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Some years ago I taught a course in music at the Reformed Episcopal Seminary in Oreland. While I devoted a good deal of attention to the history of liturgical music in the Western Church, I soon found that the most useful subject for the seminarians was the practical issue of hymn selection. Most of them would eventually be faced with that as a week-by-week responsibility. With that in mind, I used to begin the weekly class by going through the previous Sunday’s bulletin and readings from Good Shepherd and explain why I chose those particular hymns for that particular day. In that spirit, I’d like to share my thoughts on the hymn selection for one of this summer’s Sundays.
As many of you know, I consider it the function of hymnody in the liturgy to be a devotional commentary on the scripture readings and collect of the day. As it happens, the congregational hymns (with the exception of the final hymn) come in those places where liturgical propers would be sung. Instead of a liturgical Introit, we have the entrance hymn. The hymn before the Gospel reading fills in for an Alleluia verse and/or liturgical Sequence. The choir’s anthem and offertory hymn replace the liturgical Offertory, while the choir’s motet and the communion hymn replace the liturgical Communion verse.
Let’s have a look at the lectionary and hymns for June 15, 2008, the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6 in Year A). The opening hymn may properly be a general hymn of praise, but if it can pick up themes from the readings or collect it makes for a more integrated opening of the liturgy. The first reading is Exodus 19:2-8, a portion of the address given by Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. It contains a most striking verbal image: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” The entrance hymn will be 285, “The God of Abraham praise” (Leoni). The vivid Jewish melody makes a strong introduction to the reading from Exodus, and the same verbal image occurs in the second stanza: “I shall, on eagle wings upborne, to heaven ascend.”
The theme of sheep and shepherd also occurs in the readings. The Gradual is Psalm 100, declaring “We are his people and the sheep of his pasture.” The Gospel (Matthew 9:35-10:15) includes Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve as he sends them out to minister in His Name. Early in the reading we are told: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” The Gospel hymn will be 213, “Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless” (St. Agnes). As Jesus is sending his Apostles out to work on His behalf, I have chosen as the Offertory hymn 576, “Come, labor on” (Ora labora).
The hymn during communion must be a quiet and meditative one, and this is an appropriate place in the mass for a Eucharistic meditation. Here I have chosen 203, “My God, thy table now is spread” (Rockingham). This hymn also resonates with the Gospel of the Day. Jesus sends his disciples out on a missionary journey, and the last stanza of the hymn begins: “Nor let thy spreading Gospel rest, till through the world thy truth has run.” In the same vein, but more exuberant in spirit is the final hymn of the service: 537, “Christ for the world we sing!” (Moscow). This links us with the beginning of the liturgy as it reflects the Collect of the Day, where we ask “that by the help of thy grace we may proclaim thy truth with boldness, and minister thy justice with compassion.”
--WJG |
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