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Emmanuel Episcopal Church
Delaplane, VA
Delaplane, VA
Notes from the Balcony
September 2010
Katherine Jameson
“Give thanks for music-making art, and praise the Spirit’s choice
of members called and set apart with instrument and voice.
With work and wisdom, skills hard-won, life-giving and life-long,
they celebrate what God has done, and lead the people’s song.
Through years of training they accrue the skills of mind and hand,
which hours of practice must renew, enliven, and expand.
With Spirit-grace they tune our hopes; to Christ their hearts belong;
for love of God must guide the arts that lead the people’s song.
With music, moving on through time in sequences of sound,
the old, unfolding covenant of justice righting wrong,
resounds through word and sacrament, and leads the people’s song.
Then let us reach for excellence to sing and symphonize
for God, our utmost audience, with joy our highest prize.
when kindly skill our spirit lifts and makes the humble strong,
give thanks, and praise the graceful gifts that lead the people’s song.
God, give us music to express and richly interweave
our yearning with our thankfulness, and sing what we believe,
Till, glorious in the realms of grace, with new creation’s throng,
Our Savior meets us face to face and leads the people’s song.”
Brian Wren
I hope that all of you have enjoyed a good rest this summer! I cannot believe that our summer has come to an end, and September is upon us with all the new beginnings and exciting plans being put into action for another year. In music as in life - a rest is not an emptiness or absence, but rather a pause, or respite. In music a “rest” is “a measured interval of silence between tones.”It is easy to overlook the rests and to consider the tones the only important component of music. Musicians disagree! To quote pianist Artur Schnabel”…The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes - ah, that is where the art resides.” So it is in life as well - and our life in the church. We have had a rest - a change of routine - a time for hearing music in different ways - from new voices with new ears. Hopefully, we have all enjoyed an interval of calm, quiet, ease and refreshment.
We can even allow ourselves the indulgence of easing back in to our “full orchestration” and gently close the remaining days of Pentecost, remembering our refreshing pause of summer.
Welcome back to the choirs and the church school and the promise of new and old musical friends. The choirs have enjoyed a well deserved rest from regular rehearsals, but I know we are all looking forward to new music and the fellowship of rehearsing together.
I am so looking forward to another year with the Emmanual church choirs! Stephen and the committees of the Vestry have some wonderful plans for us this year - in liturgy and worship and fellowship. There is a tantalizing array of opportunities to use music and drama and dance and poetry to creatively offer our praise to the glory of God!
I hope you will join us! There are many ways to participate: The HANDBELL CHOIR rehearses Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Rehearsals will begin on Thursday, September 9. The CHOIR rehearses Sunday mornings in the balcony at 9:00 as well as bi-monthly rehearsals on selected Sunday afternoons. We need singers in all sections - soprano, alto, tenor and bass. We also love to include instruments in our worship, so if you play an instrument, please let me know! The GOSPEL/FOLK BAND rehearses in the sanctuary at 9:00 on Family Service Sundays. We welcome pickers, strummers, pluckers, shakers and drummers! You can also participate by singing in the congregation and lifting your voice in song!
“When in our music God is glorified, and adoration leaves no room for pride,
It is as though the whole creation cried ALLELUIA!
How often, making music, we have found a new dimension in the world of sound
As worship moved us to a more profound ALLELUIA!
Let every instrument be tuned for praise!
Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise!
And may God give us faith to sing always ALLELUIA!”
Hymn 420
September 2010
Katherine Jameson
“Give thanks for music-making art, and praise the Spirit’s choice
of members called and set apart with instrument and voice.
With work and wisdom, skills hard-won, life-giving and life-long,
they celebrate what God has done, and lead the people’s song.
Through years of training they accrue the skills of mind and hand,
which hours of practice must renew, enliven, and expand.
With Spirit-grace they tune our hopes; to Christ their hearts belong;
for love of God must guide the arts that lead the people’s song.
With music, moving on through time in sequences of sound,
the old, unfolding covenant of justice righting wrong,
resounds through word and sacrament, and leads the people’s song.
Then let us reach for excellence to sing and symphonize
for God, our utmost audience, with joy our highest prize.
when kindly skill our spirit lifts and makes the humble strong,
give thanks, and praise the graceful gifts that lead the people’s song.
God, give us music to express and richly interweave
our yearning with our thankfulness, and sing what we believe,
Till, glorious in the realms of grace, with new creation’s throng,
Our Savior meets us face to face and leads the people’s song.”
Brian Wren
I hope that all of you have enjoyed a good rest this summer! I cannot believe that our summer has come to an end, and September is upon us with all the new beginnings and exciting plans being put into action for another year. In music as in life - a rest is not an emptiness or absence, but rather a pause, or respite. In music a “rest” is “a measured interval of silence between tones.”It is easy to overlook the rests and to consider the tones the only important component of music. Musicians disagree! To quote pianist Artur Schnabel”…The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes - ah, that is where the art resides.” So it is in life as well - and our life in the church. We have had a rest - a change of routine - a time for hearing music in different ways - from new voices with new ears. Hopefully, we have all enjoyed an interval of calm, quiet, ease and refreshment.
We can even allow ourselves the indulgence of easing back in to our “full orchestration” and gently close the remaining days of Pentecost, remembering our refreshing pause of summer.
Welcome back to the choirs and the church school and the promise of new and old musical friends. The choirs have enjoyed a well deserved rest from regular rehearsals, but I know we are all looking forward to new music and the fellowship of rehearsing together.
I am so looking forward to another year with the Emmanual church choirs! Stephen and the committees of the Vestry have some wonderful plans for us this year - in liturgy and worship and fellowship. There is a tantalizing array of opportunities to use music and drama and dance and poetry to creatively offer our praise to the glory of God!
I hope you will join us! There are many ways to participate: The HANDBELL CHOIR rehearses Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Rehearsals will begin on Thursday, September 9. The CHOIR rehearses Sunday mornings in the balcony at 9:00 as well as bi-monthly rehearsals on selected Sunday afternoons. We need singers in all sections - soprano, alto, tenor and bass. We also love to include instruments in our worship, so if you play an instrument, please let me know! The GOSPEL/FOLK BAND rehearses in the sanctuary at 9:00 on Family Service Sundays. We welcome pickers, strummers, pluckers, shakers and drummers! You can also participate by singing in the congregation and lifting your voice in song!
“When in our music God is glorified, and adoration leaves no room for pride,
It is as though the whole creation cried ALLELUIA!
How often, making music, we have found a new dimension in the world of sound
As worship moved us to a more profound ALLELUIA!
Let every instrument be tuned for praise!
Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise!
And may God give us faith to sing always ALLELUIA!”
Hymn 420