April 13, 2023 Holy Comforter | Newsletter | |
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The Glory of It All! Holy Week at Holy Comforter |
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Dearest Holy Comforter Family, Holy Week is now ‘in the rearview mirror.’ It was a remarkable week here at Holy Comforter and I am so thankful to everyone who made this a sacred time of “anamnesis”—of remembering, in the deepest sense imaginable, the events of that week in Jerusalem. We have received more than a story we retell each year. The story is an ‘earthen vessel’ that carries the joy, grace, and promise of God’s ceaseless work of creation, redemption, and sustenance. The music, flowers, our gorgeous silver Eucharistic vessels, our paraments, the bulletins, ushering, and “vpowing” all came together in a way that made the whole greater than the sum of the parts to give glory and thanksgiving for all God continues to do in our midst. Again this year, our parish took another step forward with our hybrid ministries—Michael Paul and Randy Woodland worked hard to offer Morning Prayer online and in the chapel each day leading up to Maundy Thursday. They also live-streamed our additional Holy Week services making them available to those who were not able to be with us in person. I am grateful! What follows is the second half of Randy Foster’s reflections about the music we heard during the last two services of Holy Week. It will increase your understanding of the glorious pieces sung during the past week and I think it will also give you a sense of how wide and deep Randy’s knowledge and love of sacred music truly is. He and the choir bless us every single Sunday! |
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Good Friday is a day of drama and grief. This day’s music this year consists of two remarkable pieces separated by at least a couple of centuries. The first is Allen Orton Gibbs’ setting of a Samuel Wesley text, “Behold the Savior of Mankind.” She finds both the contemplative and dramatic aspects in Wesley’s text and captivatingly sets them to profound musical effect. Samuel Wesley always enjoyed writing devotional poetry and hymns and hoped that would be his legacy. But on February 9, 1709, a great fire erupted in the Wesley’s Epworth rectory that almost claimed the life of five-year-old John Wesley. And there was one other survivor that night: the original manuscript of “Behold the Savior of Mankind;” it is the only known hymn of Samuel Wesley. Some of my most profound musical and religious experiences revolve around a pair of German musical geniuses: J S Bach and Harald Rohlig. Bach’s great Mass in B Minor completed in 1749, the year before the composer’s death, is to a large extent based on earlier work. For years there was a confluence of these two while singing Crucifixus during Holy Week services conducted by Harald Rohlig. Each time our choir returned to this piece, Harald carefully addressed the architecture of the piece: a series of a dozen variations on motives both instrumental and vocal. He would point out the way in which Bach revamps the beginning of the 1714 Cantata, Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, (Weeping, Wailing, Grieving, Fearing) BWV 12 into the brilliant chromatic (half-step) opening instrumental motive and the vocal lines. The suffering of Jesus is expressed through chromatic melodies, dissonant harmonies, and musical motives that suggest sighing. The altos and sopranos descend to the lowest parts of their ranges for the final “et sepultus est.” That thirteenth repeat is also the quietest moment of the piece—almost a musical genuflection to the dead savior. The choral anthem on Easter morning is a piece written by another Alabama composer as a commission from the Diocese of Alabama. Over the past few decades, K. Lee Scott has established himself as one of the preeminent composers of music for the church. His anthem “The Tree of Life (Shades Mountain)” to poetry of Erik Routley has become one of the “most well-known hymn settings of our time”. Its tune has been included in a number of hymnals and has been the subject of numerous choral and organ compositions. The concluding organ voluntary based on the hymn tune “Duke Street” was composed by Jan Bender, an influential German-American teacher, composer, and creative whose doxological life was directed toward helping others worship using God’s gift of music. His festive hymn settings for organ are examples of his bridging the gap between advanced music and the worship experience of the layman. May the music offered with such love and care, and all the other gifts of love from the week just ended continue to bless us with deep joy and new hope! Rosa and Randy |
