A Holy Week of Musical Reflections – Elisa Williams Bickers
The content of the Holy Week narrative is vast, ranging from the dubious celebration of Palm Sunday, to solemn and meditative Maundy Thursday and violent and tumultuous Good Friday, culminating with Easter, in all of its triumph and glory. This story has inspired countless artistic offerings, and we in turn are inspired by such gifts. This week in Ecclesio we are going to reflect on the music of Holy Week. The writers hope to remind you about some old favorites, as well as introduce you to some pieces with which you might not be familiar. Read and listen – perhaps a new perspective will find you.
We should probably begin with the oldie-but-a-goodie church anthem, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” as arranged by Gilbert Martin. I have yet to work in a church that HASN’T returned to this anthem, season after season, dutifully tuning its choral chords and registering the organ to be even more convincing in its storytelling than last year. The tune is familiar – she in the pew finds comfort in hearing it, like remembering an old friend. And the words are nothing new, either; most Protestants grew up singing Isaac Watt’s inspiring poetry. Martin takes the simple tune and well-known words and marries them with full, inspiring harmonies and modulations, reminding musician and parishioner alike of the song’s overarching lesson: “Love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQb33oRLpuw
Now onto a new piece, and do bear with me, here… Composer, pianist, and conductor Craig Hella Johnson is becoming well-known for his creative “mash-ups,” such as is found in his combination of the 15th-century German carol “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” and Bette Midler’s 1980’s hit “The Rose.” It’s completely stunning, and surprisingly poignant. The combination of secular and sacred is so thoughtfully done that the end result furthers both texts in very unexpected ways. The same can be said of Johnson’s arrangement of Dolly Parton’s (yes, you read that right) song “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” No offense to Dolly, but this choral version brings the lyrics to a whole other level, and in my mind brings this country-n-western rock ballad to a place suitable for church. And not just church, but Easter morning. While never specifically referencing the Passion of our Savior, Ms. Parton’s words nonetheless do a brilliant job of describing a painful journey: one marked with trial and injustice, but also one that’s coming into hope.
It’s been a long dark night,
And I’ve been waiting for the morning.
It’s been a long hard fight,
But I see a brand new day a-dawning.
I’ve been looking for the sunshine,
‘cause I ain’t seen it in so long.
Everything’s gonna work out fine.
Everything’s gonna be alright,
It’s gonna be okay.
I can see the light of a clear blue morning!
I can see the light of a brand new day!
I can see the light of a clear blue morning!
Everything’s gonna be alright,
It’s gonna be okay.
I’m quite proud to say that our choir at Village sang this anthem at the opening of Easter Sunday several years ago. What an amazing effect it had! Easter is certainly and appropriately known for brass fanfares and triumphant processions. This piece, placed carefully just after our pastor had so eloquently reminded us of the Passion narrative, brought the congregation into triumph in a more “sun-coming-up-over-the-mountains” kind of way. The piece starts simply, with a solo vocalist and recorder or flute. The choir tenderly hums in the background. Later in the piece, the texture grows through the gentle addition of choral layers, painting a sunrise of sound. After the torment of the trial, the violence of the cross, and the utter heartbreak and hopelessness of several days without the Savior, here came the light: the promise of a new life. And inasmuch as Easter isn’t just about Christ’s resurrection, but our own continuous rebirthings from periods of turmoil and imbalance, it is right that the piece encourages us to reflect inward on this day when we mainly focus on another’s narrative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVcRNPlLMY
Stay tuned this week, and happy listening. May your Holy Week journey be one of reflection, wonder, and praise.
Elisa Williams Bickers is active across the country as a solo and ensemble organist and harpsichordist. She serves at Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village Kansas; she is Principal Organist for sanctuary worship and lead musician for The Gathering (Village’s alternative worship service). She is also organist and harpsichordist with the chamber ensemble Bach Aria Soloists, and has taught at Washburn University and the UMKC Conservatory. Dr. Bickers received first prize and the hymn-playing prize in the graduate division of the 2006 William Hall Competition. In 2009, she was awarded the Carlin Award for excellence in teaching, and competed in the International Buxtehude Competition in Lübeck. She was a semi-finalist in the 2010 National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance. Dr. Bickers began her organ studies with the Potomac Organ Institute in Washington D.C. She has degrees from Texas Christian University and the University of Kansas. Her teachers include Dale Krider, H. Joseph Butler, and Michael Bauer.