Comfort, Comfort Ye My People

Here is another hymn! Less than a week until Christmas is here!

Title: Comfort, Comfort Ye My People

Tune: Freu Dich Sehr

Meter: 8.7.8.7.8.8.

Composer: Louis Bourgeois (c. 1510-1561)

Author: Johann Olearius (1611-1684), Trans. Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)

Originally written as a German versification of the text Isaiah 40: 1-5, the text of this hymn was meant to show the promise of better days to come within the coming of the Messiah. The passage from Isaiah marks the beginning of the remaining large passages of prophecies (Isa. 40-66), in which the prophecies display messages of condolence and of hope that the exile of Judah from Babylon will soon be over. The hymn was written by Johann Olearius in honor of St. John the Baptist day, and was published in the 1671 collection Geistliche Singe-Kunst. This collection contained nearly 1200 hymns, 300 of which came from Olearius himself. it wasn't until nearly 200 years later that Catherine Winkworth translated this hymn from German to English and published it in her 1863 collection of translations Chorale Book for England. Known for her clean translations, Winkworth was good at maintaining the original form of the texts she translated. 

            Born the son of a Johann Olearius, the pastor of St. Mary's Church, and the superintendent in Halle, Germany, Olearius was born into a long line of Lutheran Theologians. He began his studies at the University of Wittenburg in 1629, where he earned his master’s degree in 1632, and eventually his doctorate in 1643. Eventually, while studying at the university, Olearius became lecturer, and in 1635 was named as an adjunct member of the Philosophical Faculty. Two years later, in 1637, Olearius was appointed superintendent at Querfurt, where he remained until 1643, when he was appointed by Duke August of  Sachsen-Weissenfels as the chief court preacher and private chaplain at Halle. During his time in Halle, Olearius became Kirchenrath (1657) and eventually the superintendent (1664). In 1680, upon the death of Duke August, the administration in Halle fell under the control of Duke Johann Adolf, who gave Olearius many of the same positions that he already held, only this time in Weissenfels, which Olearius held until his death in 1684. During his lifetime, Olearius had published many different works, one of which was a commentary on the entire bible itself. Olearius was also known as one of the biggest contributors to the largest collection of hymns at the time, Geistliche Singe-Kunst (1671). Olearius worked on both the first edition of the collection and the second edition of the collection (published only a year later, updated with nearly 100 more hymns). Olearius is also known for having translated Thomas A. Kempis's book Imitatio Christi (the Imitation of Christ), which is a widely read book. 

            Catherine Winkworth was a woman of great note, being a well-educated woman, and a supporter of women's rights and higher education for women. Beginning her education with her mother, Winkworth was raised with her close relatives in Dresden, Germany, where she became interested in her German Hymnody. Eventually, Winkworth moved to Manchester, England, where she remained until 1862, when she moved with her family to Clifton, which is just outside of Bristol, England. Spending most of her life translating texts of German hymns, Winkworth began with a collection of hymnals from her friend, Baron Bunsen. Though the translations are often changed, most of her original translations are used in many different hymnals today. The bulk of her work was published in two collections of Lyra Germanica (1855, 1858), as well as her book Chorale Book for England. In this collection (Chorale Book for England), Winkworth was sure to pair each tune with the appropriate German text, which was annotated by two gentleman, Sterndale Bennet and Otto Goldschmidt. During her lifetime, Winkworth also translated biographies of German Christians who supported ministries to the poor and to the sick, as well as biographies of German hymn writers, and published them in Christian Singers of Germany (1869).

            Originally written as an accompaniment for the text from Psalm 42, the tune "Freu Dich Sehr" was composed by Louis Bourgeois. Born in 1510, Bourgeois was a famous French Renaissance composer and music theorist. Though almost nothing is known about Bourgeois's early life, it is known that his first publicatioin was a collection of secular chansons published in 1539 in Lyon, France. In 1547 however, Bourgeois moved to, and became a citizen of Geneva, where he published his first collection of four-voice psalms. Between 1549 and 1550, Bourgeois worked on a number of tunes that were supposed to accompany psalms. Though it was known that Bourgeois had worked on this collection, the extent to which he was a composer, compiler or arranger was unknown until a copy of a long-lost copy of the Genevan Hymnal was brought to the library at Rutgers University. In an avertissement (or note) to the reader, Bourgeois specified the exact work that had been done by his predecessors, what he had changed, and which arrangements were his. Bourgeois is one of the three main composers who contributed to the Genevan Hymnal. 

            Around this time, Bourgeois lost his reputation with musical authorities around France, and was eventually thrown in jail in 1851 for having made changes to popular hymn-tunes "without a license." Eventually, Bourgeois was released from prison on a personal recommendation from John Calvin himself, but, even after his release, the controversy continued. Because the singers had already learned the original tunes, had no desire to learn anything new, the town council demanded that a burning of his instructions be held, claiming that his instructions were too confusing and unnecessary. Shortly after this incident, Bourgeois (understandably) left Geneva, and moved to Lyon, which his wife followed sometime after. Shortly after his move, his employment in Geneva was terminated. Eventually, in 1560, Bourgeois moved to Paris, where he published a fierce piece of invective against the publishers in Geneva. During his time in Paris, a Parisian publisher came out with a collection of four-voice chansons written by the composer, a form of music which Bourgeois had claimed to be "dissolute," during his time in Geneva. Oddly enough, his daughter was born around this time, and she was baptized as Catholic. Nothing is known of Bourgeois's life after 1560, though most hymnals print his date of death as 1561. Bourgeois is the most responsible for the tunes in the Genevan Psalter, a source for music in both the Reformed Church, and the church in America. Though many of his tunes were written in a monophonic style (containing only one part for voice), it is known that he had written harmonization for each of his tunes, but that was usually reserved for performances in his home. Of all Bourgeois compositions, perhaps the most famous is known as the Old 100th, which many in the protestant church known as the tune for the Doxology.

