Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme

“Sleepers, wake!” A voice astounds us,
the shout of rampart guards surrounds us:
“Awake, Jerusalem, arise!”

With this hymn (number 61 in the Hymnal 1982), we began today's Eucharist, and what the Rector is calling “Extended Advent.” We labelled this day the “Third Sunday before Advent.” The liturgical color was red; the Celebrant used the marvelous Proper Preface for Advent:

Because thou didst send thy beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.

The Collect and Lessons for the Day already follow this train of thought, and look toward “that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). The Gospel, St. Matthew 25:1-13, most powerfully encourages us to “Watch... for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (v. 13).

It is unpopular in liberal circles to mention the Second Coming of Christ. But these three weeks declare it plainly in Scripture and thus in hymnody. I will say no more: the Second Coming is one of the Secrets of God, like the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection – secrets hidden from the seminary professors and scholars but clear to the simplest believer.

Instead, I will give you another improvisation.

This was the prelude to this morning's middle service. It is, perhaps, a demonstration that the Sonata First-Movement form is not so hard to use as one might think. Nor is it limited to fast tempi; the form is strong for slow movements as well as fast. “Wachet auf” lends itself to this form because of its length.

The plan:

Key of A flat major

Exposition:
First Theme: the A section of the tune, repeated, in the tonic key (A flat)
Second Theme: the B section, in the dominant (E flat)

Development – various keys

Recapitulation: the A section in the tonic (just once, not repeated), the B section also in the tonic.
Coda – continuing in the tonic.

It is possible for the Recapitulation to be an exact return of the Exposition. That is hard for the improvisor, at least this one – my memory is insufficient. But the musical result is often superior when the Recapitulation is varied somewhat from the version in the Exposition. That is fortunate.

What about the Development?
It turns out that this is the easiest part of all. One simply disassembles the tune and plays around with the motives with the freedom to combine them, move them around through various keys, and “develop” them in whatsoever way seems best. The danger: It is easy to get going on this and lose track of time, and of the form. The Development must remain in scale with the Exposition and it must not degenerate into formless wandering-around. The other challenge is to bring it back to the Recapitulation in a satisfying manner.

I leave you with the Collect of the Day, one of my favorites:

O God, whose blessed Son was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant us, we beseech thee, that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves even as he is pure; that, when he shall appear again with power and great glory, we may be made like unto him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghost, he liveth and reigneth ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

For the church musician, “extended Advent” is appropriate. By the time we have passed All Saints' Day, we are up to our eyebrows in rehearsal and preparation for Advent and Christmas. And it is, at least in part, through the discipline of practice and rehearsal and score study that “we may purify ourselves even as he is pure” during these weeks.

May it be so for all of you.