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

Friday, July 1, 2022

"Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee"

The second verse of "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" begins:
All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heav'n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
The last of these lines is sung to this musical phrase from the tune "Hymn to Joy":


"Center" is sung to two G notes, and since this is the tonic note, there's a musical sense of this centrality.