The Text:

(1) Comfort, comfort ye my people,

Speak ye peace, thus saith our God;

Comfort those who sit in darkness,

Mourning 'neath their sorrows' load;
Speak ye to Jerusalem
Of the peace that waits for them,
Tell her that her sins I cover,
And her warfare now is over.

(2) Yea, her sins our God will pardon,

Blotting out each dark misdeed;

All that well deserved His anger

He will no more see nor heed.
She hath suffer'd many a day,
Now her griefs have passed away,
God will change her pining sadness
Into ever-springing gladness.

(3) For Elijah's voice is crying

In the desert far and near,
Bidding all men to repentance,

Since the kingdom now is here.
Oh that warning cry obey,
Now prepare for God a way;
Let the valleys rise to meet Him,
And the hills bow down to greet Him.

(4) Make ye straight what long was crooked,
Make the rougher places plain,
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits His holy reign;
For the glory of the Lord
Now o'er earth is shed abroad,
And all flesh shall fee the token
That His Word is never broken.

My Take on the Hymn:

            This hymn is very important to the message that is coming with the season of Advent. In the time of Advent, it is important that we take the time to not only to admit the sins we had committed, but also to atone for them. In the first verse, the voice of the text speaks to those who are in times of trial. When we are struggling with something, sometimes it is very difficult for us to admit that we are struggling, but that is all God requires of us, to give our sorrows and struggles to Him. The second stanza speaks to God’s ability to forgive and forget. The fact that God is willing to accept us into his house, no matter what we have done, is incredible. Christ is the only one who can forgive us our sins, but we must go through Him in order to be completely forgiven. Into the kingdom of heaven, there is no shortcut, and there is no easy way in, which leads us into the third stanza. This stanza is all about atoning for the sins that we have committed, which is the only way that Christ will forgive us. God knows the sins we have committed, but he wants us to admit to Him that we know what we have done, and that we know that what we have done is wrong. The fourth stanza is all about the power of Christ. At the end of time, Christ will bring everything to light, and he will take what is crooked and make it straight, and he will take everything that once was dark, and he will awaken the dead, and raise them up into the realms of glory!

            On another note, I feel that the magnitude of what has occurred this past week deserves a response. The event that took place at Stony Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, is one that has no explanation, no reasoning, or any resemblance of an iota of sense. For the parents of the children that have been killed (as well as the rest of their family), and to the families of those adults who were killed, I am truly sorry for your loss, and I pray that you will be able to heal and find comfort in the time to come. Please remember, there are two powers at work in this world, Satan, and God himself. Though it may seem easier to blame God for this, he would not ever cause his children this much pain. This may be the darkest hour in your life so far, but through God, healing will come, and he will not allow you to go through this alone. Christ will be with you, He will be with you, and He will provide for you the things you need to heal. The thing that we must concentrate on most now more than ever, is how we can help the families heal, and then we can deal with things as they come.

The Hymn:

If you cannot read music, just play the Youtube video and follow along!

Bibliography:

"Comfort, Comfort Ye My People." Hymnary.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.

Julian, John. "Louis Bourgeois." - Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.

Julian, John. "Catherine Winkworth." - Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.

Julian, John. "Johann Olearius." - Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.

Julian, John. "FREU DICH SEHR." Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.

"Comfort, Comfort Ye My People." Comfort, Comfort Ye My People. The Hymns and Carols of Christmas, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.

Joy to the World

Here is another hymn for this wonderful season of Advent! Before I continue, I want to take a moment to say thank you to all the people who have read my blog, and continue to read the new posts as they appear! My goal and prayer was to reach 1,000 page views by Christmas this year, and I am happy to announce that my goal has been met, and exceeded. We are now over 2,000 page views, and we still haven’t reached Christmas yet! God is good!

Now on to the hymn!

Title:  Joy to the World

Tune: Antioch

Meter: Common Meter (8.6.8.6. Repeat)

Composer: English melody, 18^th Century; arr. Lowell Mason (8 January 1792- 11 August 1872)

Author: Isaac Watts (17 July 1674- 25 November 1748)

                Though this text is very commonly known as an Advent/Christmas hymn, originally it was written as neither of those two. Written as the second half of a paraphrase of Psalm 98 from the Psalms of David (1719) written by Isaac Watts, the text stood as the first Christmas hymn in the Lutheran Book of Worship. Now, in today’s world, this hymn is usually one of the last Advent hymns, marking the close relation between the meaning for the season of Advent, and the meaning for the season of Christmas. Considered the father of English hymnody, Isaac Watts argued against the Calvinist practice of using only metrical psalms and instead supported using hymns. At first, Watts’ six hundred hymns and psalm paraphrases ran up against stiff opposition, but eventually the hymns broke through the barriers and set in motion English hymn writing. Though Watts had published many different books, the most well-known books are Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707), where Watts had included explanations as to why the hymns should be sung, and The Psalms of David (1719), in which he interpreted the psalms through a Christological lens.

