Thoughts on using Easter Wings by George Herbert.

[Eby]

From - https://www.ccel.org/h/herbert/temple/Easterwings.html

Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store,
   Though foolishly he lost the same,
      Decaying more and more,
         Till he became
            Most poore:
            With thee
         O let me rise
      As larks, harmoniously,
   And sing this day thy victories:
Then shall the fall further the flight in me.

My  tender  age  in  sorrow  did   beginne
   And still with sicknesses and shame.
       Thou didst so punish sinne,
          That I became
             Most thinne.
             With thee
          Let me combine,
       And feel thy victorie:
   For, if I imp my wing on thine,
Affliction shall advance the flight in me.

Need your thoughts on including this as special music for Easter service in a Protestant church.
I'm concerned about how the congregation would react to the text that do not contain the usual words such as God, Jesus, risen, resurrection, etc... Have any of you used this ?. If so, how well it was received ?.

Thanks,

[regeron]

COMMENTS:
- Not all Protestant churches are created equal. Some will appreciate this, some won't. With 'Lord' as the first word, it's still very clear who is being addressed.

QUESTIONS:
- What musical setting do you plan to use? That could be critical to the poem's acceptance.
- What is it about this poem specifically that makes you want to include it?
- Would the words be printed in the above form for people to appreciate visually?
- Does this type of poetry match the day-to-day personality of the congregation and the general character of the music program?

[voet]

I once used Olivier Messiaen's Le banquet céleste for a service. I was concerned that the congregation might not find it the most "assessable" piece, so I wrote a note in the bulletin which I hoped would help people appreciate it. When I played it, you could have heard a pin drop in the nave. Afterward a number of people told me how moving the piece was. That taught me a valuable lesson. When we provide some clues to listening to music, people usually respond positively. After this experience I made it a habit to regularly include notes in the bulletin.

regeron asked:

- Would the words be printed in the above form for people to appreciate visually?

This would be important, in my opinion. You might also mention that the butterfly is often used symbolically to represent the resurrection.

I hope it works well for you. Let us know how it is received.

[Eby]

QUESTIONS:
- What musical setting do you plan to use? That could be critical to the poem's acceptance.
- What is it about this poem specifically that makes you want to include it?
- Would the words be printed in the above form for people to appreciate visually?
- Does this type of poetry match the day-to-day personality of the congregation and the general character of the music program?

-There is a nice setting by Crys Armburst, available at cpdl. Any other suggestions ?.
-Many things, its deep meaning, shape, availability of nice setting, old english, availability of singers, etc...
-Yes words can be printed as in the original, wing shaped.
-I'm not sure about the first part, there are people(surprisingly old folks) who have insisted on praise & worship songs instead of "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today" or "Ye choirs of New Jerusalem" or "Alleluia Alleluia hearts To Heaven" for Easter services.

Yes, including short note in the bulletin about the piece and author was the original plan.

@voet,
Olivier Messiaen's Le banquet céleste is an acquired taste, may will not appreciate this at all, especially where they don't have Cavaillé-Coll or comparable sound.

[regeron]

- I have no suggestions for musical settings. The Armburst setting you suggested is nice.
- This would not sail on Easter Sunday with my congregation. They would not associate the Armburst setting with anything festive. The style, though beautiful, wouldn't fit the character of our typical Easter services. The only place I could use this would be in a recital, outside of the context of worship.
- My reasons would not match yours for including it in worship. We do not use old English anymore. Over time, we have replaced all the anthems that use old English with more modern pieces, though we do sing a few hymns that still use older English. The shape is a bit of a novelty, not necessarily a good reason for including it. Although I respect 'deep meaning', in a normal service we don't have the time or opportunity to appreciate this. We can do 'somewhat' deep, but not anything as deep and thoughtful as this. Our current minister is also not very deep, so he wouldn't be of any help in getting the congregation to appreciate this poem..

[Eby]

regeron appreciate your views, as you said earlier it depends on the congregation and ministers.
Duration of our services are not strictly enforced and people take notes during sermons, they get sermon recording if they miss a point/reference . I'm yet to decide on this piece.