66 O Come O Come Emmanuel

This Sunday marks the start of the period known as Advent in liturgical traditions.  It lasts for the four Sundays preceding Christmas and is a season of anticipation and waiting for the birth of Jesus--the first coming of the Messiah to earth.  It also marks the beginning of the Church Year.  This year, this weekend also coincides with the fourth day of the eight day Jewish holiday of Chanukah. Both holidays stress the importance of light and the giving and receiving of gifts.

 The festival of Chanukah commemorates a period in Jewish history over 2,500 years ago when the Jewish holy temple was taken over by Syrian-Greek forces whose king, Antiochus, ordered the people to renounce Judaism or face death.. A small bunch of rebels known as the Maccabees, led by Jewish priest Matisyahu and later on his son Judah, fought back and eventually recaptured the temple, only to discover when they did that there was only enough oil left inside to keep its holy light – which must never be extinguished – lit for one more day. Except by some miracle it remained burning for eight days till new oil could be made.

Christ's coming was first prophesied in the 6th century BC when the Jews were in captivity in Babylon.  For many centuries afterwards, the Jews looked longingly for the birth of the Messiah.  They foreshadowed the prayer in this hymn text "and ransom captive Israel."

The hymn this week, "O Come O Come Emmanuel",  is an interesting combination of text and musical style.  Originally, the song, eight stanzas long was meant to be sung one verse per day beginning on December 17.  The stanzas may be used as antiphons with "The Song of Mary." Antiphons are short statements sung at the beginning of the Psalm or of the Magnificat (Mary's song of praise when she learned that she was had been chosen as Jesus's mother), at Vespers (services held at night).  The text was originally developed without the chorus ("Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel"), and each verse concentrates on a different biblical name for Christ.  The word Emmanuel means "God With Us" Other names of Christ in this song include, Lord of Might,  Wisdom, Rod of Jesse,. Day-spring,Key of David,  and Desire of Nations.

The text, originally in Latin, dates to sometime between the 9th and 12th centuries. In any event, there is no doubt that this hymn had its origins in the medieval Roman church.  This song is included in virtually all hymnals and contain various numbers of stanzas.  Stanzas 1 and 4 were translated by John Mason Neale ("Good King Wenceslas" "Of the Father's Love Begotten" among others). The tune that we use now is called Veni, veni, Emmanuel, and is a plainsong in Mode 1, Processionale from the 15th century. The version we use now, hautingly beautiful in its minor key,  was adapted by Thomas Helmore in the 19th century.

Here are the words as they appear in the Lutheran Hymnal:
Oh, Come, Oh, Come Emmanuel
Translated: John Neal, 1818-66

1. Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.   
Chorus: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

2. Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.

Chorus

3. Oh, come, oh, come, our Lord of might,
Who to your tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times gave holy law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Chorus

4. Oh, come O Rod of Jesse's stem,
From ev'ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow'r to save;
Bring them in vict'ry through the grave.
Chorus

5. Oh, come, O Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav'nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Chorus

6. Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Chorus

7. Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Chorus

8. Repeat verse 1

365 Come Thou Almighty King

 This hymn is a favorite opening hymn and it's four verses are a perfect treatise to the Holy Trimity. Because of that, all four verses are almost always sung. The fourth verse is an affirmation of the mysterious doctrine of the Holy Trinity. As a matter of fact, this hymn appeared to celebrate Trinity Sunday in the year in 1757. The author of the text is unknown but it first came out in London. Even though this hymn text was first published in a pamphlet from the Wesleys, most musicologist doubt that either of the Wesleys authored this.

About15 years earlier, the British national hymn "God Save Our Gracious King," first came into existence.  Both of these hymn texts were sung to the same hymn tune for a period of time. Today, however, that tune, "America" is used exclusively in this country for our national hymn, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee." The tune, "Italian Hymn" has been wedded permanently together with this text in all major hymnals.

It has been suggested that the newer text was written as an act of rebellion and as a substitute for the royal words and this is the reason the author chose to remain anonymous. Another theory suggested that this text was written as a sequel to the earlier text; the first was written as a tribute to an earthly ruler, the other a prayer to a heavenly King.

