BOOK SIX

RESPONSES, CHANTS, DOXOLOGIES, AND AMENS {Responses} 601-609 {The Lord’s Prayer} 610 {Offertories} 611-612 {Benedictions} 613-614 {Doxologies} 615-618 {Amens} 619-623

PAGE PRINCIPAL WORKS CONSULTED 395

INDEXES (1) Index of Scripture Texts 400 (2) Topical Index of the Metrical Psalms 402 (3) Composers and Sources of Tunes 402 (4) Authors, Translators and Sources 407 (5) Alphabetical Index of Tunes 412 (6) Original First Lines of Translations 417 (7) Index of First Lines 419

PREFACE

The aim of this book is to serve as a companion to the _Mennonite Hymnary_. It seeks to explain, as far as possible, the origin of the words and music of every hymn in the _Hymnary_.

The great lyrics of the church, contributed by every age since the days of the apostles, are a precious heritage, and a source of inspiration and power. This work is intended to foster an understanding of and love for our hymns, new and old, and to stimulate the time-honored and blessed practice of congregational singing in the church today.

The _Handbook_ may be found useful as an aid (1) in the private study of hymns or their use in family devotions; (2) in selecting suitable hymns for the many and varied services of public worship; (3) in preparing special music services or hymn sings where such occasions are planned to improve the singing in the church; (4) for study groups in hymnology in churches and schools. The historical development of hymnology may be followed in the brief “Introduction to Our Hymns and Tunes.”

The author has endeavored to make the work as comprehensive as possible without overburdening the reader with too many details. Many hymns have interesting stories connected with their origin and use while others, equally valuable, were just written, without drama or incident, the poet scarcely knowing how or why, except that the Inner Voice spoke. The apocryphal tales which have been circulated concerning some hymns have been studiously avoided. The aim has been to include only such material as seems to bear genuine marks of authenticity. The bibliography of “Principal Works Consulted,” found elsewhere in the book, indicates the main sources.

The original versions of translated hymns are not always readily available and for that reason they are reproduced in the _Handbook_. Translated hymns are usually selections from a much larger number of stanzas and it is often instructive to be able to study the whole structure of the original work.

_Acknowledgements._ I wish to acknowledge valuable help received from the following and to express hereby my gratitude to them: to Dr. Robert McCutchan, author of _Our Hymnody_, who generously responded to my request for information on a dozen or more hymns on which I had no data; to Dr. Henry Wilder Foote, of Harvard University, author of _Three Centuries of American Hymnody_, for biographical material on several hymn writers, and the use of books from his private library; to Dr. Reginald McAll, Executive Secretary of the Hymn Society of America for helpful material; to Dr. Ruth Messenger, Archivist for the Hymn Society of America, who furnished nearly all the Latin originals, and the Italian original of Savonarola’s hymn, and information concerning these hymns; to Dr. Armin Heussler, author of a forth-coming handbook to the _Evangelical hymnal_, for material on several of the chorales; to Wm. Runyan of the Hope Publishing Company, and to Dr. John Trowbridge of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, for information concerning several of the gospel songs; to Dr. Cornelius Krahn who made the rich hymnic treasures of the Mennonite Historical Library at Bethel College available to me; to the late Rev. C. E. Krehbiel who loaned me material from his private library for this work but did not live to see its completion; to B. Bargen for help in preparing the manuscript for publication; to Mrs. Beatrice Buller for reading the manuscripts and proofs of the German chorales; to my wife, Charity Steiner Hostetler, who read all the manuscripts and proofs and whose constant interest and assistance were indispensable; and to others, too numerous to mention, who in any way facilitated the completion of the work.

The book, written during spare moments of a busy pastorate, is sent forth with the prayer that, in spite of errors and imperfections, it may inspire all who use it to sing with greater devotion the praises of Him who loved us and redeemed us.

Lester Hostetler

The Parsonage Bethel College Mennonite Church North Newton, Kansas January 20, 1949

EXPLANATORY NOTES

In the interest of brevity and to avoid repetition, certain recurring words are abbreviated:

_Hymnary_ is used for _Mennonite Hymnary_.

_c._ (_circa_) means approximate date.

_Tr._ is prefixed to the names of all translators.

_Anon._ (anonymous) means without any name acknowledged, as that of author or composer.

The word “Number” has been omitted: thus Hymn 22 means Hymn No. 22.

