German—English Lenten Singstunde

2010

Central Moravian Church Moravian Archives Moravian Music Foundation 2 A Singstunde is a traditional Moravian form of worship in which the congregation unites in singing a series of hymn stanzas. The stanzas are selected to develop a specific devotional theme. A Singstunde is sometimes referred to as “a sermon in song.”

Many early Moravian liturgies used the form of the Singstunde. A popular Moravian liturgy was called O Sacred Head, Now Wounded. It combined this well-known hymn by Paul Gerhardt with verses from various other hymns. Until the early 19th century Moravians in Bethlehem sang this liturgy every Friday evening, as a weekly celebration of Good Friday. Tonight’s service is inspired by this liturgy. Stanzas are used from O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, combined with stanzas from other hymns. Also included in this liturgy are traditional Moravian liturgical elements from the Litany of the Life, Passion and Death of Jesus. The service concludes with the traditional ending of the Church Litany (parts of the Festal Doxology).

Liturgists: Lanie Graf, Assistant Archivist, Moravian Archives Gwyn Michel, Assistant Director, Moravian Music Foundation Paul Peucker, Archivist, Moravian Archives

Organist: Rebecca Kleintop Owens, Music Director, Central Moravian Church

Choir: Singers from the Central Moravian Church Choir.

Music Engraving: Nola Reed Knouse, Director, Moravian Music Foundation

Cover illustration: “Sind wir doch sein ererbtes gut” (We are his inherited property) Moravian engraving from the 1740s.

Abbreviations:

BG1778 Gesangbuch zum Gebrauch der Evangelischen Brüdergemeinen (Barby, 1778).

BG1967 Gesangbuch der Evangelischen Brüdergemeine (Herrnhut—Bad Boll, 1967).

BG07 Gesangbuch der Evangelischen Brüdergemeine (Herrnhut—Bad Boll, 2007).

CollHymns1819: A Collection of hymns for the use of the Protestant Church of the United Brethren (Philadelphia, 1819).

ELCA Evangelical Lutheran Worship (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2006).

LW Lutheran Worship (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1982).

MBW Moravian Book of Worship (Bethlehem—Winston-Salem, 1995).

Mor1969: Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (1969). 3 PRELUDE 4 WELCOME 5 6 7

Mit deiner menschlichen Geburt, By your holy incarnation and birth, Mit deinem Gehorsam bis zum Tode, By your willing obedience, Mit deiner Demut, Sanftmut und Geduld, By your humility, meekness, and patience, Mit deinem heiligen Wandel auf Erden, By your faithfulness in your earthly calling, Mit deinen Versuchungen, By your temptation, Mit dem ganzen Verdienste deines Lebens, By all the merits of your life,

Segne und tröste uns, lieber Herr und Bless and comfort us, gracious Lord and Gott! God.

Deine freiwillige Hingabe in den Tod By your willing sacrifice of yourself even unto death offenbahre uns das Geheimnis deiner make known to us the mystery of your love. Liebe. CHOIR 8

Setting by Peter Kubath, 2007 12 13 14

Mit deinen heiligen Wunden und kostbarem By your sacred wounds and precious blood, Blut, Mit deinem unschuldigen Leiden und Sterben, By your innocent suffering and dying, Mit deiner Ruhe im Grabe, By your rest in the grave, Mit deiner herrlichen Auferstehung und By your glorious resurrection and ascension, Himmelfahrt,

Segne und tröste uns, lieber Herr und Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord Gott. and God. 15 16 17

POSTLUDE