"Ich singe dir" (TLH #29)

I didn't recognize this tune from the title or even from what the notation looks like, but once I started playing it, it did sound vaguely familiar.  The first note isn't quite in sync among the instruments, but I was having some problems with getting everything to match up, so I didn't want to try doing it again.

"Joy to the World"

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about the Biblical sources for "Joy to the World."  I thought that the lines "No more let sins and sorrows grow / Nor thorns infest the ground" came from the first part of Revelation 22.  Revelation 22:2 mentions "the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruits," and verse 3 says that "No longer will there be anything accursed."  I thought these two things (an agricultural image and no more curses) were reworkt into these two lines in the hymn, yet I also felt I was missing something.

Earlier this week, I realized that this is a reference to Genesis 3:17-18 where God says to Adam, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you...."  These are the "thorns" that are mentioned in "Joy to the World," and this is also "the curse" that's mentioned later in that verse: "He comes to make His blessings flow / Far as the curse is found."

LSB #389 "Let All Together Praise Our God"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Luke 2:1-20; 2 Corinthians 8:9; John 1:1-5, 10-14; Philippians 2:5-7

Luke 2:1-20:  "1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.  4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

"8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  10 And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'  13 And suddenly there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'

"15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.'  16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.  18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

2 Corinthians 8:9:  "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich."

John 1:1-5:  "1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was in the beginning with God.  3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

John 1:10-14:  "10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.  11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

"14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Philippians 2:5-7:  "5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

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The Luke text is the source for the first two verses, more so the second (which mentions the "infant small... in a manger") than the first (which is more general).

The two selections from John 1 form the third verse, which explains how Jesus "hides / His all-creating light" in "an earthborn form."

The verse from 2 Corinthians 8 informs the fourth verse, which also talks about "a great exchange."  The hymn seems to expand on 2 Corinthians' "so that you by his poverty might become rich" by specifically describing that "in return [He] gives us His realm, His glory, and His name."

The fifth verse starts with the line "He is a servant, I a lord," which - while still drawing on 2 Corinthians 8:9 - also uses Philippians 2:7, specifically "taking the form of a servant."

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There are a number of uncited Biblical sources in the sixth verse.  The first line is "He is the key and He the door," which uses two names for Jesus: the Key of David (Isaiah 22:22) and the Door (John 10:9).  The third line ("The angel bars the way no more") refers to the angel sent to guard the way to the tree of life in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24).

"Nun preiset alle" (TLH #28)

I recorded this yester-day because to-day's Christmas Eve and I didn't know if I would have time to do it to-day.

I currently have a cold, which has slightly affected my hearing, so the mix on this might be a bit off.

I wasn't familiar with this tune, but I think I did a decent job of it.

"Lift up Your Heads, You Everlasting Doors"

Earlier this month I wrote a post about the first phrase of "Lift up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates."  On the opposite page in the hymnal, there's the hymn "Lift up Your Heads, You Everlasting Doors," and I noticed that it has the same feature.

The first line is "Lift up your heads, you everlasting doors," the first part of which is sung to an ascending phrase (an arpeggiated C major spanning an octave):

There's an ascent in the tune ("Conrad"), which represents the "lift[ing] up" in the text.  A similar text ("Lift up your heads, you everlasting gates") is sung to the same musical phrase later in the first verse, and the third verse begins with "Who may ascend Mount Zion's holy hill," for which there's a similar feature (a rising melody to represent "ascend[ing]").

LSB #388 "Go Tell It on the Mountain"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Luke 2:7-20, Isaiah 40:9-11

Luke 2:7-20:  "7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

"8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  10 And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'  13 And suddenly there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'

"15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.'  16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.  18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

Isaiah 40:9-11:  "9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God!'  10 Behold, the LORD GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.  11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young."

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The text is public domain:

Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and ev'rywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!

While shepherds kept their watching
O'er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.

Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and ev'rywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo, above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Savior's birth.

Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and ev'rywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!

Down in a lonely manger
The humble Christ was born;
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn.

Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and ev'rywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!

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The Biblical sources here are very straightforward.  The Luke 2 text, about Jesus' birth and its announcement to the shepherds, is the source of the verses, and the Isaiah 40 text, specifically the first part of verse nine ("Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news") is the source of the chorus.

"St. Thomas" (TLH #27)

This is a tune I'm familiar with, so I took it a bit faster than I probably would have otherwise.

"The Night Will Soon Be Ending"

Since the church year recently started over, I'm starting something new: rather than continue on in my long list of things to write about, I'm going to try to have the hymns I write about in these musicological types of posts correspond to the current season.

