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

Friday, May 23, 2025

"O Sons and Daughters of the King"

A few weeks ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 29 April.  The hymn was "O Sons and Daughters of the King" (LSB #471, paired with the tune "O filii et filiae"), and I noticed a couple small features to note.

Here's the first musical phrase:


In the ninth verse, the text here is "On this most holy day of days."  "Holy" is sung with a melisma (D C Bb), giving a sense of the modifying "most" (more notes for the superlative degree).

The third musical phrase:


In the third verse, the text here is what the angel says to the women at the tomb:  "Your Lord will go to Galilee."  "Go" is sung with a melisma (G F), giving a slight sense of this movement.