Advent I: Sound of Majesty

One of the features got me hooked on Sound of Majesty was its Advent programming.  Each Sunday in Advent features readings from the historic lectionary and quotes from one of Luther's sermons for that day.

Listen live at wmbi.fm on Sundays at 11:00 pm Central.  Alternately, you can listen to this week's broadcast here and follow along with the playlist.

Advent I: Savior of the Nations, Come

Dating back to Ambrose (340-397)and translated to German by Martin Luther, "Savior of the Nations, Come" is a wonderful way to ring in Advent and the "new year" of the church.

Not by human flesh and blood,

By the Spirit of our God,

Was the Word of God made flesh - 

Woman's offspring, pure and fresh.

For a word-for-word translation of the German text, check out the first half of this video. The translation appears in text while the organ plays the chorale.

Here's a guy just having fun with the tune. I call it "Hymn and Toccata in G-Dorian."

And this guy has fun with the tune and likes the harmonies in both Lutheran Worship and Lutheran Service Book.

For all you orchestral fans out there, this is a lovely instrumental arrangement by JS Bach. If it ain't baroque, fix it!

From Cantata 61, in German. This is not your ordinary church choir; they can do a trill in unison!

For You are the Father's Son

Who in flesh the vict'ry won.

By Your mighty pow'r make whole

All our ills of flesh and soul.

Just for Fun: Muppets take Bohemia

Introducing Wordwise Hymns

Wordwise Hymns takes a different approach to hymn blogging.  Scrolling through the archive, you will notice that blogger Robert Cottrill often provides historical background on hymns and hymn writers.

If it happened on a given day, he blogs about it on that day!  Its kind of like having a commemoration day for a hymn or hymn writer.

Robert recently weighed in on a Sound of Majesty broadcast here on All for Hymn.  That particular broadcast featured the tune "Miles Lane" with the text "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name."

Today marks the anniversary of the birth of James Ellor, who wrote the tune, "Diadem" for this piece.  Neither of these tunes made it to Lutheran Service Book, so I will feature Diadem plus the tune "Coronation" from LSB below.  For the tune "Miles Lane" check out this broadcast of Sound of Majesty.  You can also follow along with the playlist for that show.

Read Robert's post on James Ellor here.  You can read about Robert's faith journey here.  Robert has served as parish musician, parish pastor and educator.  In our tradition he would probably be called Kantor.

Tune: Coronation

Coronation with a contemporary twist

Tune: Diadem

Diadem with a Mens Chorus

Diadem with Mahalia Jackson

Time Out #41: Now Come, Thou Blessed One

The latest Time Out episode features "Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying" from The Lutheran Hymnal (1941).

The broadcast is here, and the words and melody are here.

Special thanks to Layman Dan and Southern Lutheran Kantor for filling my request.  They had a few hurdles along the way, given the copyright of the LSB setting, and SLK provided the melody and words from TLH.

Time Out Turn-back: Anthems Be to Thee Addressed

Episode 2: Songs of Thankfulness and Praise

Songs of thankfulness and praise,

Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise,

Manifested by the star

To the sages from afar,

Branch of royal David's stem,

In Thy birth at Bethlehem.

Anthems be to Thee addressed

God in man made manifest.

Manifest at Jordan's stream,

Prophet, Priest, and King supreme,

And at Cana, Wedding-guest,

In Thy Godhead manifest;

Manifest in power divine,

Changing water into wine.

Anthems be to Thee addressed

God in man made manifest.

Manifest in making whole

Palsied limbs and fainting soul;

Manifest in valiant fight,

Quelling all the devil's might;

Manifest in gracious will,

Ever bringing good from ill.

Anthems be to Thee addressed,

God in man made manifest.

Sun and moon shall darkened be,

Stars shall fall, the heavens shall flee;

Christ will then like lightning shine,

All will see His glorious sign;

All will then the trumpet hear,

All will see the Judge appear;

Thou by all wilt be confessed,

God in man made manifest.

Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,

Mirrored in Thy holy Word;

May we imitate Thee now

And be pure as pure art Thou

That we like to Thee may be

At Thy great Epiphany

And may praise Thee, ever blest,

God in man made manifest.

US Thanksgiving: In Thy Garner to Abide

Come, ye thankful people, come,

Raise the song of harvest home;

All is safely gathered in,

Ere the winter storms begin.

God our Maker doth provide

For our wants to be supplied;

Come to God’s own temple, come,

Raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field,

Fruit unto His praise to yield;

Wheat and tares together sown

Unto joy or sorrow grown.

First the blade and then the ear,

Then the full corn shall appear;

Lord of harvest, grant that we

Wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come,

And shall take His harvest home;

From His field shall in that day

All offenses purge away,

Giving angels charge at last

In the fire the tares to cast;

But the fruitful ears to store

In His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come,

Bring Thy final harvest home;

Gather Thou Thy people in,

Free from sorrow, free from sin,

There, forever purified,

In Thy garner to abide;

Come, with all Thine angels come,

Raise the glorious harvest home.