Category Archives: Music and art

Hymn for Good Friday

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I did think of more modern songs for this day, but the one that really came to mind (“The Killing,” by The Violet Burning) depends as much on the music as on the lyrics; and in the end, what else for Good Friday but the other greatest hymn ever written? (The first being “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” of course.)

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded O sacred Head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns Thine only crown:
How pale Thou art with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn;
How does that visage languish,
Which once was bright as morn!What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered
Was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior;
‘Tis I deserve Thy place.
Look on me with Thy favor,
Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.What language shall I borrow
To thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this, Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever,
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
Outlive my love to Thee.Words: Paul Gerhardt, based on a Medieval Latin poem ascribed to Bernard of Clairvaux; translated by James W. Alexander
Music: Hans Leo Hassler; harmonized by Johann Sebastian Bach
PASSION CHORALE, 7.6.7.6.D

Hymn for Palm Sunday (late)

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It’s been a crazy couple weeks. But this is an ancient and honorable hymn, and shouldn’t be neglected just because I’m behind.

All Glory, Laud and Honor
All glory, laud and honor to Thee, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring:
Thou art the king of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s name comest, the King and blessed One!The company of angels are praising Thee on high,
And mortal men and all things created make reply:
The people of the Hebrews with palms before Thee went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems before Thee we present.To Thee, before Thy passion, they sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee, now high exalted, our melody we raise:
Thou didst accept their praises–Accept the praise we bring,
Who in all good delightest, Thou good and gracious King!Words: Theodulph of Orléans, translated by John M. Neale
Music: Melchior Teschner
ST. THEODULPH, 7.6.7.6.D

Lenten Song of the Week

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Back to the hymns this week, and specifically to one of the greatest ever written, by one of the greatest hymnwriters ever. You might not know that Watts wrote five verses to this song, not four; the fourth verse was dropped during the period of the Wesleyan revival, and pretty much stayed buried.

When I Survey the Wondrous CrossWhen I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the cross of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most—
I sacrifice them to his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er his body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all. Words: Isaac Watts
Music based on a Gregorian chant, standard arr. Lowell Mason
HAMBURG, LM

Lenten Song of the Week

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I like Michael Card’s explanation of how this song came to be (from his book Immanuel): “I had been playing with these questions for quite some time, trying to make them sound lyrical, which is to say, trying to make them sound pretty. But they aren’t pretty questions.

“The three questions which make up the verses of the song were all finished. I had planned to write one chorus, which would answer all three. That proved to be as impossible as the questions themselves. So I did the only thing a committed seeker of the Truth could do: I gave up and put them away in a drawer!

“Weeks later I was awakened in the night with the three separate choruses going through my mind, something that had never happened before–and has never happened since. To my trilogy of vain, cynical questions the Lord gave three unexpected answers . . .

“Each time I listen to the song, I hear two separate voices. My own pessimistic voice, asking the meaningless ‘why’ questions, and another gentler Voice, speaking the wonderful answers.”
Why

Why did it have to be a friend who chose to betray the Lord?
And why did he use a kiss to show them? That’s not what a kiss is for.

Only a friend can betray a friend; a stranger has nothing to gain.
And only a friend comes close enough to ever cause so much pain.

And why did there have to be a thorny crown pressed upon his head?
It should have been a royal one made of jewels and gold instead.

It had to be a crown of thorns because in this life that we live,
For all who would seek to love, a thorn is all the world has to give.

And why did it have to be a heavy cross he was made to bear?
And why did they nail his feet and hands? His love would have held him there.

It was a cross, for on a cross a thief was supposed to pay,
And Jesus had come into the world to steal every heart away.
Yes, Jesus had come into the world to steal every heart away.
Words and music: Michael Card
© 1984 Whole Armour Publishing
From the album Known By the Scars, by Michael Card

Lenten Song of the Week

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This isn’t the most lyrically deep or complex hymn, to be sure, but in its simplicity it’s an excellent one for reflection and prayer–rather like many of the Psalms in that respect. I have a deep fondness for Appalachian folk hymnody, both texts and music, and this is one of my favorites. If you’re not familiar with the tune, the link is below.

