Music from St. Martin's, Austin
Music From St. Martin's, Austin, a CD recording, is now available!
Recorded by St. Martin's many music ensembles in 1999-2000, this release represents the completion of a long-awaited project.
You can order a CD (for $15) from the web and we will mail it to you.
Recorded by St. Martin's many music ensembles in 1999-2000, this release represents the completion of a long-awaited project.
You can order a CD (for $15) from the web and we will mail it to you.
Selections
1
Carillon
Ellen Jane Lorenz
St. Martin's Ringers, ringing three octaves of Petit & Fritzen Dutch Handbells, supplemented with two Low C handbells by Malmark and Schulmerich.
2
Teach Me, O Lord
Thomas Attwood
St. Martin's Choir
3
E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come
Paul Manz
St. Martin's Choir
4
Prelude on Tallis' Canon
Fred Gramann
St. Martin's Ringers, ringing five octaves of Malmark English Handbells and employing mallet techniques.
5
Fantasy on King's Weston
Fred Gramann
St. Martin's Ringers, with a piece traditionally rung on the mall outside the church as a prelude to the Palm Sunday procession. The Fantasy is a compilation of three hymn tunes, King's Weston, Neumark, and Passion Chorale.
6
Verily, Verily, I Say Unto You
Thomas Tallis
St. Martin's Choir
7
O Sons and Daughters, Let Us Sing!
arr. Fred Gramann
St. Martin's Ringers on the Second Sunday of Easter, ringing a compilation of hymn tunes: Gelobt Sei Gott and O Filii et Filiae. The Dutch handbells can be heard bringing out the inner melodies.
8
The Gospel Train
arr. Shirley McRae
The combined St. Martin's Choristers and Children's Choir, directed by Suk Yee Woo, Associate Music Director.
9
Talitha Kum!
Joseph M. Martin/Brant Adams
Reformation Choir and Reformation Band, musical leaders for the 8:45 Sunday service, collaborate on this anthem based on Mark 5:39-43. Suk Yee Woo directs the choir, and Steve Wager, Assistant Musician, leads the band.
10
Spanish Ballad
Anonymous
Todd Waldron, classical guitarist, and recording engineer for this CD, played as soloist for the 7:45 Sunday service and with the Reformation Band at the time of this recording.
11
Air á l'Italien, Largo, Allegro, Largo
Georg Philipp Telemann, trans. John Wummer
Tiffany Menke, a high school flute student and frequent soloist for the 7:45 Sunday service at the time of this recording, with Thomas Pavlechko, organ.
12
Three German Folk Hymns
God Loves Me Dearly, I am Jesus' Little Lamb, How Lovely is the Main
arr. Dale Elmshaeuser
St. Martin's Brasses, Dale Elmshaeuser, Conductor
13, 14
Kyrie & Agnus Dei, Solemn Mass
Louis Vierne, trans., ed. Ronald M. Huntington
The Choirs of St. Martin's Lutheran Church and St. David's Episcopal Church join forces for two movements from Louis Vierne's Solemn Mass for two organs. Jean Fuller plays the Choir Organ (Kilgen), Thomas Pavlechko plays the Grand Organ (Visser-Rowland), and David Stevens conducts. The two churches have been celebrating a Thanksgiving Eucharist together since 1984; they sang these movements in context of the 1999 Thanksgiving Eucharist.
15
Irish Tune from County Derry
arr. Percy Grainger
St. Martin's Symphonic Winds, founded by conductor, Dale Elmshaeuser, is composed of nearly 60 volunteer musicians, and plays for worship with 35-40 players every 6-8 weeks.
16
Alleluia! Laudamus te
Alfred Reed
"Alleluia! Laudamus te" was recorded live during the prelude on Sunday, April 30, 2000, marking the occasion of Thomas Pavlechko's last Sunday as Director of Music. The Symphonic Winds are playing from the chancel floor, and the two organs are sounding from the West Gallery, half a city block away.
Carillon
Ellen Jane Lorenz
St. Martin's Ringers, ringing three octaves of Petit & Fritzen Dutch Handbells, supplemented with two Low C handbells by Malmark and Schulmerich.
2
Teach Me, O Lord
Thomas Attwood
St. Martin's Choir
3
E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come
Paul Manz
St. Martin's Choir
4
Prelude on Tallis' Canon
Fred Gramann
St. Martin's Ringers, ringing five octaves of Malmark English Handbells and employing mallet techniques.
