"My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less"

A number of years ago, I noticed a small feature in "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less."  The hymn is paired with two melodies in The Lutheran Service Book, "Magdalen" (#575) and "The Solid Rock" (#576), but what I noticed is specific to "Magdalen."

The refrain is "On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; / All other ground is sinking sand," sung to these musical phrases:

The line "All other ground is sinking sand" is sung to a descending melody (spanning an octave: C to C), musically giving a sense of that "sinking."

LSB #470, 471 "O Sons and Daughters of the King"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Mark 16:5-7; John 20:24-29

Mark 16:5-7:  "5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.  6 And he said to them, 'Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He has risen; he is not here.  See the place where they laid him.  7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.  There you will see him, just as he told you.'"

John 20:24-29:  "24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.'  But he said to them, 'Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.'

"26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them.  Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'  27 Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side.  Do not disbelieve, but believe.'  28 Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!"  29 Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'"

+++

As far as the text, the only difference between LSB #470 and LSB #471 is the structure, specifically where and how often the refrain occurs.  For my transcription, I followed LSB #470.  The text is public domain:

O sons and daughters of the King,
Whom heav'nly hosts in glory sing,
Today the grave has lost its sting!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

That Easter morn, at break of day,
The faithful women went their way
To seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

An angel clad in white they see,
Who sits and speaks unto the three,
"Your Lord will go to Galilee."
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

That night the apostles met in fear;
Among them came their master dear
And said, "My peace be with you here."
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

When Thomas first the tidings heard
That they had seen the risen Lord,
He doubted the disciples' word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

"My piercèd side, O Thomas, see,
And look upon My hands, My feet;
Not faithless but believing be."
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

No longer Thomas then denied;
He saw the feet, the hands, the side;
"You are my Lord and God!" he cried.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

How blest are they who have not seen
And yet whose faith has constant been,
For they eternal life shall win.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

On this most holy day of days
Be laud and jubilee and praise:
To God your hearts and voices raise.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

+++

The text from Mark appears in the second and third verses, and the text from John appears in verses five through eight.

The fourth verse also comes from John 20, but from shortly before what's cited.  John 20:19:  "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'"

"Today the grave has lost its sting!" in the first verse is from 1 Corinthians 15:55:  "'O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?'"

Coming Soon: Handel's Messiah

Aside from a single post on Bach's St. Matthew Passion, I really haven't written about any classical sacred music here.  A number of years ago and on a different blog, I wrote two rather lengthy posts on Handel's Messiah (one with a number of the Biblical sources and some commentary on the music and a second with additional Biblical sources I'd identified in the interim).  In an effort to spur my writing about more classical sacred music (or at least to put everything in the same place), I'm going to transfer those two posts to this blog.  In order to make things more organized, I'm going to divide those two posts into the individual movements, publishing one every Monday.

Over the last few years, I've found additional features in the Messiah that I want to write about, but I'm going to wait to do that until I've posted all of my old notes.  There are only a handful of the 53 movements about which I don't have any comments, so going through the whole thing will take about a year.

"Triune God, Be Thou Our Stay"

During the Trinity Sunday service this week (although I actually went to church on Saturday night), I noticed a few things in the hymn "Triune God, Be Thou Our Stay," sung to the tune "Gott der Vater, wohn uns bei."

The line "And grant us life forever" is sung to this phrase:

"Forever" is sung with a melisma (F E D C), musically giving a sense of duration.

"With humble hearts and lowly" is sung to this phrase:

"Lowly" is sung to a group of descending notes (E D C), musically giving a sense of a bowing humility.  It's also sung with a melisma, which emphasizes the effect.

"With all true Christians running" is sung to this phrase:

"Running" is sung with a melisma (B A G), musically giving a sense of movement.  It's also sung diatonically, so there's even a musical representation of individual steps.

LSB #469 "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Luke 24:4-7, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, 1 Peter 1:18-21, Revelation 5:9-13

Luke 24:4-7:  "4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.  5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, 'Why do you seek the living among the dead?  6 He is not here, but has risen.  Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.'"

1 Corinthians 15:55-57:  "55 'O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?'  56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Peter 1:18-21:  "18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.  20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."

Revelation 5:9-13:  "9 And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.'  11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!'  13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!'"

+++

The text is public domain:

"Christ the Lord is ris'n today!"
Saints on earth and angels say;
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
Sing, ye heav'ns, and earth, reply.

Love's redeeming work is done,
Fought the fight, the battle won;
Lo! Our Sun's eclipse is o'er;
Lo! He sets in blood no more.

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal;
Christ hath burst the gates of hell.
Death in vain forbids His rise;
Christ has opened paradise.

Lives again our glorious King!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once he died our souls to save;
Where thy victory, O grave?

Soar we now where Christ has led;
Foll'wing our exalted Head.
Made like Him, like Him we rise;
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.

Hail the Lord of earth and heav'n!
Praise to Thee by both be giv'n!
Thee we greet triumphant now:
Hail, the resurrection, Thou!

+++

The text from Luke is summarized in the first verse.

The next two verses seem to come from the 1 Peter text, although there isn't much resemblance as far as specific words or phrases.  "Fought the fight, the battle won" might draw from the same imagery as "the victory" in 1 Corinthians 15:57.

"Where, O death, is now thy sting?" and "Where thy victory, O grave?" in the third verse come from 1 Corinthians 15:55:  "'O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?'"

Although it's referred to only slightly, the text from Revelation appears in the last verse:  "Hail the Lord of earth and heav'n! / Praise to Thee by both be giv'n!"

"Foll'wing our exalted Head" in the fifth verse seems to come from Colossians 1:18:  "And he is the head of the body, the church.  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent."

"Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord"

I wrote about "Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord" a couple years ago, but during the Pentecost service this year, I found something else to note.

In the first verse, there are the lines "In holy faith Your Church unite; / From ev'ry land and ev'ry tongue."  The second of these two lines is sung to this phrase (from the tune "Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott"):

"Land" and the second "ev'ry" are both sung with melismas (A Bb and G F E respectively), which gives a musical sense of the multitude of "ev'ry land and ev'ry tongue."

LSB #468 "I Am Content! My Jesus Ever Lives"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  John 11:25-26; Romans 6:4-11, 8:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

John 11:25-26:  "25 Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?'"

Romans 6:4-11:  "4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

"5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.  6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.  8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.  11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

Romans 8:1-4:  "1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.  3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.  By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."

1 Corinthians 15:55-57:  "55 'O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?'  56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

+++

The text is public domain:

I am content!  My Jesus ever lives,
In whom my heart is pleased.
He has fulfilled the Law of God for me,
God's wrath He has appeased.
Since He in death could perish never,
I also shall not die forever.
I am content!
I am content!

I am content!  My Jesus is my head;
His member I shall be.
He bowed His head when on the cross He died
With cries of agony.
Now death is brought into subjection
For me by Jesus' resurrection.
I am content!
I am content!

I am content!  My Jesus is my light,
My radiant sun of grace.
His cheering rays beam blessings forth for all,
Sweet comfort, hope, and peace.
This Easter sun has brought salvation
And everlasting exultation.
I am content!
I am content!

I am content!  At length I shall be free,
Awakened from the dead,
Arising glorious evermore to be
With You, my living head.
The chains that hold my body, sever;
Then shall my soul rejoice forever.
I am content!
I am content!

+++

The first three citations all seem to appear in the first verse, specifically in the lines "He has fulfilled the Law of God for me, / God's wrath He has appeased. / Since He in death could perish never, / I also shall not die forever."  The being set free that's mentioned in both texts from Romans appears in the last verse, in the lines "I am content!  At length I shall be free" and "The chains that hold my body, sever; / Then shall my soul rejoice forever."

The verses from 1 Corinthians 15 appear in the line "Now death is brought into subjection" in the second verse.

"My Jesus is my head" in the second verse and "With You, my living head" in the fourth both seem to come from Colossians 1:18:  "And he is the head of the body, the church.  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent."

"His member I shall be" in the second verse seems to refer to the second half of 1 Corinthians 12, beginning with verse 12:  "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ."

"Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer"

Back in August last year, I noticed a small feature in "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer."  The last few lines of the hymn are "Songs of praises, songs of praises / I will ever give to Thee; / I will ever give to Thee."  The last "I will ever give to Thee" is sung to this phrase (from the tune "Cwm Rhondda"):

The "ever" is sung with a melisma (B D C A), and because it's stretched out, there's a musical sense of duration.

LSB #467 "Awake, My Heart, with Gladness"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Colossians 2:15, Romans 8:35-39, Genesis 3:15, Romans 6:4

Colossians 2:15:  "He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him."

Romans 8:35-39:  "35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  36 As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'  37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

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.'"

Romans 6:4:  "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

+++

The text is public domain:

Awake, my heart, with gladness,
See what today is done;
Now, after gloom and sadness,
Comes forth the glorious sun.
My Savior there was laid
Where our bed must be made
When to the realms of light
Our spirit wings its flight.

The foe in triumph shouted
When Christ lay in the tomb;
But lo, he now is routed,
His boast is turned to gloom.
For Christ again is free;
In glorious victory
He who is strong to save
Has triumphed o'er the grave.

This is a sight that gladdens -
What peace it doth impart!
Now nothing ever saddens
The joy within my heart.
No gloom shall ever shake,
No foe shall ever take
The hope which God's own Son
In love for me has won.

Now hell, its prince, the devil,
Of all their pow'r are shorn;
Now I am safe from evil,
And sin I laugh to scorn.
Grim death with all its might
Cannot my soul affright;
It is a pow'rless form,
Howe'er it rave and storm.

The world against me rages,
Its fury I disdain;
Though bitter war it wages,
Its work is all in vain.
My heart from care is free,
No trouble troubles me.
Misfortune now is play,
And night is bright as day.

Now I will cling forever
To Christ, my Savior true;
My Lord will leave me never,
Whate'er He passes through.
He rends death's iron chain;
He breaks through sin and pain;
He shatters hell's grim thrall;
I follow Him through all.

He brings me to the portal
That leads to bliss untold,
Whereon this rhyme immortal
Is found in script of gold:
"Who there My cross has shared
Finds here a crown prepared;
Who there with Me has died
Shall here be glorified."

+++

The verse from Colossians 2 - specifically the triumph it mentions - is present in the second verse.

The third through fifth verses (and maybe even a bit of the sixth) elaborate on Romans 8, in particular the list of things unable "to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (although the hymn calls it "The hope which God's own Son / In love for me has won").  The hymn catalogues "gloom," "foe[s]," "hell," "the devil," "evil," "sin," "grim death," "the world," "care," "trouble," and "misfortune."

I'm not exactly sure where Genesis 3:15 appears in the hymn, but the lines "Now hell, its prince, the devil, / Of all their pow'r are shorn" in the fourth verse and "He rends death's iron chain; / He breaks through sin and pain; / He shatters hell's grim thrall" in the sixth seem to be the best candidates.

The "newness of life" from Romans 6:4 is described in the last verse, but "a crown prepared" seems to come from the end of Revelation 2:10:  "'Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.'"