My now 22 year old grandson, Owen, on Christmas 2003, at the age of 1 year.
Since Labor Day weekend, on which I broke my left wrist, I have been occupying some of my time in composing a musical setting of the Ordinary of the Mass, and rearranging some old choir/piano psalms, hymns, songs, for SATB choir, strings, 3 octave handbell choir, woodwinds, and brass quartet (2 trumpets, a horn in F, and trombone).
I dug out my old orchestration books from over 50 years ago, and started arranging, keeping in mind that these new arrangements had to be playable by musicians of all ages and abilities from high school level up and still sound musical.
Since we are in the Advent Season on the cusp of Christmas and the Christmas season (going by the liturgical calendar and NOT the retail business calendar which has the Christmas season starting have the fourth of July), I will start first with some Advent music.
About what you will hear …
I did these new arrangements using the music program, Finale. Finale does a wonderful job reproducing authentic instrument sounds from keyboards all through the instruments of an orchestra. However, the only instrument it cannot reproduce well is the human voice. Voice parts sound like someone is singing a very long “Ahhhhh.” With the advancement of AI, I am sure that in the future, the human voice, complete with sung text, will be reproduced to sound more authentic. However, lacking a choir to direct, and hands that are nearly crippled by arthritis, I can only give you this facsimile, based on the playback feature of the program. It still works. To assist the listener, I have also included the texts of the songs to match the music. Most of the music is written in either three part form (think refrain, verse, refrain) or two part form (think verse, refrain).
Here is the first of the songs based on the Responsorial Psalm for Advent, Psalm 85, entitled, “God Let Us See Your Kindness.” This was composed for my choirs at St Hubert in Chanhassen during the mid-eighties, when our music budget really didn’t exist and our music resources in the pew were quite awful if not, perhaps, illegal (violating copyright laws, something I rectified as quickly as possible). I composed a lot of choir music at that time in my life.
PS 85 GOD LET US SEE YOUR KINDNESS
Refrain:
God let us see your kindness.
God let us see your kindness.
I will hear what God proclaims:
Our God proclaims peace to all people.
Near indeed is God’s salvation for the humble of heart,
Glory dwelling in our land.
Refrain
Kindness and truth shall meet,
Justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out from the earth,
And justice shall look down from heaven.
Refrain
God, you give us your benefits,
Our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before you, and salvation
Along the way of your steps.
Refrain
God Let Us See Your Kindness (c) 1985, music and text (adapted from Psalm 85) by Robert Charles Wagner. All rights reserved.
The next choir hymn is based on the Baruch reading for the Advent season, entitled, Remembered By God. This was composed for my St Hubert Choirs in 1992.
Remembered By God
Refrain:
Let us prepare a way for the Lord.
Let us put on the splendor of God forever.
Let us gather with all people and rejoice,
For we are remembered by God.
May we give birth to God’s tidings of joy to the lowly,
And heal the brokenhearted,
And announce this time of favor from our God.
Refrain
Upon the heights, let us look to the East and the West,
And see all of God’s children,
Whom God brings into our midst with mercy and justice.
Refrain
May we be clothed with God’s mantle of salvation,
Wrap around us God’s mantle of justice,
And go forth led in joy by God’s light that grows within us.
Refrain
© 1992 text adapted from scripture (Is 40:3, Is 61:1-2a, Bar 5:1-9) by Robert Charles Wagner. All rights reserved.
The music:
Remembered By God (c) 1992 music and text by Robert Charles Wagner. All rights reserved.