5
Fantasy on King's Weston
Fred Gramann
St. Martin's Ringers, with a piece traditionally rung on the mall outside the church as a prelude to the Palm Sunday procession. The Fantasy is a compilation of three hymn tunes, King's Weston, Neumark, and Passion Chorale.
6
Verily, Verily, I Say Unto You
Thomas Tallis
St. Martin's Choir
7
O Sons and Daughters, Let Us Sing!
arr. Fred Gramann
St. Martin's Ringers on the Second Sunday of Easter, ringing a compilation of hymn tunes: Gelobt Sei Gott and O Filii et Filiae. The Dutch handbells can be heard bringing out the inner melodies.
8
The Gospel Train
arr. Shirley McRae
The combined St. Martin's Choristers and Children's Choir, directed by Suk Yee Woo, Associate Music Director.
9
Talitha Kum!
Joseph M. Martin/Brant Adams
Reformation Choir and Reformation Band, musical leaders for the 8:45 Sunday service, collaborate on this anthem based on Mark 5:39-43. Suk Yee Woo directs the choir, and Steve Wager, Assistant Musician, leads the band.
10
Spanish Ballad
Anonymous
Todd Waldron, classical guitarist, and recording engineer for this CD, played as soloist for the 7:45 Sunday service and with the Reformation Band at the time of this recording.
11
Air á l'Italien, Largo, Allegro, Largo
Georg Philipp Telemann, trans. John Wummer
Tiffany Menke, a high school flute student and frequent soloist for the 7:45 Sunday service at the time of this recording, with Thomas Pavlechko, organ.
12
Three German Folk Hymns
God Loves Me Dearly, I am Jesus' Little Lamb, How Lovely is the Main
arr. Dale Elmshaeuser
St. Martin's Brasses, Dale Elmshaeuser, Conductor
13, 14
Kyrie & Agnus Dei, Solemn Mass
Louis Vierne, trans., ed. Ronald M. Huntington
The Choirs of St. Martin's Lutheran Church and St. David's Episcopal Church join forces for two movements from Louis Vierne's Solemn Mass for two organs. Jean Fuller plays the Choir Organ (Kilgen), Thomas Pavlechko plays the Grand Organ (Visser-Rowland), and David Stevens conducts. The two churches have been celebrating a Thanksgiving Eucharist together since 1984; they sang these movements in context of the 1999 Thanksgiving Eucharist.
15
Irish Tune from County Derry
arr. Percy Grainger
St. Martin's Symphonic Winds, founded by conductor, Dale Elmshaeuser, is composed of nearly 60 volunteer musicians, and plays for worship with 35-40 players every 6-8 weeks.
16
Alleluia! Laudamus te
Alfred Reed
"Alleluia! Laudamus te" was recorded live during the prelude on Sunday, April 30, 2000, marking the occasion of Thomas Pavlechko's last Sunday as Director of Music. The Symphonic Winds are playing from the chancel floor, and the two organs are sounding from the West Gallery, half a city block away.
Musicians
Music Staff
Thomas Pavlechko, Director of Music & Principal Organist
Dr. Suk Yee Woo, Associate Music Director
Dale Elmshaeuser, Director of Instrumental Music
Steve Wager, Assistant Parish Musician
Bryan Rust, Organ Scholar
Kristen Nobis-Cervantes, Soprano Section Leader
Rebecca Frazier-Smith, Alto Section Leader
Micah Smith, Tenor Section Leader
Todd Keister, Bass Section Leader
Ensembles
St. Martin's Choir
St. Martin's Ringers
Reformation Band and Choir
St. Martin's Choristers and Children's Choir
St. Martin's Brasses
St. Martin's Symphonic Winds
Instrumental Soloists
Tiffany Menke, Flute
Todd Waldron, Classical Guitar
Special Guests
St. David's Episcopal Church Choir
Dr. David Stevens, Choirmaster
Jean Fuller, Organist
Thomas Pavlechko, Director of Music & Principal Organist
Dr. Suk Yee Woo, Associate Music Director
Dale Elmshaeuser, Director of Instrumental Music
Steve Wager, Assistant Parish Musician
Bryan Rust, Organ Scholar
Kristen Nobis-Cervantes, Soprano Section Leader
Rebecca Frazier-Smith, Alto Section Leader
Micah Smith, Tenor Section Leader
Todd Keister, Bass Section Leader
Ensembles
St. Martin's Choir
St. Martin's Ringers
Reformation Band and Choir
St. Martin's Choristers and Children's Choir
St. Martin's Brasses
St. Martin's Symphonic Winds
Instrumental Soloists
Tiffany Menke, Flute
Todd Waldron, Classical Guitar
Special Guests
St. David's Episcopal Church Choir
Dr. David Stevens, Choirmaster
Jean Fuller, Organist
Background
This compact disc includes music recorded between November, 1999 and April, 2000. It represents the gifts and talents of many individuals, and the unifying bond of music-making. Some of the selections were recorded live during worship services and hymn festivals, while others were recorded during rehearsals and special recording sessions.
