"Out of the Deep I Call"

Recently, I recorded "Southwell" from The Lutheran Hymnal (#327), and I noticed a couple connections between the tune and the corresponding text "Out of the Deep I Call," an adaptation of Psalm 130.

Here's the third phrase of "Southwell":

In the first verse, the text here is "Before Thy throne of grace I fall," and the text in the fourth verse is very similar:  "Before Thy throne of grace I bow."  As if to reflect this "fall[ing]" and "bow[ing]," the musical phrase generally descends.

"Southwell" (TLH #327)

"Southwell" (TLH #320)

"Southwell" (TLH #170)

Since this is a shorter tune, I went through it three times.

"Southwell" (TLH #156)

Yet an-other short one.  I went through it three times.

"O Perfect Life of Love"

Here's an-other post about something I noticed in a hymn during the Good Friday service back in April.  I write these in the order I noticed them and publish this type of post only once a week, so I'm very far behind.

"O Perfect Life of Love" is sung to the tune "Southwell," whose last two phrases descend:

The text of the first verse is:

O perfect life of love!
All, all, is finished now,
All that He left His throne above
To do for us below.

The last two lines of this, which mention that "He left His throne above" to come to "us below" are what are sung to this descending musical phrase.  The descent in the text is mirrored by the descent in the tune.