Hymn of the Day & the Chorale
Today many LCMS churches using the three-year lectionary probably sang “Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart” (LSB 708) as the Hymn of the Day. What a marvelous hymn.
The second verse of the hymn echoes the petition in the Collect of the Day: ” . . . You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul . . . ”
Yea, Lord, ’twas Thy rich bounty gave
My body, soul, and all I have
In this poor life of labor.
Lord, grant that I in every place
May glorify Thy lavish grace
And serve and help my neighbor.
Let no false doctrine me beguile,
Let Satan not my soul defile.
Give strength and patience unto me
To bear my cross and follow Thee.
Lord Jesus Christ,
My God and Lord, my God and Lord,
In death Thy comfort still afford. (LSB 708, vs 2)
During the offering today, I played a relatively simple 4-part harmonization of this chorale by J.S. Bach. This reminded me of the simple beauty and effectiveness of a chorale harmonization. Service music does not have to be complex or elaborate to be effective.
Take for example the Concordia Theological Seminary Kantorei singing verse 3 set to a harmonization by J.S. Bach. You can listen to this track from their CD “O Sing Unto the Lord” by visiting the Kramer Chapel website. The unaccompanied voices are breathtaking and calming.
There are plenty of opportunities for a church choir to learn a chorale setting from the hymnal or from a collection like 101 Chorales Harmonized by J.S. Bach (edited by Walter Buszin). Wouldn’t this be a beautiful and simple alternative to a choral anthem while teaching and proclaiming some wonderful words?
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Isn’t that hymn an absolute gem?
It was gratifying today, hearing our small congregation singing it with such strength.
Thanks Susan. This hymn is one of my favorites. Besides a great text, there are lots of preludes on the tune. Besides the 4-part harmonization by Bach, I decided to play a prelude on this hymn by J.G. Walther (Bach’s cousin).
I played the same, Chris, yesterday as an offertory.
then there’s a bright and brilliant Krebs rendering of it, , full of motion and exciting cadences that made a nice postlude.
This was my first hymn, in a sense, as a new Christian (or a recovering atheist?). It’s a prayer, and I have made sure every choir I’ve led since then has learned it.
Before LSB, we sang it from LBW–the harmonization was superior to LW, and the translation as well. Thank God LSB also offers it in 2 keys!
Didn’t know J.G. Walther was Bach’s cousin. I learn something every day.