Unless stated otherwise, my source for hymn texts and tunes is The Lutheran Service Book.

Friday, August 23, 2024

"Lord of All Nations, Grant Me Grace"

I was looking at "Lord of All Nations, Grant Me Grace" earlier this week, and I noticed a few small features in the title line, sung to this musical phrase from the tune "Angelus":


"Nations" is sung with a melisma, and each note is a different pitch (G A Bb).  Both of these features provide a sense of the entirety of the modifying "all."  There's a further sense of this entirety because a pitch (A natural) from outside the tune's key (E flat major) is also included.