                Born the son of a Schoolmaster (who was well known for being a non-conformist) in Southampton, England, Isaac Watts showed promise of great maturity and intelligence from a young age. Having begun studying Latin at the age of four, and writing respectable verse at the age of seven, Watts was destined for something great.  During Watts’ younger years, his father was imprisoned twice for standing up for his religious convictions, a path that Watts would later follow. At the age of 16 Watts was offered the opportunity to study at a University in England, but refused to offer so that he could study at the non-conformist academy with an independent pastor, Rev. Thomas Rowe in Stoke Newington, England (1690). Eventually, in 1693, Watts became a member of the Independent Congregation at Girdlers Hall, which was led by Thomas Rowe. At the age of 20, Watts finished his studies at the academy and moved back home for two years, in which he spent the majority of that time composing the bulk of his publication Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707-9). Most of these hymns were written and sung in the Southampton Chapel. Considered to be the first hymn ever written by Watts, “Behold the Glories of the Lamb” was written in order to raise the standard of praise in Southampton. Eventually, in 1698, Watts returned to Stoke Newington where he assumed the post of tutor to the son of a prominent Puritan, Sir John Hartopp.

                Though Watts had begun his career in the church, it wasn’t until the age of 24 that he actually preached his first sermon. For three years, Watts was asked on and off to preach, until 1702, when he was officially ordained as pastor of the eminent Independent Congregation in Mark Lane, which was home to several prominent members including: Charles Fleetwood, Charles Desborough, Sir John Hartopp, Lady Havershom, and other distinguished members. In the following year (1703) Watts’ health began to deteriorate, which left him too weak to continue on his own, and thus he was given an assistant, Mr. Samuel Price. In 1712, however, Watts fell ill to a fever that shattered his constitution and created the need for Mr. Price to be promoted to Co-pastor of the Congregation. During this time, Watts became the guest of Sir Thomas Abney, of whom he would reside with Abney and his widow (After Abney had passed away in 1722) for the rest of his life. In 1728, Watts was awarded an unsolicited D.D. from the University of Edinburgh, which was one of the last events in Watts’ life before his health had turned worse, and would eventually claim him on November 25^th, 1748. During his life, Watts penned over sixty different books in subjects ranging from geography, to logic and astronomy.

                The tune most strongly associated with “Joy to the World” is Antioch, which was written by a prominent American Composer, Lowell Mason.  The tune for “Joy to the World” was not coupled with the text until nearly 100 years after it was written. Originally published in Mason’s 1836 booklet Occasional Psalm and Hymn Tunes (the 3^rd edition), the tune was marked “Arr. From Handel” (Westermeyer, p 40), which has added some confusion to the origin of the hymn tune. Because of the marking, many people wonder if the tune didn’t come from “Glory to God” and “Comfort Ye” from G.F. Handel’s Messiah, but it has been suggested that the origin begins three years prior to Mason’s booklet. The tune can be linked to tunes in Thomas Hawkes’s A Collection of Tunes (Watchet, Somerset, 1830), and William Holford’s Voce di Melodia (London, c. 1835)(Westermeyer, p 40).  The apparent arrangements made by Mason may have been a slight arrangement of the melody (he changed four notes), and the coupling of the tune with Watt’s “appealing text.” Though he never was very good at it, Mason managed to take the melody and make the hymn into a fugue. This moves to show the “inertia and importance of the community in spite of what any individual author or composer may like or dislike,” (Westermeyer, p 40).

                Lowell Mason is known as the father of American church music, and had shown musical prowess from his birth in 1792 in Medfield, Massachusetts. Mason has contributed many things to the world of music, including the large shift of respect of the profession of a musician that has changed over the last century. Mason is known to have played a large role in changing the face of early music education, as well as the education of music in the church. Spending most of his spare time practicing music, Mason had an incredible drive to get better as a musician and to constantly improve upon his skill. At the age of 20, Mason began a clerkship in a banking house in Savannah, Georgia, in which he spent any time when he was not working, practicing and taking lessons under the instruction of F.L. Abel. During his spare time, Mason began working in his personal compositions, and eventually came up with a collection of church music that was presented to a publishing company in Philadelphia and Boston, but was turned down by both companies. Eventually, the manuscript caught the attention of the Boston Handel and Haydn Society, and was submitted to the severest editor in Boston, Dr. G.K. Jackson. After Jackson had heartily approved of the manuscript, he entered some of his own compositions into the manuscript and resubmitted it to the publisher. In 1822, the publication was finally approved, and was published under the name of the Boston Handel and Haydn Society Collection of Church Music, without the name of Lowell Mason (which was done at Mason’s own request).   With the book becoming wildly popular, with nearly 17 editions published, Mason was given the opportunity to become an honorary member of the Handel and Haydn Society, but he turned down the offer so that he could become an active member, earning a guaranteed $2,000 a year.

                Finally, in 1826, Mason returned to Boston, where he was offered the job of Director of Music at Hanover, Green, and Park Street churches, in which he would go between the two churches every 6 months. Eventually, Mason left the guaranteed money, and accepted a full time position as the Music Director at the Bowdoin Street Church. In 1827 Mason accepted the position as Director and Conductor of the Handel and Haydn Society, in which he earn the title of “Father of American Church Music.” Because Mason was in America, he was considered to be higher than his surroundings when it came to musical ability, but had he been in Europe, he may have been considered “average,” which allows us to know his musical prowess was so strong and played a prominent role in America.