_Cf._ means compare. (Latin: confer).

The original texts of German hymns found throughout the _Handbook_, especially in the section of Chorales, Book IV, are the versions used in one or more of the following works: _Gesangbuch mit Noten_, (Berne, Ind., 1890); _Gesangbuch der Mennoniten_, (Canadian, 1942); _The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal_, (Concordia Pub. House, 1942); _Gesangbuch zum gottesdienstlichen und häuslichen Gebrauch in Evangelischen Mennoniten-Gemeinden_, (Konferenz der süddeutschen Mennoniten zu Ludwigshafen a. Rh. 1910); and Knapp, _Evangelischer Liederschatz_. Many variations occur in the texts as found in these versions, the explanation of which would require a much greater knowledge of German hymnody than the author possesses. An effort has been made to bring the spelling into conformity with the modern German practice of omitting the “h” where it was formerly used with the “th”; the use of “ss” instead of “sz”; and printing the initial letter of the pronouns referring to Deity, in lower case rather than with capitals.

AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR HYMNS AND TUNES

With Illustrations From the _Hymnary_

1. Definition of a Hymn. 2. The Beginnings of Christian Song. 3. Hymns of the Eastern Church: Greek and Syriac. 4. Hymns of the Western Church: Latin. 5. Hymns of the Bohemian Brethren. 6. Hymns of the Reformation: The German Chorales. 7. Hymns of the Reformation: The Metrical Psalms. 8. Psalm Versions. 9. English Hymnody. 10. American Hymns. 11. The Gospel Songs. 12. Women Hymn Writers. 13. Mennonite Hymnody. 14. Antecedents of the _Mennonite Hymnary_. 15. The Translation of Hymns. 16. Church Unity in the Hymn Book. 17. Hymn Meters. 18. Hymn Tunes. 19. John Wesley’s Rules for Singing.

1. Definition of a Hymn.

St. Augustine, 354-430, gave a definition of a hymn, which has been widely accepted:

A hymn is the praise of God by singing. A hymn is a song embodying the praise of God. If there is merely praise but not praise of God it is not a hymn. If there be praise, and praise of God, but not sung, it is not a hymn. For it to be a hymn, it is needful, therefore, for it to have three things—praise, praise of God, and these sung.

A recent definition, accepted by the Hymn Society of America, is that of the late Carl F. Price:

A Christian hymn is a lyric poem, reverently and devotionally conceived, which is designed to be sung and which expresses the worshiper’s attitude toward God, or God’s purposes, in human life.

L. F. Benson, America’s foremost hymnologist, defines a hymn in these simple words:

The Christian hymn ... is a form of words appropriate to be sung or chanted in public devotions.

A hymn is to be sung _by a congregation_. Its message must be simple, not subtle. It must read well and sing well. In modern usage, the hymn is not limited to the praise of God but includes other moods of worship such as resignation and consecration.

2. The Beginnings of Christian Song.

Hymn singing has always been associated with Christian worship. Jesus and the Twelve sang a hymn, presumably a portion of the _Hallel_ (Ps. 115-118), after the Supper was ended. Paul and Silas sang hymns, “songs of the night,” during the midnight hours of their imprisonment in Philippi. The great Apostle recognized the value of song when he exhorted the churches thus:

Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Eph. 5:18, 19.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col. 3:16.

I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. I Cor. 14:15.

The Jewish converts who at first composed the church had a rich heritage of song in the Book of Psalms. This was their hymnbook, used in the Temple worship and in the home and probably also in the synagogue services. The use of the Psalms, carried over from the Jewish service, forms to this day an important element in Christian worship.

Besides the Psalms, the early church sang the nativity lyrics that adorn the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke. It also made extensive use of _Hallelujah_ as a part of the people’s praise, adding, in the course of time, the _Gloria Patri_, the _Sanctus_, the _Te Deum_, and other canticles.

The nativity hymns in Luke, five in all, are extensively used in Roman Catholic and Anglican services.

_Ave Maria_ (Hail Mary). 1:28-29, 42-45. The salutation of Gabriel and of Elizabeth.

_Magnificat._ “My soul doth magnify the Lord....” 1:46-55. Hymn of the Virgin Mary.

_Benedictus._ “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel....” 1:68-79. Song of Zacharias.

_Nunc Dimittis._ “Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace.” 2:29-32. Song of Simeon.

