing to his disciples. Today (April 12) is sometimes known as “Thomas Sunday,” marking the Gospel story when Thomas does not believe that the others have seen Jesus in the flesh. A week later, then in the presence of Thomas, Jesus appears again and says, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out ... Read More