Music to End the Day Sunday, 30 August 2020
Good evening, everyone.
Music to end the day begins with the delightful ‘Les Barricades Mystérieuses’,
written for harpsichord by the great French clavecinist Francois Couperin in 1717.
It is a fine example of ‘style brisé’ (broken-chord style) characteristic of French baroque keyboard music.
The piece is in rondo form, with a recurring theme which appears four times interspersed by three episodes.
The remarkable skill of the composer is demonstrated in the ever-changing tapestry of melody and harmony,
interacting and overlapping with subtle rhythmic modifications and varied counterpoints.
Following studentship at the University of Glasgow (during which time he became student Rector of the University),
a period in the Netherlands and two posts in church youth work,
John Bell became employed full time in areas of music and worship with the Wild Goose Resource Group.
One of the earliest of his numerous fine worship songs was ‘The Summons’ (Will you come and follow me), written in 1987.
In the same year he produced another great song of commitment, ‘Come with me, come wander, come welcome the world’.
Whereas ‘The Summons’ uses an ancient Scottish folk song (Kelvingrove),
the music of ‘Come with me’ is entirely Bell’s own, written in the folk style.
The third verse fits perfectly with our Gospel reading from this morning’s Service,
when Jesus predicts his death and issues the invitation: ‘Take up your Cross’.
Come with me, come wander, come welcome the world
where strangers might smile or where stones may be hurled;
come leave what you cling to, lay down what you clutch
and find, with hands empty, that hearts can hold much
Sing hey for the carpenter leaving his tools!
Sing hey for the Pharisees leaving their rules!
Sing hey for the fishermen leaving their nets!
Sing hey for the people who leave their regrets!
Come walk in my company, come sleep by my side,
come savour a lifestyle with nothing to hide;
come sit at my table and eat with my friends,
discovering that love which the world never ends:
Sing hey for the carpenter leaving his tools!
Sing hey for the Pharisees leaving their rules!
Sing hey for the fishermen leaving their nets!
Sing hey for the people who leave their regrets!
Come share in my laughter, come close to my fears,
come find yourself washed with the kiss of my tears;
come stand close at hand while I suffer and die
and find in three days how I never will lie:
Sing hey for the carpenter leaving his tools!
Sing hey for the Pharisees leaving their rules!
Sing hey for the fishermen leaving their nets!
Sing hey for the people who leave their regrets!
Come leave your possessions, come share out your treasure,
come give and receive without method or measure;
come loose every bond that’s resisting the Spirit,
enabling the earth to be yours to inherit:
Sing hey for the carpenter leaving his tools!
Sing hey for the Pharisees leaving their rules!
Sing hey for the fishermen leaving their nets!
Sing hey for the people who leave their regrets!
And so to prayer….
Heavenly Father, I know that following you will not always be easy.
I know it takes commitment and perseverance.
I pray now that I will take up my cross and follow you.
I will carry my burdens; I will follow even when it’s hard.
I know that work for the Kingdom of God is worth it.
Amen
Goodnight, everyone.
Adrian Boynton
