Music at WPC-
Sunday, April 19, 2026
The Third Sunday of Easter
​Voluntary: Fantasia on Azmon Jason Krug
Offertory: When Christ Broke Bread Carol Muslim (b. 1947)
Voluntary: Tuba Tune in D Major C. S. Lang (1891-1971)
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Hymns
Opening Hymn: 495- We Know That Christ Was Raised and Dies No More ENGELBERG
Sequence Hymn: 149- The Head That Once Was Crowned ST. MAGNUS
Closing Hymn: 113- Christ The Lord Is Risen Today LLANFAIR
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Next Week's Music at WPC:
Sunday, April 19 at 4:00 PM: Choral Evensong- Nik Stackpole, Director of Music; Kelsey Berg, Organist, WPC Choir
Prelude- About the Music
The hymn “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” pairs the exuberant text of Charles Wesley with the bright and energetic tune AZMON, most commonly attributed to Lowell Mason. Wesley’s text, written in 1739 to celebrate his conversion experience, is a jubilant outpouring of praise, inviting all creation to proclaim the power and grace of Christ, each stanza highlighting themes of redemption, healing, and transformation. The tune AZMON, adapted by Mason in the 19th century from a German melody, perfectly complements the text’s sense of joy and proclamation with its strong, ascending lines and confident harmonic structure. Together, tune and text form one of the most beloved opening hymns in the Christian tradition, frequently used to begin services with a sense of energy, unity, and shared praise.
Offertory- Text
When Christ broke bread and raised the cup,
Our souls’ deep hungers were relieved.
Fed by the food Christ lifted up
How can we tase and not believe?
The comfort of a loved one’s voice
In kind words given and received;
In these Christ’s music is rejoiced.
How can we hear and not believe?
When hands are joined and we embrace
Our love for Christ more love conceives.
God gives this sacrament of grace.
How can we touch and not believe?
If faith is blind we see no loss;
The image always we perceive
Is love resplendent on a cross.
How can we see and not believe?
Christ ends the end we cannot bear.
The scent of flowers as we grieve
Is winter dying in spring air.
How can we live and not believe?
Postlude- About the Style
C. S. Lang (Clarence Sydney Lang, 1891–1971) was a British-born organist, choirmaster, and composer whose career flourished in Australia, particularly through his long tenure at Christ Church Cathedral in Melbourne. A student of Charles Villiers Stanford at the Royal College of Music, Lang inherited a strong grounding in the English cathedral tradition, which shaped both his liturgical sensibilities and compositional style. His organ works—often modest in scale—are valued for their clarity, craftsmanship, and practical usefulness in worship, blending lyrical melodies with well-structured counterpoint. Lang also contributed significantly to Anglican church music more broadly, writing service settings, anthems, and pedagogical works that reflect a deep understanding of choir and organ resources. While not as widely known today as some of his contemporaries, his music remains appreciated by church musicians for its elegance, accessibility, and solid grounding in the Anglican musical heritage.