"Filling the measures of life's music aright" (MB Eddy)

A fascinating article called "Church Music - or Just Music in Church" appeared in the October 1976 issue of The Christian Science Journal. In it, author Joseph W. Barclay recalls hearing a particularly inspiring organ prelude one Sunday in church. How important, he notes, is the preparation time given to suitable choices for what he terms "real church music". He further notes that "If one were to add up the time given to music in a church service - prelude, hymns, solo, offertory, postlude - it would be found more than equal in length to the Lesson-Sermon itself." See http://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1976/10/94-10/church-music-or-just-music-in-church

The music for the stately and expansive hymn number 430 "All my hope on God is founded", was written by Herbert Howells, an English composer (1892-1983) who studied and later taught at the Royal College of Music. The tune "Michael" was composed in memory of his son Michael who passed away in early youth. 

The words in our hymn book have been adapted from the original by seventeenth century German composer Joachim Neander, who also wrote the words (in German of course) of our hymn 283 "Praise we the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever". The adaptation of hymn 430 by twentieth century English poem Robert Bridges has been further adapted for us by English Christian Science practitioner and teacher Fenella Bennetts. You can read about her on the official web site of The Mother Church: http://www.christianscience.com/teachers/fenella-bennetts

In a YouTube recording from Westminster Cathedral https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2oYTtyBSxk, it is easy to spot the differences in text between the Anglican church service version and the Christian Science version of 2008. For instance, our verse one proclaims "God alone, dearly known" instead of "God unknown" (which reminds of Paul's encounter with the "men of Athens" back in the first century AD.  See Acts 17: 22-25 - from last week's Bible Lesson.) 

For some whose December copies of the Christian Science Sentinel arrived only recently, you might be glad to discover a poem called Angel-Space by Fennella Bennetts in the December 19 edition. http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2016/12/118-51/angel-space

Here's how it starts:

Make space for angels—
Walk with them, talk with them,
Sing to high heaven with them!

Then let them whisper to you,...

That sounds like a plan!

I am reminded of Mary Baker Eddy's Address before the Christian Scientist Association of the Massachusetts Metaphysical College, in 1893 ("Obedience", Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, p. 116), where she asks: "Are we filling the measures of life's music aright, emphasizing its grand strains, swelling the harmony of being with tones whence come glad echoes?"

Now that will give me something to ponder when next the First Reader chooses hymn 430!

Julie Swannell