First Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.
Cookeville, Tennessee

Music

Winter 2010 | Spring 2010 | Summer 2010 | Fall 2010

May 23rd

ANTHEM INTRO by Paul Thurmond

ANTHEM (May 23rd version)          New Life, New Love, New Light                    Alfred V. Fedak

ANTHEM (Presbytery Worship Service version)

                  Text: Thomas H. Troeger

               WORLD PREMIERE

Choir:    

       Earth’s crust of rock is drifting upon its molten core,

and all the sands are shifting on every wave-lapped shore,

while in the sky’s vast spaces great suns recede to night

and leave no shining traces of their once steady light.

Though all things fade and crumble on earth and in the sky,

and we frail creatures stumble, our faith will never die

for we have glimpsed the wonder of love that never dims

and dreams of hope that thunder through worship, prayers and hymns.

Faith gives a depth dimension to how we view all things,

directing our attention to their undying springs:

the Spirit animating all life in every place,

the heart of Christ relating to us with love and grace.

Choir and congregation:

We’re pleased to present the world premiere of “New Life, New Love, New Light” by Thomas Troeger and Alfred Fedak.  The anthem was commissioned by First Presbyterian to commemorate its 100^th anniversary, through funds generously donated by members of the congregation.

Thomas Troeger wrote about his poem:

I took my cue from your anniversary theme hymn “Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation.”  However, to give the anthem text a different feeling from the hymn I used a different meter, 7 6 7 6 D instead of 8 7 8 7 8 7.   I employed a standard meter just in case you later decide to sing the text for a hymn as well as anthem – something that I find happens with many of my anniversary commissions for anthems.   I shifted the context for understanding Christ as our “foundation” from the 7^th century architectural language of your theme hymn – “cornerstone,” “temple,” “walls” – to modern cosmology.    I thought this would provide a sense of the ongoing life of the church over the centuries, especially if the hymn and the anthem are used in the same service.   And I expanded the meaning of foundation so that it encompasses a wide range of complementary images for Christ, all of them biblically based.  (Stanza 4). 

The composer, Alfred Fedak, had this to say about the piece:

The piece opens with choir singing the first couple stanzas of the text above a brooding ostinato accompaniment figure in Phrygian mode (which can be played on either piano or organ). By stanza three the ostinato has disappeared and the mood is brighter and more positive. Then a new hymn tune which I call NEW LIGHT (in Eb Mixolydian mode), and which grows out of the material of stanza 3, is introduced by an organ interlude between stanzas 3 and 4.. The choir then sings the final two stanzas of text to this melody. Stanza 4 is sung in unison and in harmony, and the piece closes with a soprano descant on stanza 5. If desired, the congregation can be asked to join in on either stanza 4 or 5 or both.

Centennial Music Commission Committee

Gerald Hansen

T. Wes Moore

Grace Anna Sine

Paul Thurmond

Rick Woods

May 16th

ANTHEM                                                     Dedham                                               William Billings

                                       From The Continental Harmony, 1794

                                                    Text: Isaac Watts

Rejoice ye shining worlds on high.

Behold the king of glory nigh

Who can this king of glory be?

The mighty Lord and saviour’s he.

May 9th

ANTHEM                                               Praise to the Lord                                        Michael Jothen

Praise to the Lord.

Praise Him with the timbrel and the harp.

Praise to the Lord. 

May 2nd

VOLUNTARY                                 Etude in E Major (excerpt)                               Frédéric Chopin

                                                                                                                   Paul Thurmond, Organist

Offertory ANTHEM         I Give You a New Commandment                                Peter Aston

                                                               Text: John 13:34-5

I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.

As I have loved you, so are you to love one another.

If there is this love among you, then all will know that you are my disciples.     

April 25th

VOLUNTARY                                                Vivace                                  Georg Philipp Telemann

                                                  Kenji Kabe and Kyle Newland, tuba

MEDITATION                                           Affettuoso                               Georg Philipp Telemann

OFFERTORY                 Largo                       Georg Philipp Telemann

April 18th

VOLUNTARY                                    My Jesus, I Love Thee                                 Dino Kartsonakis

                                                                                                                   Paul Thurmond, Organist

ANTHEM                                                      Psalm 30                                        Aaron David Miller

I will exalt you, O my Lord.

You have lifted me up; you have saved me.

My heart sings to you; my sorrow’s turned to dancing.

You have clothed me in joy.

I will give you thanks forevermore.

April 11th

VOLUNTARY                           “Allegro” from Sonata in A Minor                                C.P.E. Bach

                                                         Jillian Storey, flute                 Paul Thurmond, Organist  

ANTHEM                                                   Easter Carol                                             Richard Proulx

                                               Text: Ambrosian Hymn, 4^th-5^th Century

On that bright joyful Easter Day the sun arose with brighter ray,

When Christ, to earthly sight made plain, the glad apostles saw again.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Surexit Christus hodie! (Christ is risen today!)

His wounds to them Christ then did show, which from his risen body glow;

And they aloud declared and said: “The Lord is risen from the dead!”

First witnesses to Easter morn were women three who came forlorn;

Then Magdalen did cease her sighs, when Christ she saw with joyful eyes.

All glory, Lord, to you we pay, arisen from the dead today;

O great Creator be our guide throughout the days of Eastertide.     

Easter

VOLUNTARY                             We Know That Christ Is Raised                           David Cherwien

ANTHEM                                         Two pieces from Messiah                    George Frideric Handel

 Chelsea Holland, solo

Recitative: O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?

Chorus: But Thanks Be to God

But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory

Through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Good Friday

Maundy Thursday

VOLUNTARY           Gabriel’s Oboe                 Ennio Morricone

      Hannah Shoopman, oboe                  Paul Thurmond, Organist

ANTHEM           Beneath the Cross of Jesus            Hal H. Hopson

Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,

The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land;

A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way

From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.

Adoramus te, O Domine Jesu Christe. (We worship you, Lord Jesus Christ.)

Upon the cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see;

I see the very dying form of One who suffered there for me.

And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess:

The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.

Palm Sunday

ANTHEM                                             Ride On, King Jesus                               Traditional Spiritual

                                                 Larry Shackley, arr.

                                                Janis Swim and Paul Thurmond, piano

Ride on, King Jesus! No man can a-hinder me.

Ride on, King Jesus, ride on! No man can a-hinder me.

King Jesus rides on a milk-white horse, no man works like Him.

The river of Jordan He did cross, no man works like Him.

He is King of kings, He is Lord of lords.

Lord Jesus Christ, the first and last, no man works like Him.

He comes for you, and He comes for me, no man works like Him.

He comes to set His people free, no man works like Him.

March 21st

ANTHEM                                        My Song Is Love Unknown                              Edwin T. Childs

                                                  Text: Samuel Crossman (1624-1683)

My song is love unknown, my Savior’s love to me,

Love to the loveless shown that they might lovely be.

Oh, who am I, that for my sake

My Lord should take frail flesh and die?

Sometimes they strew his way and his sweet praises sing;

Resounding all the day Hosannas to their king.

Then “Crucify” is all their breath,

And for his death they thirst and cry.

Why, what has my Lord done to cause this rage and spite?

He made the lame to run, and gave the blind their sight.

What injuries! Yet these are why

The Lord most high so cruelly dies.

Here might I stay and sing of him my soul adores.

Never was love, dear king, never was grief like yours!

This is my friend in whose sweet praise

I all my days could gladly spend.