On June 3, 1883, twenty German Lutheran families organized the "Deutsche Evangelische Lutherisch St. Martin's Kirche" in Austin, Texas. The mission congregation met in other church buildings until it could secure its own land.
On December 21, 1884, three months before the cornerstone of the present Capitol building of the State of Texas was laid, the congregation of 50 members with 70 or 80 children laid the cornerstone for its first church at 106 Peach Street. Bricks from the old colonial Capitol, which burned in 1881, were used in its construction. In 1926, Capitol expansion prompted the sale of this property to the State of Texas.
On April 28, 1929, on newly acquired property a block away on 14th Street, a white stone Norman Gothic structure was dedicated. In 1959, the expanding Texas State government again bought out the congregation, and on March 27, 1960, the present Romanesque edifie at 15th and Rio Grande was dedicated.
When traveling east on Enfield Road, St. Martin's is a stunning sight as one crests the bluff where Enfield becomes 15th Street, downtown. Its distinctive barrel vault copper roofline, exposed steel columns and soaring steeple represent the very best of late 1950s architecture. Adjacent to it, the majestic Greek revival dome of the Texas State Capitol rises over the trees of a neighborhood of law offices housed in beautifully restored dwellings from the turn of the century. Towering downtown office buildings stand within two blocks as reminders of the presence of commerce.
St. Martin's edifice sits back on the property, fronted by a spacious gathering mall for fellowship. Overlooking the mall is the sculpture of the ascending Christ with cherubim by Austin artist Charles Umlauf, commissioned especially for the new building. With its sound-reflecting pebble and concrete walk, brick walls and barrel vault overhang, the mall serves as an ideal outdoor performance space for St. Martin's many music ensembles before and after worship services. On selected Sundays, one may encounter a choir, a handbell ensemble, brass ensemble, a bagpipe and drum corps, or even St. Martin's very own Tuba Band presenting its annual Tuba Christmas. On the day of Austin's Capitol 10K race, 17,000 runners pass St. Martin's, cheering and clapping along with St. Martin's Polka Band, which has entertained and inspired these athletes annually.
Inside, the nave is impressive, with its 180-degree barrel vault ceiling resting upon steel beams, seemingly suspended above serpentine walls and stained glass clerestory windows; its floor entirely covered with 24 tons of imported Indian slate; and the massive four-story free-standing apse which enshrines a magnificent high altar from the Norman Gothic Church.
Carved of solid oak in 1929 by the Svoboda Church Furniture Company in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, the altar and reredos stand 24 feet tall and 11 feet wide. The entire structure was dismantled, stripped and completely restored during an eight-month period in 1998-99 by parishioner and antiques restorer, Mark Henderson, who also designed all new paraments and vestments for the church. A feature article on the restoration, with multiple photographs, was published in the November 1999 issue of Professional Refinishing magazine.
In addition to 12 statues and a solid oak, 300-pound carving of The Last Supper, the altar includes seven stained glass windows, and over 5,000 square inches of 22-karat goald leaf highlighting 114 clusters of grapes, 32 finials, 12 shields, the crown, crosses and countless ornaments. The carvings are rendered in such detail that hand-hewed wooden spikes are actually driven through the hands and feet of Jesus on the cross.