The Text:

(1)    Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

(2)    Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

(3)    No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found,

Far as, far as, the curse is found.

(4)    He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

My Take on the Hymn:

                This hymn always amazes me, especially around Christmas time. The celebratory nature of the text allows us to feel the full joy of Christ’s arrival on Earth. With the coming of Christ, we need to make room for him in our hearts, and that is what the season of Advent is for. In the third stanza, the text “He comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found” stands out to me above the rest of the text. Christ has come to us on Earth so that we as man would no longer be held by the bonds of Sin and Death, and he did these things from the moment he was born. Our lives are full of hurt every day, but Christ has promised us that he will take the hurt away from us, and this promise was fulfilled with his arrival on Earth. For centuries, prophets had been predicting Christ’s birth, but we as humans had to wait in slow anticipation for him to arrive, but this hymn perfectly describes the joy that can be found in the arrival of our savior, marking the end of our suffering, and the beginning of the reign of our Lord, Jesus Christ, son of God!

The Hymn:

If you cannot read music, just play the Youtube video and follow along!

Bibliography:

Julian, John. "Joy to the World! the Lord Is Come!" Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012.

"Isaac Watts." - Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012.

Julian, John. "ANTIOCH." Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012.

Julian, John. "Lowell Mason." - Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012.

Westermeyer, Paul. "Joy to the World." Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Vol. 1. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2010. 39-41. Print.

Fling Wide the Door

Here is another blog post for the wonderful season of Advent! Please read, enjoy, and share with others as you will!

Title: Fling Wide the Door

Meter: 8.8.8.8.8.8.6.6.

Tune: Macht Hoch Die Tur

Composer: J.A. Freylinghausen, Geistreiches Gesangbuch, 1704; Arr. Hymnal version

Author: Georg Weissel (1590-1635); tr. Gracia Grindal, (b. 1943)

                Written for the first Sunday in Advent, this hymn exclaims the excitement and the anticipation of Christ’s arrival! Appearing in the 1642 version of Erster Theil Preussiche Fest Lider, the poem was published after the author, Georg Weissel, had passed away. Over two hundred years after the text first appeared, a new translation came around by Catherine Winkworth entitled “Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates,” and was used for the fourth Sunday in Advent. The new text was published in the 1855 collection Lyra Germanica, the first series. This version of the text saved the lyrics “Fling wide,” which refers to the heart, for later in the text; whereas the text that was translated and used for the Evangelical Book of Worship (translated by Gracia Grindal) begins with “Fling wide.”

                Born at Dormnau in East Prussia, Georg Weissel was the son of Johann Weissel, a judge and a mayor. In 1608 Weissel began studying at the University of Konisgberg, where he remained until 1611. After his time in Konisgberg, Weissel spent short periods of time studying at various universities including: Wittenberg, Leipzig, Jena, Strassburg, Basel, and Marburg. For over three years, Weissel traveled between these different universities, until finally in 1614, he was offered the position of Rector of the school in Friedland near Domnau (his hometown).  Though he enjoyed the position of Rector, Weissel left the position in 1617 to resume his studies of Theology at the University of Konisgberg. Finally, in 1623, Weissel was ordained and became pastor at the newly created Altrossgartkirche in Konisgberg. Through his life, Weissel wrote over 20 different hymns, which many of the early ones were written for the Consecration of the Altrossgartkirche on the second Sunday in Advent in 1623. Perhaps the most famous of his hymns is “Macht Hoch Die Tur,” which is the text used in this hymn “Fling Wide the Door.”

                The translator, Gracia Grindal, is professor of rhetoric at Luther Seminary in St. Paul Minnesota, a short jaunt from where I grew up. Born in North Dakota as the daughter of a Norwegian American Lutheran Pastor, she moved at a very early age to Oregon. Eventually, Grindal moved back to the Midwest and began her studies at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earning her B.A. in English and History in 1965. After her time at Augsburg, she studied in Norway for a year at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (MFA in poetry, 1969), and then finally to Luther Seminary where she earned her MA in 1983. For 16 years, Grindal taught at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, as the professor of English, and poet in residence, before she moved back to St. Paul to teach at Luther Seminary in 1984. Grindal has written many books on hymns and hymn translations, but she has also written many other books including poetry and articles on Scandinavian hymnody, as well as contributions on the sketches in the new translation of Linka Preus’s Diary. Her collection of publications includes: Sketches Against the Dark (Tucson, 1981), Lessons in Hymn Writing (Boston, 1986, 1991, 2000), We Are One in Christ (Kingston, 1997), and A Revelry of Harvest (San Jose 2002). Many of Grindal’s poems have been published in numerous journals, and her hymns and text translations have been sung throughout the church. She has been asked to be a judge for numerous hymns and other writing projects, and she also worked as a member of the editorial board and contributor to The Hymn, as well as the editor of The Rose.

