Sacred Songs and Readings Service

Details

Sacred Songs & Readings: The Lord’s Prayer
3 pm Sunday, November 13

There will be a Sacred Songs and Readings service on November 13, exploring the great prayer that Jesus taught us. The genesis of the program was contemplating a beautiful work by Felix Mendelssohn: his sixth organ sonata. Whereas his other organ sonatas were purely instrumental and often based on Mendelssohn’s inspiration for Bach, his sixth sonata is a theme and variations on a hymn that Martin Luther wrote to celebrate the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Our Father, God in heaven above.’ We will sing this wonderful chorale just before hearing the Mendelssohn organ piece. Other hymns will include Hymn 615 “Thy kingdom come!” and Hymn 474 “When I survey the wondrous cross,” (which is used in the last section of the Mendelssohn organ sonata), and a poem by Thomas Troeger “Let All Who Pray the Prayer Christ Taught,” sung to the melody of Dundee. There will be readings and poetry that reflect upon the great prayer, including Becky Pride’s ‘Dear Father.’

The service will include a piece for reflection: Louange à l´Éternité de Jésus (Praise for the eternity of Jesus) from Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet for the end of time” for cello and organ, played by John Bennett and Bruce Fithian, Saint Mary’s Music Director. One of the many delights of the Camino that Bruce experienced in May was hearing (and trying to recite!) the Lord’s Prayer during the pilgrims’ mass in France and Spain. It is magical to hear these immortal words in French and Spanish. The prayer is truly universal, and this service aims at celebrating this.

Come join the celebration of The Lord’s Prayer!