Turning to the rear gallery, the stately Visser Rowland Organ with its amed copper pedal towers, chrome principals and copper horizontal trumpets rises into the barrel vault encased in natural oak. Flanking it, matching oak pipe chambers are suspended from the flat portion of the ceiling, housing the Great and Swell divisions of the Kilgen Choir Organ installed in 1999. Its console is separate from that of the Visser Rowland, with a second console playable from either of the front transepts.
The Music Ministry at St. Martin's has been a work in progress, growing from a long history of choirs, handbells and instrumental ensembles. Over 150 people were participating in the music program at the time of this recording, from eight years of age to seniors.
The entire ministry took an immediate upward swing with the completion of a million dollar face lift to the nave, dedicated in November of 1999. The rear gallery was expanded and most of the sound-absorbing materials removed. The result exceeded our expectations as the building's natural acoustics partnered with our voices, handbells and instruments. The delicate balance of clarity and musical bloom in the room can be heard on this unaltered recording.
While we often found ourselves at the church close to midnight for recording of St. Martin's Ringers, still, the sounds of the city -- buses, cars and trucks -- could be heard outside, and on this recording. After experiencing frustration at the lack of several clear takes, we resigned ourselves to the reality of ministering to a thriving downtown. So we let the sounds of a bustling urban center drone with our music, a reminder of Jesus' command to "stay in the city" and minister in the midst of it.
Each late night, as St. Martin's Ringers left the church, we were given the gift of witness to the power of prayer, meditation, and the study of scripture, for, outside the doors, on the mall in front of the church, was an African American man whose name we do not know, but who we affectionately called our "Prayer Man." We passed him as he read scripture aloud, with his Bible resting on one knee; or kneeling, with eyes transfixed on the ascending Christ figure of the Umlauf sculpture, never moving, never blinking; either crouching or prostrate on the ground, head buried, even one night in torrential rain. As we bounced out of the doors, wired by the evening's rehearsals and recording sessions, we always stopped short, realizing his presence, and becoming quiet as we passed, so as not to disturb this holy man.
With this recording, we do not presume to present sonic perfection to the listener. But instead, we offer our hearts and hands and voices as servants in our journey of faith, and as witnesses to the glory and love of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can take the disparate talents of doctors, nurses, secretaries, computer programmers, salespersons, professors, carpenters, plumbers, antique restorers, students, teachers, preachers, custodians, investors, moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, and even some professional and amateur musicians and mold them into one voice in praise of our Creator. May the Holy Spirit inspire you as you listen to the gifts we offer here.
Thomas Pavlechko
Director of Music & Principal Organist, 1994 - 2000
Cantor & Composer-in-Residence, 2006 - present
St. Martin's Lutheran Church, Austin, Texas
November, 2007
On June 3, 1883, twenty German Lutheran families organized the "Deutsche Evangelische Lutherisch St. Martin's Kirche" in Austin, Texas. The mission congregation met in other church buildings until it could secure its own land.
On December 21, 1884, three months before the cornerstone of the present Capitol building of the State of Texas was laid, the congregation of 50 members with 70 or 80 children laid the cornerstone for its first church at 106 Peach Street. Bricks from the old colonial Capitol, which burned in 1881, were used in its construction. In 1926, Capitol expansion prompted the sale of this property to the State of Texas.
On April 28, 1929, on newly acquired property a block away on 14th Street, a white stone Norman Gothic structure was dedicated. In 1959, the expanding Texas State government again bought out the congregation, and on March 27, 1960, the present Romanesque edifie at 15th and Rio Grande was dedicated.
When traveling east on Enfield Road, St. Martin's is a stunning sight as one crests the bluff where Enfield becomes 15th Street, downtown. Its distinctive barrel vault copper roofline, exposed steel columns and soaring steeple represent the very best of late 1950s architecture. Adjacent to it, the majestic Greek revival dome of the Texas State Capitol rises over the trees of a neighborhood of law offices housed in beautifully restored dwellings from the turn of the century. Towering downtown office buildings stand within two blocks as reminders of the presence of commerce.