                The origin of the tune “Macht Hoch Die Tur” is unknown, but the name comes from the original text that is paired with this tune that was published in the Geistreiches Gesangbuch (Halle, 1704), a collection that was prepared by Johann Anastasisu Freylinghausen. Born in Gandersheim, Germany to Dietrich Freylinghausen, who was a merchant and burgomaster, at Gandersheim, Brunswick, J.A. Freylinghausen began studying at the University of Jenna in 1689. Attracted by the preaching of August Hermann Francke, a leader of the Pietists, Freylinghausen followed Francke for most of his life. In 1695 Freylinghausen followed Francke to Glaucha near Halle (where Francke was the pastor) as an assistant without pay, a position he held for over 20 years. In 1715 Freylinghausen followed Francke again to St. Ulrich’s Church in Halle where Francke became the pastor as well. In 1715, Freylinghausen married Francke’s daugheter, who was also his God Daughter. Finally in 1727, with the death of Francke, Freylinghausen became the Pastor of St. Ulrich’s, and director with Francke’s son, of the school and orphanage that Francke had begun. Though Freylinghausen was a good teacher, he was best known for composing of fort-four hymns and composing nearly twenty-two tunes. Besides writing the hymns, he acted as the editor of the most important “hymnal” of his day, the large Geistreiches Gesanbuch¸with multiple editions published in 1704, 1714, 1741, and 1771. Eventually over 1500 hymns and nearly 600 hymn tunes were included in the hymnal.

The Text:

(1)    Fling wide the door, unbar the gate;
The King of glory comes in state;
The Lord of lords and King of kings,
The Savior of the world who brings
His great salvation to the earth.
So raise a shout of holy mirth
And praise our God and Lord,
Creator, Spirit Word.

(2) He is the rock of our belief,
The heart of mercy’s gentle self.
His kingly crown is holiness;
His scepter is his loveliness;
He brings our sorrows to an end.
Now gladly praise our king and friend,
And worship him with song,
For saving us from wrong.

(3) O, happy towns and blessed lands
That live by their true king’s commands,
And blessed be the hearts he rules,
The humble places where he dwells.
He is the rightful Son of bliss
Who fills our lives and makes us his,
Creator of the world,
Our only strength for good.

(4) Come, Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ;
Our hearts are open wide in trust.
Oh, show us now your lovely grace,
Upon our sorrows shine your face,
And let your Holy Spirit guide
Our journey in your grace so wide.
We praise your holy name,
From age to age the same.

My Take on the Hymn:

                This advent hymn reminds us that we need to be patient for the awaited arrival of Christ. The hymn gives several mentions of the things that Christ has done for us, as well as all the things that have been promised to us with the arrival of Christ. The advent season is one that is easily forgotten, with the celebration of Christmas being so enticing, many people forget about advent. Though it is only a short, four-Sunday period, advent is a wonderful time to clear our hearts and to make room for Christ. This hymn talks about the Christ saving us from the wrong that is sin, and also the cities that follow Christ being blessed towns. This hymn is not well known to me, but even the text seems to leave room for the excitement and jubilation that comes with the wait for Christ to come. In this season of advent, let us take time to be especially aware of our lives, and of what we can do as Christians to prepare the way for our Lord Jesus Christ!

The Hymn:

If you cannot read music, just play the Youtube video and follow along!

Bibliography:

Julian, John. "Fling Wide the Door, Unbar the Gate." Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.

Westermeyer, Paul. Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Vol. 1. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2010. Print.

"Fling Wide the Door, Hymnlyrics.org." Fling Wide the Door, Hymnlyrics.org. Christian Lyrics, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Here is another hymn! Now, it is after Thanksgiving, so it is officially okay to start writing about (and listening to) Christmas Hymns! Please, enjoy, and share with friends!

Title: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Tune: Veni Emmanuel (Chant)

Meter: 8.8.8.8.8.8.

Composer: Unknown(adapted by Thomas Helmore 1811-1890)

Author/Translator: John Mason Neale (1818-1866)