A couple months ago, I watched the One LSB Hymn a Week video for "The Night Will Soon Be Ending":

The tune is "Llangloffan."  I found quite a bit to write about, so I'm going to go phrase by phrase.

The first phrase:

The last word in each line sung to this phrase is sung with a melisma.  The third verse begins with "The earth in sure rotation," with "rotation" sung to four syllables rather than the three it's spoken with.  This articulation provides some sense of that movement.

The third phrase:

In the first verse, the line here is "Let songs of praise ascending."  "Ascending" is sung to a rising group of notes, so there's a musical representation of the text.  "Ascending" is even sung with an extra syllable (four rather than three), which emphasizes the effect.

The fourth phrase contains the first of two cross inscriptions in the melody, which could actually been seen with two different groups of notes:

There seems to be only one connection between this cross inscription and the hymn's text.  In the second verse, the line here describes how God "Bears all [that] our sins deserve," and Christ bore our sins on the cross.

The second cross inscription (which is actually the same as the first) is in the eight phrase (the final phrase):

Again, there seems to be only one connection between this inscription and the hymn's text.  The last two lines of the fourth verse are "God comes for our redeeming / From sin's oppressive might."  Christ freed us from sin by taking it upon Himself on the cross.

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At the beginning of the year, I wrote a post about the Biblical sources for "The Night Will Soon Be Ending."   I found a text that I missed, which I knew was bound to happen eventually in this project.  The beginning of the fifth verse is "God dwells with us in darkness / And makes the night as day."  This bears some resemblance to a part of Psalm 139: "11 If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,' 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you."

LSB #387 "Joy to the World"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 98, Romans 5:16-19, Revelation 22:1-5

Psalm 98:  "1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things!  His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.  2 The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.  3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel.  All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!  5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!  6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it!  8 Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together 9 before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.  He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity."

Romans 5:16-19:  "16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin.  For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.  17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

"18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.  19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous."

Revelation 22:1-5:  "1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.  The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.  4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  5 And night will be no more.  They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the LORD GOD will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever."

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The text is public domain:

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love.

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Parts of the first two verses come from Psalm 98, specifically "Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it!  Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the LORD."  The hymn also has creation praising the Lord: "Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room / And heav'n and nature sing" and "fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains / Repeat the sounding joy."

The Romans text seems to be present in the third verse, specifically the lines "He comes to make His blessings flow / Far as the curse is found."  This isn't too different from Romans 5:18-19.  The hymn describes the breadth of "His blessings," and the text from Romans mentions that justification, life, and righteousness "for all men" and "the many" come "through the one man Jesus Christ."

The Revelation text is in the last two verses.  After describing trees and fruit, Revelation declares that "No longer will there be anything accursed," and in the hymn, this appears in the lines "No more let sins and sorrows grow / Nor thorns infest the ground."  The fourth verse's "glories of His righteousness / And wonders of His love" seem to be a more general description of the scene in Revelation 22.

"Lobe den Herren, o meine" (TLH #26)

I skipt #25 because it was in Eb major, which isn't one of the easier keys for mandolin, and because I couldn't get a good sense of the melody.  So here's the next tune.  I wasn't familiar with this one either, but it wasn't that difficult.

"O Jesu"

When I played through "O Jesu" in preparation for recording it this week, the first and third phrases (which are the same) sounded familiar to me.  I was pretty sure it I knew it from Bach, but it took me a couple days to find the specific piece.

Here's the phrase from "O Jesu":

And here's the beginning of the Quodlibet from Bach's Goldberg Variations, BWV 988:

[notation found here]

While the specific note values are different, the ratios of the lengths are the same (those in the Quodlibet are half those in "O Jesu"), and while the two phrases are in different keys and begin on different pitches, the intervals are the same.

I did some research and discovered that the Goldberg Variations were published in 1741, which is the same year listed for "O Jesu" in The Lutheran Hymnal.  Under the title of the tune, it reads: "Evangelisches Gesangbuch" Hirschberg, 1741.

However, the Quodlibet is Bach's combination of tunes from German folk songs.  According to a diagram on this website, this phrase in the Quodlibet was taken from the folk song "Ich bin so lang nicht bei dir g'west."  So I'm not sure whether this phrase in "O Jesu" came from that folk tune (either directly or via the Goldberg Variations) or whether its similarity is just coincidental.

LSB #386 "Now Sing We, Now Rejoice"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Luke 2:1-14, John 12:32, 1 Peter 1:8-9, Revelation 21:3-4

Luke 2:1-14:  "1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.  4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

"8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  10 And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'  13 And suddenly there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'"

John 12:32:  "'And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.'"

