Music Notes
by Karla Porter
Nativity Music Director

(From August 2000 Nativity Tidings)

Wonder, Love, and Praise

On June 17 a workshop on the Hymnal Supplement, Wonder, Love, and Praise, (c. 1997) was held at St. Wilfred’s Church; the presenters were Don Ryno and Fr. Carlton Kelly. The Bennetts, Nicki Coffaro, Lois Johnson, Gerard Prohm, Jo Davidsmeyer, and myself took advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the music in the supplement and I would like to share some of this information with you.

Wonder, Love, and Praise, for the most part, moves us on in time to contemporary composers and writers. Many of the hymns in the supplement contain verses with modern language and address contemporary issues – i.e., the homeless, and the AIDS epidemic.

The musical styles are also varied. Many hymns come from other Protestant traditions. But there were also chants from the Taize Community as well as some Plainsong that is being "re-presented." This supplement is a very impressive work which helps to expand our Episcopal music horizons. Appearing below is an example of the more contemporary texts from one of the hymns that we sang that Saturday.

When Jesus came to Golgatha – third verse

When Jesus cries, "Forgive them for they know not what they do,"
and still it rains the winter rain that drenches through and through;
the crowds go home and leave the streets without a soul to see,
and Jesus crouches 'gainst a wall and cries for Calvary.

The verse is very here and now with reference to the homeless, but it was actually written just after World War I by a British theologian, Rev. Geoffrey Studdert-Kennedy. WLP gives background notes on the hymns: "He (Studdert-Kennedy) worked tirelessly to open the eyes of the privileged to the suffering of the lower classes." And the second stanza which is not quoted herein mentions "indifference" which was a reference to the industrial slum of that time in Birmingham, England. The hymn has been re-presented with the verbs changed to the present tense to highlight the text relevance for us today.

All the attendees agreed that it was a productive afternoon which re-energized us and also gave us an opportunity for fellowship with other Episcopalians in our deanery.

Karla Porter
Music Director