A Sacred Bridge: Voluntaries in Worship

Ever wonder why we begin most of our worship with a prelude and end with a postlude?  

In very general terms, the history of preludes and postludes in worship is quite simple.  We inherited our tradition of preludes and postludes (also called voluntaries) from a 17th-century Dutch tradition of concertizing before and after worship.  Church organs at that time were owned by the city council, and organists were hired by the city. At the early part of the Reformation in the Netherlands, there was no place for music at all in Dutch Reformed church services, but since the Dutch people enjoyed organ music, and organs were still in churches from days of Catholicism, the city hired organists to play concerts before and after worship.  Over time, this tradition of voluntaries has developed and morphed into one that is quite the opposite of its beginnings.  For we no longer view these voluntaries as performances that are outside of worship, but as integral offering and part of our worship, a time of centering ourselves in God and God’s beauty and love.

I invite you to consider these voluntaries as a sacred bridge that brings us from our worldly context into the presence of God, or in the case of the closing voluntary, one that sends us back into the world to live out our calling as children of God.  These bridges are firmly anchored in holy worship on one side and our earthly world on the other.  They prepare us for the consideration of sacred things.  They help send us on our way to do the work of Christ in the world.  

For us, music in worship is never about performance, but about an offering of praise, thanksgiving, penitence, or petition to God.  While we often are often caught up in the beauty of the music or the words, the purpose is not to bring attention to the musicians or singers but to point to the Creator who makes all things beautiful and inspires creativity in us all.  For me, this is what makes an offering and leading music in worship a very holy and sacred thing.  Before each service, our choirs pray together this prayer, as do I each time I don my white surplice for worship.  It helps remind us about this holy and sacred duty.

            Bless us O Lord your servants who minister in your temple;

            Grant that what we sing on our lips, we may believe in our hearts;

            And what we believe in our hearts, we may show forth in our lives.

            Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  (The Choristers Prayer) 

Voluntaries for 6 March 2022 • Lent 1

Prelude: Erbarm dich, o Herre Gott, BWV 721 - J.S. Bach. (O God, be merciful to me)

(This piece, most likely by Bach, is somewhat odd for Bach’s compositions in that there is no counterpoint. Instead, this penitential chorale contains an insistent repeated-chord motion with the soprano melody presented in simple notes. Some say these repeated chords are symbolistic of Jesus’ footsteps to the cross, or a heart beat.

Typically an organist plays low notes with his feet on the pedals, but with this piece the soprano (high notes) melody is played with the feet. Today the accompaniment is registered using a unique stop on the organ, the Suavial 8’. This is a stop which is tuned sharp of its sister stop the Principal 8’ and creates a rich, undulating effect.

Postlude: Wo soll ich fliehen hin, BWV 646. (Whereto should I flee)

The work is a powerful, yet delightfully short fugue based on the Lutheran Chorale. The rhythm is persistent, with rarely any rest, with the upper line constantly leaping across multiple registers to compound the feelings of anxiety. The running figures in the hands are adorned by the chorale melody, again played with the feet. The imagery of the soul fleeing to God for relief from the guilt of sin is embodied in this trio.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Dr. Ben Keseley, Minister of Music

We the Lord's People

We the Lord’s people

In each generation throughout history God has raised up poets and musicians who have given us hymns reflective of our time and place.  Hymnody throughout the ages has helped us sing the whole story of our faith.  Even if you don’t fancy yourself a singer, I encourage you to pick up the hymnal and follow along with the texts and tunes we sing, for it could be a step to a deeper relationship with Christ.

Sunday’s communion hymn is a concise statement of purpose for why we gather each Sunday for worship.  It’s text, written by Canon John Edward Bowers, reflects an often-used teaching device in the 1960’s and 1970’s in the Church of England: “The Lord’s People in the Lord’s House on the Lord’s Day for the Lord’s Service.”  The tune (one of my favorites) was written by the former long-time organist at the National Cathedral, Richard Wayne Dirksen.  Dirksen changed the rhythm to his tune INISFREE FARM (“Christ mighty Savior” – one of my top five) and named it DECATUR PLACE, after the street in Northwest Washington D.C. where Dirksen’s predecessor, Paul Callaway, lived.

This hymn is a great reminder of the importance of worship and that it is the absolute center of what we do. The primary reason for our community.  In times when I find it much easier to put other things before my own and my children’s faith and worship practices, I appreciate such hymns that help me refocus on that which is important to the Christian way of life.

We sing to be transformed and because we are transformed people in Christ.  As you sing or read this text, I hope you not only find it a reminder of the centrality and importance of our worship, but truly transformational. I get excited just reading it, let alone singing it.  The beautiful word pairings, the unfolding theology, the tune which beautifully carries the weight of text…this is good and exciting stuff, my friends!  Perhaps your reaction won’t be the same as mine, but may this hymn remind you of the beauty of our Christian faith and worship, the excitement of doing God’s work together, and the centrality of God’s all-embracing love and the sacraments we share together in our worship.  God is indeed good! How can we not come together and give praise?

We the Lord’s people, 
heart and voice uniting,
praise him who called us 
out of sin and darkness
into his own light, 
that he might anoint us
a royal priesthood.

This is the Lord’s house, 
home of all his people,
school for the faithful, 
refuge for the sinner,
rest for the pilgrim, 
haven for the weary;
all find a welcome.

This is the Lord’s day, 
day of God’s own making,
day of creation, 
day of resurrection,
day of the Spirit, 
sign of heaven’s banquet,
day for rejoicing.

In the Lord’s service 
bread and wine are offered,
that Christ may take them, 
bless them, break and give them
to all his people, 
his own life imparting,
food everlasting.

Soli Deo Gloria!  

Dr. Ben Keseley, Minister of Music

• Text reprinted with permission. Onelicense.net A-717214