          Dating all the way back to the 8th century, the seven verse poem was originally used for the Vespers, or evening worship. Each verse of the poem begins with another Old Testament name for the Messiah, creating a reverse acrostic (an acrostic appears when the first letter of each stanza can be used to spell a word), the text spells out "ero cras," which translates to "I shall be with you tomorrow," which makes this hymn a perfect fit for an Advent worship service. Though we see the hymn with a refrain in our modern day hymnals, the original poem did not contain the refrain (the refrain was added when the text was translated). The hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is a part of a musical sequence for an advent service, which starts with a responsive reading and eventually connects "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," "Come Though Long Expected Jesus," and "Joy to the World" by using musical segues. Though this poem has existed for around thirteen-hundred years, it wasn't until 1851 that one J.M. Neale would come along and translate the text from Latin in to English.
          Born in Conduit Street, London, in 1818, John Mason Neale would live to have an incredible life, full of love for the church, as well as notoriety for his works on translations, not only from Latin to English, but from Greek to English as well. Being that J.M. Neale was the son of Rev. Cornelius Neale, a well educated man who was a Fellow at St. John's College at Cambridge, and a mother born to John Mason, another very well educated man, J.M. Neale was a brilliant student in his day. Both of Neale's parents were "very pronounced Evangelicals" and thus he was raised to be this way as well. At the age of five, J.M.'s father had passed away, leaving the sole responsibility of Neale's education to his mother. This attachment can be seen in letters that have been written in the later years of Neale's life stating things such as "a mother to whom I owe more than I can express." Neale began his education career at the Sherborne Grammar School, and eventually he became a private student of Rev. William Russel (rector of Shepperton) and of Professor Challis. In 1836, Neale began studying at Trinity College in Cambridge, where he had earned himself a full scholarship, and was considered to be one of the best students in his class. Though he was very intelligent, Neale did not inherit his fathers mathematical abilities, and there for was not able to graduate with a Classical Honours because of a rule that the college had, stating that anyone who did not have a mention of Mathematics on their degree could no graduate with honours. 
          During his time at Cambridge, Neale associated himself with the church movement on campus, creating the group called Ecclesiological, or better known as The Cambridge Camden Society. in 1842, Neale married Sarah Norman Webster, who was the daughter of a Clergyman, and in 1843, he was offered an incumbency of Crawley in Sussex. Due to ill health, however, Neale was not able to accept the living, and had to find a different occupancy. It was found that Neale's lungs were too delicate for the cold air, and he was encouraged to move to Madeira, where he stayed until the Summer of 1844. In 1846 Neale was introduced by Lord Delaware to the Wardenship of Sackville College, East Grinstead. Though he had sought to work in the church, the only Ecclesiastical offer Neale ever received did not fair well for him. Neale was offered a Provostship at St. Ninian's, Perth, but the job was not very lucrative, earning him just shy of ₠100 a year. Because of the low pay and unfavorable climate for his delicate health, Neale was forced to decline the offer. Because of his health and the lack of availability of jobs, Neale remained in East Grinstead for the rest of his short life, splitting his time between his literary works, and caring for the small sisterhoods that he had founded in the town.
          On the topic of his literary works, Neale is known around the world for the accuracy and the spirit or his translations from Latin to English. A short note written about Neale and his translations, written by "G.M." illustrates Neale's appreciation for translation as well as his ability: Dr. Neale "was invited by Mr. Keble and the Bishop of Salisbury to assist them with their new hymnal, and for this purpose he paid a visit to Hursley Parsonage." On one occasion Mr. Keble "having to go to another room to find some papers was detained a short time. On his return Dr. Neale said, ‘Why, Keble, I thought you told me that the "Christian Year" was entirely original.' ‘Yes,' he answered, 'it certainly is.' ‘Then how comes this?' and Dr. Neale placed before him the Latin of one of Keble's hymns. Keble professed himself utterly confounded. He protested that he had never seen this 'original,' no, not in all his life. After a few minutes Neale relieved him by owning that he had just turned it into Latin in his absence." (Julian, John, Dictionary of Hymnology, 1907). Because Neale had an ear for melody as well, he was able to maintain the rhythm of pieces, while still maintaining the spirit of the text by only altering it slightly. Eventually, Neale was criticized by the Catholic Church for having left out many parts of the original hymns that referred to doctrines that were followed only by the Catholic Church and not by the Anglican Church. The Catholic Church called his translations "utter misrepresentations" of they hymns, but it is understandable why Neale would leave out certain doctrines for the church. It wasn't until 1852 that the hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" appeared in one of Neale's publications. The book was entitled Hymnal Noted, containing 105 different hymns, 94 of which were translated by Neale himself. In 1865, Neale published one last volume of hymns, which contained the translation of the hymn printed side-by-side with the original text, which allowed the readers to compare the text. 
          The tune Veni Emmanuel is an unknown plainchant hymn, that was written in the 15th century. Originally written for a Requiem Mass,  the tune was later adapted by Thomas Helmore in 1854. Published in Part II of Hymnal Noted, the tune was paired with J.M. Neale's translation of the text. Helmore graduated from Oxford College in England, and eventually became ordained as a Pastor of the Anglican Church, but most of his contributions to the church came from his music. Helmore was a Precentor at St. Mark's College in Chelsea (1842-1877) as well as master of the Choristers in the Chapel Royal for many years. Helmore played a big role in supporting unaccompanied masses, and played a big part in returning Plainchant to the Anglican church. The tune "Veni, Emmanuel," is written in Dorian mode, and is mostly sung in unison, although the refrain is often sung in parts, adding to the contrast of Minor tonality verses and Major tonality refrains. 

The Text:

(1) O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

(2) O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

Refrain

(3) O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

Refrain

(4) O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Refrain

(5) O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Refrain

(6) O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

Refrain

(7) O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

Refrain

My Take on the Hymn:

          This hymn reminds me of advent so very much, not only because of its familiarity with the season, but  also because of the hopeful longing that comes with the text. Each stanza begins with another way of asking for Christ to come, while the response (found in the refrain) is telling us all to rejoice in the fact the one day soon, Christ will come to us and everything we have been promised will come true. The text uses many different examples of the promises that Christ has given us, the power over death, the key to the gates of Heaven, the wisdom to show us the path of Knowledge, and all things that have been given to us that are saved by the power of Christ. The hymn is beautifully paired with the text, because both portray a message of longing. the minor tonality of the verses allows us to ponder the awaiting coming of Christ, much as a child would long to see what is to come on Christmas day, but the pain of having to wait all night can still be felt. The major tonality of the refrain is the excitement of knowing that no matter what happens, no matter how long we will have to wait, the promise will be fulfilled, and we will one day find our home at peace in Christ and, in our Heavenly homes, his voice will ring for ever and ever, shouts of Praise and Amen to God our King!

The Hymn:

If you cannot read music, just start the Youtube video and follow along!

Bibliography:

Julian, John. "J. M. Neale." - Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. <http://www.hymnary.org/person/Neale_JM>.

Handbook, Psalter Hymnal. "VENI EMMANUEL (Chant)." Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. <http://www.hymnary.org/tune/veni_emmanuel_chant>.

Scheer, Greg. "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. <http://www.hymnary.org/text/o_come_o_come_emmanuel_and_ransom>.

Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me

Here is another hymn! I am sorry for the delay, but life gets in the way sometimes. I will keep posting no matter what happens or how busy I get, I promise!

