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“The only place one can carry home a hymn, anthem or cantata is also the only place on can carry home the Christian gospel: in the heart.”
Fundraising season has arrived once again at Sing For Joy, and, as usual, I feel conflicted. On the one hand, I worry that if I add my voice here to what Carolyn says in her separate letter it will feel like Sing For Joy has become “shout for funds.” I don’t want that to happen. We aren’t here to reduce the size of your personal treasury but to spread out the church’s treasury of great music for you and the world to hear. On the other hand, if I say nothing, will it seem as though I don’t care about the health of the program or the generosity of listeners? I don’t want that either. This inner conflict lingers only until I remind myself of the good will of you, our supporters. Your ongoing generosity convinces me that you want the program to flourish; therefore, I needn’t worry that you’ll be offended by a reminder to help support it. Thank you!
At a first glance it might seem like giving away perfectly good money for something as ephemeral as music is foolish. Let’s say you give one program’s worth of financial support. When that program is over, what do you have? Music, even profoundly moving sacred music, isn’t something one can acquire or possess. How does one “possess” a concert or a sung hymn? It can’t be done. And plenty of people will advise you that money should be spent for things that last.
But there is another side to this story, one that people tend to notice and appreciate more as they age, one that counselors, thoughtful financial advisors and grandparents often embrace. It is this: when one looks back on money spent, what gives the most joy and satisfaction? Stuff or experience? Acquisition or generosity? When measured that way, nearly all of us treasure experience over stuff, and nearly all of us are happier about what we have shared than what we have hoarded, whether that is time, money, knowledge, love or laughter.
That is, perhaps, why music remains such a strong and therapeutic force. Most music is made by people sharing an experience — choirs, congregations, orchestras, bands — and in the case of a soloist, if not sharing the actual making of music, then sharing the sound of it with an audience. When every year people crowd into Christmas concerts or Easter time performances of Handel’s Messiah, it is not for some “thing” to take home, it is for the experience. When listeners tune in to Sing For Joy, they are not given anything that they can put on a shelf to display. The only place one can carry home a hymn, anthem or cantata is also the only place one can carry home the Christian gospel: in the heart. That must be why grace and music have been such good friends for so long. Sing for joy! (And thank you!)
Peace be with you,
Pastor Bruce Benson
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| May 1, 2016 |
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Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C)
(1R) Acts 16:9-15
(PS) Psalm 67
(2R) Revelation 21:10–22:5
(G) John 14:23-29 or John 5:1-9
Shall We Gather at the River (HANSON PLACE) — Robert Lowry / Robert Lowry, lyricist /
John Ferguson, arranger (2R)
Hymn Festival Congregation: Northfield, MN / John Ferguson, organ
(CD) Celebration! Boe Memorial Chapel / ST. OLAF RECORDS / E-2939/70
© 2007 St. Olaf Records, St. Olaf College 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN, 55057, USA
www.stolafrecords.com
Jerusalem the Golden (EWING) — Alexander Ewing / Bernard of Cluny, lyricist (2R)
Calvin College Alumni Choir: Grand Rapids, MI / Kenneth Bos, accompanist / Charles K. Smith
(CD) To Him We Sing / CALVIN COLLEGE / CD 0
© 1995 Calvin College, Calvin College Music Department 3201 Burton SE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49546, USA
www.calvin.edu
When Peace Like a River (IT IS WELL) — Philip Bliss / Horatio G. Spafford, lyricist (G)
The Riverton Singers / Irmgard Baerg, accompanist / William Baerg
(CD) These Our Hymns / RIVERTON PRODUCTIONS / RP1200CD
© Riverton Productions, 225 Riverton Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2L 0N1, Canada
Psalm 67: Deus misereatur — Gary Davison (PS)
Cathedra: Washington, D.C. / Michael McCarthy
(CD) New American Choral Music Series: Gary Davison / GOTHIC / G-49289
© 2015 Gothic, Gothic Records, Inc. P.O. Box 414, Orcas, WA, 98280, USA
www.gothicrecords.com
Let the People Praise Thee, O God, Op. 87 — William Mathias (PS)
The Choir of Wells Cathedral / Matthew Owens
(CD) Mathias: Choral Music / HYPERION / CDA67740
© 2009 Hyperion, Hyperion Records Limited, P.O. Box 25, London, SE9 1AX, United Kingdom
www.hyperion-records.co.uk
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Sing For Joy is possible because of listeners like you. Please consider a gift and help us bring music and Word to listeners around the world.
