Cantor Muth gave me the privilege of soloing again at Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston this evening.

This was the first service I had participated in where LSB was in the pew racks. We did the Service of Prayer and Preaching (LSB 260). I sang the verses to the Old Testament Canticle, alternating with the congregation singing the Refrain. The song is right in the baritone range, but it has some tricky syncopation in it.

They also did something quite cool with the Psalm. Tonight Psalm 23 was chanted/sung alternately by the pastor and congregation, something very close to psalm tone G on pg. xxvi. Interspersed in the verses was also an antiphon in G minor, based on Zechariah 13:7: “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” So they have this situation where “the Lord is my shepherd” and the Lord “will strike the shepherd.” Before the Psalm, I soloed the antiphon line, in effect demonstrating it for the congregation.

I will hopefully obtain the audio for the service tomorrow. I didn’t use my recorder because I was alternating with the organ and congregation, and the organ overwhelms my poor recorder when I’m next to the organ in the balcony. I am hoping Memorial’s sound system recorded it better. Crossway copyright permission covers the text, but I need to get permission for the music from Philipp Magness.

After the service, I was asked to jump into choir practice, which was fun. Some of it was a terrible sight-read, but we closed with “Since By Man Came Death” from Handel’s Messiah. Ten years ago I wouldn’t have needed copy. :)