December Update

This is a "I better post so I don't go a month without posting" post. Three days to spare!

This will be my first Christmas ever without a mom. :-( It is going to be very strange to not have her here to give a present to. I am hoping her marker will be placed by Christmas. It was ordered back in August. I would like to take all the kids to see it before our college students have to go back to school.

Speaking of college students, they will both be home next weekend. Yay!

Someone at USA Radio Network ate too much fruitcake and got the idea to invite me on for an interview. I am scheduled to discuss this article with host Rusty Humphries at 1:45 p.m. CST tomorrow. Probably someone will wise up and cancel me before that time.

Christmas cards have been signed, sealed and mostly delivered. Because we were unable to get a family photo done in time, I used this one from what I thought was last Christmas.

Then I realized that the above was actually two Christmases ago. This is last Christmas.

Oh, well, maybe I'll just continue the pattern of sending out two-year-old pics and let everyone think we look younger than we really do.

I am back to trying to finish reading the Harry Potter series. I read the first book when my college kids first started reading it, but I wasn't particularly impressed and didn't continue. A few years later I read the second and third books. Now after another multi-year break I am resuming reading the series, mostly for the benefit of my youngest, who needs someone to talk to about it. I don't know why the books have not hooked me as they have so many. Maybe there are just too many characters for my aging brain to keep track of.

This was recorded today. It is probably the last time Evan will sing a high B-flat in church. Voice change is imminent. Sadness.


"E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come" - Paul Manz from Cheryl on Vimeo.

But didn't our choir do a good job?

Blessed Gaudete Sunday!

Pentecost

Today was our second Sunday with the new piano. It is still settling in to its new home and is not holding the tuning it received after the move. The Cantor does have a tuning hammer, though, so last night we downloaded a tuning app to my iPhone and spent some time trying to adjust some of the worst strings. It helped, but if you have a good ear for such things you will still be able to hear some discrepancies.

For right now the piano has been located at the back of our sanctuary to one side. Several pews had to be removed to make room for it. The long-term goal is to remove even more pews and relocate the entire music area to the same place, walling off the current music space and turning it into a storage and warm-up area. Big plans!

Today I videotaped for the first time in a while. The new set-up makes it a lot easier. For several of the pieces I was able to prop up the camera and just let it roll. Evan helped me with a few others. So for those who are interested and not on Facebook to see these, here's a sampling of our worship today. One of these days maybe we will be able to permanently install equipment that will get much better picture and sound than I am able to get with my little handheld. I think people would be greatly blessed by it. I don't know why, but it always surprises me to hear how many people enjoy these videos that I post.

The Prelude.
Even though we were down a few choir members for the three-day weekend, I think this is a wonderful illustration of how far our choir has come in the last few years! The balance is a little heavy toward the men because they are closest to the microphone. Luckily they sound great!


"Lord, Make Me to Know Thy Ways" (Psalm 25:4-5) from Cheryl on Vimeo.

The Entrance Rite with Opening Hymn (organ & trumpets), Russian Kyrie (a cappella), and special Hymn of Praise (Alabare with trumpets and percussion).


Pentecost Sunday Entrance Rite from Cheryl on Vimeo.

The Verse of the Day (from Liturgy Solutions) with a solo by my eldest.

Verse for Pentecost from Cheryl on Vimeo.

The Voluntary, arranged, played and sung by my husband.


"To God the Holy Spirit, Let Us Pray" from Cheryl on Vimeo.

"Easter Song"

For those who aren't on Facebook, here's a video of our church's Prelude on Sunday. It is a piece by Anne Herring, arranged by my husband for our choir and musicians. The instruments are piano, synthesized bells, three flutes, clarinet, three trumpets, hand drum and triangle. It was such a joy to see this effort come together. We have been at Immanuel less than two years and it is wonderful to see the esprit de corps that is developing in our music ministry. Enjoy! He has risen, just as He said!

This is the "Easter Song", by Anne Herring, and arraigned by Phillip Magness. A wonderful beginning to our Easter Celebration. Great job everyone.