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| May 8, 2016 |
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Seventh Sunday of Easter (Year C)
(1R) Acts 16:16-34
(PS) Psalm 97
(2R) Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
(G) John 17:20-26
(A) Ascension of Our Lord
Hail Thee, Festival Day and Fanfare for Brass — Ralph Vaughan Williams / Bruce Smedley /
Venantius Honorius Fortunatus, lyricist (A)
The Memphis Boychoir: Memphis, TN / David J. Kienzle, accompanist / John Ayer
(CD) God is Gone Up: Choral Evensong for Ascension Day / PRO ORGANO / CD 7088
© 1996 Pro Organo, P.O. Box 8338, South Bend, IN, 46660-8338, USA
www.proorgano.com
Crown Him With Many Crowns (DIADEMATA) — George Elvey / Matthew Bridges, lyricist (A)
The Choir of Wells Cathedral / Rupert Gough, accompanist / Malcolm Archer
(CD) The English Hymn, Vol. 2: Jerusalem the Golden / HYPERION / CDP12102
© 2001 Hyperion, Hyperion Records Limited, P.O. Box 25, London, SE9 1AX, United Kingdom
www.hyperion-records.co.uk
The Head that Once Was Crowned (Stanzas 1-2, 4-6) (ST. MAGNUS or NOTTINGHAM) —
Jeremiah Clarke / Thomas Kelly, lyricist (A)
The Choir of All Saints' Episcopal Church: Beverly Hills, CA / Craig Phillips, accompanist / Thomas Foster
(CD) Hymns Through the Ages / GOTHIC / G 49074
© 1995 Gothic, Gothic Records, Inc. P.O. Box 414, Orcas, WA, 98280, USA
www.gothicrecords.com
Thy Perfect Love — John Rutter / Anonymous, lyricist (G)
Polyphony / The City of London Sinfonia / Stephen Layton
(CD) John Rutter: Gloria and Other Sacred Music / HYPERION / CDA67259
© 2001 Hyperion, Hyperion Records Limited, P.O. Box 25, London, SE9 1AX, United Kingdom
www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Alleluia, Sing to Jesus (HYFRYDOL) — Rowland Hugh Prichard / William Chatterton Dix, lyricist /
Philip Marshall, arranger (A)
Lincoln Cathedral Choir and Congregation / Andrew Post, accompanist / Colin Walsh
(CD) Angel Voices / CANTORIS RECORDS / CRCD2382
© 1993 Cantoris Records, Exchequer Gate, Lincoln, LN2 1PZ, England
www.cantoris.co.uk
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"Peace, like a river, is made up of several currents, all flowing in the same direction: currents of justice, mercy, dignity, life."