Although we are not sure about the truth of this story, there is an interesting tale of the hymn's use during the time of the Revolutionary War. According to the story, British soldiers invaded an American church service one Sunday morning and demanded that the congregation sing, "God Save Our Gracious King." The people in the church responded with the requested tune but with he words, "Come Thou Almighty King."

The tune that is paired with the words, "Italian Hymn" was composed especially for this tune by Felice de Giardini in 1769. The composer was born in Turin, Italy in 1716. He moved to London where he became a popular violinist in operatic circles. Later, he moved to Moscow as an operatic conductor and died there in 1796. 

416 For the Beauty of the Earth

The town of Bath, England, with its amphitheater of hills and warm springs, has been a pleasure resort and health spa since Roman times.  That was the birthplace of the author of this text, Folliot Pierpoint.  Pierpopint left Bath to attend Queens College, Cambridge University where he became a classical scholar. When he was 29, he returned to his hometown ti become a teacher at Somershire College.

One spring day, Folliot found himself walking in the countryside on the banks of the Avon River.  He was overwhelmed with the beauty around him--the ocean of green hills, the blue sky dome and the flowery landscape. So taken was he with God's creative handiwork, he wrote this poem, which was entitled "The Sacrifice of Praise" which first appeared in a collection of poems in 1864.

Not much else is known about the author.  He was a lay member of the Anglican Church and he intended this poem primarily for Communion services in the Anglican Church, but when the song jumped over the Atlantic, it quickly became associated with the American Thanksgiving.  When he left the employ of Somershire College, he became an independent writer and authored seven volumes of poems and hymn texts, much of them showing his love of nature. His main claim to fame is this beautiful hymn.

This is one of a few songs that is devoted to thanksgiving.  Each stanza thanks God for a different kind of beauty and was originally 8 verses long. Each stanza concludes with the phrase, "Lord of all to Thee we raise/this our hymn of grateful praise." The hymn text expresses in fine literary style the many blessings so commonly taken for granted.  The text begins by reminding us that God, the giver of every good and perfect gift, has given us the beauties of nature--sun, flowers, shining stars.  Then the author reminds us to also be grateful of the social joys of friends and home.  Finally we are to give thanks for the ministry of the church.

Many hymnals contain the combination of this text with it's best-known musical pairing, the hymn tune "Dix" by the composer Conrad Kocher, a German born composer.  The tune produces lovely antiphonal (echoing) of the phrases.  This arrangement is very simple and features piano accompaniment to a solo voice with beautiful pictures.

718 God of Our Fathers

---

This hymn is often called the National Hymn. The author of the words is Daniel Roberts.  He was the pastor of a rural church in Brandon Vermont.  In 1876, he wrote these words to commemorate the centennial celebration for the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  It was sung for the first time for the Independence Day celebration in Brandon.

Roberts decided to submit the words to the committee planning the celebration for the US Constitution. The committee chose it as the official hymn for the occasion and sent the text to the organist at St. Thomas Episcopal in New York City to compose an original tune.  The new tune, with a dramatic trumpet flourish at the beginning, was introduced in New York City at the 400th  anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.

This version is by the "President's Own" Band i.e. the Marine Band.  It is stately, regal and inspiring. A special arrangement was played for the first inauguration of Ronald Regan.   It is also often played/sung at State Funerals as it was for the funerals of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Regan.  In addition, it was played at the memorial service for the Columbia  astronauts in 2003.

Reverend Roberts was a humble man and he wrote six years before his death in 1907, "I remain a country parson, known only within my small world." Thanks to this great hymn, he is known all across our land in celebration and mourning. 

Here are the words from Daniel Robert's great text:

God of our fathers, whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies,
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

Thy love divine hath led us in the past;
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;
Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay,
Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thou strong arm our ever sure defense; 
Thy true religion in our hearts increase,
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace. 

Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way;
Lead us from night to never-ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
And glory laud, and praise be ever Thine.