Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023 11:00 a.m.

Palm Sunday Believe in the Light - Rev. Dr. Andrew McDonald Worship/ Music Notes The opening voluntary by J.S. Bach is based on the tune we sing as the processional hymn, Valet will ich dir geben. Bach used the tune several times in his organ music, and this festive setting prepares us to sing our opening hymn as we wave our palm branches in celebration. The combined choirs will sing an anthem arranged by Roberta Bitgood (1908-2007), an American organist, choir director and composer. She was the first woman to serve as president of the American Guild of Organists, elected in 1975. She lived in Michigan for a time, serving as violist with the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra and organist at the First Congregational Church in Battle Creek. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) wrote eleven chorale preludes for organ, and the closing voluntary is one of his two settings of the Passion Chorale, to close our Lenten season with a meditative voluntary in preparation for Holy Week. Musicians: Young Children’s Choir, Carol Beth Litkouhi, director; Junior Girls’ and Treble Boys’ Choir, Senior Boys’ and Girls’ Choir, Nicole Joseph, director; Zoe Lei, assistant organist; Carol Beth Litkouhi, flute Copyright Information The following is used with permission, OneLicense.net License No. 717156-A All rights reserved: Ride on Now, O King! text by Helen Kemp, © 1968 Choristers Guild.