|
|
This Week at St. Matthew's
| |
|
|
|
|
In Memoriam - Jerry Whitten
----------------------------------------
Oh God who gavest us the gift of music, and inspired and equipped us to exalt your name
through the noble of the sounds of the pipe organ .
Grant us a renewed sense of
mystery, grandeur and transcendence
as we remember the life, ministry and music of Jerry Whitten.
We thank Thee that he lived and dwelt among us, taught our children, accompanied our memorial services and weddings and lifted our hearts to heaven each week in worship.
We pray especially for Nancy, his family and those closest to him, and all of his spiritual family at St. Matthews.
We know that the notes and harmonies he produced on earth are endless sounds in a universe that knows our every sigh.
Grant us a renewed sense of awareness that musicians on earth are the timeless representatives of the angels in heaven.
May we lift our voices in praise and supplication to the God who gave us ears to hear the divine sounds of the universe and hearts to love all mankind.
Amen
|
Pampa Community Choir To Sing
During Holy Week
 This Sunday, February 14th at 2:00 PM in the Nave we will begin auditions for the Pampa Community Choir in hopes to perform the Faure Requiem the Sunday Evening before Holy Week. Pampa used to have a vibrant community choir years ago and we are seeking to revive it and allow the choir to have opportunities to lead the faith community in the city of Pampa. If you know of anyone who would be a good contributor to the Pampa Community Choir please contact them or email Russ & Rick at RnRFusion@RnRFusion.com with their contact information and we will extend them an invitation to be a part of this exciting endeavor. Rehearsals will begin Sunday Feb 21 at 2PM and continue each Sunday leading up to the Sunday before Easter. Come be a part or send someone who would love to experience worshiping with the people of St. Matthew's.
|
|
Vita brevis, Longa ars
(Life is Short, Art long - Hippocrates)
"O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever present with your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; grant to them even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for 'evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen"
A Story about Jerry Whitten
This Sunday we especially remember and honor the life of Jerry Whitten who was Organist/Choirmaster for many years at St. Matthews.
I knew Jerry when I was growing up in Pampa and I have a story that few people ever knew. I was accompanying the PHS Concert Choir on tour back in 1968 and we were to perform the Rejoice in the Lamb by Benjamin Britten. The accompaniment was written for the organ and is extremely difficult, atonal and downright impossible. We were in Wichita Falls at Midwestern university to perform our tour repertoire and the Rejoice in the Lamb. I had only learned the vocal parts to assist the choir and had no intention of attempting to play the organ accompaniment, period. It was time for the concert and Jerry had been hired to come to WT Falls to specifically accompany the Britten at the organ. He did not show! Rather than simply cancel the performance of the piece, Bill Davis, our director insisted that I play it. I threw a @#$% fit and firmly said I could not do it - period. He insisted. My God it was horrible, people walked out, it was a joke. Well, I never heard why Jerry did not show, but it was rumored that Bill had never firmed up the details about the concert with Jerry and as a result, was not there!
I never told Jerry this story and now can look back and laugh at it all - but at the time it was traumatic. So now when I hear the Rejoice in the Lamb (which is rarely) it makes cold chills run up my spine.
Jerry, if you can hear me, please tell Benjamin Britten that the Rejoice in the Lamb sucks! ric
|
The Sounds of St. Matthew's
You can listen to a few clips of last week's service (2/07/2010) as well as clips from past services online by clicking one of the following links:
-Rick & Russ (Prelude)
-St. Matt's Congregation (Processional)
|
Rick & Russ' Blog 
at RnRFusion.com
Visit Our Homepage
by Russ
If you have not visited our home page at RnRFusion.com lately stop by and experience moments as they are captured each week in our live worship services. What you hear as you visit our site through the media player at the top of each page at RnRFusion.com are the original arrangements and compositions that Rick & I are creating each week in service to our little church in the Texas panhandle, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Pampa, TX. Although we have our fingers in so many pies we make our service music for St. Matthew's our top priority each week. We are having a blast while breaking through the barriers of church music with our special "fusion" of great literature, original compositions and improvisations in the use of the historic Mohler Pipe Organ and the Yamaha Motif Synthesizer. We are very grateful to the people of St. Matthew's for allowing us to express our hearts of worship through our spiritual and musical gifts. Rick & I have experienced leading worship and making music in the largest evangelical churches in the state of Texas, but they do not compare to the beauty, tranquility and aesthetic spiritual depth that we have the freedom to experience at St. Matthew's through our weekly musical offerings in service to God and the dear people of St. Matt's.
We hope that you are blessed by what you hear. To hear the corporate musical expressions from the congregation of St. Matthew's.....(click here to read more of what you can find at RnR Fusion)
--------------------------------------------------
Thoughts On Inspiration
by Rick
Now that I have the floor lets talk about a sacred subject for me, inspiration. It's cousin might be transcendence. I have wrestled with this issue all my life. When it happens it happens. When I became an Episcopalian I was adamant with the choir to LEAD the liturgy, speak out with passion, meaning and authenticity. It took a while to bring an awareness that we must not take the spoken collective liturgy for granted. It can become inspired, transcendent and even highly emotional.
Back during the revision of the Book of Common Prayer in the '80s the liturgical wars were highly charged and almost frightening.... (click here to read more of what you can find at RnR Fusion)
--------------------------------------------------
We would love to invite you to participate in a weekly discussion with Rick & Russ through their blog at www.RnRFusion.com.
We hope to engage our fellow worshipers in thoughtful discussion on many topics concerning worship, religious and humanitarian issues. Just click on the above web address link or logo and join in the discussion. You can contribute comments by filling out the form on the blog page at the bottom of the post. Let us know what your thoughts are on the subjects discussed about in our blog. Our discussions will be fun as well as provocative.
|
Service Music for This Week
Music for This Week
Prelude on OLD 100th - Fred Bock
Offertory "My Jesus I Love Thee" -
Gordon/Bish
Organ Improvisation
|
Hymns For February 14, 2010
PROCESSIONAL HYMN 135
Songs of Thankfulness and Praise
RESPONSORIAL PSALM 99
SEQUENCE HYMN 129Christ Upon the Mountain Peak
COMMUNION HYMN 460
Alleluia, Sing To Jesus
RECESSIONAL HYMN 618
Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones
|
Adult Sunday School Class Resumes
Come join our weekly Adult Inquiry Sunday
School class that continues this weekend. Remember, we meet each Sunday morning at 9:30 AM in the Parish
Hall. The class is growing and is a very interactive discussion of
topics that concern our lives as the people of God.
This week the class will focus on more aspects about Islam through some insights of Natalie's brother.
Please join us and help enrich the lively discussion and insights of this most fascinating subject.
| |
|
|
|
Sounds of
St. Matthew's You can listen to clips from last Sunday's service by clicking on this link:
WORSHIP MUSIC CLIPS
| |
|
St. Matthew's Worship Ministries
Rev. Linda Kelly, Rector - Rick Land & Russ Tapp, Musicians
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church 727 W. Browning, Pampa, TX 79065
|
|
|
|
|
|