1 Peter 1:8-9:  "8 Though you have not seen him, you love him.  Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Revelation 21:3-4:  "3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'"

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The text is public domain:

Now sing we, now rejoice,
Now raise to heav'n our voice;
He from whom joy streamth
Poor in a manger lies;
Not so brightly beameth
The sun in yonder skies.
Thou my Savior art!
Thou my Savior art!

Come from on high to me;
I cannot rise to Thee.
Cheer my wearing spirit,
O pure and holy Child;
Through Thy grace and merit,
Blest Jesus, Lord most mild,
Draw me unto Thee!
Draw me unto Thee!

Now through His Son doth shine
The Father's grace divine.
Death was reigning o'er us
Through sin and vanity
Till He opened for us
A bright eternity.
May we praise Him there!
May we praise Him there!

Oh, where shall joy be found?
Where but on heav'nly ground?
Where the angels singing
With all His saints unite,
Sweetest praises bringing
In heav'nly joy and light.
Oh, that we were there!
Oh, that we were there!

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The title line ("Now sing we, now rejoice") seems to come from 1 Peter, specifically "you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory."  The lines "Poor in a manger lies" in the first verse and "O pure and holy Child" in the second come from the Luke text.

The Revelation text appears in the third verse.  Revelation 21:4 says that "the former things have passed away."  In the hymn, this is rendered as "Death was reigning o'er us / Through sin and vanity / Till He opened for us / A bright eternity."

John 12:32 seems to be referred to in the last two verses.  Jesus says that He will "draw all people" to Him, and the hymn portrays this as "prais[ing] Him there [in heaven]... in heav'nly joy and light."

"O Jesu" (TLH #24)

This is an-other tune I didn't know, and yet the first and third phrases (they're the same) sound familiar.  I think they bear some resemblance to a classical piece, but I haven't been able to identify which specific one.

"Lift up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates"

A couple months ago, I watched the One LSB Hymn a Week video for "Lift up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates" (LSB #341):

It occurred to me that there's an ascending interval at the beginning of the first phrase, the melody to which "Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates" is sung:

The title of this tune is "Milwaukee," but in The Lutheran Service Book, "Lift up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates" is also paired with the tune "Macht hoch die Tür" (LSB #340).  The first phrase of that tune also begins with an ascending interval:

It's a smaller interval than that in "Milwaukee" (a minor third compared to a sixth), but it still provides the idea of the "lift[ing] up" in the hymn's text.

LSB #385 "From East to West"

Biblical citations in the hymnal: Luke 1:26-31; 2:7-11; Psalm 95:1-6; Philippians 2:5-7

Luke 1:26-31:  "26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  And the virgin's name was Mary.  28 And he came to her and said, 'Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!'  29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.  30 And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.'"

Luke 2:7-11:  "7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

"8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  10 And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'"

Psalm 95:1-6:  "1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!  2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!  3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.  4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.  5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.  6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our maker!"

Philippians 2:5-7:  "5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

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The text is public domain:

From east to west, from shore to shore
Let ev'ry heart awake and sing
The holy child whom Mary bore,
The Christ, the everlasting king.

Behold, the world's creator wears
The form and fashion of a slave;
Our very flesh our maker shares,
His fallen creatures all to save.

For this how wondrously He wrought!
A maiden, in her lowly place,
Became, in ways beyond all thought,
The chosen vessel of His grace.

And while the angels in the sky
Sang praise above the silent field,
To shepherds poor the Lord Most High,
The one great Shepherd, was revealed.

All glory for this blessed morn
To God the Father ever be;
All praise to You, O Virgin-born,
And Holy Ghost eternally.

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The beginning of the first verse seems to come from Psalm 95, but there isn't much resemblance as far as specific word choice.  The distance between "the depths of the earth [and] the heights of the mountains" and between "the sea" and "the dry land" seems to be what the hymn references in the line "From east to west, from shore to shore."  Both Psalm 95 and this first verse also invite us to "sing to the LORD."

The hymn's second verse comes from the Philippians text.  Christ's "taking the form of a servant [and] being born in the likeness of men" is rendered as: "the world's creator wears / The form and fashion of a slave; / Our very flesh our maker shares."

The third and fourth verses come from the two sections of Luke that are cited.  The third verse (God's choosing Mary) is from Luke 1:26-31, and the fourth verse (the angel's announcing Jesus' birth to the shepherds) from Luke 2:7-11.

