"Onward, Christian Soldiers"

I recently found a note about a couple features I noticed in "Onward, Christian Soldiers" a few years ago.  The hymn is sung to the tune "St. Gertrude."  Here are the last two musical phrases of the verse:

In the last verse, the text here is "This through countless ages / Men and angels sing" (the "this" is described in the previous lines:  "Glory, laud, and honor / Unto Christ, the king").  "Ages" is sung with a melisma (C Bb Ab Bb), musically giving a sense of the multitude of "countless."

The second half of the refrain is "With the cross of Jesus / Going on before," sung to these phrases:

The notes to which "cross of Jesus" is sung form a cross inscription, giving a musical picture of the text.

LSB #625 "Lord Jesus Christ, Life-Giving Bread"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  John 6:33-35, 48-51; 1 Timothy 1:15-16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Psalm 23

John 6:33-35:  "33 'For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'  34 They said to him, 'Sir, give us this bread always.'

"35 Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'"

John 6:48-51:  "48 'I am the bread of life.  49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.  51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.  And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.'"

1 Timothy 1:15-16:  "15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.  16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life."

1 Corinthians 11:23-26:  "23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'This is my body which is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.'  25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'  26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

Psalm 23:  "1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.  3 He restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

"4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

"5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

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The text is public domain:

Lord Jesus Christ, life-giving bread,

May I in grace possess You.

Let me with holy food be fed,

In hunger I address You.

Prepare me well for You, O Lord,

And, humbly by my prayer implored,

Give me Your grace and mercy.

To pastures green, Lord, safely guide,

To restful waters lead me;

Your table well for me provide,

Your wounded hand now feed me.

Though weary, sinful, sick, and weak,

Refuge in You alone I seek,

To share Your cup of healing.

O bread of heav'n, my soul's delight,

For full and free remission

I come with prayer before Your sight

In sorrow and contrition.

Your righteousness, Lord, cover me

That I receive You worthily,

Assured of Your full pardon.

I do not merit favor, Lord,

My weight of sin would break me;

In all my guilty heart's discord,

O Lord, do not forsake me.

In my distress this comforts me

That You receive me graciously,

O Christ, my Lord of mercy!

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The two passages from John 6 and to a lesser extent the passage from 1 Corinthians 11 are present in the first verse and in the title "bread of heav'n" at the beginning of the third verse.  1 Timothy 1:15-16 seems to appear in the last line of the first verse ("Give me Your grace and mercy") and more generally in the fourth verse.

The second verse is drawn from Psalm 23, although there's also some overlap with the passage from 1 Corinthians 11.

"Gott der Vater wohn'" (TLH #247)

Because this is a longer tune, I went through it only once.

"In Holy Conversation"

The third verse of "In Holy Conversation" begins:  "As holy conversation, / In silence or by word, / In ev'ry situation / Through Jesus, we are heard."  The line "In ev'ry situation" is sung to this phrase, from the tune "Bred dina vida vingar":

"Situation" is sung with a melisma (D E C B D G), musically giving a sense of the breadth of that "ev'ry."

LSB #624 "The Infant Priest Was Holy Born"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Hebrews 9:11-28; John 1:29; 6:51-58

Hebrews 9:11-28:  "11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.  13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

"15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.  16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.  17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.  18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.  19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, 'This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.'  21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.  22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

"23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.  25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world.  But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.  27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgement, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."

John 1:29:  "The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

John 6:51-58:  "51 'I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.  And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.'

"52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?'  53 So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.  55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.  57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.  58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died.  Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.'"

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The text from Hebrews is the main source for the hymn.  It appears throughout but especially in the first four verses.

John 1:29 appears in the third, sixth, and seventh verses ("the holy Lamb," "The body of God's Lamb," and "Christ, God's Lamb").

The end of the fifth verse and all of the sixth come from the text from John 6.

The first part of the seventh verse ("With cherubim and seraphim / Our voices join the endless hymn, / And 'Holy, holy, holy' sing") draws from Isaiah 6:3:  "And one [seraph] called to another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!'"

"Nicæa" (TLH #246)

Transposed from Eb major to F major

Because of varying syllable counts, sometimes there's a single half note and sometimes two quarter notes.  I played one verse each way.

"Behold the Savior of Mankind"

After I recorded "Windsor," I noticed a couple features in the tune that connect with the text, "Behold the Savior of Mankind" (TLH #176).  Both are in the third musical phrase:

In the third verse, the text here is "See where He bows His sacred head."  There's a general descent in the melody, and this mirrors that "bow[ing]."

In the fourth verse, the text is "O Lamb of God, was ever pain" (the sense is completed in the following line:  "Was ever love, like Thine?").  "Pain" is sung to an accidental (F#), and this gives something of a sense of that discomfort.  Additionally, that this accidental is a sharp in a flat key (G minor) may further emphasize this point.

LSB #623 "Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:23-26; Romans 5:1-2; Revelation 2:10b

1 Corinthians 10:16-17:  "16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?  The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?  17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."

1 Corinthians 11:23-26:  "23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'This is my body which is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.'  25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'  26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

Romans 5:1-2:  "1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

Revelation 2:10b:  "'Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.'"

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The text is public domain:

Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray

That we may feast on You today;

Beneath these forms of bread and wine

Enrich us with Your grace divine.

Give us, who share this wondrous food,

Your body broken and Your blood,

The grateful peace of sins forgiv'n,

The certain joys of heirs in heav'n.

By faith Your Word has made us bold

To seize the gift of love retold;

All that You are we here receive,

And all we are to You we give.

