Hymn at Washington National Cathedral

The opening hymn at the Sunday morning service at the National Cathedral in D.C. on "Indiana Day", June 15, 2008. I recorded the sound from where I sat during the service in the south transcept. I took the photos before and after the service. The choir pictured in red is a high school choir from Vigo County in Indiana in which my partner's neice from Terre Haute sang. The presider, whose voice you hear after the hymn, is the Episcopal Bishop of Indianapolis, The Rt. Rev. Catherine Waynick.

The first verse of the hymn:

The God of Abraham praise
Who reigns enthroned above,
Ancient of everlasting days,
And God of love;
The Lord, the Great I AM,
by earth and heaven confessed;
We bow and bless the sacred Name
for ever blest.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Washington
• National
• Cathedral
• organ

[901cleo]

I am Episcopalian. Service music and liturgy are taken very, very seriously. Sloppiness and tackiness are undignified. We "frozen chosen" would let out a collective gasp of horror if modern "praise music" seeped into a Sunday morning service. Not putting down those who like modern praise music but Episcopalians relish in centuries old, well beloved hymns. Music done well uplifts the soul and the soul soars with the notes and voices.....

This hymn is The God of Abraham Praise, hymn #401.

[voiceharp]

I love our music. My mother would have loved this also.

[pretorium]

@kapariz44 the Ordination of women has brought about sessations and schism within the Church - if you look back at the Unitarians who were the first, they are now dead in the water, and the Churches which followed the liberalisation of "catholic" (small'c') order such as the free churches are now on their way down- as are the Anglican Provinces that have not only Ordained women "Priests" but admitted them to the Episcopate. Whatever your take, I'm sure the Lord has something to do with it.

[Mauser2012]

How simiar are Episcopal, Catholic, and lutheran masses. Im not too happy with the changes in the Catholic mass.

[tamiasthechipmunk]

@901cleo Amen to that.

[mkl62]

I am an ELCA Lutheran from South Carolina. This is to all denominations: If Genesis 12:1-9; 15:1-6, 12-18; 22:1-2, 6-14 (any of them) is your Scripture of the Day, this is a good hymn to compliment it.

[mom2cairns]

As a chorister in the oldest parish in Las Vegas, I love all modes of music. The voice is the only instrument made by God. But to exclude 'praise' forms or 'gospel' is to limit the experience and to invite staleness. I was part of the introduction of liturgical dance in the 60s as well, remembering that the Hebrews danced from their first encouonter with Eloim. I used to poke fun at 'praise' music until it grabbed my soul in Cursillo. Don't count anything out of the worship experience.

[jamesthosbaker]

Let me amend my comment of yesterday. The tune is named "Leoni" because that was the stage name of the 18th century Anglo-Jewish singer / composer Myer Lyon.

[jamesthosbaker]

Kapariz: the tune is derived from a traditional Hebraic melody, "Yigdal Elohim Chai" (which means something like "The living God will grow"). In the Episcopal hymnal, the tune is called "Leoni" for reasons that escape me. Nonetheless, it is one of my favorites.

[autumnwindwalker]

@901cleo And yet here in Orlando, there are churches that use praise bands and whatnot during Rite II services, leaving Rite I to be the only 'traditional" service. I know of 2 that do this.....no, wait.....3 of them in my immediate area do this. Perhaps this is the same in other cities....

[keithreed13]

AMEN!