Music Notes for Feb. 14 - Keeping a Holy Lent

The First Sunday in Lent has a remarkable opening as we sing The Great Litany with choir and cantors in procession concluding with the Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy). Other changes include the intonation and congregational responses in the Sursam Corda leading to the sung preface to the Eucharistic Prayer. Later we sing the Agnus Dei as the fraction anthem leading to the distribution of Communion.

The organ preludes and anthem capture the mood of Lent as we are asked to observe a Holy Lent.O Traurigkeit, O Herzeleidis a German chorale of significant pathos, a sensation not easily recognized in the Lenten theme of returning but there, nonetheless..

Healey Willan’s setting takes us to the organ loft in Toronto’s St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church where he composed and served for so many years.Brahms’s setting has all the warmth and yearning that you would expect of such a master composer.

You also hear pathos in S. S, Wesley’s stirring anthem, “Wash me throughly (from my sins)”- the aching dissonance of melodic leaps an unresolved searching harmonies.

All this lovely music is so beloved by church musicians for its value and solemnity.More importantly, all this lovely music is our invitation for you to observe Lent.