"Wie schön leuchtet" (TLH #23)

In The Lutheran Hymnal, "Wie schön leuchtet" is in Eb major, and while I think I've recorded hymn tunes in Eb major before, I raised this a half-step to E major, partially because I do prefer E major to Eb major but mostly because there's a low Eb in the bass part and a bass in standard tuning goes down only to E.

I also discovered that the rhythm in The Lutheran Hymnal arrangement is a bit different from the rhythm I'm used to from the arrangements in Lutheran Worship and The Lutheran Service Book.  Without even realizing it, the first few times I played through the TLH version, I was reading only the pitches, not the note values.

"Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray"

A couple months ago, I sang "Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray" in church and noticed a small thing about the fourth verse, specifically the lines: "Pride and sin / Lurk within, / All your hopes to shatter."  The last of these three lines is sung to this melody:

(The tune is "Straf mich nicht.")

The "shatter[ing]" that the text mentions is represented musically here.  The word "shatter" itself is sung to three syllables rather than the two it's spoken with, and "hopes" - what pride and sin wish to shatter - is sung with two syllables rather than the single syllable it's spoken with.

LSB #384 "Of the Father's Love Begotten"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 Timothy 3:16, Revelation 1:8, John 1:1, Philippians 2:11

1 Timothy 3:16:  "Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory."

Revelation 1:8:  "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'"

John 1:1:  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Philippians 2:11:  "...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

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The text is public domain:

Of the Father's love begotten
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore.

Oh, that birth forever blessed,
When the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bore the Savior of our race,
And the babe, the world's Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face
Evermore and evermore.

This is He whom seers in old time
Chanted of with one accord,
Whom the voices of the prophets
Promised in their faithful word.
Now He shines, the long-expected;
Let creation praise its Lord
Evermore and evermore.

O ye heights of heav'n, adore Him;
Angel hosts, His praises sing.
Pow'rs, dominions, bow before Him
And extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Ev'ry voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore.

Christ, to Thee, with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unending praises be,
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory
Evermore and evermore.
Amen.

+++

There aren't many phrases in the hymn that come directly from the cited texts, which makes identifying them a bit difficult.  Revelation 1:8 is clearly referenced in the phrase "Alpha and Omega."  The three temporal elements ("who is and who was and who is to come") are also included, although they don't have the same focus.  Instead of talking about God Himself, the hymn names Him as "the source [and] the ending... Of the things that are, that have been, / And that future years shall see."

The line "Ere the worlds began to be" seems to come from John 1:1, specifically "In the beginning." 

"Every tongue confess[ing] that Jesus Christ is Lord" from Philippians 2:11 is rephrased as "Let no tongue on earth be silent."

That leaves only the verse from 1 Timothy.  This seems to be the main referent, although I'm not sure if every part of the verse is represented in the hymn.  Christ's being "Of the Father's love begotten" seems to be (at least part of) the "mystery of godliness" that's described.  The hymn's second verse describes His being "manifested in the flesh."  The seers' chanting and prophets' promising in the third verse could be the being "proclaimed among the nations."  Either the other sections of the verse aren't referenced in the hymn or I'm unable to find them.

"St. Flavian" (TLH #22)

I skipt #21 for a few reasons: I wasn't familiar with the tune (which has been the case for the last few tunes, so I wanted one I did know), and I couldn't get a good sense of what it was supposed to sound like because it consists of long note values and rests.  So I did "St. Flavian" instead because it's the next hymn tune and because I am familiar with it.

It's probably just coincidental, but it occurred to me that "St. Flavian" starts with the same four notes as "Tallis' Canon."

"If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee"

A couple months ago, one of the hymns in church was "If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee" (sung to the tune "Wer nur den lieben Gott"), and I noticed a small connection between the music and the text.  A pair of lines in the sixth verse are "'Tis easy for our God, we know, / To raise thee up, though low thou liest."  The second of these two lines is sung to this musical phrase:

There's an ascent for "To raise thee up," and a descent to describe "though low thou liest."

I also noticed that there's an accidental (an F# in G minor) for the second syllable of "evil" and for "it" (whose antecedent is "each dark moment").  However, these errant notes don't represent sin and its results in every instance.  This same accidental (in other musical phrases) also falls on the first syllable of "gladness" and on "rock" in "the rock that naught can move" (which represents "God's unchanging love").  Clearly, the implications of this accidental must be lookt at on a case-by-case basis.  Many of these little things I notice in hymns seem coincidental, but this especially so.

LSB #383 "A Great and Mighty Wonder"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  John 1:14, Luke 2:1-20, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, Hebrews 2:14-15

John 1:14:  "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Luke 2:1-20:  "1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.  4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

"8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  10 And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'  13 And suddenly there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'

"15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.'  16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.  18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

1 Timothy 2:5-6:  "5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time."

Hebrews 2:14-15:  "14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery."