-Pastor Bruce Benson
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| May 15, 2016 |
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Day of Pentecost (Year C)
(1R) Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9
(PS) Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
(2R) Romans 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21
(G) John 14:8-17, (25-27)
Come, Holy Ghost — Sarum Plainsong (1R)
The Choir of St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral / Dennis Townhill
(CD) Famous Hymns of Praise / PRIORY RECORDS, LTD. / PRCD 376
© 1991 Priory Records, Ltd., 3 Eden Court, Eden Way Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 4FY,
United Kingdom
www.priory.org.uk
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott (Come, Holy Ghost) — German Traditional / Martin Luther, lyricist / Johann Hermann Schein, arranger (1R)
Cambridge Bach Ensemble: Cambridge, MA / Peter Sykes, accompanist / Scott Metcalfe
(CD) The Muses of Zion: German Sacred Music 1600-1730 / SONO LUMINUS / DOR-93168/
© 1997 Sono Luminus, PO Box 227, 9 West Main St., Boyce, VA, 22620, USA
www.sonoluminus.com/
Lux Æterna: Veni Sancte Spiritus — Morten Lauridsen (2R)
Polyphony / The Britten Sinfonia: London, United Kingdom / Stephen Layton
(CD) Morten Lauridsen: Lux Æterna / HYPERION / CDA67449
© 2005 Hyperion, Hyperion Records Limited, P.O. Box 25, London, SE9 1AX, United Kingdom
www.hyperion-records.co.uk
If Ye Love Me — Thomas Tallis (G)
Robert Shaw Festival Singers / Robert Shaw
(CD) O Magnum Mysterium / TELARC / CD-80531
© 2000 Telarc, Concord Music Group, 100 North Crescent Drive, Garden Level, Beverly Hills, CA, 90210
www.telarc.com
If Ye Love Me — Philip Wilby (G)
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Choir: Liverpool, UK / Mervyn Cousins
(CD) The British Cathedral Choir Heritage / PRIORY RECORDS, LTD. / PRCD 5007
© 2003 Priory Records, Ltd., 3 Eden Court, Eden Way Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 4FY,
United Kingdom
www.priory.org.uk
Breathe on Me, Breath of God — Ned Rorem / Edwin Hatch, lyricist (G)
The Choir of Jesus College: Cambridge, United Kingdom / Mark Williams
(CD) Out of Darkness: Music from Lent to Trinity / SIGNUM CLASSICS / SIGC409
© 2015 Signum Classics, Unit 14 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middlesex, UB6 7JD, United Kingdom
www.signumrecords.com
The World of the Spirit: The Spirit of the Lord — Benjamin Britten (PS)
Massed Choirs of St. Olaf College: Northfield, MN / The St. Olaf Orchestra / Anton Armstrong
(CD) Heaven and Earth, Awake and Sing / ST. OLAF RECORDS / E-3504/05
© 2013 St. Olaf Records, St. Olaf College 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN, 55057, USA
www.stolafrecords.com
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"There is a time for explanation and a time for adoration. On the next Sing For Joy, Trinity Sunday is observed with the music of adoration."
-Pastor Bruce Benson
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| May 22, 2016 |
The Holy Trinity — First Sunday after Pentecost (Year C)
(1R) Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
(PS) Psalm 8
(2R) Romans 5:1-5
(G) John 16:12-15
(T) The Holy Trinity
Holy, Holy, Holy (NICAEA) — John B. Dykes / Reginald Heber, lyricist / John Ferguson, arranger (1R)
The St. Olaf Choir: Northfield, MN / John Ferguson, accompanist / Anton Armstrong
(CD) Great Hymns of Faith: Volume II / ST. OLAF RECORDS / E-2651
© 2004 St. Olaf Records, St. Olaf College 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN, 55057, USA
www.stolafrecords.com
Psalm 8: O Lord, Our Governor — Sarum Plainsong / Gerre Hancock, arranger (PS)
St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys: New York, NY / Gerre Hancock
(CD) O God, My Heart is Ready / KOCH (KOCH INTERNATIONAL CLASSICS) / 3-7176-2 H1
© 1992 Koch (Koch International Classics)
Praise God from whom All Blessings Flow — William Billings / William Billings, lyricist (T)
Cathedral Choir of St. John's Cathedral: Denver, CO / Donald Pearson
(CD) America: The Golden Dream / DELOS / DE 3203
© 1996 Delos, Delos Productions, Inc., PO Box 343, Sonoma, CA , 95476, USA
www.delosmusic.com
Festival Te Deum — Benjamin Britten (T)
The Choir of Jesus College: Cambridge, United Kingdom / Mark Williams
(CD) Out of Darkness: Music from Lent to Trinity / SIGNUM CLASSICS / SIGC409
© 2015 Signum Classics, Unit 14 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middlesex, UB6 7JD, United Kingdom
www.signumrecords.com
Holy God, We Praise Your Name (GROSSER GOTT) — Katholisches Gesangbuch / Unknown, lyricist /
John Ferguson, arranger / Clarence A. Walworth, translator (T)
St. Olaf Cantorei Reunion Choir: Northfield, MN / John Ferguson, organ / Anton Armstrong
(CD) Te Deum: Through the Church the Song Goes On / ST. OLAF COLLEGE / Archival, Not for Resale
© 2012 St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN, 55057, USA
stolaf.edu
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"O sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day."
