An organ recital in progress: part 113

Dear SMM Community,

The next part of my online organ recital is here, and I hope that you enjoy it. I offer up these musical meditations as part of our parish efforts to find ways to keep you connected at this time. Recorded on my house organ, the instrument is a musical facsimile of the great 'Father' Willis organ at Salisbury Cathedral.

Today, I present Johann Michael Bach’s In dulci jubilo.  

 

Johann Michael Bach’s (baptised 1648-1694) setting of the chorale In dulci jubilo was previously erroneously attributed to his first cousin, once removed, and son-in-law Johann Sebastian Bach.

With best wishes,
Andrew Adair
Director of Music

Meditation - Advent IV

The eschatological is all very well, but we spend most of our time engaging with the day to day events of the world; if we are to be ready for Christ to come in judgement (which is much the same readiness as for the possibility of being hit by a bus today) we also have to spend most of our attention in life in the world as it is, with all of its difficulties, ambiguities and injustices.

We live in the world of Mary and Joseph. There's an early splash of God's presence (an angelic apparition or so, in the Bible; a little more in the Protevangelium of James) and then after the Annunciation and the shepherds crowding in after the birth, and the Magi appearing somewhat later (assuming both inconsistent reasons for combining Nazareth and Bethlehem can be held together) there's the long job of bringing up Jesus (who may not have been all that mild, obedient, and good if our one snapshot of him in early youth is anything to go by) and then (for Mary, at least) seeing him abandon everything and go out on a quixotic mission.

Beginning with the Ember Days, the propers start to focus in on the immediate preparation for Our Lord's birth. The propers for that four-day period have the following Benedictus antiphons, interspersing recollection of the Annunciation with expectation of God's presence:

"Ember Wednesday: The angel Gabriel was sent from God: to Mary a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph.

Thursday, Week of Advent III: The Lord our God is at hand: watch ye therefore in your hearts.

Ember Friday: As soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears: the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Alleluia.

Ember Saturday: Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and all flesh shall see the salvation of our God."

We are to think, in the octave before Christmas itself, on Mary, and think, as well, of the typological titles which preceded Our Lord and point towards the aspects of his presence: Wisdom, Adonai, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Daystar, King of the Nations, Emmanuel. Christ comes to guide us, to free us, to rule our steps, to inform our judgements. (There is little more practical than the way of prudence.)

We will end here, a little short of Christmas Eve - this year, a good deal short of Christmas Eve, with almost the whole week between - and try to integrate our experience of the modes of Christ's presence - once, two millennia ago, in the flesh; with us, food of our pilgrimage in weekly (and daily) Eucharist, and in his parousia, his future fulfilling of his role as a king both merciful and just.

Here is the Collect of Christmas Eve proper {not Midnight Mass, which is true Christmas, but the prayer for the Vigil mass}:

"O God, Who dost gladden us by the yearly expectation of our redemption, grant that we, who now joyfully receive Thine only-begotten Son as our Redeemer, may also without fear behold Him coming as our Judge, even the same Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, who liveth... Amen."

--

James Burbidge

Advent IV - 19 December 2021

We celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent with an online mass.

The service will not be available immediately on Sunday, but will be posted a bit later in the week.

You can find the service HERE.

You can find the leaflet HERE.

An organ recital in progress: part 112

Dear SMM Community,

The next part of my online organ recital is here, and I hope that you enjoy it. I offer up these musical meditations as part of our parish efforts to find ways to keep you connected at this time. Recorded on my house organ, the instrument is a musical facsimile of the great 'Father' Willis organ at Salisbury Cathedral.

Today, I present Johannes Brahms's Es ist ein Ros entsprungen.  

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen is the eighth of Johannes Brahms's (1833-1897)  11 Chorale preludes. The set was written in 1896, and published posthumously in 1902.

With best wishes,
Andrew Adair
Director of Music

Meditation - Advent III

The first Magnificat antiphon of the Advent Office, the first office of the season, reads: "Behold, the Name of the Lord cometh from far: for his glory filleth the whole earth." This is based on the thirtieth chapter of the Book of Isaiah.

The Chapter of the Vespers of Christmas Eve reads: "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." This is from the ninth chapter of the Book of Isaiah.

If late Lent is the season of Deutero-Isaiah and the Servant songs, Advent is the season of prophecy generally, of looking beyond exile to salvation. Of that prophecy, Isaiah - the three prophets of one school collected in a single book - is the primary source. (I always associate Advent strongly with the beginning of Handel's Messiah, which is also the beginning of Deutero-Isaiah, and an Old Testament Lesson for the Second Sunday of Advent).

Below is my test for Advent III:

Other prophets are the source of some of the great Advent tropes. Jahaziel ("the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah") in 2 Chronicles 20 provides the basis for the responsory for the reiterated theme for the Christmas Eve office "O Judah and Jerusalem, fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go ye forth: for the Lord will be with you." Joel provides the basis for the psalm antiphon for Advent I: "In that day the mountains shall drop down new wine: and the hills shall flow with milk."

Prophecy as the term is used in the Old Testament, is not so much about foretelling the future as giving meaning to it. The prophets present the pattern of God's dealing with humanity. In Christian reading this also means that they are read with the tools of typology to hand, mapping our current existential state to that of the exiles of Judah and Jerusalem.

Original sin was not and is not a Jewish doctrine - the fall of Adam is a major factor only from Paul onwards. But even in the Old Testament the tendency of humans to stray and then be welcomed back is a repeated pattern, dominant in many of the prophets and woven elsewhere into the texture of salvation history.

Advent prophecy in particular is about the welcoming back. If one half of the prophetic message was the scourging of those who violated the norms of justice and oppressed the poor, the other half was the announcing of restoration after the natural repayment for those deeds. After the exile, the return; bread for the hungry, wine for the thirsty; a world which will respond to our needs.

This year's full offertory for for Advent III, offers a meditation on exactly that restoration:

"Lord, thou art become gracious unto thy land: thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob: thou hast forgiven the offence of thy people. V. Thou hast covered all their sins: thou hast taken away all thy displeasure. R. Thou hast forgiven the offence of thy people. V. Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. R. Thou hast forgiven the offence of thy people."

--

James Burbidge

Advent III - 12 December 2021

We celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent with an online mass.

The service will not be available immediately on Sunday, but will be posted a bit later in the week.

You can find the service HERE.

You can find the leaflet HERE.