+++

The text is public domain:

A great and mighty wonder,
A full and holy cure:
The virgin bears the infant
With virgin honor pure!

Proclaim the Savior's birth:
"To God on high be glory
And peace to all the earth!"

The Word becomes incarnate
And yet remains on high,
And cherubim sing anthems
To shepherds from the sky.

Proclaim the Savior's birth:
"To God on high be glory
And peace to all the earth!"

While thus they sing your Monarch,
Those bright angelic bands,
Rejoice, O vales and mountains,
And oceans, clap your hands.

Proclaim the Savior's birth:
"To God on high be glory
And peace to all the earth!"

Since all He comes to ransom,
By all be He adored,
The infant born in Bethl'em,
The Savior and the Lord.

Proclaim the Savior's birth:
"To God on high be glory
And peace to all the earth!"

All idols then shall perish
And Satan's lying cease,
And Christ shall raise His scepter,
Decreeing endless peace.

Proclaim the Savior's birth:
"To God on high be glory
And peace to all the earth!"

+++

The text from Luke is the basis of the hymn, particularly the refrain, which is a paraphrase of verse 14.

"The Word becomes incarnate" at the beginning of the second verse comes from John 1:14.  Hebrews 2:14 says the same sort of thing, but the verse from John has "the Word" specifically.

The beginning of the fourth verse ("Since all He comes to ransom") comes from the 1 Timothy text:  "Christ Jesus... gave himself as a ransom for all."

Finally, the Hebrews text, particularly Christ's "destroy[ing] the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil," appears in the fifth verse.

+++

The second half of the third verse ("Rejoice, O vales and mountains, / And oceans, clap your hands.") bears some resemblance to Psalm 98:8:  "Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together."  Both are images of creation praising God and - specifically - of a body of water clapping.

"Ratisbon" (TLH #20)

This is an-other tune I wasn't familiar with.

"Christ Is Our Cornerstone"

A couple months ago, I happened to think of the first phrase in "Christ Is Our Cornerstone," and I realized a connection between the text and the music.  The first line is the same as the title ("Christ is our cornerstone"), and the first music phrase (of the tune "Darwall's 148th") is:

The tune is in C major, and there are three C notes (in two octaves) in this opening phrase.  C is the note that C major is based on, and when "Christ is our cornerstone" is sung to this phrase, those important C notes coincide with "Christ," "our," and the "-stone" of "cornerstone."  The hymn text plainly proclaims that "Christ is our cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:20), but since these words connect with the musical foundation of the tune, this conviction is emphasized by the music.

LSB #382 "We Praise You, Jesus, at Your Birth"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Luke 2:7-14, 1 Timothy 3:16, 1 John 1:1-3

Luke 2:7-14:  "7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

"8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  10 And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'  13 And suddenly there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'"

1 Timothy 3:16:  "Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory."

1 John 1:1-3:  "1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life - 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us - 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."

+++

The text from Luke is the main referent, particularly in the first three verses ("The virgin bears a sinless boy," "Now in the manger we may see / God's Son from eternity," and so on).  However, the other two texts that are cited also seem to be present in lines like "Clothed in flesh You came to earth" and "Here clothed in our poor flesh and bone."

The fourth verse mentions Jesus as "the Light Eternal":

The Light Eternal, breaking through,
Made the world to gleam anew;
His beams have pierced the core of night,
He makes us children of the light.
Alleluia!

While this could have a number of Biblical sources, I first thought of John 8:12:  "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"  However, the phrase "children of the light" comes from Ephesians 5:8:  "for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light."

"Lobet den Herrn, ihr" (TLH #19)

This is an-other tune I wasn't familiar with, but I didn't find it too difficult.

I'm assuming the title is an abbreviation of the original German text because otherwise it's a rather curt "Praise the Lord, you."

"Lord God, to Thee We Give All Praise"

A few months ago, I transcribed "Lord God, to Thee We Give All Praise" and noticed a small connection between the text and the tune.  I should note that this is specific to the tune "Erhalt uns, Herr," which is the tune this text is paired with in The Lutheran Service Book.  In Lutheran Worship, it's paired with "Komm, Gott Schöpfer."

The first two lines are "Lord God, to Thee we give all praise, / With grateful hearts our voices raise."  The second musical phrase - to which "With grateful hearts our voices raise" is sung - ascends:

It's just a small point, but there's a musical ascent to mirror the "rais[ing]" in the text.

