The Story of the Hymns and TunesButterworth, Hezekiah
Religion
The Story of the Hymns and Tunes
Butterworth, Hezekiah
Hymns -- History and criticism; Religious poetry
All praise to Thee, eternal Lord,
Clothed in the garb of flesh and blood;
Choosing a manger for Thy throne,
While worlds on worlds are Thine alone!
Once did the skies before Thee bow;
A virgin's arms contain Thee now;
Angels, who did in Thee rejoice,
Now listen for Thine infant voice.
A little child, Thou art our guest,
That weary ones in Thee may rest;
Forlorn and lowly in Thy birth,
That we may rise to heaven from earth.
Thou comest in the darksome night,
To make us children of the light;
To make us, in the realms divine,
Like Thine own angels round Thee shine.
All this for us Thy love hath done:
By this to Thee our love is won;
For this we tune our cheerful lays,
And shout our thanks in endless praise.
_THE TUNE._
The 18th century tune of "Weimar" (_Evangelical Hymnal_), by Emanuel
Bach, suits the spiritual tone of the hymn, and suggests the Gregorian
dignity of its origin.
Karl Philip Emanuel Bach, called "the Berlin Bach" to distinguish him
from his father, the great Sebastian Bach of Saxe Weimar, was born in
Weimar, March 14, 1714. He early devoted himself to music, and coming to
Berlin when twenty-four years old was appointed Chamber musician (Kammer
Musicus) in the Royal Chapel, where he often accompanied Frederick the
Great (who was an accomplished flutist) on the harpsichord. His most
numerous compositions were piano music but he wrote a celebrated
"Sanctus," and two oratorios, besides a number of chorals, of which
"Weimar" is one. He died in Hamburg, Dec. 14, 1788.
THE MAGNIFICAT.
[Greek: Megalunei he psuche mou ton Kurion.]
Magnificat anima mea Dominum,
Et exultavit Spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.
Luke 1:46-55.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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