A Hymn for Lent

 

I always thought the idea of sacrifice was becoming harder and harder to understand, as we in the Western world are hardly asked to do so anymore. For example, what was once available seasonally in a grocery store, is now expected year round. Wants have become needs in many facets of life, and unlike The Greatest Generation, rarely is the whole of society asked to sacrifice for their community as it once did. Even in the church, it was common to refrain from meat eating during Lent and a giving up of vices. I feel even this aspect has been diluted for modern mankind.

And that is the theme of the Season of Lent, particularly when it comes to Holy Week. Reflection on misdeeds and how we approach our neighbors on a daily basis, Lent is a time of self reflection, with sacrifice often coming in the way of fasting and giving in the church. Depending on your brand of Christianity, the Son of Man made the ultimate sacrifice, so we honor that action through Lent through our own actions.

Yet, I am not here to offer a tsk tsk to readers, nor don an old-man 'life was harder in my day' stance, but instead recognize the music congregations sing to reinforce the message of Lent. For this, I am choosing Ah, Holy Jesus as this year's Hymn of Lent.

Personally, I think I am drawn to this particular hymn due to its ancient minor-mode harmonies. Written in the 1600s by Johann Crüger in Lutheran Germany, the tune name Herzliebster Jesu is derived from its Teutonic origins. In this way, Dearest Jesus is probably a more accurate translation of the first words of the hymn. The five verses were translated into English in the late 19th Century by Robert Bridges, a poet of some renown. The rhyming is indeed noteworthy in the English lyrics.

Let me speak of the texts first. Certainly the metrical index of 11.11.11.5 isn't terribly common, but I think we will see why when I cover the music below.

I believe what draws me in to these particular words is the first-person viewpoint, as if the congregational singer must bear the heavy cost of Lent. Indeed, the first two verses begin on a question. The first verse opens 'How hast thou offended' [so much so that we killed you], while the second verse seeks to investigate the opening question with a follow up 'Who was the guilty'? This is answered by an admission of guilt on the part of the singer, sometimes found in quotes to words such as 'my treason', 'I it was denied Thee', and more strikingly 'I crucified Thee'. This is a powerful, direct way to pass on a feeling of guilt to the singer.

The third verse backs off on the first person perspective through a general description of sacrifice, using sheep as a metaphor, but at the end recognizing the coming resurrection. It is this third verse which is occasionally left out of hymn books The fourth verse brings back the 'for me' as if in response to the third verse definition, now applying it back to the congregation. As if needing a final morality statement, the fifth verse begins on a big 'Therefore', and continues to cement the personal tone with the use of the pronoun I. In other words, since I wasn't at your crucifixion, I will 'adore thee', I will 'pray thee', 'think on thy love' and 'thy pity' and 'thy love unswerving', all of which I am undeserving of.

The words of this hymn pull no punches, and I think that is why its stands out to me as an important hymn. Often, congregations sing of flowery religious thoughts and topics, but rarely does it become personal for the singer. This one ramps up the guilt which seems on task for the Season of Lent. As a personal preference, I enjoy the use of old-timey words such as thy and hast as opposed to you and has, but such verbiage will depend on the individual.

As to the music, most will find Ah, Holy Jesus printed in the key of G minor, although as an organist, I greatly prefer this music in the key of F minor. It has something to do with the A-flat in the pedal which satisfies me musically.

Congregations usually sing this hymn's phrases in two-bar bouts of breath. This quality can make the hymn sound rather chopped up and asthmatic, so I try and encourage singers to carry through over four measures or more, especially when to keep a complete sentence or train of poetic thought together.

Unlike other hymns I have covered, Herzliebster Jesu doesn't rely on musical repetition. As a matter of fact, no phrase is ever repeated exactly, although some harmonic motion and melodic qualities are developed upon each other through sequencing or mere similarity.

Really, the first eight measures are of a piece. The first two measures are almost to themselves, almost offering a musical warmth and respite before the hymn continues. The next six measures build upon each other, where each two measures sequence up, ultimately arriving on measure seven.

The ninth and tenth measures mimic the opening in its relative musical calm and comfort, and measures ten and eleven continue that feeling, both falling in a lower tessitura for the singers, creating a false sense of repose. It is the last two measures of the hymn which surprising leap up into a final anguished cry of woe. This last small phrase also makes the hymn a bit uneven, yet adds an important punctuation mark, marrying the text to music so effectively. In some ways, the structure reminds me of Dido's Lament in Purcell's aria When I am Laid in Earth, perhaps a chilling comparison considering the topics.


How to perform this hymn? There are a couple of ways as an organist. This could be played completely meditatively, with soft winds ala communion music. The video of the organist I provided below, opens guns a-blazing, but with each verse, chooses registrations which become more and more gentle as the hymn goes on. The only setback to that video is the absence of a congregation or choir singing the text. Plenty can be found online, though.

While I type this on Ash Wednesday, I realize Ah, Holy Jesus is more apt for Holy Week, when Christians are ramping up for the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Easter. Still, the sign of the cross on ashy foreheads is a stamp of what is to come, so I believe Herzliebster Jesu works just fine as a musical symbol for Lent.

In the end, each time I look at these words and music of this hymn, I am struck by its sincerity and directness as a church hymn for the Season of Lent. So too for you?