_Gloria in excelsis._ “Glory to God in the highest....” 2:14. Song of the Angels. Used as a part of the Roman mass and often found in Protestant hymns, e.g., “Angels we have heard on high” 82.

Beginnings of Christian Song in the Hymnary

_Psalms._ Book Five. 575-600. _Gloria Patri_ 606-7. _Ter Sanctus_ (_Trisagion_) “Holy, holy, holy” 601-2. _Te Deum._ “Holy God we praise Thy name” 519. A metrical translation of an ancient version.

3. Hymns of the Eastern Church: Greek and Syriac.

The ancient Eastern Church developed a rich hymnody, rising steadily in the fourth century until it reached its culmination in the eighth and ninth centuries. Since it employed the Greek and Syriac languages, its hymnic treasures remained almost completely hidden and unknown to the English speaking churches for many centuries. It is only in recent years, through the efforts of scholars like John Mason Neale and Edward Caswall that some of the Eastern hymns have been translated and made available for modern use. Eastern hymns are characterized by an objective, dignified, contemplation of God. Except when confessing sin and unworthiness, they contain nothing of the subjective feelings of the worshipper such as is found in many modern hymns. Though there is very little in the _Hymnary_ from the Eastern Church, our collection is enriched by the inclusion of a small number of hymns from this source.

Greek Hymns in the Hymnary

Clement of Alexandria, 170-220, “Shepherd of tender youth” (398) Candle Lighting Hymn, “O gladsome light” (34) Synesius, c. 375-430, “Lord Jesus, think on me” (196) St. Germanus, 634-734, “A great and mighty wonder” (526) St. John of Damascus, 8th century, “The day of resurrection” (115) “Come, ye faithful, raise the strain” (113) St. Stephen the Sabaite, 725-94, “Art thou weary, heavy-laden” (143) Candle Lighting Hymn, “Darkening night, the land doth” (32)

4. Hymns of the Western Church: Latin.

Two great names are associated with the music of the Western Church: Ambrose, c. 340-97, known as the “Father of Hymnody in the Western Church;” and Gregory the Great, 540-604, the missionary-minded pope, and reformer of church music.

Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, not only composed hymns and music but stimulated others to do the same. Under his leadership there developed a large body of church music based upon four scales, which came to be known as Ambrosian Chant. Although widely known as a scholar, theologian, and preacher, Ambrose’s most lasting influence was upon the music of the church. None of his hymns are found in our collection.

Gregory the Great, two centuries later, carried forward the work of Ambrose. He added four more scales or modes to the Ambrosian system, thus giving to the repertory of church music more definiteness and variety. The music that developed during the papacy of Gregory came to be known as Gregorian Chant, or plainsong, or plainchant. It is “plain” because unadorned, unharmonized and unmeasured. Its rhythm is the free rhythm of speech, the beats falling irregularly. The Gregorian Chant remained the music of the church for a thousand years and forms the basis of all Roman Catholic music today. Some of these chants were adapted by Luther for congregational singing, and set to words in the vernacular of the people. A few of the tunes, usually in a form scarcely recognizable from the original, are used today in Protestant hymnals, as for instance, the tune “Hamburg.” Some of the music in the Amish church services is traceable to the Gregorian Chant.

The singing in the medieval church was liturgical in character and confined to the clergy and trained choirs. This was its weakness. The laity was not expected to sing, neither were they able to do so. Congregational singing, so important in our worship today, had for centuries been unknown in the Roman Catholic Church. Reform was inevitable and it came in due time.

While only remnants of the music survive, many hymns from the Western Church have been translated from the Latin and a few choice ones have found their way into the _Hymnary_.

Latin Hymns in the Hymnary

Prudentius, 348-c. 413, “Bethlehem, of noblest cities” (88) Gregory the Great, 540-604, “Father, we praise Thee” (24) Anonymous, 6th or 7th century, “Christ is made the sure” (277) “Joy dawned again on Easterday” (415) Theodulph of Orleans, 9th century, “All glory, laud, and honor” (100) Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091-1153, “Jesus the very thought” (155) “O sacred Head, now wounded” (539) Bernard of Cluny, 12th century, “Jerusalem, the golden” (262-3) Anonymous, 12th century, “O come, O come, Emmanuel” (67) Savonarola, 1452-98 (Italian), “Jesus, Refuge of the weary” (536) Anonymous, 17th-18th centuries, “O come, all ye faithful” (80) “The year is gone beyond recall” (382)