Posted by Jolene Dierksen Stevens on Monday, April 6, 2015

Mega-Rehearsal!

I wish I could get close enough to capture faces, but I am usually chained to the piano. The expressions of joy, concentration, and faithfulness on people's faces are sights to behold. One lady who plays brass, rings bells, and sings with the choir in our congregation was there Tuesday night as long as Cantor (6:00-9:00). To everyone attending Holy Week services, give your faithful musicians an extra pat on the back this week. Even better, send chocolate. And pray for them, that they may have strength and health and protection from the attacks of Satan, who likes nothing better than to go after pastors and musicians right before Christmas and Easter. God bless you as we enter the Great Three Days, and soli Deo gloria!

 Rehearsing "Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed."

 Our wonderful choir and director.

Our "oboe" player for Good Friday.  

"You part the waters like this."

Carmina Burana

This video from last month was just made available. It was taken a week after Trevor's performance of the Rachmaninoff Second on the University of Nebraska Symphony Orchestra's Concerto Winners concert. Here Trevor and the graduate concerto winner team up to provide piano accompaniment for the University Singers' presentation of Carl Orff's setting of Carmina Burana. For those not familiar with this work, the text dates from the Middle Ages and consists of a set of poems covering all manner of worldly topics. It was originally scored by Orff for orchestra but he later reworked it to be accompanied by dual piano and percussion so as to increase the ability of more choirs to perform it. Not everyone has a symphony orchestra lying around! It's an enjoyable, exciting work, and I encourage you to listen. It runs a little over an hour. Turn it on while you're cleaning the house. It will keep you moving!

(Side note: when not accompanying the University Singers, Trevor sings with them.)

 

Tell It

My daughter's choir, performing last night:



"Go Tell It On the Mountain" from Cheryl on Vimeo.

This was the last piece of their set. I was seated at the far back of the auditorium so as not to disturb anyone with my taping.

Aren't they good?

Kudos also to special guests the Napervillle Brass.

Now My Heart Rests on Roses

A little over two months ago we said goodbye to our former congregation. At that time we also said goodbye to our former choir. At our farewell reception, one of the choir members presented us with a gift that literally took our breath away. As soon as I saw it the tears came.

 

 

Our dear friend Judy made this for us. It is, of course, Luther's Seal. She picked the colors without even knowing that I painted our dining room blue last year. Isn't it gorgeous?

 

There's more to the story. Embroidered at the bottom of the tapestry are the words, "Now my heart rests on roses." These words are included in the text of a choral piece my husband composed about nine years ago. It is entitled "I Will Speak" and was published in 2004 by Concordia Publishing House. The words, by Phillip, are paraphrased from Psalms 119 and 145:

 

I will speak of your statutes before kings, O Lord,

And will not be put to shame.

I will sing and proclaim your truths, my God,

For you have anointed me with grace.

Blessed is he whose help is in God,

Whose help is the God of Jacob.

Blessed is the man who trusts in you!

Your strong word I confess;

I believe and am saved.

Princely powers I fear not,

For your truth is my faith.

Now my heart rests on roses.

 

"I Will Speak" was a staple of our former choir's repertoire. How fitting that the name of the choir is "Proclaim"! They sang it many times while we were with them but unfortunately I never got a recording. I was always playing the piano and my older children were always singing. If you are interested, though, you can hear the piece here. I like the way Proclaim sang it better.

 

Here's a detail of the bottom of the tapestry. We love you and miss you, Proclaim. Our hearts rest on roses when we think of you.

 

 



Proud But Sad Moment

My daughter sings in a community youth choir. It is a top flight group directed by an internationally acclaimed children's choir conductor. She had her first rehearsal this week and was pleased to see that one of the pieces the choir will be singing is a setting of the Magnificat. When the piece was passed out Caitlin immediately knew from the title what the text would be because she knows what the Magnificat is, having sung it for years in church. As the choir perused the text the director asked if anyone knew who sang the words in the Bible. Caitlin was apparently alone in raising her hand. I'm glad she knew the answer, but so sad hardly anyone else did. This choir is a secular group so obviously I would not expect everyone to know about the Magnificat. But I am surprised that in a 60-voice children's choir there were not a few more. Maybe they did know and were just too shy to raise their hands. Still, I am sad for what has obviously been lost, is continuing to be lost, as our culture becomes less Christian and our churches less liturgical.