LSB #381 "Let Our Gladness Have No End"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Romans 5:11, 8:32-33; John 1:14; Genesis 3:15

Romans 5:11:  "More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Romans 8:32-33:  "32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?  It is God who justifies."

John 1:14:  "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Genesis 3:15:  "'I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.'"

+++

The text is public domain:

Let our gladness have no end, alleluia!
For to earth did Christ descend, alleluia!

On this day God gave us
Christ, His Son, to save us;
Christ, His Son, to save us.

Prophesied in days of old, alleluia!
God has sent Him as foretold, alleluia!

On this day God gave us
Christ, His Son, to save us;
Christ, His Son, to save us.

See, the loveliest blooming rose, alleluia!
From the branch of Jesse grows, alleluia!

On this day God gave us
Christ, His Son, to save us;
Christ, His Son, to save us.

Into flesh is made the Word, alleluia!
He, our refuge and our Lord, alleluia!

On this day God gave us
Christ, His Son, to save us;
Christ, His Son, to save us.

+++

Both of the texts from Romans seem to be referenced in the refrain.  "We have now received reconciliation" (from Romans 5:11) and "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all" (from Romans 8:32) both describe the same thing as "On this day God gave us / Christ, His Son, to save us."  Romans 5:11 - specifically "we also rejoice" - might also be behind the first line, "Let our gladness have no end."  It's a similar sentiment, although there isn't a resemblance as far a word choice.

Genesis 3:15 is cited although there aren't phrases in the hymn that resemble it.  I think this verse, specifically "he shall bruise your head," is listed for the source of the lines "Prophesied in days of old" and "God has sent Him as foretold," although those lines could easily refer to a number of other Bible verses.

John 1:14 is the source for the first line of the fourth verse: "Into flesh is made the Word."

"The loveliest blooming rose... from the branch of Jesse" in the third verse comes from (the un-cited) Isaiah 11:1: "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit."

"Vienna" (TLH #18)

Although this tune is also in LSB, I wasn't familiar with it.  The first phrase here reminds me of the penultimate phrase in an-other hymn tune, but since I can't place that other tune, I can't compare them.

"Jesus Shall Reign"

One of the hymns in church a few months ago was "Jesus Shall Reign."  It's sung to the tune "Duke Street," the first phrase of which is:

This phrase musically demonstrates something in each of the first lines of the hymn's verses.  The first two lines of the first verse are "Jesus shall reign where'er the sun / Does its successive journeys run."  The "wher'er" is sung to three syllables rather than just two, so there's a representation of the breadth.  The same feature is in the fourth verse, which begins "Blessings abound wher'er He reigns."  There's a similar feature in the third verse, which begins "People and realms of ev'ry tongue."  Here, "ev'ry" is sung to three syllables rather than just two, but there's the same representation of an entirety.

The second verse begins with "To Him shall endless prayer be made."  In this line, "endless" is sung to three syllables instead of just two, so there's a representation of the long period of time.

In the fifth verse, the line here is "Let ev'ry creature rise and bring," and the "ris[ing]" is represented by the ascent in the first part of the phrase.

I also noticed something about the third musical phrase:

There's a fairly large musical span (the second measure has D notes in two octaves), and in the first verse, the text here is "His kingdom stretch from shore to shore," so there's a large expanse in both the music and the text.

LSB #380 "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Luke 2:13-14; Romans 5:10-11; John 1:1, 14; 11:26

Luke 2:13-14:  "13 And suddenly there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'"

Romans 5:10-11:  "10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.  11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

John 1:1:  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

John 1:14:  "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 11:26:  "'and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?'"

+++

The text is public domain:

Hark!  The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Hark!  The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ, by highest heav'n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as Man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel!

Hark!  The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail, the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Hark!  The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

+++

The text from Luke 2 is the main referent, although where Luke 2 has the angels "saying, 'Glory to God in the highest...,'" the hymn has them "sing, 'Glory to the newborn King.'"

The reconciliation mentioned in the Romans 5 text is in the first verse:  "God and sinners reconciled!"

The line "Veiled in flesh the Godhead see" in the second verse comes from John 1:14.  There doesn't seem to be a specific line in the hymn that comes from John 1:1, but that verse is often cited alongside John 1:14, so it's probably listed because of the second verse's description of the incarnation.  Matthew 1:23 ("'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us).") and possibly even Isaiah 7:14 (which Matthew 1:23 quotes) should also be cited since the name Immanuel is listed in the verse.

The third verse also contains an un-cited reference to Isaiah; the name "Prince of Peace" is from Isaiah 9:6.  "The Sun of Righteousness" and "Ris'n with healing in His wings" come from (the un-cited) Malachi 4:2: "But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.  You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall."