-Psalm 96:1-2
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| May 29, 2016 |
Time After Pentecost — Lectionary 9 (Year C)
(1R) 1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43
(PS) Psalm 96:1-9
(2R) Galatians 1:1-12
(G) Luke 7:1-10
Zadok the Priest — George Frideric Handel (1R)
Westminster Abbey Choir / Martin Neary
(CD) Millennium / SONY CLASSICAL / SK 66614
© 1995 Sony Classical, 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10022-3211, USA
www.sonyclassical.com
Psalm 96 — George Thalben-Ball (PS)
St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys: New York, NY / Gerre Hancock
(CD) O God, My Heart is Ready / KOCH (KOCH INTERNATIONAL CLASSICS) / 3-7176-2 H1
© 1992 Koch (Koch International Classics)
Psalm 96: O Sing a New Song to the Lord — Joseph Gelineau (PS)
The Cathedral Singers: Chicago, IL / Richard Proulx
(CD) Joseph Gelineau: Psalms of David / GIA PUBLICATIONS / GIA CD-357
© 1995 GIA Publications, 7404 South Mason Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60638, USA
www.giamusic.com
The Three Hermits: Pilgrim's Hymn — Stephen Paulus / Michael Dennis Browne, lyricist (1R)
The Choir of Trinity College: Cambridge, United Kingdom / Stephen Layton
(CD) Beyond All Mortal Dreams: American A Cappella / HYPERION / CDA67832
© 2011 Hyperion, Hyperion Records Limited, P.O. Box 25, London, SE9 1AX, United Kingdom
www.hyperion-records.co.uk
All People That on Earth Do Dwell (THE OLD HUNDREDTH) — Louis Bourgeois / William Kethe, lyricist / Ralph Vaughan Williams, arranger (1R)
The Choir of King's College / The Wallace Collection, ensemble / Benjamin Bayl, accompanist /
Stephen Cleobury
(CD) Best Loved Hymns / EMI (ANGEL, EMI CLASSICS, EMI RECORDS, LTD) / 7243 5 57026 2 3
© 2001 EMI (Angel, EMI Classics, EMI Records, Ltd), 304 Park Avenue South, New York, NY, 10010, USA
www.emiclassics.com
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We love hearing from listeners. This is what you are saying about the new e-newsletter:
“Thank you so much for the online version of your newsletter. It is very easy to read ... this is a nice way to listen to your wonderful music right from my email box.” -Milkwaukee, Wisconsin
“The emailed version of the monthly newsletter is a terrific idea. ... I continue to enjoy the broadcasts online because no radio station carrying the program reaches [me].” -Antelope Valley, California
“Love receiving the e-newsletter. I always look forward to Sunday morning Sing For Joy ... I have listened since the late 1980s! Keep it coming.” -Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Sing For Joy is supported by listeners like you. When you give to Sing For Joy you are saying 'yes' to great sacred choral music. Have questions or want to donate by phone? Call us at 507-786-2600.
We are in the midst of our spring fund drive! Come, read about our initiatives, show your support, and watch the thermometer heat up!
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In Memory Of:
My father, Lester Balke
Mary Louise Bright
Sherman P. Coltvet
Rev. & Mrs. Joseph T. Echols
Husband
Nancy Parson
Elaine Schwarz
In Honor Of:
Nancey Douglas
John Ferguson, Easter 2016
Betsy Parcell
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