Trinity Sunday

Psalm 29

Last Sunday our adult choir at church sang this through-composed choral setting of Psalm 29, entitled "The Voice of the Lord," by contemporary composer Jonathan Kohrs. The piece was published by Liturgy Solutions and is available here. It has quickly become a favorite of our choir and congregation. The text of Psalm 29 is powerfully painted by the choir part and the piano accompaniment (featuring yours truly). The piece itself is not as hard as it sounds--it is challenging primarily in the rhythmic demands it makes due to changes in meter and shifts between a duple and triple feeling in the choir part. And it is long, but the minimalist/repetitive nature of the piece means there is not nearly as much music to learn as it might seem.

Our choir has sung this piece several times and I think this year we nailed it! I hope you will listen and be edified by "The Voice of the Lord."

Victimae Paschali Laudes/Christ is Arisen

Victimae Paschali Laudes Sequence from Cheryl on Vimeo.

The medieval chant with a chorus based on CHRIST IST ERSTANDEN ("Christ is Arisen") composed by Phillip Magness. Sung by Proclaim, the adult choir of Bethany Lutheran Church, Naperville, IL, April 23, 2011.

Easter Vigil 2011

One of my favorite services of the entire church year. At my parish the music for the Vigil is always led by the Men's Chorus, and I can't imagine anything better suited to the awe and mystery of this liturgy than the rich tones of men chanting and singing in four-part harmony.

Easter Vigil Candlelight Procession and Exultet from Cheryl on Vimeo.

Led by Pastor Rossow, Cantor Magness, and the Men's Chorus of Bethany Lutheran Church, Naperville, Illinois, April 23, 2011. Exsultet--9th century Gregorian chant; Easter Vigil Proclamation setting by Phillip Magness.

"Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense" from Cheryl on Vimeo.

Sung by the Men's Chorus of Bethany Lutheran Church, Naperville, Illlinois.

Easter Vigil 2011

"Soul, Adorn Thyself With Gladness" from Cheryl on Vimeo.

Men's Chorus of Bethany Lutheran Church, Naperville, Illinois

Easter Vigil 2011

Wachet Auf Podcast

Two weeks ago as part of our observance of Advent, my church presented Bach's Cantata BWV 140 on the chorale Wachet Auf ("Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying"). The podcast is now available and you may listen to it here. The bulletin with text and background information on the cantata (written by Carlos Messerli) can be found here. The cantata begins at about the 21-minute mark, but I strongly encourage you to listen to the entire service and be blessed by all of the hymnody, liturgy, preaching, and special music contained therein.

Reformation Day 2010

Gradual

Psalm 48:1, 12-13 from Cheryl on Vimeo.

Hymn of the Day

"A Mighty Fortress is Our God" from Cheryl on Vimeo.

Communion Hymn

"Salvation Unto Us Has Come" - Stanzas 2 & 3 from Cheryl on Vimeo.

"Salvation Unto Us Has Come" - Stanza 6 (Setting by J. S. Bach) from Cheryl on Vimeo.

*For complete information about the musical settings used in these videos, go to the Vimeo link for each video.

Children's Cantata

Last month our church offered a one-week music camp for children. The bulk of the camp was spent preparing a cantata based on the appointed Gospel for the Sunday after the camp. The cantata was composed by my husband after registration for the camp was closed, so he knew the number of participants and their ages, talents, and abilities, and composed accordingly (kind of like J. S. Bach himself used to do on a weekly basis!). The video below, of the first movement of the cantata, shows the result. The only adults involved in this performance were my husband, conducting, and his associate cantor, playing piano. All other instrumental and vocal parts were taken by children from approximately age 8 to age 14. The camp ran Monday-Friday from 9-11:45 daily.

Amazing what children can accomplish when you give them the chance and the tools to do so, isn't it?

