Origins of Songs

[Dr. Bob]

THE UNVEILED CHRIST

In the midst of the Great War (1916) Noah Herrell wrote the words and music to this wonderful song to focus on Christ. Harry Ironside, Pastor of Moody Church, was taken by the song and finally added a new last stanza and last chorus.

Once our blessèd Christ of beauty
Was veiled off from human view;
But through suffering, death and sorrow
He has rent the veil in two.

Refrain
O behold the Man of Sorrows,
O behold Him in plain view;
Lo! He is the mighty Conqueror,
Since He rent the veil in two.
Lo! He is the mighty Conqueror,
Since He rent the veil in two.

Now He is with God the Father,
Interceding there for you;
For He is the mighty conqueror,
Since He rent the veil in two.

Holy angels bow before Him,
Men of earth give praises due;
For He is the well belovèd
Since He rent the veil in two.

Throughout time and endless ages,
Heights and depths of love so true;
He alone can be the Giver
Since He rent the veil in two.

special ending
Soon He's coming back in glory,
As the blessed and the true;
King and Priest in robes of beauty
Since He rent the veil in two.

refrain
Never more the Man of Sorrows
Every eye His face shall view:
Coming in resplendent glory,
Christ Who rent the veil in two.
Coming in resplendent glory,
Christ Who rent the veil in two.

 

[Joshua Rhodes]

By Aaron's Request:

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
1661 A.D.

Someone said that it doesn't matter who gets the credit so long as the work gets done. Here's Exhibit A: "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," a lovely, lilting baroque melody often played at weddings. A recent poll touted it as the overwhelming favorite of all the compositions of the great musician, Johann Sebastian Bach.

But it was actually composed by another Johann - the German musician, Johann Schop. Born about 1590, Schop was a gifted musical prodigy, a gifted youth and accomplished instrumentalist who became one of seventeenth-century Europe's best known composers, conductors, and performers.

In 1614, Schop was appointed probationary musician in the Hofkapelle, the national or royal orchestra of Saxony. His performances on the lute, cornet, and trombone were lauded, but he was exceptionally gifted on the violin. As a result, he was invited to become a permanent member of the Hofkapellein 1615.

Johann, however, had better offers, and he left Saxony for Copenhagen where he joined the musical staff of King Christian IV. He performed there until 1619 when the plague drove him from Denmark. He returned to Germany, and by 1621, he had become the leading musician in Hamburg, a city that paid him handsomely and was determined to keep him. Johann took charge of the choirs and orchestras, and planned church music for civic occasions. He became Hamburg's musical ambassador to the rest of Germany and to all of Europe, doing much to shape German religious and classical music in the seventeenth century. Many of his melodies found their way into Lutheran hymnals. "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is a good example, accompanied by words composed in 1661 by Martin Janus, and evangelical pastor in Silesia.

It was the famous Leipzig church musician, Johann Sebastian Bach, who "borrowed" this work and rearranged it into the beautiful piece it is today. Bach began working on this arrangement during the Christmas season of 1716, but it wasn't performed publicly until July 2, 1723, when it appeared as the final choral selection in one of his cantatas. Bach ended up with the credit, but always remember: Behind one Johann stands another. Behind every famous person is a host of faithful, gifted souls, and, in the end, all the glory goes to God.

Or as Bach would say: SDG - Soli Deo Gloria: To God Alone be the Glory.

 

[Joshua Rhodes]

Sorry guys.

I was reminded in December of the official Copyright policy concerning the posting of entire pages of work without credit. I have posted 5 additional things since.

Most of my posting in this thread has not been my research. It has come from a book called Then Sings My Soul by Robert Morgan. While I have thrown in my own notes occasionally, the lion's share of the work has been his.

I apologize for misleading anyone into thinking it was entirely my own work. This was not my intention. Most of the posts in this thread I made before being aware of the policy. Please forgive me, and know that I will not be posting anything that is not original here, should the thread remain open at all. That is up to the moderators. However, others have posted extensively here as well, and I believe that work is their own.

Please forgive me. My purpose was to help educate, not to steal. For more of these articles, see Dr. Morgan's book, as well as its sequal.

In His Grip,
joshua

 

[av1611jim]

Joshua;

I had high hopes for you, too!
The work has been a total blessing to my soul. Thanks for revealing your source. I am going to go looking for it.
I love the history of these beautiful songs.

So often I hear the hackneyed charge that the hymns are all 16th century funeral dirges and we need to sing "popular" tunes relative to our culture. Your postings have proven this not to be the case at all. (as well as the postings of others here, Thank you brethren/sistern)

In HIS service;
Jim

 

[OCC]

Does anyone know a song that contains the words "Jesus came adored by angels"? We sang it at church on Christmas eve and I thought it was a very good song. Don't know the title of it though.

 

[dianetavegia]

Try these two KJ and turn on your speakers.

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/e/seetheco.htm

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/s/osingson.htm

 

[Aaron]

Bumping this up for agedman.