Hymns That Move Me (Week 9)
When choosing videos to accompany the hymns I try to choose ones that best capture the spirit of the song as it has been important to me. I try to stick to the traditional and best known tunes in the case where alternate tunes might be used.
Moravian Hymns
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O Sacred Head Now Wounded- Medieval Latin Hymn, (Passion Chorale, 1680s)
Passion Week is, of course, what we now refer to less powerfully as Holy Week. The Passion of Christ being part of the central action of Christ as Savior. Almost by definition a "passion" hymn should evoke powerful emotional reactions. This hymn, perhaps, even sets the standard in both word and music. It is, obviously, not a Moravian hymn, but is such a central part of the Moravian tradition, I had to include it here. The original poem was written sometime in the early 13th Century. Although Bernard of Clairvaux was long credited with it, recent attribution is given to a medieval poet, Arnulf of Leuven, who died in 1250. The German translation came in the 1650s from Paul Gerhardt who is considered the greatest Lutheran hymnist. An American Presbyterian minister, James W. Alexander, gave us the most widely used English translation in 1830. (Wikipedia) The tune for the hymn is almost as important as the words. It is an iconic tune connected with several of Bach's works. According to Wikipedia: The music for the German and English versions of the hymn is by Hans Leo Hassler, written around 1600 for a secular love song, "Mein G'müt ist mir verwirret (de)", which first appeared in print in the 1601 Lustgarten Neuer Teutscher Gesäng. The tune was appropriated and rhythmically simplified for Gerhardt's German hymn in 1656 by Johann Crüger. Johann Sebastian Bach arranged the melody and used five stanzas of the hymn in the St Matthew Passion. He also used the hymn's text and melody in the second movement of the cantata Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem, BWV 159. Bach used the melody on different words in his Christmas Oratorio, in the first part (no. 5).Because of its strong connections with Christ's passion, Bach's use would no doubt have touched the average worshiper with a depth of power no matter when it was used. The words are intended to evoke the great suffering (the Passion) of Jesus death on the cross. While many criticized Mel Gibson's extreme portrayal of violence in his movie, The Passion of the Christ, he does stand in a long tradition in Christian preaching. The general thought was that if any one of us could stand and watch what Jesus went through, and understood the message that he went through this for our salvation, we couldn't help but fall in worship and adoration. I have even heard preachers use this quite graphic approach with late-elementary and early-middle school children. The original Latin is quite graphic and describes the different parts of Christ's body while hanging on the Cross. There are ten verses in the original versions, although most hymnals now only contain three. You can get some of the feel for that graphic quality behind Alexander's English translation: O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown; O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine! Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine. My Lord, what you did suffer was all for sinner's gain; mine, mine was the transgression, but yours the deadly pain. So here I kneel, my Savior, for I deserve your place; look on me with thy favor and save me by your grace. For me, the last verse brings it all home in what may be among the greatest verses in English hymnody, expressing hope and faith from the center of the singer's soul: What language shall I borrow to thank you, dearest Friend, for this, your dying sorrow, your pity without end? Lord, make me yours forever, a loyal servant true, and let me never, never outlive my love to you. |
Great Hymns of the Church
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What Wondrous Love- Anonymous American Folk Hymn (1811)
"What Wondrous Love Is This" is a Christian folk hymn, sometimes described as a "white spiritual", from the American South. Its text was first published in 1811, during the Second Great Awakening, and its melody derived from a popular English ballad.... Most sources attribute the hymn's melody to the 1701 English song "The Ballad of Captain Kidd", which describes the exploits of pirate William Kidd. The melody itself predates the Kidd usage, however, possibly by more than a century. (In addition, at least a dozen popular songs were set to the same melody after 1701.) (Wikipedia)The use of popular secular tunes for hymns may seem sacrilegious to many, but it has a rich history including the tunes for such hymns as "A Mighty Fortress." Church camps in the midst of the Great Awakening clearly did this. This tradition still continues. At many church camps I directed and was part of we would sing the table grace to such widely varied tunes as Hernando's Hideaway and the Gillette razor commercial. We also have to remember that until more contemporary times, the music for the hymns was not included in the pew hymnals and many hymns used the same meter of the verses. That can, of course, change the feel for the hymn, making for some interesting results. For example, try singing Amazing Grace to the tune for "House of the Rising Sun"! What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul! What wondrous love is this, O my soul! What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul, to bear the dreadful curse for my soul? When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down, when I was sinking down, sinking down; when I was sinking down beneath God's righteous frown, Christ laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul, Christ laid aside his crown for my soul. To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing, to God and to the Lamb, I will sing; to God and to the Lamb who is the great I AM - while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing; while millions join the theme, I will sing. As has often been the case, the last verse, building powerfully on the previous one, takes the theme to an ongoing life, here and eternally, in the praise of God. The style of this hymn is another powerful example of "folk" hymnody coming from the heart of the people. And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on, and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on; and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be, and through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on, and through eternity I’ll sing on. |
Gospel-type Hymns and Songs
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This Little Light of Mine- African-American Spiritual
This song has been made famous by many artists over the years. The authorship is debatable. Even the traditional "Negro Spiritual" tag is questioned since there seems to be no evidence of the song in any collection of 19th Century plantation songs. It was first collected by ethnomusicologist John Lomax in 1939. Credit is sometimes given to Harry D. Loes who wrote several gospel songs. It has been used as a Civil Rights anthem, a children's song, and by Odetta and the Boys Choir of Harlem on David Letterman's show the first night broadcasting following the 9/11 attacks. (Wikipedia) It is a fun song that takes its message to heart. It can be a great instrumental as well as hymn of promise and praise. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine; this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine; this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine; let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Everywhere I go, I'm gonna let it shine; everywhere I go, I'm gonna let it shine; everywhere I go, I'm gonna let it shine; let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. |
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