The Sacred Oboe

Psalm 150

"Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
 Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord."

I am on a quest to find and catalog music written for oboe and English horn that is appropriate for praising God in Christian worship, but written in a way that is acceptable for the concert stage. Historically, organ has dominated as the lead instrument in worship and there is a plethora of professional repertoire for organists SPECIFICALLY written for the glory of God.

It is challenging to find good music for oboe written for the edification of worship and in praise of God. I believe this is because while organists and pianists in church are often expected to perform at a high level to accompany worship, it is accepted practice that instrumentalists are "extras" and only need to be at the level of a decent high school freshman. We see this in music written for "piano and instrument". One can either read from the generic "C instrument" (limited range flute) or "Bb instrument" (limited range trumpet) or go online and print an automatically transposed part for the "strange instruments" (key of F, tuba, etc). I do own many of these books because the pieces are easy to play and wonderful on the ears. It is easy to find a hymn tune in the proper season using these styles of worship materials. However, as a trained musician, I do not feel I am giving glory to God because very little thought and preparation are needed. 

Classical music is complex. It weaves melodies, nuance, musical pictures, complex harmonies, and various textures to achieve an intellectual goal. I believe that good classical music when properly presented to a congregation can emphasize God's word and bring ultimate praise to Him.

In this blog I aim to:

1. Catalog works for oboe or English horn specifically for use in Christian worship
2. Perform these works
3. Provide information regarding the appropriate season of the church year, Biblical texts, hymn tunes, and other pertinent information regarding using a specific work in a worship setting
4. Discover new works that meet this criteria

"When in our music God is glorified,

And adoration leaves no room for pride,

It is as though the whole creation cried:

Alleluia!

Let every instrument be tuned for praise;

Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise,

And may God give us faith to sing always;

Alleluia!"

-Fred Pratt Green, b. 1903 (CW 248 verses 1 and 5)