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Tending to our hearts & spirit |
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SUNDAY'S - 10:00 AM HOLY EUCHARIST |
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• Morning Prayer | 10:30 AM Randy Woodland is the officiant • Compline | 8:00 PM |
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Events, programs & updates |
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Charles & Hannah Speaks Congratulations to Julie and Steven and best wishes to the bride and groom - may the years ahead be filled with love and lasting joy! |
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APRIL Birthdays & Anniversaries Watch over thy children O Lord, as their days increase; bless and guide them wherever they may be. Strengthen them when they stand; comfort them when discouraged or sorrowful; raise them up if they fall; and in their heart may thy peace which passeth understanding abide all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Birthdays Randy Bryan, Michael Paul, Jenna Moore, John Anzalone, Jeri Tippit, Ami Simpson
Anniversaries
John Gantt & Randy Woodland |
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Calling Volunteers for the Community Garden! This coming Friday, April 14, Taylor, Jean, and I will pull weeds in the garden. Then, the following Friday, April 21, Oscar is going to help me amend the beds, till, and hopefully plant. Anything that doesn't get done that day, I'm hoping can be finished on Saturday, April 22. Any help is welcome; bring your gloves! -Dabney |
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the Food Pantry is consistently adding new families, and this past Tuesday we were slammed! Donations such as non-perishable food items, hygiene products, and baby items are greatly appreciated. Donations can be left in the bins outside McMaster Hall. |
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the Backpack program is currently packing food for 25 children, delivered weekly so they will have food over the weekends. We have a basket outside the front office window for donations. |
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Thank you for your support! |
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Thank you! Once I started making my thank you list, it grew and grew into everyone in the church. Each and every person in Holy Comforter has said “yes” when I asked, “Will you”. Rosa said the kindest things about me Easter which made me realize even more how much all of you help me when it’s needed. Thank you, everyone! -Terri |
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Dates to Remember in April & May April 14, 21, 22 Garden Work Day April 18, 25 | May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Food Pantry 10 AM / COT 5:30 PM April 19, 26 | May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Morning Prayer 10:30 AM (in the Chapel & live-streamed), Compline 8:00 PM (live-streamed FB) April 29 (Sat.), Vestry Meeting, 9:30 AM & May 29 (Mon.) Vestry Meeting, 7 PM |
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VESTRY Senior Warden: Rand Neeley Junior Warden: Randy Bryan Treasurer: Mary Lois Monroe Clerk: Ann Montgomery Kathy Albree Haynes Kelley Paul Hard Amy Seanor Hannah Williams HYBRID MINISTRY Michael Paul, Randy Woodland |
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Please pray for Parishioners — Ann Carlton, Barbara Dailey, Rob Dailey, Fred Earle, Dennis Endicott, Sidney Hennessey, Jason Hicks, Lamar Higgins, McRae Peavy, Mac & Douglass Porter, Lea Russell, Claudene Thomas, Judith Granger Ward Friends — Tracey Bailey, John Conway, Jim Corsaro, Gay & Harry Curlin, Todd Daniels, Jayce Davidson, Mary DeShon, Casey Dodd, T. J. Esco, Ashley Freeman, Julie Gantt, Linda Garrett, Rosine Hall, Alison Hill, Tom Hyde, JoAnn Ivey, Kyle Johnson, Sharon Kelley, Dorothy King, Jon Kusa, Jessica Morgan, Simon Morgan, Tom Pinkston, John Nelson, Sharon M. Nelson, Nanette Olson, Liliana Orozco, Laura Pinnoy, Dusty Pouncey, Samuel Purcell & family, Arthur Segal, Joe Soliday, Riley Soliday, Taylor Scroggins, Michal Slovic, Paula White, Joe Wilkins, Patsy Wilkins, Ben Winbury Students — Matthew Franklin, Will Franklin, Addie Hoffman, Anna Hoffman, Sam Lee, Taylor McLemore, Michael Moore, Rachel Moore, Charles Speaks, Thomas Speaks, Aiken Via |
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