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MUSIC 1 : If ye love me –
Chilcott (2.30)
If ye love me, keep my
commandments.
And
I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may
abide with you for ever;
Even
the Spirit of truth
(John
14.15-17)
LINK
1 : Introduction (1.30)
Hello and welcome to Choral Classics from St Stephen
Walbrook - twenty minutes of sublime music sung by our talented Choral Scholars
under the direction of Olivia Tait our Conducting Fellow and accompanied by our
Organ Scholar, Phoebe Chow.
Recently, churches across the world celebrated Bible
Sunday - giving thanks for the gift of the Holy Scriptures - to mark which, our
theme for Choral Classics this week is “The word of the Lord”.
We’ve just heard ‘If ye love me’ by Bob Chilcott, a
setting of part of the ‘Farewell Discourse’ from the Gospel of John - the words
of Jesus to the disciples after the Last Supper, in which he promises that he
will abide with us in the form of the Holy Spirit until we are reunited with
him again in glory. That Spirit, present in the gifts of word and
sacrament, strengthens us while we continue our journey on earth.
The Psalms speak of the importance of using God’s
word not only as a sort of spiritual google map when we are in uncharted
territory, but as a guide for the familiar paths we tread every day of our
lives. Our second piece is Henry Purcell’s setting of verses from Psalm 119
‘Thy word is a lantern unto my feet, and a light unto my paths.’
MUSIC
2 : Thy word is a lantern – Purcell (5.00)
Thy word is a lantern unto my feet,
and a light unto my paths.
I have sworn and am steadfastly
purposed to keep thy righteous judgements.
I am troubled above measure, quicken me,
O Lord, according to thy word.
Let the free-will offerings of my mouth
please thee, O Lord,
and teach me thy judgements.
The ungodly have laid a snare for me:
but yet I swerved not from thy commandments.
Thy testimonies have I claimed as mine heritage for
ever:
they are the very joy of my heart.
Hallelujah.
(Psalm 119 vv. 105–111)
LINK
2 : Reading “Door”
by Rowan Williams (2.00)
The poem “Door” by the former Archbishop of
Canterbury Rowan Williams is a meditation on the presence of Jesus in the pages
of the Bible - pages made from the sliced wood from the cross. The scriptures
are presented as a doorway into the Living Word - a threshold we are invited to
cross over; where we cannot but help ourselves becoming emotionally invested in
the story of our salvation as we stand at the foot of the cross.
There is no sense that this is a narrative that
"claims clarity or finality" as Williams has said of other texts. The
door is left swinging. Did we go through this time - or peek inside and
retreat? Either way we have entered the Word, drawn into it. The story of
our transformation continues.
"Door" by Rowan Williams
A book falling open, the sliced wood
peels apart, jolting for a moment
over the clenched swollen muscle:
so that, as the leaves fall flat
side by side, what we read is the two
ragged eyes each side of a mirror,
where the wrinkles stream off sideways,
trail down the cheeks, awash with tears,
mucus, mascara. Split the wood
and I am there, says the unfamiliar
Lord, there where the book opens
with the leaves nailed to the wall
and the silent knot resolved by surgery
into a mask gaping and staring, reading
and being read. Split the wood: jolt
loose the cramp, the tumour, let the makeup run,
the sap drain, the door swing in the draught.
Felix Mendelssohn, whose family converted from Judaism to Christianity, was well-versed in the scriptures. His first oratorio is based on the life of another convert - St Paul - and opened in 1836. We now hear one of its most famous choruses, from Part II of the oratorio, in which Paul and Barnabas are commissioned as ambassadors for Christ. The chorus sets to music words from the prophet Isaiah: ‘How lovely are the Messengers that preach us the gospel of Peace.’
MUSIC
3 : How lovely are the messengers – Mendelssohn (3.00)
How lovely are the Messengers that preach us the
gospel of Peace.
To all the nations is gone forth the sound of their
words.
To all the nations is gone forth the sound of their
words,
Throughout all the lands their glad tidings.
How lovely are the Messengers that preach us the
gospel of Peace.
(Isaiah 52.7)
LINK
3 : Reading “Medicine
(The Great Commission)” by Ty Scott King (3.00)
The American artist Ty Scott King has been described
as “the Maya Angelou of this generation”. Her work is a balance of poetry and
hip-hop and is inspired by her Christian faith.
In “Medicine (The Great Commission)” she challenges
the church to address the suffering and division caused by addiction - calling
on us to live up to the words of Christ’s Great Commission - to go into the
world and teach the commandments. Instead of pushing drugs she wants to see
people pushing the Good News.
The rhythmic style, which could be seen as a form of
contemporary Psalmody, uses slang and street-talk, which I will do my best to
convey authentically as I read part of the transcript of the poem which was
released as a video on Instagram;
From “Medicine (The Great Commission)” by Ty Scott
King
If you say that you’re a Christian, now is the time
to get movin’.
See – it’s time for a transfusion straight from the
blood of the cross.
‘Cause we’ve all lost our way, and there is none
perfect – nay, not one.
So now is the time to gather round the Son and catch
on fire.
Be a live-wire for the Messiah
Show the lost there is no tote that will take them
higher.