Finally, John 11:26 seems to be present in "Born that man no more may die."

"Hanover" (TLH #17)

This has a couple falling fifths, which I find difficult to play on mandolin (since the string courses are tuned in fifths and the fretboard is so small), so I took it a bit slower, although - with the other instruments parts added in - it's not really evident.

"I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table"

A couple months ago, one of the hymns in church was "I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table."  I realized something about the beginning of the fourth verse.  The first line is "Weary am I and heavy laden," and the melody there (in the tune "Ich sterbe täglich") descends, portraying both weariness and being heavy laden:

"Laden" is even sung with a melisma, which emphasizes the effect.

Additionally, while it doesn't seem to have any connection to the hymn text, there's a cross inscription in the second measure.

LSB #379 "O Come, All Ye Faithful"

Biblical citation in the hymnal:  Luke 2:15

Luke 2:15:  "When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.'"

+++

The text is public domain:

O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him
Born the king of angels:

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

Highest, most holy,
Light of Light eternal,
Born of a virgin, a mortal He comes;
Son of the Father
Now in flesh appearing!

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God
In the highest:

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be glory giv'n!
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing!

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

+++

Since there's only one Biblical text cited, it's obvious that Luke 2:15 is the basis of this hymn.  There are a few uncited references, however.

"Glory to God / In the highest" at the end of the third verse comes from Luke 2:14, where the angels say, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'  The end of the fourth verse ("Word of the Father / Now in flesh appearing") comes from John 1:14:  "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

"Liebster Jesu" (TLH #16)

This tune is in LW and LSB, although it's a bit different.  In comparison to those versions, the TLH version is rhythmically reserved.  It has only half and quarter notes where the LW and LSB versions add some eighth notes and dotted quarter notes.  The second phrase is even different melodically: in this TLH version, it starts with just four G notes, but in the LW and LSB versions, there's a sort of diatonic dip: G F# E F# G.

The title is slightly different in LW and LSB too, lengthened a bit to "Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier," which apparently comes from the first lines of the original German hymn text ("Blessed Jesus, at Thy word / We are gathered all to hear Thee").

Like last week, I recorded only one of the two bass parts, which is a format I'm going to try to continue.

"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"

A couple months ago, while watching the One LSB Hymn a Week video for "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name," I remembered something I'd noticed before but hadn't yet written about.  Here's the video:

The second phrase of the tune ("Coronation") descends:

and in the first and seventh verses, this musically represents the lines "Let angels prostrate fall" and "We at His feet may fall!"

I also noticed some connections between the text and a group of eighth notes in the third and fifth phrases.  (The last two lines of each verse are sung twice, but the melody is different, so while there are only four distinct lines in the text, there are six phrases in the music.)  In the first verse, the line here is "Bring forth the royal diadem," and in the seventh verse, it's "We'll join the everlasting song."  "Diadem" and "everlasting" are sung to these four eighth notes (plus some quarter notes on either side):

Third phrase:

Fifth phrase:

These eighth notes have two different extra-musical functions.  In the first verse, they mirror the "diadem."  The melisma here ("diadem"'s being sung to five syllables rather than just three) is a musical ornamentation in the same way that a diadem is a decoration.  In the seventh verse, singing "everlasting" to more syllables than normal (six rather than four) gives a sense of that temporal continuation.

LSB #378 "Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Isaiah 9:2-7; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 1:1-5, 14; Ephesians 2:14

Isaiah 9:2-7:  "2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.  3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.  4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.  5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.  6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this."

1 Timothy 2:5:  "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

John 1:1-5:  "1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was in the beginning with God.  3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

John 1:14:  "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Ephesians 2:14:  "For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility."

+++

The light that's mentioned in Isaiah 9:2 and John 1:5 is in the first (and title) line: "Break forth, O beauteous heav'nly light."  Later in that verse is the line "Ye shepherds, shrink not with affright," which comes from (the uncited) Luke 2:10: "And the angel said to them [the shepherds], 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'"  The end of the first verse seems to come from 1 Timothy 2:5, although the line "This Child... Our peace with God now making" is from Ephesians 2:14, which specifically names Christ as "our peace."

John 1:14 (and, to some degree, 1 Timothy 2:5 and Ephesians 2:14, too) is referenced in the line "Thou hast my Brother deigned to be" in the third verse.  The common idea is Jesus as true man.