Title: Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me

Tune: So Nimm Denn Meine Hande

Meter: 7.4.7.4 D

Author: Julie von Hausmann (1825-1901)

Composer: Fridrich Silcher (1789-1860)

                Originally written in German, this hymn has had many different translations, but two stand out prominently. The two translations were written by Rudolph John (1859-1938) and Herman Brueckner. Though, for the most part, the two agreed on the text, both translations came up with a different beginning, Brueckner’s came as “O take my hand, dear Father,” and was published in the American Lutheran Hymnal (1930). Rudolph John’s translation began “Take thou my hand and lead me,” and was published in The Evangelical Hymnal (St. Louis, 1917). Though both translations were successful on their own, the text that is found today comes from a compilation of the two translations, Brueckner’s first verse (altered substantially), and John’s second and third verse. Published in the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, the hymn remained the same until it was published in the new Lutheran hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, where even then, only one word in the entire hymn was altered (“then” instead of “and” in stanza three, line three).

                The author, Julie von Hausmann, was a brilliant young woman from Latvia, but despite her brilliance, she always had to fight to stay ahead with her studies because of massive migraines. Born as Julie Katarina Hausmann in Riga, Latvia, Julie’s father taught in a Gymnasium there for several years. After some time, Hausmann’s father began to work as a counselor in the town, which made him a member of the Russian Aristocracy, and changed the family name to von Hausmann. As Hausmann grew up, she made plans to marry a young Theology graduate who had been sent to east Africa as a missionary. Upon arriving in Africa, the young Hausmann found that missionary had died prior to her arrival from Tropical Fever. Heartbroken, she returned to Latvia where she became a governess for nearly 14 years. It was during this time that Hausmann penned the text for this hymn. During her time back in Latvia, Hausmann’s life was anything but stable. During her time back, she took care of her father who eventually passed away in 1864, after which she moved in with her younger sister (who was an organist in an English church in Southwestern France), and eventually Hausmann and her younger sister met with their two other sisters, and they all moved to St. Petersburg, Russia, where the oldest sister was the director of a school at St. Anne’s Church. Spending most of her life working with the poor, Hausmann would stay up at night writing poetry while suffering from insomnia, no doubt caused by her migraines. While caring for her father, Hausmann’s poetry was noticed by Pastor Gustav Knak, who upon seeing her work asked if he could publish the collection. Though Hausmann had published a devotional book entitled Hausbrat, she was hesitant to publish her poems. Finally, Hausmann agreed to let Knak publish her works on a few conditions, the works had to remain anonymous, and all of the proceeds from the works were to go to a school and orphanage in Hong Kong. This agreement led to the publication of Maiblumen in three volumes by Knak himself, and a fourth volume by Knak’s son.

                The translator, Rudolph John, was born in Washington, Missouri, where his father. R.A. John was a pastor at St. Peter’s Evangelical Church and eventually became a respected faculty member at the Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. As Rudolph grew up, he began to take an interest in the church, and eventually he studied at Washington University and at the Eden Seminary where he became ordained in 1878. After he was ordained, he served calls in Illinois, Missouri, and Virginia before he settled at St. Paul’s church in Chicago, Illinois. He remained at this post for over 40 years. During his time at St. Paul’s church, Rudolph held many different positions in the Evangelical Synod of North America, and he became a prominent member of the church.

                The tune “So Nimm Denn Meine Hande” was written by Fridrich Slicher (June 27^th 1789-August 26^th, 1860 and was published as a part of his 1842 collection Kinderlieder Fur Schule und Haus. Paired with the text “Wie konnt ich ruhig shlaffen,” the tune did not get its name until it was published with the text “So nimm den meine Hande” in the Grosse Missionsharfe (1883). Born near Schorndorf, which is near Berlin, Germany, Slicher studied music with his Father, who was an organist and schoolmaster, Slicher also studied music with N. F. Auberlin. Between 1806 and 1817, Slicher served many different teaching positions around Suttgart, but eventually he would land a position as the director of music an dorganist at the University of Tubingen, where he started an orchestra and a choir, earning him a PhD in 1852. Slicher is known for having published five books: Melodien aus dem Wurttemberg Choralbuch (1819), Sechs vierstimmige Hymnen (1827), Kinderlieder fur Schule und Haus (1842), the Geschichte der evangelischer kirchengesange (1844), and a twele-volume collection of folk songs, the Sammlung Deutscher Volkslider.

The Text:

(1)    Lord, take my hand and lead me
Upon life's way;
Direct, protect and feed me
From day to day.
Without your grace and favour
I go astray;
So take my hand, O Savior,
And lead the way.

(2)    Lord, when the tempest rages,
I need not fear;
For you, the Rock of Ages,
Are always near.
Close by your side abiding,
I fear no foe,
For when your hand is guiding,
In peace I go.

(3)   Lord, when the shadows lengthen
And night has come,
I know that you will strengthen
My steps toward home,
And nothing can impede me,
O blessed Friend!
So take my hand and lead me
Unto the end.