One bread, one cup, one body, we,

Rejoicing in our unity,

Proclaim Your love until You come

To bring Your scattered loved ones home.

Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray:

O keep us steadfast till that day

When each will be Your welcomed guest

In heaven's high and holy feast.

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The two passages from 1 Corinthians are the main sources for the hymn.  1 Corinthians 10:17 is particularly evident in the line "One bread, one cup, one body, we" in the fourth verse.

Romans 5:1-2 seems to appear in the line "Enrich us with Your grace divine" at the end of the first verse and in the line "The grateful peace of sins forgiv'n" in the second.

The "crown of life" from Revelation 2:10 seems to be referred to as one of "The certain joys of heirs in heav'n" in the second verse.

"St. Crispin" (TLH #245)

Transposed from E major to D major

"Song of Moses and Israel"

During the Easter service I attended last week, one of the hymns was "Song of Moses and Israel" (LSB #925, in the Biblical Canticles section).  I noticed a few connections between the chant tone and the verses, which are excerpts from Exodus 15.

Here's the chant tone:

The fifth verse (according to the chant's numbering) is "The floods | covered them;* they went down into the depths | like a stone."  "Like a stone" is sung to the descending notes at the end of the second phrase (Bb A G), so there's a sense of that sinking.

The eighth verse is "You stretched out Your | right hand;* the earth | swallowed them."  Here, "right hand" is sung with a melisma (G A | G), musically giving a sense of being "stretched out."

The tenth verse is "You will bring them in and plant them on Your own | mountain,* the place, O Lord, which You have made for | Your abode."  This is probably a bit trivial, but the notes to which "mountain" is sung (G A G), look a bit like a mountain, with the A note as the summit.

The eleventh verse is "the sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have es- | tablished.*  The LORD will reign forever and | ever."  Here, "ever" is sung with a melisma (Bb A G), and since it's elongated, there's a sense of that duration.

LSB #622 "Lord Jesus Christ, You Have Prepared"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  1 Corinthians 11:23-28, 1 Corinthians 10:16, Matthew 11:28-29

1 Corinthians 11:23-28:  "23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'This is my body which is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.'  25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'  26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

"27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.  28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup."

1 Corinthians 10:16:  "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?  The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?"

Matthew 11:28-29:  "28 'Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'"

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The text is public domain:

Lord Jesus Christ, You have prepared

This feast for our salvation;

It is Your body and Your blood,

And at Your invitation

As weary souls, with sin oppressed,

We come to You for needed rest,

For comfort, and for pardon.

Although You did to heav'n ascend,

Where angel hosts are dwelling,

And in Your presence they behold

Your glory, all excelling,

And though Your people shall not see

Your glory and Your majesty

Till dawns the judgement morning,

Yet, Savior, You are not confined

To any habitation;

But You are present even now

Here with Your congregation.

Firm as a rock this truth shall stand,

Unmoved by any daring hand

Or subtle craft and cunning.

We eat this bread and drink this cup,

Your precious Word believing

That Your true body and Your blood

Our lips and here receiving.

This Word remains forever true,

All things are possible with You,

For You are Lord Almighty.

Though reason cannot understand,

Yet faith this truth embraces:

Your body, Lord, is even now

At once in many place.

I leave to You how this can be;

Your Word alone suffices me;

I trust its truth unfailing.

Lord, I believe what You have said;

Help me when doubts assail me.

Remember that I am but dust,

And let my faith not fail me.

Your supper in this vale of tears

Refreshes me and stills my fears

And is my priceless treasure.

Grant that we worthily receive

Your supper, Lord, our Savior,

And, truly grieving for our sins,

May prove by our behavior

That we are thankful for Your grace

And day by day may run our race,

In holiness increasing.

For Your consoling supper, Lord,

Be praised throughout all ages!

Preserve it, for in ev'ry place

The world against it rages.

Grant that this sacrament may be

A blessèd comfort unto me

When living and when dying.

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The two passages from 1 Corinthians are the main sources for the hymn.  They appear in the first, fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth verses.  The seventh verse in particular ("Grant that we worthily receive / Your supper, Lord...") is drawn from 1 Corinthians 11:27-28.

The rest from Matthew 11:29-30 is mentioned in the first verse:  "As weary souls, with sin oppressed, / We come to You for needed rest, / For comfort, and for pardon."

"All things are possible with You" in the fourth verse seems to come from Matthew 19:26:  "But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'"

"Remember that I am but dust" in the sixth verse could refer either to Genesis 3:19 ("'By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.'") or Ecclesiastes 3:20 ("All go to one place.  All are from the dust, and to dust all return.").

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The version in Lutheran Worship is a different translation.  Where the LSB version has first person plural pronouns ("Lord Jesus Christ, You have prepared / This feast for our salvation" and "We come to You for needed rest") the LW version has first person singular pronouns ("Lord Jesus Christ, you have prepared / This feast for my salvation" and "I come to you for needed rest").  While the plurals make more sense in the context of congregational singing, the singular illustrates a more personal relationship between the individual singer and God.  (The LSB version isn't very consistent, though; it flips between singular and plural pronouns throughout the verses.)

The first verse of the LSB version ends with the lines "We come to You for needed rest, / For comfort, and for pardon."  In the LW version, these lines are "I come to you for needed rest; / I need your peace, your pardon."  To some degree, the alliteration of "peace" and "pardon" illustrates the perfection of God's gifts (James 1:17).

"Worcester" (TLH #244)