The Reformation of the sixteenth century put life into congregational hymn singing. Before this time it had been heard only in strains, broken, timid, and vague. The Reformation endowed congregational hymn singing with a sonorousness and power, as never before in the history of the Church. One of the main principles of the Reformation was that all Christians, as a spiritual priesthood (Rev. 1:6 and 1 Pet. 2:5), are privileged and obliged to approach God and bring Him their offering, without human mediators and deputies, only because of the merits of Christ, the one true mediator; and this not only individually in private life but also in public worship. The Reformation brought into play all serviceable forces and means to promote and make possible the realization of this principle in the cultus. The reformers sought to make the liturgy intelligible and accessible to the common people—for the Latin they substituted the language of the people, and the congregation was given an opportunity to take an active part in public worship. It was perfectly natural that church song could not remain in its mediaeval form, an exclusive privilege of the clergy, but be transferred to the people. And so popular church hymns were produced. Luther became the leader also in this great work. What kind of hymns he wanted, is quite clearly seen in one of his letters to the electoral court chaplain, Spalatin, whom he called upon to assist in this hymnological work: “I am willing to make German psalms for the people, after the example of the prophets and the ancient fathers; that is, spiritual hymns whereby the Word of God, through singing, may conserve itself among the people.” Later on in the same letter, he makes the following suggestion: “I desire, however, that new-fangled words, and courtly expressions, be omitted, in order that the language may be the simplest and most familiar to the people, and yet, at the same time, pure, and well suited to the clear sense of the psalm.” Such church hymns, thoroughly Biblical and at the same time popular, the great reformer wanted for the people. And Luther produced several church hymns, which have never been surpassed and rarely equaled. He translated and versified Davidic Psalms; he translated and revised old Latin hymns; he revised several old religious folk songs; and he wrote several original hymns. He was not alone in this hymnological work; many able assistants came forward. Thus the great Lutheran hymnody began.[1]