About Sunday’s Music-Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

Confirm in Us Your Gospel, Lord, Your Promise of Salvation  The HYMN TO DEPART, “I Trust, O Christ, in You Alone” (972, insert) was first printed in Nürnberg around 1540 described with the heading: “A prayer-hymn to Christ, our only Savior, for the remission of sins and the increase of faith and true love.” Luther described it as “the common confession in the form of a hymn.”

   The author is likely Konrad Hubert (1507-1577), a deacon in Strassburg and private secretary to Martin Bucer (1491-1551), who led the spread of the Reformation message in Strassburg. The hymn has also has been attributed to Johann Schneesing (d. 1567), pastor in Freimar.  The composer of the tune is unknown, but appears to be written for this text and published with it by 1541.

Lord God, Thy Praise We Sing   Martin Luther (1483-1546) set the ancient text of the Te Deum Laudamus (Latin: “You, O God, We Praise”) into a rhymed version to be sung antiphonally (between two groups). His composition was likely first printed in the Klug hymnal of 1529.  We are most familiar with the Anglican chant arrangement of the Te Deum in The Lutheran Hymnal pages 35-37.

   Luther ranked the Te Deum with the Apostles’ and Athanasian Creeds, saying: “The

third symbol is said to be of Saints Augustine and Ambrose, and is supposed to have been sung at the baptism of Augustine.  Whether that is true or not—and it does no harm whether one believes it or not—it is nevertheless a fine symbol or creed  (whoever the author) composed in the form of a chant, not only for the purpose of confessing the true faith, but also for praising and thanking God.”

Various translations of this great canticle were made in the medieval church.  Luther sought to preserve the original meaning in rhymed German text and musically “the bold steps of the strongly Phrygian melody gave almost forceful expression to the archaic grandeur of the ancient canticle than the original plainchant melody” (Luther’s Works, volume 53, 172).

The lessons are Deuteronomy 10.12–21; 1 Corinthians 1.4–9; and St. Matthew 22.34–46.

The hymns are: 904 Blessed Jesus, at Your Word; 708 Lord, Thee I Love With All My Heart; 581 These are the Holy Ten Commands; 555 Salvation Unto Us Has Come

972 I Trust, O Christ, in You Alone

Prelude: Lord, Let at Last Thine Angels Come -J.G. Walther

Choral Voluntary: Lord God, Thy Praise We Sing -Luther

Postlude: Prelude and Fugue in F Major (BWV 556) -J.S. Bach