Wondrous Love, Greater Love

This week’s broadcast is a meditation on that ever necessary, always powerful, inscrutible yet marvelous energy we call love. The choir of Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London, sings of the love of God for humankind. Bach and his favored pupil Krebs lovingly decorate Lutheran hymns based on themes of loving kindness. Virgil Fox plays of love’s dream, and other composers explore the range of love as evidenced in folk songs, oratorios and operas.

It is a wondrous thing, a power that transports us beyond the mundane and opens new worlds of expression and experience. From folk tunes and hymns, art song and opera, our performers draw upon upon rich resource of music to sooth the soul.

Audio Listen to the program

Program Broadcast dates:

September 09, 2002

Music played in the program

JOHN STAINER: Hymn, Love divine, all loves excelling –King’s College Choir, Stephen Cleobury, conductor (1968 Harrison & Harrison/King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, England, UK) Argo 434 609

JOHANN LUDWIG KREBS: Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier –Pascal Vigneron, trumpet; Pierre Mea (1988 Giroud/Église Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption, Grand-Bornand, France) BNL 112820

RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: My song is love unknown [Rhosymedre] –Leander Chapin Claflin (1981 Petty-Madden/Trinity Cathedral, Trenton, NJ) DTR CD-9605

J.S. BACH: Nun freut euch, lieben Christen, S. 734 –E. Power Biggs (1958 Flentrop/Adolphus Busch Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA) CBS Masterworks MK 42644

ERNST PEPPING: Nun freut euch –Thomas Donahue (1983; 1991 Brunzema/Blessed Sacrament Parish, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) Calcante CD-021

FRANZ LISZT: Liebestraum Number 3. EDVARD GRIEG: I love you –Virgil Fox (1953 Aeolian-Skinner/Riverside, New York, NY) EMI Classics CDC 65426

JÖRG ABBING: God so loved the world, Improvisation –Jörg Abbing (1994 Kuhn/Collegiate Church of Saint Arnual, Saarbrücken, Germany) IFO 00 029

HANS HOEVE: I love the Lord –Henk-Han Drost, trumpet; Bert Koelewijn, piano; Willem van Suijdam (1796 Strumphler/Eusebius Church, Arnhem, The Netherlands) CMR CD-103

SAMUEL BARBER: Wondrous Love Variations –Adrian Partington (1882 Henry Willis/Town Hall, Reading, England, UK) Priory PRCD687

PAUL HALLEY (arranged): Wondrous Love –Gaudeamus & Chorus Angelicus; Battell Brass; Paul Halley (1962 Austin/Cathedral of St. Joseph, Hartford, CT) Joyful Noise 104

SERGEI PROKOFIEV: March, from Love for Three Oranges –Jean Guillou (1978 Kleuker/Église Notre-Dame-de-Neiges, L’Alpe d’Huez, France) Dorian DOR 90112

FRANK FERKO: How lovely is your dwelling, from Psalm Cantata –House of Hope Choir, Thomas Lancaster, conductor; Nancy Lancaster (1979 C.B. Fisk/House of Hope Presbyterian, Saint Paul, MN) HoH CD-403

RICHARD WAGNER: Liebestod [Love Death], from Tristan & Isolde –Peter Richard Conte (1953 Aeolian-Skinner/Riverside, New York, NY) JAV CD-112

JOHN IRELAND: Anthem, Greater love hath no man –Choir of Saint Paul’s Cathedral, London, John Scott, conductor; Andrew Lucas (1872 Henry Willis; 1992 Mander/Cathedral of St. Paul, London, England, UK) Hyperion CDA66374