My Take on the Hymn

                This hymn could not have come at a better time for me, making this all the more important to hear. The message of this hymn is that we need to put all of our trust and all of our faith in Christ, because he will not lead us away from where we need to be. If we put our focus on God, and on the things in heaven, there is nothing on earth that we need to fear, because we know that Christ is with us. The third stanza is my favorite, because it mentions the end of life, in the metaphor of the sun shining in a day. “Lord, when the shadows lengthen and night has come” describes what is happening in towards the end of our lives. Much like the end of a summer day, we know when our lives are drawing near to a close, but those days should not be filled with fear of the unknown, but rather should be filled with joy and happiness, especially knowing that Christ is walking right beside you on your walk to go home. Being home with Christ is a wonderful feeling, because we can finally meet our maker face-to-face, and say thank you for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon us throughout our lives, so that we may be better for Christ our Lord!

The Hymn:

If you cannot read music, just play the Youtube video and follow along!

Bibliography:

Westermeyer, Paul. "Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me." Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Vol. 1. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2010. 629-31. Print.

Jesus My Lord, My God, My All

Here is another hymn! This one is dedicated to a good friend of mind, Allison! May God Bless you in all of your adventures on this Campus and where ever the F.O.C.U.S. Organizations feel you will do Gods will the best!

Title: Jesus My Lord, My God, My All

Tune: St. Chrysostom (1871)

Meter: 8.8.8.8.8.8

Author: Henry Collins (1827-1919)

Composer: Sir Joseph Barnby (1838-1896)

                Henry Collins was born in Barningham, Yorkshire, England, to Thomas Collins, who was a Minister in the Church of England. Following in his father’s path, Henry Collins became a Minister in the Anglican Church as well in 1853. Just a short year after, Collins finished his studies at Oxford University, where he graduated with his Masters Degree in 1854. In the same year, Collins published his collection Hymns for School and Missions which included this work and one other of Collins’ hymns (the other hymn being “Jesu, Meek and Lowly”). Though there were only two hymns actually written by Collins in the collection, there were 37 other hymns selected to be published as well. Three short years later, he entered into communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and eventually, in 1860, he joined the Cistercian Order and in 1861, he entered into the Mount St. Bernard Abbey, Coalville, North Leicester. Collins remained at the Abbey until 1882, when he was appointed Chaplain to the Cistercian Nuns at Holy Cross Abbey, Stapehill, Dorsetshire. He remained at this post for over 30 years, when he finally removed himself from the position of Chaplain and returned to Mount St. Bernard Abbey; Collins remained at the Abbey until his death in 1919. Some of Collins’ other works include Life of the Rev. Father Gentili (published in 1861) and The Spirit and Mission of the Cistercian Order.

                Publishing nearly 250 different hymn tunes, the life of Sir Joseph Barnby was nothing but ordinary. Born in 1838 in York, England to Thomas Barnby, and accomplished organist, it was clear the Joseph was going to have a very musical life ahead of him. At the age of seven, J. Barnby became the Chorister at York Minster and eventually began his studies of music at the Royal Academy of Music, which eventually led to his appointment as the Organist of St. Andrew’s Church, Wells Street, London in 1862. In 1864, Barnby created a new choir which was entitled “Barnby’s Choir.” He was eventually appointed to be a successor to Charles Gounod as the Choir Master of the Royal Albert Hall Choral Society in 1871, a post which he would hold until his death in 1896. During his time with the Royal Albert Hall Choral Society, he had many other positions of great stature. In 1875 Barnby was appointed the Precentor and Director of music at Eton College, and later in 1892, he became the Principal of the Guildhall School of Music, and eventually received Knighthood in July of that same year. Barnby was known for many different compositions, both Orchestral and Vocal, as well as a few short pieces for the Pipe Organ. Many of Barnby’s tunes are still used throughout the world today, and they remain very popular.

The Text:

(1) Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all!
How can I love Thee as I ought?
And how revere this wondrous gift,
So far surpassing hope or thought?

Refrain:
Sweet Sacrament, we Thee adore!
Oh, make us love Thee more and more.
Oh, make us love Thee more and more.

(2) Had I but Mary's sinless heart
With which to love Thee, dearest King,
Oh, with what ever fervent praise,
Thy goodness, Jesus, would I sing!
Refrain

(3) Thy Body, Soul and Godhead, all!
O mystery of love divine!
I cannot compass all I have,
For all Thou hast and art is mine!
Refrain

(4) Sound, then, His praises higher still,
And come, ye angels, to our aid;
For this is God, the very God
Who hath both men and angels made!
Refrain

My Take on the Hymn:

                This hymn is one to show how humble we should be as children of God. As Christians, we all know God’s love and want to return all the love that have back to Christ, but how can we possibly do that? This hymn seems to be asking God to give us the ways to show him our unending love for Him. Christ deserves our greatest love, but we are sinners, so how can we love him as much as he deserves? This is a question that has a very simple answer, we must ask God to forgive us our sins, and with the asking of forgiveness, we must turn and give our whole self to Christ! The last stanza is my favorite, because it says that we will honor and praise Christ with all that we have, but not only will we do this with our voices, but we will ask the help of all of God’s creations. We as a congregation can be heard in a physical sense of the word, but if we ask the multitude of Heavenly Hosts to join us in the singing of God’s praises, there will be no end to the resounding echo that comes from the Holy collection of voices singing his praise for all of eternity!

The Hymn:

If you cannot read music, just start the Youtube video and follow along!

Bibliography:

"Hymn Studies." - "Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All" Hymn Studies, 11 Nov. 2009. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. http://homeschoolblogger.com/hymnstudies/743831/.

Julian, John. "Henry Collins." - Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. <http://www.hymnary.org/person/Collins_H>.

Wikipedia. "Joseph Barnby." - Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. <http://www.hymnary.org/person/Barnby_J>.