Music at WPC-
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Proper 24
Voluntary: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise Douglas Wagner
Offertory: I Believe Mark Miller (b. 1967)
Voluntary: Music For a Festival Calvin Hampton (1938-1984)
Hymns
Opening Hymn: 361- How Firm a Foundation FOUNDATION
Kyrie: 574 arr. David Johnson
Gloria Patri: 567 John Weaver
Sequence Hymn: INSERT- All My Hope On God is Founded MICHAEL
Closing Hymn: 303- Jesus, Lover of My Soul ABERYSTWYTH
Next Week's Music at WPC:
Sunday, October 25: Nik Stackpole, Organ; WPC Choir;\
Sunday, October 25 at 4:00 pm: Faure's Requiem- WPC Choir; Cantate Singers, Woodridge High School Choir; Orchestra; Organ
Prelude- About the Music
The hymn tune St. Denio is a traditional Welsh melody best known for its pairing with the beloved hymn “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.” The tune takes its name from St. Denis (Denio), the patron saint of France, and was first published in John Roberts’s 1839 collection Caniadau y Cyssegr (Songs of the Sanctuary). Its lively, lilting melody and strong rhythmic character reflect the rich tradition of Welsh congregational singing. The text most commonly associated with St. Denio was written by Scottish minister Walter Chalmers Smith in 1867 and draws inspiration from 1 Timothy 1:17, which praises God as eternal, immortal, and invisible. Written in an 11.11.11.11 meter, the tune's sweeping melodic phrases and triumphant character beautifully complement the hymn's majestic portrayal of God's greatness and mystery. Today, St. Denio remains one of the most recognizable and frequently sung Welsh hymn tunes, inviting congregations to join together in a joyful expression of praise.
Offertory- About the Text
The moving words of “I Believe in Love” are attributed to an unknown prisoner during the Holocaust, that were discovered written on a wall in a concentration camp. The text expresses an extraordinary message of faith and hope in the midst of unimaginable suffering: “I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining. I believe in love, even when I cannot feel it. I believe in God, even when God is silent.” Although the precise origins of these words remain uncertain, and the story of their discovery cannot be conclusively verified, their message has resonated deeply with generations of readers and musicians. The text has been set to music by numerous composers, often under titles such as “I Believe” or “Inscription of Hope,” including well-known choral settings by Z. Randall Stroope and Mark Miller. Its simple yet profound declarations remind us that faith, love, and hope can endure even in the darkest moments of human experience. When sung, these words become a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring possibility of light amid darkness.
Voluntary- About the Composer
Léon Boëllmann (1862–1897) was a French organist and composer whose music reflects the elegance, lyricism, and grandeur of the French Romantic tradition. Born in Ensisheim, Alsace, Boëllmann studied at the École de Musique Classique et Religieuse in Paris, where he was a pupil of Eugene Gigout, a prominent organist and composer who later became his uncle by marriage. Boëllmann served as organist at the Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul in Paris, where he developed a reputation as a gifted performer and improviser. Although his life was tragically cut short at the age of just 35, he left behind an impressive collection of compositions for organ, piano, chamber ensembles, and voice. His most celebrated work, the Suite Gothique, Op. 25, remains a cornerstone of the organ repertoire, particularly its dramatic and virtuosic final movement, the Toccata.