Stahlke Adoption

Lutheran or Anglican?

Our family does devotions after supper each night, with Jonathan reading a Bible passage and saying a prayer, and all of us singing the first stanza of a hymm. Jonathan and I usually choose a hymn that will be used in a future worship service. That means that for several weeks we sang "Lord, Keep Us Steadfast" for Reformation Sunday (Oct. 25) and "For All the Saints" for All Saints' Day (Nov. 1). By the end of October, the children knew the words of these two hymn stanzas quite well.
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As with other parenting challenges, Jonathan and I experiment with different approaches to see what will work. After two weeks of tantrums, I decided a few days ago to cradle a screaming Kola and sing "For All the Saints" to him. It definitely settled him down, and he quickly started singing with me. The next day found me holding him again, trying "Lord, Keep Us Steadfast" to calm his yells.

The text of "Lord, Keep Us Steadfast," written by Martin Luther, starts:

Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word;
Curb those who by deceit or sword
Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son
And bring to naught all he has done.

The tune (ERHALT UNS, HERR) is based on a 12th-century chant, and the reformer himself may have revised the melody to its current form. The tune is both modal and rhythmically regular (like the chant on which it is based), thus giving it a strong, severe sound that matches the text well.

In contrast, "For All the Saints" begins:

For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia! alleluia!

SINE NOMINE is the tune composed for this text by Ralph Vaughn Williams, the leading figure in English church music during the first half of the 20th century. His compositions reflect his extensive study of English folksongs, and SINE NOMINE is eminently tonal and marches triumphantly with a running bass line in the organ pedal part.
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So who won? Luther or Vaughn Williams?

Poor Luther! Kola just held his hands over his ears and screamed louder!

posted by Stahlkes @ 5:51 PM