"Lasst uns erfreuen" (TLH #15)

When I lookt at this tune last week, I mis-read the key and thought it was in Ab major.  That's more flats than I'm comfortable with, so I transposed it down a half-step, thinking I was putting it into G major.  Within a few measures, I realized that it's actually in Eb major, and I was transposing it to D major.  Had I read the key correctly, maybe I wouldn't have transposed it, but I like the sharp keys better than the flat keys anyway.

I've been recording the bass parts lately just because I think that having them makes the tunes more interesting, but for this one, I recorded just one of the bass parts (the lower of the two).  I felt that a second one would obscure this one, which I really like.  Besides, the higher bass part is usually the more difficult of the two (in my experience), and I didn't feel like bothering with it.

"O Father, All Creating"

One of the hymns I sang in church a few months ago is "O Father, All Creating."  I noticed a small connection between the tune ("Aurelia") and the text in the third verse.  The first two lines of the third verse are "O Spirit of the Father, / Breathe on them from above."  (The hymn is in the marriage section of the hymnal; the "them" in the line refers to a newly wedded couple.)  The second half of the second line descends:

To some degree, this musically represents the Spirit's "Breath[ing] on them from above."

LSB #377 "On Christmas Night All Christians Sing"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Luke 2:10-14, 20

Luke 2:10-14:  "10 And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'  13 And suddenly there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'"

Luke 2:20:  "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

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The text is public domain:

On Christmas night all Christians sing
To hear the news the angels bring,
On Christmas night all Christians sing
To hear the news the angels bring,
News of great joy, news of great mirth,
News of our merciful King's birth.

Then why should men on earth be so sad,
Since our Redeemer made us glad,
Then why should men on earth be so sad,
Since our Redeemer made us glad,
When from our sin He set us free,
All for to gain our liberty?

When sin departs before His grace,
Then life and health come in its place,
When sin departs before His grace,
Then life and health come in its place;
Angels and men with joy may sing,
All for to see the newborn King.

All out of darkness we have light,
Which made the angels sing this night,
All out of darkness we have light,
Which made the angels sing this night:
"Glory to God and peace to men
Now and forevermore.  Amen."

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Because there are only two Biblical citations, there's not much to say about this one.  The hymn comes primarily from Luke 2, although - as I've pointed out before with other Christmas hymns - this hymn has the angels "sing[ing]," where in the text, they merely speak.

The last verse's mentioning light could have any of a number of Biblical sources.  Jesus is referred to as a "light" multiple times (even calling Himself "the light of the world" in John 8:12).  Because this is a Christmas hymn (and because the only cited Biblical texts are from Luke), I'd suggest Luke 1:77-79, where Zechariah prophesies that John will prepare the way of the Lord "77 'to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.'"

"Old Hundredth" (TLH #13)

I was familiar with this tune (although I'm not particularly keen on it), so this was relatively easy to do.  The tune's supposed to start on the third beat, but I started on the first, which caused a problem at the end: I made the last half note into a whole note.

I already know that I'm going to skip #14 next week because it's the same arrangement of this tune.

"Of the Father's Love Begotten"

A couple months ago, one of the hymns in Worship for Shut-Ins was "Of the Father's Love Begotten."  Listening to it, I realized that the melody to which the line "Pow'rs, dominions, bow before Him" is sung descends.  That descent musically illustrates the "bow[ing]."  Here's the melody; it's the third phrase of the tune "Divinum Mysterium":

LSB #376 "Once in Royal David's City"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Luke 2:4-7, Hebrews 4:14-16, Job 19:25-27, Revelation 7:9-12

Luke 2:4-7:  "4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn."

Hebrews 4:14-16:  "14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Job 19:25-27:  "25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.  26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another."

Revelation 7:9-12:  "9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'  11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'"

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The text is public domain:

Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for His bed;
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor and mean and lowly
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

For He is our childhood's pattern,
Day by day like us He grew;
He was little, weak, and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feels for all our sadness,
And He shares in all our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heav'n above;
And he leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor, lowly stable
With the oxen standing by
Shall we see Him, but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high.
Then like stars His children, crowned,
All in white, His praise will sound!

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The Biblical references here are clearly divided among the verses.  The Luke 2 text is the basis of the whole hymn but is most prominent in the first two verses.  The third verse expands on a section of Hebrews 4:15: "we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses."  The beginning of the fourth verse ("And our eyes at last shall see Him") echoes Job, and the end of the fifth verse describes the scene in the Revelation text.

"Winchester New" (TLH #12)

I was familiar with this tune, but not the hymn it's used with ("This Day at Thy Creating Word").  I was very surprised to find that there's a fermata in the music.  I don't think I've ever seen a fermata in a hymnal before.