Thanks so much for following my musings about Christmas music across the centuries! This Epiphany bonus track is the last entry for Christmas 2023. More carols to come in December 2024. Lots of good posts on a variety of topics between now and then, too.

Johann von Rist (1607-1667) wrote the texts of more than 600 hymns, expressing many theological and devotional themes. The original German words to this hymn were published in Himmlische Lieder (Heavenly Songs) in 1641, with twelve stanzas.

Johann Schop (1590-1667) was a German composer and virtuoso violinist. He wrote the tune Ermunte Dich for Rist’s text, published in 1641.

John Troutbeck (1832-1899) translated just one of Rist’s stanzas, the ninth one, reproduced here from Himmlische Lieder. That yielded a Christmas song only one stanza long. If twelve stanzas sounds like too many to sing, one stanza seems to be too few.

British hymnwriter Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000) wrote the lyrics for many twentieth-century hymns, including God is Here; How Clear is Our Vocation, Lord; For the Fruit of All Creation; Lord, We Have Come at Your Own Invitation; and When in Our Music God is Glorified. He was asked by the United Methodist hymnal revision committee to provide two additional stanzas, working from a translation provided by Friedrich Hofmann. His additional stanzas are beautiful and stirring, but alas are not often sung.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is justly famous for his astonishing musical output, including the Brandenburg Concertos, the Saint Matthew Passion, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, and The Well-Tempered Clavier. He created the harmonization for many beloved hymns, including “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” “Jesus, Priceless Treasure,” and “Sleepers, Wake!” He added the harmonization to Schop’s tune, in the second cantata of his Christmas Oratorio (1737).

1. Break forth, O beauteous heav’nly light,
and usher in the morning.
O shepherds, shrink not with affright,
but hear the angel’s warning:
this child, now weak in infancy,
our confidence and joy shall be,
the pow’r of Satan breaking,
our peace eternal making.

2. This night of wonder, night of joy,
was born the Christ, our brother;
he comes, not mighty to destroy,
to bid us love each other.
How could he quit his kingly state
for such a world of greed and hate?
What deep humiliation
secured the world’s salvation!

3. Come, dearest child, into our hearts,
and leave your crib behind you!
Let this be where the new life starts
for all who seek and find you.
To you the honor, thanks, and praise,
for all your gifts this time of grace;
come, conquer and deliver
this world, and us, forever.