That he’s the only supplier with goods more potent
than kaya.
But it’s our job. We gotta push Him to the masses.
Teach Bible Class at the corner store.
‘Cause he’s not comin’ back till we start witnessing
more.
See, he’s wonderin’ what we’re waitin’ for.
‘Cause he’s already beat the high score and won the
game.
Do you, do you wanna be known for the one who fit in,
or the one who broke the mould?
To shine like light into the darkness of night?
‘Cause the latter - that is a true Christian,
And that’s what we all need to be like.
Thank you for joining us for this edition of Choral
Classics, we’ll be back again next week. Do stay with us for our Choral
Eucharist which starts in a few minutes. Please donate generously to help fund
the fantastic music ministry here – put your cash in the money box by the organ
or tap your card at contactless payment point by the door - or use the Donate
button on the website if you’re watching online. Every contribution is much
appreciated.
Our final piece is also inspired by the words of the
Great Commission, from Chapter 28 of the Gospel of Matthew:
‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you.’
Vox Christi is by the British composer Philip
Wilby.
Have a wonderful week.
MUSIC
4 : Vox Christi – Wilby (3.00)
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you: And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(Matthew 28:18-20)
Links/References
http://www.choirs.org.uk/prognotes/mendelssohn%20st%20paul.htm
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fAaAwxwqXMo
The full transcript of Medicine (The Great Commission) by Ty Scott King is below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAaAwxwqXMo
Eyes wide open,
Yet so spiritually blind, they gropin’
Walkin’ in haste so thick
that the rest of us chokin’
Hopin’ they get a clue quick, ‘cause;
hey, ain’t nothin’ bliss about ignorance like this.
The way they dismiss the violence all around them,
It’s like God never found them and set them free.
Like they got no kind of authority to speak to the enemy.
They just walk around like I am a zombie.
And it’s so beyond me how they got like that.
If that’s a Christian, then I’m not that.
And I’m not trying to be
locked up in religious chains of hypocrisy;
so, just call me democracy.
‘Cause I’m here to proclaim in my Father’s name
liberty and justice for all
Radical to the death like Saul turned Paul.
See y’all, I ain’t afraid to accept my call.
Go out in those streets and play hard-ball
for the sake of winning souls.
‘Cause we ain’t always got time for church polls.
By the time they make a vote
It might be way too late
Somebody might’a died from that tote they decided to take;
From that meth they decided to make
In their kitchen turned laboratory
I’m so tired of the excuses y’all;
They’re really starting to bore me.
So I don’t care who’ll be for me on this
‘Cause God, he’s assured me of this
The
time is now. He insists.
And
the harvest, it’s plenty.
That’s
why he sends me to do his will.
Not
to stand still while the world dies and we find our contentment in prize for
Church
with the biggest congregation,
‘Cause
so many members they still practice segregation.
Are
you Baptist, or Cogic? It’s so sick.
Yet
we wonder why some of them, they stay in those streets to get their healing.
Don’t
quote me on this, but I gotta feelin’
it’s because they see church people
Cloaked in religion.
And they – they don’t wanna be imprisoned.
Where
is that freedom in Christ they hear about?
Is that just idle word of mouth?
Or is
there some truth? Some proof?
Some
outlet for that youth who wants to use his or her gift of poetry or rap to
praise God?
Do
they get dismissed as odd?
Or
are they creatin’ opportunities to let their gifts flourish and grow?
Where
do broken Christians go?
Can
they find their way home through your church?
Or do
they get cast out for confessing their sins, their hurts, their pains, while
services go on and on in vain?
In
vanity and insanity reign.
See I
thought our job was to heal the sick, and restore the lame
And
I’m not trying to cast blame.
I
just want to ignite a flame and start a revolution.
‘Cause
we – we are a body, not just an institution.
If
you say that you’re a Christian, now is the time to get movin’.
See –
it’s time for a transfusion straight from the blood of the cross.
‘Cause
we’ve all lost our way, and there is none perfect – nay, not one.
So
now is the time to gather round the Son and catch on fire.
Be a
live-wire for the Messiah
Show
the lost there is no tote that will take them higher.
That
he’s the only supplier with goods more potent than kaya.
But
it’s our job. We gotta push Him to the masses.
Teach
Bible Class at the corner store.
‘Cause
he’s not comin’ back till we start witnessing more.
See,
he’s wonderin’ what we’re waitin’ for.
‘Cause
he’s already beat the high score and won the game.
Yet
some o’us we can’t get past being lame and hide in his name.
So he
used Congay to say that he came and he walked.
And
he used Mel to show that he died on that cross.
Because
the Bible says, he will use whoever is willing to save the lost.
So
now, what it all falls down to, is do you want to heed the Great Commission or
suffer the eternal cost?
‘Cause
there’s souls tossed into hell daily from these streets.
So
will you stand for God, or tuck your wings in retreat.
Will
you take the heat or scurry out of the kitchen?
Will
you go fishin’ for those souls or ditch your life’s purpose, your ultimate
role.
Do
you, do you wanna be known for the one who fit in, or the one who broke the
mould?
To
shine like light into the darkness of night?
‘Cause
the latter - that is a true Christian,
And
that’s what we all need to be like.
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