5. Hymns of the Bohemian Brethren.

The followers of John Hus who came to be known as the Bohemian Brethren, and later as the Moravians, were the first Protestant group to introduce congregational singing into their worship. They also published the first Protestant hymnbooks, one in 1501 and another in 1505, containing 89 and 400 hymns, respectively, in their native Bohemian tongue. Their efforts to introduce congregational singing were sternly opposed by the Roman hierarchy. The Council of Constance condemned Hus to be burned at the stake and warned his successor, Jacob of Misi, to cease the singing of hymns in the churches. It decreed:

If laymen are forbidden to preach and interpret the Scriptures, much more are they forbidden to sing publicly in the churches.

As a result of their persecution, the Brethren in 1508 sent out messengers to search for true Christian people into whose communion they might apply for admission—one to Russia, one to Greece, one to Bulgaria, and one to Palestine and Egypt. All returned unsuccessful. No such Christians had been found. They therefore remained in their own country, giving themselves assiduously to the translation and printing of the Bible.

In 1522 the Brethren sent two messengers to Luther to greet him and ask his advice. Luther became interested in them and welcomed their fellowship. He was impressed with the hymnbook the Brethren had published, and later used some of the hymns in his own work.

Two centuries later, the Brethren, known now as the Moravians, settled on Count Zinzendorf’s estates in Saxony, spreading rapidly from thence into other countries in Europe and to the United States. One of England’s foremost hymn writers and hymnologists, James Montgomery, was an adherent to their faith.

Bohemian Brethren and Moravian Hymns in the Hymnary

Michael Weisse, 1480-1534, “Christ, the Lord, is ris’n again” (544) Tunes: “Mit Freuden Zart” (512), “Ravenshaw” (292) von Zinzendorf, Nikolaus L., 1700-60, “Jesus, still lead on” (574) von Zinzendorf, Christian R., 1724-62, “Man of sorrows” (537) Henriette Luise von Hayn, 1724-82, “I am Jesus’ little lamb” (430) James Montgomery, 1771-1854, “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” (65) “Angels from the realms of glory” (81) “Go to dark Gethsemane” (107) and many others

6. Hymns of the Reformation: the German Chorales.

The movement toward congregational singing, inaugurated by the Bohemian Brethren, was soon to be merged into the greater Reformation movement. Luther’s influence on the worship and music of the church was revolutionary. For a thousand years the laymen had had no part in church song. Congregational singing was unknown. Ambrosian music had at first been introduced for congregational use but it became more and more liturgical, thrusting the laity into the background. The Gregorian Chant which followed was never intended for use except by the priests and trained choirs. The followers of Hus pioneered in congregational singing; but it was Luther and his followers who brought it into full fruition.

Luther was a born music lover and a musician of adequate training. Moreover he possessed a remarkable gift for writing hymns in clear thought to bring the Word of God home to the hearts of the common people. He and his followers put songs on the lips of the German people and they sang themselves into the Reformation. So effective were these songs that his enemies in the Roman church declared that “Luther’s songs have damned more souls than all his books and speeches.”

_Chorales._ The word “chorale” (“choral” in German) refers to the hymn tunes of Lutheran Protestantism, though in common usage the term includes the words associated with the tunes. The melodies had much to do with the popularity of the songs. They came from various sources. Many of them were original compositions by Luther and others; some were borrowed from the hymn books of the Bohemian Brethren; a considerable number were adaptations of plainsongs used in the Catholic Church; still others were adopted from beloved folksongs. Luther was an eclectic in his choice of music. He used any tune from any source that suited his purpose. Many thousands of chorales came into existence in Germany during his time and the two centuries that followed. The hundreds still in use represent the best in church music today. They are characterized by a plain melody, a strong harmony, and a stately rhythm; all of which adapts them well for effective congregational singing.

The chorales at first did not have the regular rhythms that they later took on. The steady progression of even notes, invariable in Bach’s day, had come only gradually into use. Some of the recent hymnbooks, in the interest of greater variety of rhythm, are returning to the original “rhythmic chorales.”

