Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-30


IN verse is said to be a doxology
ed to the work in later years.
The hymn appeared originally In
Lyra Davidica,' small collection of
hymn-tunes and chorales published in
London in 1908, printed by one j. Walsh.
The title then was 1.-The Resurrection"
In all probability the book was a private
venture according to an article last
year in "The Choir"); DR.. Julian cred-
its 1t to some Anglo-German of the
Pietist school of thought" The COM
piler tells us in his preface that his OBJ
Ject has been to introduce "a little freer
air than the grave movement of the
Psalm tunes, as being both SeaSOnable
and acceptable" and goes on to say that
in Germany where they have an abun-
dance Of divine songs and hymns set to
short and pleasant tunes, the peasant at
his pillow, the servants at their labor, the
children in the street make
use OF these for the expression Of their
mirth, and have no such custom as we
unhappily labor under of ballads and
profane songs" He concludes by ex-
pressing the hope that his book may
yield grateful savior both to God and
man."
Elsewhere in the preface we are told
that the basis of the work was "a COL
lection of compositions for private use
in which are two or three Of the German
hymns, to which others were recon-
mended to be added by some of that ma
ton and encouragement given of good
reception if they were made publick";
the editor intimates that he has many
more of this kind by him" voicing the
hope that they may be published at
some future time "for Use Of the greater
Proficiency both IN Musick and Relig-
ion.'
*** 4
THE words are translation of an old
- Latin hymn dating from the four
teenth century. There Is now in Mu-
mich manuscript of that date contain
ing an Easter carol in Latin. beginning
"SurreXit Christus hodie." Other manu-
scripts of the same hymn exist, having
additional verses. but the first and sec
ond couplets, which are in all the manu-
scripts. proved to be the nucleus
around which the hymn was to grow.
But who was responsible for turning
that Latin carol into English four
centuries later? Comparing the first
and second couplets of the Latin with
the "Lyra Davidica' version, the trans~
lation appears literally the same as We
know it today. We recognize also the
easy and pleasant tune" to which the
Easter hymn is still sung. Whether
the tune was composed for the words
Nothing more is known Of the tune, In
fact, than of the translation itself. In
many hymnals the statement continues
to be made that DR.. Morgan wrote the
music, the fact that this gentleman was
not yet born seeming not to make
any difference, as DR.. Louis F. Benson
observes in his Studies of Familiar
Hymns" The learned hymnologist, w.
T. Brookes, had theory that this
Easter hymn may have been written by
Anton Boehm, chaplain of Lutheran
Prince George of Denmark, husband Of
Queen Anne, who. when the "Lyra
Davidica" was published, had been on
the throne six years. 1t is considered
quite possible that the 'Lyra" was COM
piled for the private use of the small
group which surrounded Boehm.
y X
IN 1742 the hymn was rescued from
oblivion through the medium of John
Wesiey's Foundry Tune Book" Its use
by the Methodists brought the tune into
general favor and started it on a long
career of popularity. Appearing at a
time when Easter hymns were sadly
lacking, already provided with stirring
AA4CAONSt VIC NOlA NOIl q place
on Easter programs, which it has main
tanned to this day.
In 1749 or early in 1850 John Arnold.
a musician living at Great Marley, in
Essex, published the second edition of
collection of tunes called THE Com
pleat Psalmodist." In this book. notes
DR.. Benson, the same tune appears
again, but the hymn has been made
over, only the four lines of the trans
lated carol from ''Lyra Davidica" re-
naming. Even these were altered and
two verses were added, entirely new,
the whole making up substantially the
modern form of the hymn. Little re-
manned to be done beyond little poll
ishing and inclusion among the hymns
sung in church, for which it waited
until the beginning of the nineteenth
century. At that time the Church of
England was singing metrical versions
OF the Psalms. Tate and Brady's YER
sion was commonly bound in with the
prayer books. Toward the end of the
eighteenth century a few hymns had
appeared at the end of the Psalms.
How they got there is not known; 1t Is
thought likely that some printer saw
fit to fill up few blank leaves at tie
end of the prayer book with hymns and
that he made his own selection. Three
CAAAiSo oAC CCLIdui 4Aldt Tic
were there: that they appeared with
out authority. and that they not only
stayed in later editions of the prayer
book, but increased in number.
X X X
COME time early in the nineteenth
- century, at date not yet fixed, the
Easter hymn was added to the little
group. The changes in the text were
not many, and. thinks DR.. Benson, each
change was for the better. With the
adding Of the Wesley doxology, the
story of the making Of the hymn closes.
Its most curious feature Is the veil Of
anonymity that has not once lifted
through all the 500 years since its Latin
composition. But the appeal Of its
melody and its words appear to have
r,aadad M craaciHad aiifknrclaix, 70 r,ar