The Epiphany of our Lord: A Pledge of Peace from God I See

The "chorales" are the unique hymn contributions of the Lutheran movement to the Church Universal.

These include:

• A Mighty Fortress (Ein Feste Burg)
  
• Savior of the Nations, Come (Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland)
  
• Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice (Nun Freut Euch)
• Lord, Let at Last Thine Angels Come (which is Stanza 3 of "Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart, aka Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr)
  

The "King of the Chorales" is "Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying."  It is sometimes called "Sleepers, Wake!" and is also known by it's German title Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme.  This is often sung on the Last Sunday of the Church Year.  In the 1-year lectionary, the Gospel reading is the Wise and Foolish Virgins, and this hymn goes nicely with that text.

You can check out posts for this hymn here at All for Hymn: Stanza 1, Stanza 2, Stanza 3, Stanza 3, and Stanza 3.  There was a lot of material for Stanza 3!

Over at Lutheran Time Out, you can hear the English translation and view the text and tune.

The "Queen of the Chorales" is "How Lovely Shines the Morning Star."  It is also known in LSB as "O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright" and by its German title Wie Schön Leuchtet Der Morgenstern.

This week's Lutheran Time Out features a broadcast of the English translation and also a PDF of the text and tune of the TLH version.

Here at All for Hymn, please enjoy these choral and instrumental versions.

Here is JS Bach (BWV 1),

complete with the printed music

so you can follow along.

Improvisation from St. Mark's Church, Hannover, Germany

Johann Pachelbel and the organ at Grosshartmannsdorfe

Straight-up vocal arrangement of JS Bach by a youth choir

Vocal arrangement with organ accompaniment

Organ Improvisation

Organ Setting by Danish Composer Niels W. Gabe

Max Reger: Fugue from the Chorale Fantasy

(The German text comes across the screen

when the melody is introduced)

Finally, a repost of this gem by Max Reger,

which is followed by "Jerusalem, Thou City Fair and Bright"