Glimpses of Beauty

By Geoffrey Williams, D.M.A.

Each Thursday morning at Nashotah House, after we have sung Matins in Chapel, it is my privilege to offer the community a music rehearsal or music lesson. We use this time to learn music that is to be introduced into upcoming liturgies or, as the prayer below asks, to perfect the praises we offer to God. As our entire residential community is the "choir" for our liturgies, it is our purpose to craft our practice of worship to God’s greater glory and, I hope, to instill good singing habits. The focus of our choir is not to present anthems or extraneous music, but rather the music that drives the liturgy: primarily singing of psalms, canticles, and hymns in the Daily Office, and the singing of the Ordinary—the Kyrie eleison (Lord have mercy), Gloria in excelsis Deo (Glory to God), the Creed, Sanctus (Holy holy holy) and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)—at daily Mass. Our choral scholars spend another two to three hours per week learning additional music, but mostly our time is spent in furthering the musical expression of the interpretation of music for our daily worship. It is our responsibility as present and future leaders to be well-versed in the traditions and trends in church music so that we might best offer glimpses of beauty.  

I offer these short videos to continue that ministry to the community. Sometimes the instruction may be a deeper look at a less familiar hymn that deserves further introduction or perhaps an insight into programming using the materials we have available in chapel, namely the Hymnal 1982.  

In the video below, we join in a quick exploration of Hymns that utilize the interval of the Perfect 4th ("Here comes the bride!"):

(671) Amazing Grace; (87) Hark, the Herald Angels Sing; (101 )Away in a manger; (535) Ye servants of God, your master proclaim; (554) 'Tis the gift to be simple; (168) O sacred head, sore wounded; (83) O come, all ye faithful; (200) Come ye faithful raise the strain; (688) A mighty fortress

A Prayer for Church Musicians and Artists

O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in

heaven: Be ever present with your servants who seek through

art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on

earth; and grant to them even now glimpses of your beauty,

and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for

evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, pg. 819)

Geoffrey Williams, D.M.A., is Assistant Professor of Church Music and Director of Chapel Music at Nashotah House. Dr. Williams is founder and artistic director of the GRAMMY-nominated male classical vocal quartet New York Polyphony. Dr. Williams also performs regularly with Vox Vocal Ensemble, Early Music New York, and the Clarion Music Society, and each summer serves on the faculty of the Amherst Early Music Festival. He hails from the Midwest and began his musical life as a treble in the American Boychoir. A devoted church musician, Dr. Williams has served the parishes of Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church (Champaign, IL), St. Mary the Virgin, Times Square (NYC), Trinity Church (Princeton), Washington National Cathedral, and was for a decade a Gentleman of the Choir of Men and Boys at Saint Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue (NYC).