Lutheran Hymn Blogger (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lutheranhymns) wrote2019-05-31 12:17 am
lutheranhymns) wrote2019-05-31 12:17 am
Entry tags:
#398: Holy Spirit, Truth Divine
Is the alto part pretty boring?
There are only eight measures and one of them is the same note four times in a row, so I'm gonna say yeah.
Is the Shannon density somewhat low?
Yes. The first two lines are fairly repetitive from verses 1-4: "Holy Spirit, _*_ divine, _*****_ of mine," usually with a "this" somewhere in the second blank. Verse 5, however, we get "Holy Spirit, right divine," but then it swerves to "king within my conscience reign." Ouch at the rhyme scheme.
Was the lyricist, Samuel Longfellow, kind of gay?
Maybe not in so many words, but he was included in a hymn festival celebrating gay and lesbian composers. Apparently his idea of a good time was to go for a retreat in the forest with one of his close male friends and edit hymnals together, so even if he wasn't gay, he was definitely a big nerd.
He is also famous for being the brother of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, famous US poet. I recommend the latter's "I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day," and "Excelsior," which has been dismissed for being too cheesy by modern standards, but is right up my alley.
There are only eight measures and one of them is the same note four times in a row, so I'm gonna say yeah.
Is the Shannon density somewhat low?
Yes. The first two lines are fairly repetitive from verses 1-4: "Holy Spirit, _*_ divine, _*****_ of mine," usually with a "this" somewhere in the second blank. Verse 5, however, we get "Holy Spirit, right divine," but then it swerves to "king within my conscience reign." Ouch at the rhyme scheme.
Was the lyricist, Samuel Longfellow, kind of gay?
Maybe not in so many words, but he was included in a hymn festival celebrating gay and lesbian composers. Apparently his idea of a good time was to go for a retreat in the forest with one of his close male friends and edit hymnals together, so even if he wasn't gay, he was definitely a big nerd.
He is also famous for being the brother of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, famous US poet. I recommend the latter's "I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day," and "Excelsior," which has been dismissed for being too cheesy by modern standards, but is right up my alley.