Showing posts with label liturgy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label liturgy. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

A Christmas Agnus Dei

What: For special services, such as Christmas, many congregations enjoy singing the words of the liturgy to familiar tunes associated with the particular holiday. This year, I made one up myself, for the Agnus Dei. I based the text on a translation of the German Agnus Dei hymn found in the ELHal of 1880, which reads "Lamb of God, most holy...," altho the words could just have easily followed the Jacobi translation, reading "Lamb of God, our Savior...." While the final line has odd accents if sung to the Praetorius setting, it is taken from the refrain for "A Great and Mighty Wonder," LSB 383.
Who: me? Couldn't be. Then who?
Tune: The tune is "Lo, How a Rose," LSB 359. It's three repetitions (well, two plus the first) wed perfectly with the three-fold address, "Lamb of God." And the left hand in Praetorius' setting paints an appropriate picture for "away."

O Lamb of God most holy,
Have mercy upon us!
O Lamb of God most holy,
Have mercy upon us
And take our sin away!
O Lamb of God most holy,
Grant peace to all the earth!

Traditional, adapt. MDS

Saturday, October 9, 2010

We Believe in One True God

Who: This is another Cronenwett translation, from the Tobias Clausnitzer paraphrase of the Creed. 
Changes: I've updated the language a bit.
Tune: Unlike the original and most translations (for example LSB 953), this meter is 77 77 77. I propose RATISBON, LSB 873.


We believe in one true God,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Present Helper in distress,
Praised by all the heav'nly host;
God the Father, by Whose might
All things are, and move aright.

We believe in Jesus Christ,
God of God and Mary's Son,
Who came down from on His throne,
And for us salvation won;
Who His blood and life has giv'n
So we can be heirs of heav'n.

Trust we in the Holy Ghost,
Going forth from Father, Son,
Who upholds and comforts us,
Lest we be by sin undone.
Praise, O Holy One-in-Three,
Praise forever be to Thee.
Wir Glauben All
Tobias Clausnitzer
tr. Cronenwett, alt.

Search This Blog