Though _unison_ singing has been widely practiced and is advocated today by some good authorities in church music, Luther encouraged part singing. In his first Preface to the _Geystliches Gesangbücklin_, 1525, he wrote:

These songs have been set in four parts, for no other reason than because I wished to provide our young people (who both will and ought to be instructed in music and other sciences) with something whereby they might rid themselves of amorous and carnal songs, and in their stead learn something wholesome, and so apply themselves to what is good with pleasure, as becometh the young.

The period of the German chorales may be said to have begun with Luther, 1483-1546, and ended two centuries later with J. S. Bach, 1685-1750. Bach brought the chorale tunes to their highest perfection, using many of them in his larger choral works. He composed about 30 original chorale melodies, wrote reharmonizations for approximately 400, and composed many chorale preludes for the organ which are in wide use today.

The German hymns and chorale tunes, used constantly in the home and school, as well as in the church, have been of great importance in our Mennonite worship in the past. They constitute the main body of material in all our German collections of hymns. In an effort to preserve and emphasize this rich heritage, there was incorporated into the _Hymnary_, a special section, Book III, made up exclusively of chorales.

German Chorales in the Hymnary

16th Century Martin Luther, 1483-1546, “A mighty fortress is our God” (549) “From heaven above to earth I come” (527) “Out of the depths I cry to Thee” (531-2) Nicolaus Selnecker, 1532-92, “Now cheer our hearts” (557) Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608, “Wake, awake, for night is flying” (522) “How brightly shines the Morning Star” (529) 17th Century (_1_)—_Period of The Thirty Years War—1618-48_ Johann Heerman, 1585-1647, “Ah, dearest Jesus” (534) Josua Stegman, 1588-1632, “Abide with us, our Savior” (559) Matthaus von Löwenstern, 1594-1648, “Lord of our life” (278) Georg Weissel, 1590-1635, “Lift up your heads” (523) Heinrich Albert, 1604-51, “God who madest earth” (573) Ernst Homburg, 1605-81, “Christ, the life of all the living” (535) Michael Schirmer, 1606-73, “O Holy Spirit, enter in” (546) Paul Gerhardt, 1607-76, “O sacred Head, now wounded” (539) and others Gerhard Tersteegen, 1697-1769, “God reveals His presence” (506) “O power of love, all else transcending” (517) (_2_)—_Later 17th Century_ Johann Franck, 1618-77, “Deck thyself, my soul,” (552) Tobias Clausnitzer, 1619-84, “Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier” (553a) Georg Neumark, 1621-81, “He who would be in God” (571) Johann Scheffler, 1624-77, “I am the Lord, O hear my voice” (565) Joachim Neander, 1650-80, “Heaven and earth, the sea” (510) _18th Century_ Johann Mentzer, 1658-1734, “O that I had a thousand voices” (509) Erdmann Neumeister, 1671-1756, “Sinners Jesus will receive” (466) Benjamin Schmolck, 1672-1737, “My Jesus, as Thou wilt” (250) Philipp F. Hiller, 1699-1769, “O Son of God, we wait for” (524) “What mercy and divine compassion” (562) Christian F. Gellert, 1715-69, “How great, almighty is Thy” (516) Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750. The life of the great musician marks the close of the German Chorale period and for that reason his name is placed here. None of Bach’s original chorale melodies are found in the _Hymnary_ but use is made of a number of his harmonizations. See 539, 545, 556, 557, 564, 566.

7. Hymns of the Reformation: The Metrical Psalms.

While the German people, under the leadership of Luther, were singing chorales set to original religious poems, a large section of Protestantism, under the influence of John Calvin, confined itself to the singing of Psalms. To the French reformer, now preaching at Geneva, hymns were “man-made,” whereas the psalms were the inspired word of God and the only proper vehicle for the praise of God. Calvin, unlike Luther, was not a musician, and at first permitted only unison singing, unaccompanied. Part singing and instrumental accompaniment seemed to savor of the frivolous and worldly, an opinion which Calvin, however, was soon to modify. For two hundred years the Calvinistic churches on the Continent and in Britain were influenced in their worship song by the strict views of Calvin, limiting themselves to the metrical psalms and scriptural paraphrases. The German people in the meantime produced a rich treasury of original religious lyrics, contributed by some of their best poets.

Psalter Tunes and Metrical Psalms in the Hymnary

_Genevan Psalter_ Tunes, 1551. O Seigneur (19) Old 134th (128, 132, 616) Rendez à Dieu (306) Old 124th (354) Old 100th (594) _Scottish Psalter_, 1650.