Dean Gibson's Bible Challenge study guides are on the Cathedral website here. 

 Reading Schedule 

An accompanying devotional, The Bible Challenge: Read the Bible in a Year, by Episcopal priest, The Rev. Marek P. Zabriskie, is available in the Cathedral office for $15. Devotional materials are also available free of charge at: www.thecenterforbiblicalstudies.org. 

As we celebrate the Third Sunday of Easter this week, our music still reflects Easter joy with rousing hymns and vivacious solos. Our hymns tell of Christ's triumph over death and resound with alleluias! At the offertory, we will hear The Trumpet Shall Sound by G. F. Handel (1685-1759). This piece references the biblical "last trumpet" as it tone-paints the resurrection of souls on the last day. Ornate figurations in the vocal line and accompaniment give us a window into that moment, that "twinkling of an eye". Music, like some other art forms, has the ability to extend a moment for us to abide in and really ponder the meaning of the words. The triumphal march-like sections on the organ depict a victorious resurrection, and we indeed are left with a feeling that we have been changed. "The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised . . . and we shall be changed."

Our organ prelude and postlude are from composers of the Italian Baroque period. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), the composer of our prelude, is best known for his energetic string writing and his famous Gloria. However, this week, we are able to peer into a different sound world created by this master, a world of slow and tender beauty. In these Two Largos (Largo is a musical term basically meaning "slow"), Vivaldi wrote some great music that is perfect for pre-service prayer and meditation. Though known as a composer, Vivaldi was also a Catholic priest who only celebrated Mass a few times due to a special dispensation due to poor health. Vivaldi lived and worked in an orphanage for girls, and many of his compositions were premiered there by students. He earned the nickname, "The Red Priest", because of his fiery red hair.

The composer of our postlude, Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751), was a rare bird for his day. Rather than becoming a court composer or a church musician, he preferred to be an independent composer. It is important to note that, until the Romantic period, musicians generally served a monarch or the church, or both. Albinoni, as opposed to Vivaldi, is widely known for his tragic and beautiful Adagio. This piece captures a sad and melancholic beauty, but we will hear a different side of this composer on Sunday. In the Trumpet Finale, you will hear Albinoni's joyful and exuberant side. Set at an upbeat tempo and ornamented with dazzling trills, this trumpet piece will be played on our Trompette en Chamade (our horizontal trumpet mounted above the rear balcony).

So, as you attend our beautiful Cathedral Church this Sunday, come ready for musical moments that help us see things differently. During our musical selections, try to think of a prayer, spiritual thought, or an idea, and let the music focus your thoughts on a beautiful moment. Whether it's Vivaldi, Handel, or Albinoni, this music should help you feel the beauty all around us this Third Sunday of Easter.