Music & Worship

mmerriweather

Malcolm Merriweather
RSworship@nyacda.org
Cathedral of St. John the Divine

Literature Suggestions

Adinu

Shireen Abu Khader and A. de Quadros (b. 1953)
SATB, a cappella
General, Offertory
Oregon: Earthsongs, 2010
Adinu is a traditional Sufi Melody, the text of which is attributed to the Andalusian mystic philosopher, poet and sage Abu ‘Abdillah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibm Muhammad ibm Arabi (1165-1240).  This calm reflective piece can be layered and used in many different configurations.

Ai’yu
Mohamad Abdelfatah (b. 1962), ed. Andre de Quadros (b. 1953)
SSAATTBB, a cappella
General
Oregon: Earthsongs, 2008
Ai’yu is a common exclamation of awe, excitement and wonder from Egypt.  For mixed voices, this piece can be an exciting cross-cultural worship piece with its beautiful lyric lines and complex ornamentation that imitates Egyptian music.

Grieve Not the Holy Spirit of God
T. Tertius Noble (1867-1953)
SATB, organ (soprano or tenor solo)
Lent, Offertory, General
H.W. Gray Publications
Alfred Music Publishing (AP.GCMR00409)
CPDL Retrieval: http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Grieve_not_the_Holy_Spirit_of_God_(T._Tertius_Noble)
T. Tertius Noble, the founder of the St. Thomas Choir School in New York City, composed a gem with this anthem.  The romantic, poignant harmonies eloquently evoke the text.

If Ye Love Me
Philip Wilby (b.1949)
SSATB, organ
General, Offertory, Communion
Eboracum Choral Series
Banks Music Publications (KP.ECS191)
This simple yet effective anthem elegantly encases the text with a stunning melody.  The middle section builds through suspension and release to a very effective climax.

The House of Faith Has Many Rooms
Craig Phillips (b. 1961)
SATB, organ
General, Offertory
Selah Publishing Co. (405-103)
The text of this piece is so relevant for the church of the 21st century: we must be a place for all people.  Craig Phillips sets this stunning text in a chorale verse style.  The choral parts emote a fresh charm that is very tuneful to the ear.

The Altar
Roland E. Martin (b. 1955)
SATB, organ
Lent, Communion
Sewanee Composers Project MMVI- Volume 13
St. James Music Press
Martin’s setting of “The Altar” is full of warm textures and sonorous harmonies.  The slow movement is enlivened by the obbligato violin which plays an important role in unifying the entire piece.  Your choir will love this piece.

Mid-Winter
Bob Chilcott (b. 1955)
SS or SA, piano or harp
Christmas, Advent
Published by Oxford University Press (OU.9780193415232)
Mid-Winter is a popular anthem but just in case you missed it, you children or adults will revel in the haunting melody of this iconic poem.

Vidi aquam
Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
SATB, a cappella
Baptism
CPDL  Retrieval: http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/vict-vid.pdf
ISLP Retrieval: http://imslp.org/wiki/Vidi_aquam_(Victoria,_Tomás_Luis_de)
This beautiful Renaissance polyphonic setting is punctuated with plainchant incipits.  This piece can be repeated or shortened for the desired length during a baptism in liturgy.

Solus ad Victimam
Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988)
SATB, organ
Lent, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday
Oxford University Press, 978-0-19-385169-6
This Holy Week anthem provides the perfect music setting of this text.  The harmonies are dissonant but the text sings through dense textures.  The momentum of the anthem builds to a triumphant final organ chord progression that will blow you away.

Witness
Arr.Jack Halloran (1916-1997)
SATB, a cappella divisi (available SSA, SAB)
General
GP Publications, UPC: 073999390766     Publisher ID: 08739076
This favorite spiritual arrangement vividly portrays the stories of how Nicodemus and Samson proclaim God.

Festival Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis
Daniel Pinkham (1923-2006)
SATB, organ and brass quartet
General, Evensong
Edition Peters, PE.P06555
Pinkham’s evening canticles provide a brief yet satisfying setting for evensong or concert.  He provides the option of adding brass to the texture.