September 18, 2016 + The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Holy Eucharist Rite II at 10:30 a.m. sung by the Adult Choir, sermon by the Rev’d Susan Pinkerton.

Worship at Home:

Click here for the Service Bulletin; scroll to read full sermon text.

Full Service Audio:

Sermon-only Audio:

Service Music:

Voluntary    Cortège et Litanie   Marcel Dupré (1886-1971)

Dupré, the composer of this Voluntary, was organist at Saint-Sulpice, Paris, following the great Charles-Marie Widor. In fact, those two organists presided over that great organ for just over 100 years (1870-1971), with a 28 year overlap during which Dupré was Widor’s assistant. Dupré was a master improvisor, having famously played what would later be his “Symphonie-Passion” in concert at the Philadelphia Wanamaker organ, making up those 30 minutes of music on the spot! Dupré was the most beloved teacher of Clarence Watters, who was organist/choirmaster here at St. John’s for many years, as well as professor and college organist at Trinity College.

Processional Hymn 390   Praise to the Lord, the Almighty   Lobe den Herren

Gloria in excelsis S278     William Mathias (1934-1992)

Sequence Hymn 583   O holy city, seen of John   Morning Song

Offertory Anthem    O how amiable   Dudley Buck (1839-1909)

Dudley Buck grew up in St. John’s – the Hartford version – and learned how to play the organ while there, assisting the main organists on a regular basis. Buck went on to become the most well-known and popular church music composer of the late 1800s, writing hundreds of pieces for choir and organ. 

Sanctus S128    William Mathias

Fraction Anthem S166   Agnus Dei     Gerald Near (b. 1942)

Communion Anthem    Bread of the World   Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594)

Communion Hymn 676   There is a balm in Gilead   Balm in Gilead

Closing Hymn 345    Savior, again to thy dear Name we raise   Ellers

Voluntary   Toccata (Symphony No. 5)   Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)

The “Widor Toccata” is arguably the second-famous of all organ works (just behind the Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor), and has traditionally been played as the Easter postlude since well before anyone can remember. The first of the great French toccatas to take literally the title (meaning “touch”), it is a whirlwind of chords and arpeggios with a pedal melody that travels through many keys. And, it is pure joy!

Full Sermon Text:

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