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

Friday, September 17, 2021

"Lord, When You Came as Welcome Guest"

Near the beginning of the year, I noticed a few small features in the hymn "Lord, When You Came as Welcome Guest," sung to the tune "Land of Rest."  Here's the first phrase:


In the fourth verse, the text here is "Your daily mercies let them share."  "Share" is sung with a melisma (D C), and this gives a sense of its meaning since the word is "share[d]" between the two notes.

Here's the third musical phrase:


In the third verse, the text here is "This golden ring that none may break."  Here, "break" is sung with a melisma (D C), giving a sense of its meaning.

In the fourth verse, the text is "By this their vow divide their care."  "Care" is sung with the same melisma, and this gives a sense of its being "divide[d]."