Over the next few days, I will post the entire cantata, but I have to do it in parts because I am limited on how much video I can upload at a time to Vimeo (I have the free, basic account).

Enjoy! (The text of the chorus is below the video.)

"The Cost of Following Jesus" - Luke 9:51-62 - I. Chorus from Cheryl on Vimeo.

I. Chorus

All for Christ I have forsaken And have taken up my cross.
Worldly joy, its fame and fortune Now I count as worthless dross.

Who is sweeter than Christ Jesus? No good thing in Him I lack!
Hand to plow, at peace I follow Where He leads me . . . why look back?

Gone the past, unknown the future; Grace supplies my daily breath;
Strong in Christ through death's dark valley, Firm and faithful unto death.

Praise Chorus?

Today the Church catholic (meaning the Christian church around the world, not just the Roman Catholic Church) celebrated the Second Sunday of Easter by hearing the story of Thomas, who when told by the other disciples that they had seen the Lord, replied, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe" (John 20:25). Because of his insistence on seeing Jesus, for himself, in the flesh, Thomas has long had the adjective "Doubting" attached to his name. But I think Thomas had it right. He wanted to see his Lord, and when he not only saw Him but touched the wounds in Jesus' hands and side, he believed and confessed: "My Lord and my God!" In that short sentence, Thomas models the spiritual life of the Christian who, when called to faith by God and confronted with Law and Gospel in the person of Christ, can do no other but exclaim, "My Lord and my God!" It is one of the best stories in all of Scripture.

Today at my church, a congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, we heard the choir sing the traditional Tanzanian song "Nimemwona Bwana" (the song was sung by the junior high choir at one service and the adult choir at another). The full text is simple--

Nimemwona Bwana, anapendeza.

Here's the translation:

We have seen the Lord, and He looks good!

(Sometimes instead of "good" the translation is "nice" or "beautiful"--but I really like the word "good." What is the Lord if not Goodness incarnate?)

Anyway, it strikes me that there are those, maybe even some of you reading, who might not appreciate this text being sung for a church service. If you don't like what has come to be known as a "praise chorus" in Christian worship, you might not like this song. It has some of the elements of what some object to in contemporary Christian praise and worship songs: the text is simple, it appears to be light on doctrine, it doesn't tell the full salvation story, and it is repetitive (my friend Susan recently wrote about that last item here). AND it has percussion and swaying bodies!

Yet I think this was a perfect song for this day. Think about it: we hear about Thomas, who wanted to see, and who when he did, believed. And then we hear joyfully proclaimed by the choir the words, "We have seen the Lord, and He looks good!"

I don't like praise choruses in church either. But I loved this song in our liturgy today. So I had to wonder, in light of the similarities listed above, how is it different from a praise chorus? Well, to help answer that question, I have posted a video of our junior high choir singing the song. Please note that there is nothing in the performance that overtly calls attention to the performers or their personal experience of the song. There is no brandishing of microphones (no microphones at all in fact--those young soloists are projecting entirely on their own), no exhorting of the congregation to respond to the "performance" (to show that they are feelin' it, too, donchya' know), no effort to repeat the chorus ad infinitum in order to "prepare hearts" to receive the Word. The song is presented in a completely declamatory way, and I think this is why it does not fit the popular definition of "praise chorus." The goal is not to express the feelings of the singer or manipulate those of the worshiper but rather to proclaim the Word by telling the story.

"Nimemwona Bwana" from Cheryl on Vimeo.

(If you really want to know, the Cantor tried to get them to loosen up a bit more than this, and you can see a few who took his encouragement to heart, but it's not easy to take the suburbs out of suburban Chicago kids!)

Palm Sunday

Two videos from today's Palm Sunday liturgy:

1) The processional with cross, acolytes, pastors, and children's choir waving palm branches as the congregation sings "All Glory, Laud and Honor" (Lutheran Service Book 442). I wish I had panned around the church a bit more--we have a beautiful sanctuary--but I was so enthralled with the children that I focused on them the whole time. It took a little while for them to synchronize the palm choreography they had planned, but I think most of them eventually figured it out! Listen for the children's robust singing on the refrain. They loved this!

