Named after a town in Gloucestershire, England, this strong and stately tune in bar form shape (AAB). The second and fourth line have a different ending (third and tonic). The B-part starts with a part in F#-minor, concuding with a strong ending where the melody mainly uses the tonic and dominant.
SINGING AND ACCOMPANIMENT
The festival origin of this tune is evident: it is a "big tune" with stately accompaniment. This tune needs firm organ support and a majestic tempo.
In the time of the Reformation and restoration of the church this hymn was written by Johann Schop (1641). When composed this tune was progressive, because some of the Lutheran church leaders found his tunes being too joyful, regarding the rhythm and notes. Nevertheless, the hymn text writer Johann Rist boasts in 1652 that his text are sung on Schop's tunes throughout Germany. Apparently the church people liked these tunes. The infuence of the 18th and 19th centuries has changed this tune into an isometric melody, in a minor key, usually sung slowly. The inspiring original tune was hidden, until the 20th century, when rediscovery of this gem resulted in inclusion in many hymnals.
SINGING AND ACCOMPANIMENT
Hymn 31a is written for a jubilant text. Please pay attention to the beat: it goes 1-2-3, 1-2-3... We have almost the whole time a long note, short note, a long note, short note etc. The composer had in 1641 not any idea of our rhythmic music - rather he used this rhythm as a "musical picture" of joy and celebration. This tune should be sung upbeat and in a faster tempo (once we know the melody).
Two or three things to watch out for:
- The first and third line start with a rest. Because we need this first beat, the organ/piano will "play the rest". If you keep the beat going in your head, the third line should not be a problem. - The line before the last one ends with a note that is very easy to sing - that is: as long as you don't know hymn 31b! We need to reshape our ears with some practice.
The pitch was not a=440hz when this tune was composed, and it would be very acceptable to accompany this hymn in a lower key than in the hymnals.
Both the tune and the text of this Easter hymn were published in 1524 in Enchiridion, the very first reformed hymnal. Three years after the Diet of Worms and one year after the martyrs Hendrik Vos and Joannes van Essen were burned in Brussels. The tune is based on "Victimae paschali laudes" * and “Christ ist erstanden”.
Characteristic for the hymns composed in the early time of the Reformation (1520-1600) was the somewhat irregular rhythms and unusual emphasis in note values. These rhythmic chorales were usually sung in a fairly fast tempo without accompaniment. (Other example of a rhythmic tune: SOLLT’ ICH MEINEM GOTT, Hymn 31a.) These tunes flow nicely, without strong rhythmic emphasis.
* "Victimae paschali laudes" is also the basis for the tune of Genevan Psalm 80.
Martin Luther was a talented and conscientious musician and text writer (his texts are rich in tautology and bold in choice of words). Consideration for the composer’s purposeful chosen musical notation (especially at the end of the first 4 lines) is given by many hymnals, such as Cantus Christi (269), Lutheran Book of Worship (135), Liedboek voor de Kerken (203). Exploiting the opportunity to revise the musical notation of the hymns, the Book of Praise can now also be added to this list.
SINGING AND ACCOMPANIMENT
The lines 1 and 2 are repeated in lines 3 and 4. Note that line 1 and 3 start with a whole note and line 2 and 4 start with a half note. Lines 5 to 8 form a second part of the tune.
The melody of lines 1 through 4 underlines the urgency of the message. Considering lines 1 and 2, there are whole notes at the beginning of line 1, the end of line 1 (which is the middle of the first 2 lines) and a whole note at the end of the 2nd line. All other notes are half notes. This suggests a drive, a push, maybe unrest: as if the composer wants to say that there is something important said here. The music is alerting the singer and the listener by this “special effect”.
Lines 2 and 4 also act as a confirmation, closing at the tonic. The very last line of this hymn has this same character of a confirmation, confirming everything what was said before.
The second part of this tune (lines 5-8) has a different character than the first 4 lines. The melody becomes more dynamic with larger intervals and difference in rhythm. The climax is in line 6: “and sing to God right thankfully”. In this line the melody exceeds the range of an octave, which gives a jubilant effect. The lines 6 and 7 give an extra dimension to the outburst of joy in the quarter note at the beginning of the line.
This is different than the tune we have learned a few years ago, in which the composers intention regarding the note values was eliminated and the notation was changed to meet our (rhythmic) expectations. Just like we learned new tunes when the Augment came out (and are used to them now), we can learn this tune as well, and hopefully easier when we understand why it was written the way it is written.
This tune was written by the deputies of the Synod Leeuwarden in 1920. Whether the tune was written for the Apostles' Creed I don't know for certain. This hymn was composed with the same note values and there were no rests. This gives a good feeling for singing a stanza instead of line-by-line. There are three stanza's (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Each stanza is sung as a continuous story line.
SINGING AND ACCOMPANIMENT
This tune is sung not too fast. We need to take time off the last note of every line to breath. This is a common technique, and we are using this already with many other hymns (such as Hymn 74 on the tune Melita).
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