#422: For All the Saints
Nov. 19th, 2019 10:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lutheranhymnsThis is probably the most popular hymn for All Saints' Day (November 1 or thereabouts). The music is by Ralph Vaughan Williams which is part of the fame. As we'll see, there's a lot going on here.
Are there trailing alleluias?
Oh yes!
Is this why you liked it as a little kid?
I...don't know, but maybe? It was probably that or I enjoyed the hymn number in the old hymnal for some reason, but I don't think it was particularly special. But yeah, as a little kid I liked to flip through and find this one.
Is the melody the same for all the verses?
Yes.
Why are some of them listed with a different musical part then?
That's the harmony for if you want to sing in harmony.
Couldn't you put all the verses in harmony and just leave it up to the individual churches to decide which to sing the parts for? Or just put the extra text at the bottom if it didn't fit?
Yes.
Why did they do it this way then?
I'm...not sure.
Is it a culture wars thing?
I don't think so? I mean, the original text is kind of old-fashioned (thee and thine and militaristic imagery), and some of that got edited in previous hymnals, and now appears to have been rolled back to a more archaic version, which was probably a compromise about something, but...I still don't understand what that would have to do with the harmony?
Anything else of note?
In a sermon on All Saints' Day some years ago, one of my college pastors pointed out that the hymn tune name means "without a name," so it's a good way to indicate all of the saints who don't have their own feast days but who are important even if we don't know them. Also, even though it's regarded as a very impressive text and tune, the lines don't always scan in perfect iambic pentameter--there are parts where some notes are rushed together or held long to make the stress fit the music. Which means...nothing's perfect so we shouldn't be overwhelmed by its majesty? I don't know, it was interesting at the time.
Are there trailing alleluias?
Oh yes!
Is this why you liked it as a little kid?
I...don't know, but maybe? It was probably that or I enjoyed the hymn number in the old hymnal for some reason, but I don't think it was particularly special. But yeah, as a little kid I liked to flip through and find this one.
Is the melody the same for all the verses?
Yes.
Why are some of them listed with a different musical part then?
That's the harmony for if you want to sing in harmony.
Couldn't you put all the verses in harmony and just leave it up to the individual churches to decide which to sing the parts for? Or just put the extra text at the bottom if it didn't fit?
Yes.
Why did they do it this way then?
I'm...not sure.
Is it a culture wars thing?
I don't think so? I mean, the original text is kind of old-fashioned (thee and thine and militaristic imagery), and some of that got edited in previous hymnals, and now appears to have been rolled back to a more archaic version, which was probably a compromise about something, but...I still don't understand what that would have to do with the harmony?
Anything else of note?
In a sermon on All Saints' Day some years ago, one of my college pastors pointed out that the hymn tune name means "without a name," so it's a good way to indicate all of the saints who don't have their own feast days but who are important even if we don't know them. Also, even though it's regarded as a very impressive text and tune, the lines don't always scan in perfect iambic pentameter--there are parts where some notes are rushed together or held long to make the stress fit the music. Which means...nothing's perfect so we shouldn't be overwhelmed by its majesty? I don't know, it was interesting at the time.
