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

Friday, March 22, 2024

"Church of God, Elect and Glorious"

Recently, I found some notes on "Church of God, Elect and Glorious" that I'd forgotten to write about here.  The hymn is sung to the tune "Abbot's Leigh."  Here's the third musical phrase:


In the third verse, the text here is "But He brought you home in mercy."  "Home" is sung to a C, and since the tune is in C major, this is the tonic or "home" pitch, so there's a musical representation of this "home."

The sixth musical phrase:


In the first verse, the text here is "Show to all His mighty deeds."  "All" is sung with a melisma (B C D), providing a sense of breadth.

The seventh musical phrase:


In the fourth verse, the text here is "Give your lives in joyful service."  "Joyful" is sung with a melisma (Bb A G), lending a sense either of this ebullience ("joy") or of the abundance of "-ful."

The eighth musical phrase:


In the third verse, the text here is "And His countless blessings share."  "Countless" is sung with a melisma (C G A), giving a sense of that abundance.