Worship Arts April May June 2022

Instrumental, Handbells

tunes, parts are provided based on two different common keys. The descants, generally straightforward and uncom plicated, seem to suggest a trumpet, but can be used with other instruments as both B b and C parts are provided.

Instrumental

Ed Duling is a trombonist, tubist, and semi retired music education professor who divides his time between organ duties at Ascension Lutheran Church, Columbus, OH, and contributing to the music program at Canal

I Wonder as I Wander, Duane Funderburk, MorningStar Music Pub lishers MSM-25-107, 2020, woodwind quintet and piano. Here is yet another timely con tribution among Funderburk’s useful chamber music arrangements. Com missioned by an woodwind quintet at Zumbro Lutheran Church in Roches

Lewisville United Methodist Church, Coshocton, OH.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, John A. Behnke, Concordia Publishing House 977962, (SATB, organ/piano, congregation; optional: handbells, brass quintet, timpani, and tambourine.) This is a straightforward hymn concertato on Lobe Den Herren. As we retool from the past couple of years, this accessible setting would be easily rehearsed and pre sented by experienced musicians, while representing only a moderate challenge to others. The five verses are laid out as follows, starting in F major: (1) 16-bar introduction; (2) first stanza – brass, bells, percussion, and unison con gregation and choir; (3) second stanza – SATB choir and organ; (4) third stanza – unison congregation and choir doubled by first trombone, with bells; (5) fourth stanza – SATB choir, organ, and percussion; (6) 16-bar instru mental interlude with modulation to G major; (7) fifth stanza – unison choir and congregation with soprano/ tenor descant, and all instruments – with concluding in strumental coda. The keyboardist plays from the full score with included reproducible parts for all others including both B b and C trumpet parts, and a substitute F horn part for trombone I. While nearly everything in the arrange ment is idiomatic in terms of instrumental and choral writing, the unique sound of the tambourine is what sets this work apart as a festive piece.

ter, MN, as a tribute to their music directors, the setting features John Jacob Niles’ melody crafted from a song fragment he collected in 1933. The music itself is playable by excellent high schoolers with coaching and individual practice; the real challenge is playing with mature ex pressiveness so that the interplay among the winds and between the winds and piano stands out, as that is what “makes” the arrangement. The setting builds to a noble statement of the tune, settling back to a reflective ending. The interest developed along the way – for example, a setting of the tune in 6 versus 3 – allows for contrast and counterpoint that make the climax and quieter final bars stand out. The piano part, again playable by a proficient player with some practice time, requires attention to some technical detail and sensitivity to dynamics and balance. In addition to its use in church, this setting is perfect for community holiday and college end-of-semester concerts.

Handbells

Melissa Emerson is Director of Music Ministries at Calvary United Methodist Church in Nashville, TN.

Hymn Descants, Set 3. Benjamin M. Culli, 2021, Concordia Publishing House 977953. Over 60 hymn texts based on 41 tunes are included in this third volume of Culli’s descants. Looking at a random sampling we find both tunes in common use in our denomination (CWM Rhondda; Holy Manna;

Ring Eight – Hymns for the Church Year, arr. Lauran Delancy, Concordia Publishing House 997937, 2021, 2 octave (8 bells), L2-L3. This is a collection of hymn tunes: Adeste Fideles; Duke Street; Hamburg; Hyfrydol; Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland, St. Michael. Each piece only uses eight bells from F5 to F6, however not all in the key of F, which makes this selection of ensemble tunes a bit differ ent. This collection is listed at a Level 2 to Level 3 as there are no bell changes, but there are several tricky portions in these well-arranged tunes that may require extra practice. I would not recommend these for beginners, but if you have some intermediate ringers who might like a little

Nettleton; Nun Danket All; Old Hundredth, The Ash Grove) and tunes more familiar, perhaps, to other denominations (Ach Gott Vom Himmelreiche; Gottes Sohn ist Kommen; Sonne Der Gerechtigkeit; Valet Will Ich Dir Geben; Was Frag Ich Nach Der Welt; ZpivejmeŽ Višckni Vesele). Each tune consists of the melody and a descant; there are no keyboard harmoniza tions, because key-wise the settings are designed to fit with Concordia’s Lutheran Service Book. In the case of five

___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 22 April-May-June 2022 • WorshipArts • umfellowship.org