Concordia Theological Monthly
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CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Religious Music Among the Jews WALTER E. BUSZIN Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608) ARTHUR CARL PIEPKORN The Church Hymn and Its Way into Music WILLEM MUDDE Development of Worship Skills GEORGE W. HOYER Lodge Practice Within the Missouri Synod JOHN W. CONSTABLE Book Review 1V0l. XXXIX July-August 1968 No.7 J The Church Hymn and Its Way into Music WILLEM MUDDE hen the thunderstorm of the Refor in the city of Lubeck.1 In 1529 a poor W mation appeared on the heaven of blind man in front of the church entrance the life of the church, it looked as if it was singing the hymn "0 Lord, Look Down would destroy the harvest of European from Heaven." Because of this, he was music. With its protest against the Mass forced by the papal-minded authorities to as an opus operatum, the Reformation also leave the city. The following Sunday, the opposed the artificial music that accom second Sunday in Advent, a few boys took panied the Mass. As formulated in the up the singing of this hymn in St. Jacobi Motu Proprio of Pius X, the music Church. The entire congregation joined in shrouded the Mass in beautiful garments of singing the hymn to its conclusion, reduc sanctity and Roman Catholic universality. ing the officiating pastor to silence. From What substitute did the Reformation offer? that time forward, if any pastor said any Surely not something that one could ac thing from the pulpit which the evangeli tually call "art," but rather sacred folksong. cal-minded people did not like, they sang Tolerated only as an evil in the Roman the same hymn, "0 Lord, Look Down from Catholic Church, the folksong possessed Heaven," causing both the church and the a very simple musical form which could city to acquire a Protestant government. be sung by anyone. Eduard Emil Koch, author of a history of Nevertheless, there was an entirely dif the church hymn and hymn singing, says: ferent reason why the Jesuits at the time "It thus happened that this one simple song of the Counter-Reformation burned more effected more than human power and sense evangelical hymnbooks than Bibles. Even could have done." 2 though these hymnals, at least in their ele Martin Luther made the beginning. The mentary form, possessed little artistic value, song with which the city of Lubeck was the song which accompanied the Reforma won was his adaptation of Psalm 12. He tion to its victory showed many other quali did not write it to create a revolution. He ties. Wherever it was heard, it drew the was merely following the example of the hearts of men like a magnet, and it prophets and church fathers, creating strengthened the confessional courage of psalms and hymns in the mother tongue the Reformation-minded people. It created so that the Word of God would always re a breach in the once-strong bulwark of the main with the people. He did not consider Roman Church. It overpowered dynasties 1 This incident is recorded in Eduard Emil and changed the faith of entire cities. Take, Koch, Geschichte des Kirchenlieds und Kirchen for example, the story of what took place gesangs del' Christlichen, insbesondere del' deut schen evangelischen Kirche, ed. Richard Laux The author is in the Department of Church mann, 3d ed. (Stuttgart: Chr. Be1sen, 1876),8, 523. Music at the Utrecht Conservatory of Mu 2 Ibid. Translated by the author from the sic, Utrecht, Holland. original: "So geschah es, dasz dieses einzige, ein- 462 THE CHURCH HYMN AND ITS WAY INTO MUSIC 463 himself a poet and was therefore in search Beza.6 This work also contained some of poets. These he encouraged to write hymns and the creed. In Holland, Willem hymns based on the Psalms. van Zuylen van Nyeveldt wrote his own At first the poets did not react quickly. psalter on popular melodies; Gerhardus For a time Luther had to work alone. In Mes and Philip van Marnix van St. Alde addition to writing hymns based on the gonde composed a psalter, and Johannes Psalms, he also wrote catechismal songs, Uitenhoue and Peter Datheen made sepa adaptations of old hymns, etc. However, rate translations of the French psalter for Paul Speratus, Elisabeth Creuziger, and Jus use in Holland.7 tus Jonas soon became his helpers. The The pens of the poets and composers Achtliederbuch and the Erfurt Enchiridion were busy, printing presses sprang into ac appeared with the first 25 evangelical con tion, and the churches were filled with gregational hymns. In 1524 the first offi songs and congregational singing. After cial hymnal was printed aI Wittenberg with many centuries the same hymns created by 32 hymns for use by schools and their the Reformation are still resounding in choirs. Since then the stream