Palm Sunday Procession, Bethany Lutheran Church, March 28, 2010 from Cheryl on Vimeo.

2) A musical sequence featuring the Verse of the Day ("The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified"--John 12:23, setting by Bruce Backer, sung beautifully by our associate cantor and her mother) and leading into the Cantor's organ introduction to the Hymn of the Day--Lutheran Service Book 444, "No Tramp of Soldiers' Marching Feet" (listen for the en chamade).

The words of the hymn are below the video. I think the Cantor's interpretation dramatically communicates the irony therein: while the hymn notes that Jesus's entry into Jerusalem lacks the martial pomp and circumstance that would normally accompany an earthly king, the martial element is there in the hymn nonetheless, ominously foreshadowing Jesus's arrest, trial, and execution only a few days later.

Palm Sunday, Bethany Lutheran Church, March 28, 2010 from Cheryl on Vimeo.

No tramp of soldiers' marching feet With banners and with drums.
No sound of music's martial beat: 'The King of glory comes!'
To greet what pomp of kingly pride No bells in triumph ring.
No city gates swing open wide: 'Behold, behold your King!

And yet He comes. The children cheer; With palms His path is strown.
With ev'ry step the cross draws near: The King of glory's throne.
Astride a colt he passes by As loud hosannas ring.
Or else the very stones would cry 'Behold, behold your King!'

What fading flow'rs His road adorn; The palms, how soon laid down!
No bloom or leaf but only thorn The King of glory's crown.
The soldiers mock, the rabble cries, The streets with tumult ring.
As Pilate to the mob replies, 'Behold, behold your King!'

Now He who bore for mortals' sake The cross and all its pains
And chose a servant's form to take, The King of glory reigns.
Hosanna to the Savior's name Till heaven's rafters ring,
And all the ransomed host proclaim, 'Behold, behold your King!

When in Rome . . .

Today as I instructed one of my piano students in a certain musical concept, he was reminded of something similar he had heard today from his choir director, who also happens to be my husband. (This young man, poor dear, gets a double dose of our household on Mondays). Attempting to process and connect the two pieces of information, he asked, "Oh, you mean like Cantor was talking about today? That linguini thing?"

Linguini? The Cantor does like his pasta, but I didn't remember him talking about linguini when I attended rehearsal today. I puzzled over this for a moment; then it dawned on me that my student was probably remembering another Italian word.

"Are you thinking of tenuto, Robert?" (Nor his real name.)

"Yeah, that's it! Tenuto!"

Tenuto, linguini, ritardando, lasagna, accelerando, crescendo, spaghetti, fettucini, allegro, fermata . . . no wonder my student was confused. It's all the same, really. Especially when you've had a long day at school and supper is looming!

Lamb of God, Pure and Holy

A lovely arrangement, beautifully performed by our high school youth ensemble during communion at church yesterday. My daughter is the first singer in the second row (in black skirt); my son can be heard but not seen, as his position at the far end of the second row places him squarely behind the young man in the first row. Several of these singers double as instrumentalists for the group, at various times playing keyboards, guitar, bass, clarinet and flute as needed. On this piece everyone sang, accompanied by my husband at the piano.

Towards the end of the video the camera pans to the altar and then to my younger son and his godmother (a.k.a. pastor's wife, who was sitting with Evan in church this day so I could attend to the sound system).

Enjoy!

Lamb of God, Pure and Holy from Cheryl on Vimeo.

"E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come"

As many of my readers know, organist and composer Paul Manz died earlier this year. Here's our adult church choir this weekend singing his best known work.

Peace be to you and grace from Him
Who freed us from our sin
Who loved us all, and shed His blood
That we might saved be.

Sing holy, holy to our Lord
The Lord almighty God
Who was and is, and is to come
Sing holy, holy Lord.

Rejoice in heaven, all ye that dwell therein
Rejoice on earth, ye saints below
For Christ is coming, Is coming soon
For Christ is coming soon.

E'en so Lord Jesus quickly come
And night shall be no more
They need no light, no lamp, nor sun
For Christ will be their All!