What Wondrous Love Is ThisWhat wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul,
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down;
When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul!To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing,
To God and to the Lamb I will sing!
To God and to the Lamb, who is the great “I AM,”
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
While millions join the theme, I will sing!And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on!
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be,
And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
And through eternity I’ll sing on!Words: Appalachian folk hymn
Music: Southern Harmony, 1835
WONDROUS LOVE, 12.9.12.12.9

Lenten Song of the Week

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This being Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, it seemed appropriate to move this to a Lenten theme; and given that, the logical place to start seemed to be with the first hymn we sang at our Ash Wednesday service this evening. (If you aren’t familiar with this hymn, check out the Oremus Hymnal website; the link is below.)

Lord, Who Throughout These Forty DaysLord, who throughout these forty days
For us didst fast and pray,
Teach us with thee to mourn our sins,
And close by thee to stay.

As thou with Satan didst contend
And didst the victory win,
O give us strength in thee to fight,
In thee to conquer sin.

As thou didst hunger bear and thirst,
So teach us, gracious Lord,
To die to self, and chiefly live
By thy most holy word.

And through these days of penitence,
And through thy Passiontide,
Yea, evermore, in life and death,
Jesus! with us abide.

Abide with us, that so, this life
Of suffering over-past,
An Easter of unending joy
We may attain at last! Words: Claudia F. Hernaman, 1873
Music: Day’s Psalter, 1563
ST. FLAVIAN, CM

Song of the Week

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Andrew Osenga is probably best known as the guy who replaced Derek Webb with Caedmon’s Call; others might recognize his name from his work with Andrew Peterson. To an unfortunately small number of us, though, he is first of all the frontman for The Normals, who released three albums between 1998 and 2002 before breaking up; with strong lyrics and a sound all their own, they naturally weren’t a big hit. After all, what do you expect a DJ to do with a song titled “We Are the Beggars at the Foot of God’s Door,” anyway?

We Are the Beggars at the Foot of God’s Door

We are gathered in cathedrals on a Sunday;
We are shrouded in our pride and lust’s despair.
We have heard that You said, go to where your hearts once were,
Trusting we’d arrive to find You there.

We have known the empty senses of a funeral;
We are haunted by the promises of death.
We have asked to see Your face and noticed nothing
But a well-timed honest smile from a friend.

O we of little faith, O You of stubborn grace . . .
We are the beggars, we are the beggars,
We are the beggars at the foot of God’s door.

We have grown cold to the kisses of our lovers;
We have rolled the windows up and driven through
The forests of the autumn, the innocence of snow,
The metaphor of Jesus in the dew.

We have known the heated passion of the cold night;
We have sold ourselves to everything we hate.
We’re hypocrites and politicians running from a fight;
We’ve cheated on a very jealous mate.

Chorus

We have known the pain of loving in a dying world,
And our lies have made us angry at the truth–
But Cinderella’s slipper fits us perfectly,
And somehow we’re made royalty with You.

Chorus

And You have welcomed us in.

Words and music: Andrew Osenga and The Normals
© 2000 Starstruck Music/BMG Songs/Northern Shore Music
From the album Coming to Life, by The Normals

 

No guru, no method, no teacher

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I’ve been on a Van Morrison kick lately, courtesy of a friend of mine who loaned me some of his albums which I don’t have. I appreciate Morrison’s music, but even more the depth and vision of his lyrics; recently I came across an article by Carl E. Olson titled “The Incarnational Art of Van Morrison” which captures that beautifully. As Olson puts it, Morrison’s work at its best “is rooted in reality (uncommon in much pop and rock music) and seeks to incarnate spiritual truth and meaning in concrete forms, themes, images, and narratives.”