has swollen. churches and homes, in schools and on The flood grew under the influence of such radio; they are still being sung as the con men as Nicolaus Decius, Nicolaus Herman, fession of faith and corporate prayer of the Philipp Nicolai, Bartholomaus Ringwaldt, congregation. After the Bible, which is Johann Heermann, Paul Gerhardt, Johann more important, the catechism or the Rist, Joachim Neander, and Nikolaus Lud hymnbook? The hymnal contains the com wig Graf von Zinzendorf.3 In Bohemia mon faith shared by the New Testament, Peter Herbert and George Vetter followed Bernhard of Clairvaux, Luther, and our the example of Michael Weise.4 The first time. A theologian of the last century testi Swiss hymn book, which originally appeared fied that if one would want to know what in 1536, was compiled by Johannes Zwick faith is, he would have to take the cate and Sixt Dietrich.5 In France, where John chism in hand, but if he would want to Calvin was the leading reformer, Clement know what is still alive in its contents, he Marot began work on a complete psalter would have to consult the hymnbook. It which was later finished by Theodore de is really difficult to grasp how deeply the church hymn reaches into the life of the fache Lied mehr ausrichtete, als viel menschliche Christian. Who knows whether more Kraft und Klugheit hatten ausrichten konnen." Christians die with a hymn verse or a Scrip 3 See further Philip Schaff, "German Hym ture text on their lips? nody," A Dictionary of Hymnology, ed. John Julian (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., Bur now, what about the relationship 1957), I, 412-18. between these hymns and the musical art? 4 See further J. T. Mueller, "Bohemian Did the Reformation, with its hymns and Brethren's Hymnody," A Dictionary of Hym nology, I, 153-60. 6 See further Schaff, I, 415, and H. Leigh 5 This is the Konstanzer Gesangbuch; see Bennett, "Psalters, French," A Dictionary of further Markus Jenny, Geschichte des Deutsch Hymnology, II, 932-36. schweizerischen Evangelischen Gesangbuches im 7 See further J. Alexander Hewitt, "Dutch 16. lahrhundert (Basel: Barenreiter-Verlag, Hymnology," A Dictionary of Hymnology, II, 1962), pp.77-139, especially pp.99-112. 1526-30. 464 THE CHURCH HYMN AND ITS WAY INTO MUSIC other songs, estrange from itself the musi ciation with other forms lest it lose its cal art? Whatever the differences between character. In contrast, the church hymn of Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin in their stand the Reformation was the musical expres point over against the arts and the use of sion of the musica vulgaris because it music in the liturgy, all three of the Re sprouted in the souls of the people. formers were true friends of music. The church hymn took its first steps in Zwingli probably was the most talented of the fields of house and school music. It the three from a musical point of view, was the kirchliche Gebrauchsmusik (music although he closed his church to all music, for church use) that developed when com even to congregational singing. posers like Johann Walther, Thomas Stol The musical art also took other paths zer, and Balthasar Resinarius started to put than those within the church. At the time the songs of the Reformation in the form the Reformation dosed its church doors to of choral arrangements and motets. To it, as in Reformed Protestantism, or when these were added the polyphonic Psalm music had to present other credentials, as settings of Louis Bourgeois and Claude in Lutheranism, it was free to separate it Goudimel in the Geneva Psalter. These self from the heritage of the church. It arrangements really did not have any litur could choose to identify itself with Rome, gical purpose, but they as well as the Psalm which, under the influence of the Reforma Motets of Claudin, Lejeune Paschal de tion, was also at odds with music. But the l'Estocart, and Johann Peter (Jan Pieters) Reformation was above all a tremendous Sweeling, supplied inspirational power in spiritual event that touched the individual, the same splendid manner as did the Refor offering him new freedom and giving him mation hymns. new responsibilities at the same time. In addition, the sacred folksong that it pro The song of the Reformation penetrated duced was truly a simple yet not a non yet more deeply into the musical art be musical phenomenon. 'Following the thun cause it won greater forms for itself. Here derstorm of the Reformation, there were one thinks of Michael Praetorius' Musae many chances that a new growth would Sioniae, of the few but impressive cantus prosper in the fields of the art of music. firmus compositions of Heinrich Schuetz, Emil Frommel remarks that wonders create of the organ chorales of Samuel Scheidt and songs and songs create wonders.