"With High Delight Let Us Unite"

A few weeks ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 30 April, which was a lessons and carols sort of service with an Easter theme.  One of the hymns was "With High Delight Let Us Unite."  I wrote about some features in this hymn before, but I found a new one.

The first verse ends with the lines "Forever, He / Is ris'n and sends / To all earth's ends / Good news to save ev'ry nation."  The phrase "all earth's ends" is sung to notes of all different pitches (F# G A), giving a sense of this breadth.  Here's the musical phrase to which that line is sung, from the tune "Mit Freuden zart":

"With High Delight Let Us Unite"

Yester-day, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 14 April.  The hymn was "With High Delight Let Us Unite," and as I was following along in my hymnal, I noticed a feature to write about.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Mit Freuden zart."  Here's the sixth phrase, from roughly the middle of the tune:

In the third verse, the text here (continuing the sense from the previous lines "His honor speed / By word and deed") is "To ev'ry land, ev'ry nation."  "Ev'ry land" and "ev'ry nation" are both sung so that each syllable is sung to a different pitch (G F# E and F# G E D, respectively).  Such an articulation provides a sense of breadth.

The first verse ends with the line "Good news to save ev'ry nation," and while the musical phrase is different, "ev'ry nation" is sung to the same pitches noted above, producing the same effect.

LSB #483 "With High Delight Let Us Unite"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Isaiah 52:9-10, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, Mark 16:15

Isaiah 52:9-10:  "9 Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.  10 The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God."

1 Corinthians 15:20-23:  "20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.  22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.  23 But each in his own order:  Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ."

Mark 16:15:  "And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'"

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The hymn has three verses, and each verse is drawn from one of the Biblical citations.  The verses from Isaiah appear in the hymn's first verse, particularly at the beginning ("With high delight / Let us unite / In songs of great jubilation") and the end ("To all earth's ends / Good news to save ev'ry nation").

The verses from 1 Corinthians appear in the hymn's second verse, which is about Christ's resurrection and victory over death.  Mark 16:15 is in the third verse:  "His honor speed / By word and deed / To ev'ry land, ev'ry nation."