St. Martin's edifice sits back on the property, fronted by a spacious gathering mall for fellowship. Overlooking the mall is the sculpture of the ascending Christ with cherubim by Austin artist Charles Umlauf, commissioned especially for the new building. With its sound-reflecting pebble and concrete walk, brick walls and barrel vault overhang, the mall serves as an ideal outdoor performance space for St. Martin's many music ensembles before and after worship services. On selected Sundays, one may encounter a choir, a handbell ensemble, brass ensemble, a bagpipe and drum corps, or even St. Martin's very own Tuba Band presenting its annual Tuba Christmas. On the day of Austin's Capitol 10K race, 17,000 runners pass St. Martin's, cheering and clapping along with St. Martin's Polka Band, which has entertained and inspired these athletes annually.
Inside, the nave is impressive, with its 180-degree barrel vault ceiling resting upon steel beams, seemingly suspended above serpentine walls and stained glass clerestory windows; its floor entirely covered with 24 tons of imported Indian slate; and the massive four-story free-standing apse which enshrines a magnificent high altar from the Norman Gothic Church.
Carved of solid oak in 1929 by the Svoboda Church Furniture Company in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, the altar and reredos stand 24 feet tall and 11 feet wide. The entire structure was dismantled, stripped and completely restored during an eight-month period in 1998-99 by parishioner and antiques restorer, Mark Henderson, who also designed all new paraments and vestments for the church. A feature article on the restoration, with multiple photographs, was published in the November 1999 issue of Professional Refinishing magazine.
In addition to 12 statues and a solid oak, 300-pound carving of The Last Supper, the altar includes seven stained glass windows, and over 5,000 square inches of 22-karat goald leaf highlighting 114 clusters of grapes, 32 finials, 12 shields, the crown, crosses and countless ornaments. The carvings are rendered in such detail that hand-hewed wooden spikes are actually driven through the hands and feet of Jesus on the cross.
Turning to the rear gallery, the stately Visser Rowland Organ with its amed copper pedal towers, chrome principals and copper horizontal trumpets rises into the barrel vault encased in natural oak. Flanking it, matching oak pipe chambers are suspended from the flat portion of the ceiling, housing the Great and Swell divisions of the Kilgen Choir Organ installed in 1999. Its console is separate from that of the Visser Rowland, with a second console playable from either of the front transepts.
The Music Ministry at St. Martin's has been a work in progress, growing from a long history of choirs, handbells and instrumental ensembles. Over 150 people were participating in the music program at the time of this recording, from eight years of age to seniors.
The entire ministry took an immediate upward swing with the completion of a million dollar face lift to the nave, dedicated in November of 1999. The rear gallery was expanded and most of the sound-absorbing materials removed. The result exceeded our expectations as the building's natural acoustics partnered with our voices, handbells and instruments. The delicate balance of clarity and musical bloom in the room can be heard on this unaltered recording.
While we often found ourselves at the church close to midnight for recording of St. Martin's Ringers, still, the sounds of the city -- buses, cars and trucks -- could be heard outside, and on this recording. After experiencing frustration at the lack of several clear takes, we resigned ourselves to the reality of ministering to a thriving downtown. So we let the sounds of a bustling urban center drone with our music, a reminder of Jesus' command to "stay in the city" and minister in the midst of it.
Each late night, as St. Martin's Ringers left the church, we were given the gift of witness to the power of prayer, meditation, and the study of scripture, for, outside the doors, on the mall in front of the church, was an African American man whose name we do not know, but who we affectionately called our "Prayer Man." We passed him as he read scripture aloud, with his Bible resting on one knee; or kneeling, with eyes transfixed on the ascending Christ figure of the Umlauf sculpture, never moving, never blinking; either crouching or prostrate on the ground, head buried, even one night in torrential rain. As we bounced out of the doors, wired by the evening's rehearsals and recording sessions, we always stopped short, realizing his presence, and becoming quiet as we passed, so as not to disturb this holy man.
With this recording, we do not presume to present sonic perfection to the listener. But instead, we offer our hearts and hands and voices as servants in our journey of faith, and as witnesses to the glory and love of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can take the disparate talents of doctors, nurses, secretaries, computer programmers, salespersons, professors, carpenters, plumbers, antique restorers, students, teachers, preachers, custodians, investors, moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, and even some professional and amateur musicians and mold them into one voice in praise of our Creator. May the Holy Spirit inspire you as you listen to the gifts we offer here.
Thomas Pavlechko
Director of Music & Principal Organist, 1994 - 2000
Cantor & Composer-in-Residence, 2006 - present
St. Martin's Lutheran Church, Austin, Texas
November, 2007
