Happy New Year!
When you think of music for celebrating the New Year, do you think of "Auld Lang Syne" (a traditional Scottish song by Robert Burns), or perhaps the annual New Year's Day concert from Vienna? Maybe even "Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve" or (this is really showing my age here) the smooth big band stylings of Guy Lombardo?
If you are a first-time visitor, click here to find out the story of "Notes of Glory." (You will also find instructions here for listening to music using the SoundCloud windows).
Here's an alphabetical list of all "Notes of Glory" music with links so that you can revisit your favorite hymns/songs.
Words by John Newton. "New Britain" hymn tune. Arranged for solo piano by Mark Hayes
1 Chronicles 17:16-17
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the vail,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be for ever mine.
Words by Frances Havergal, Music by Samuel Sebastian Wesley, "Aurelia" hymn tune
Psalm 90:12
and do not lean on your own understanding.
Great God, we sing that guiding hand
by which supported still we stand;
the opening year Your mercy shows;
that mercy crowns it till it close.
By day, by night, at home, abroad,
still are we guarded by our God;
by His incessant bounty fed,
by His unerring counsel led.
With grateful hearts the past we own;
the future, all to us unknown,
we to Your guardian care commit,
and peaceful leave before Your feet.
In scenes exalted or depressed,
You are our joy, You are our rest;
Your goodness all our hopes shall raise,
adored through all our changing days.
Words by William Chatterton Dix, Music by Conrad Kocher
Matthew 2:1-12
As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold,
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright;
so, most gracious God, may we
evermore be led to thee.
As with joyful steps they sped,
Savior, to thy lowly bed,
there to bend the knee before
thee whom heav’n and earth adore;
so may we with willing feet
ever seek thy mercy seat.
As they offered gifts most rare
at thy cradle rude and bare,
so may we with holy joy,
pure and free from sin’s alloy,
all our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heav’nly king.
Holy Jesus, ev’ry day
keep us in the narrow way,
and, when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed souls at last
where they need no star to guide,
where no clouds thy glory hide.
Words and music by Philipp Nicolai, Translated by William Mercer. Solo piano arrangement by Larry Shackley.
The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
How brightly shines the Morning Star!
The nations see and hail afar
the light in Judah shining.
Thou David's son of Jacob's race,
The Bridegroom, and the King of grace,
for thee our hearts are pining!
Lowly, holy, great and glorious,
thou victorious Prince of graces,
filling all the heavenly places!
Though circled by the hosts on high,
he deigns to cast a pitying eye
upon his helpless creature;
the whole creation’s Head and Lord,
by highest seraphim adored,
assumes our very nature.
Jesus, grant us, through thy merit,
to inherit thy salvation:
hear, O hear our supplication.
Rejoice, ye heav'ns; thou earth, reply;
with praise, ye sinners, fill the sky
for this his incarnation.
Incarnate God, put forth thy pow'r,
ride on, ride on, great Conqueror,
till all know thy salvation.
Amen, amen! Alleluya, alleluya!
Praise be given evermore by earth and heaven.
Here's an alphabetical list of all "Notes of Glory" music with links so that you can revisit your favorite hymns/songs.
PRELUDE
(to help you prepare to worship)
Amazing Grace
Words by John Newton. "New Britain" hymn tune. Arranged for solo piano by Mark Hayes
1 Chronicles 17:16-17
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O Lord God!
___________________________
Did you know that "Amazing Grace" was intended to be a New Year's song? For this reason it seems very appropriate to include it in today's post, the first of 2021.
British pastor John Newton (1725-1807) wrote the hymn we know as "Amazing Grace" during Christmastime 1772, and presented it to the congregation of his parish church in Olney, England on January 1, 1773, as part of his New Year's Day sermon. The sermon was based on 1 Chronicles 17:16-17 (shown above), in which David recalls God's past guidance and looks forward in faith to promised future blessings. Thus, Newton titled his newly composed hymn "Faith's Review and Expectations" which was an ideal summary of the text for that morning's sermon.
Here are some of Newton's sermon notes from that New Year's Day morning in 1773:
The Lord bestows many blessings upon his people, but unless he likewise gives them a thankful heart, they lose much of the comfort they might have in them. And this is not only a blessing in itself but an earnest of more. When David was peacefully settled in the kingdom, he purposed to express his gratitude by building a place for the Ark. This honour the Lord had appointed for his son Solomon, but he graciously accepted David's intention, for he not only notices the poor services of his people, but even their desires to serve him, when they spring from a principle of simple love, though opportunity should be wanting. He sent him a message by Nathan assuring him that his son should build the house and that he himself would build David's house and establish his kingdom. This filled his heart with praise.
My text is part of his acknowledgement. Omitting David's personal concerns, I would accommodate them to our own use as a proper subject for our meditations on the entrance of a new year. They lead us to a consideration of past mercies and future hopes and intimate the frame of mind which becomes us when we contemplate what the Lord has done for us.
In 1779, "Faith's Review and Expectations" was published as part of Newton and William Cowper's collection Olney Hymns. Here is the original text as included in Olney Hymns, Book 1, 1st Edition (Hymn #41).
(Notice how Newton originally ended the hymn: this final verse is different from the one we usually sing, "When we've been there ten thousand years" which was added later).
We sang this hymn together on September 27: you might enjoy revisiting that post which contained lots of additional background information on the creation of "Amazing Grace" and John Newton. Today, at the dawn of a new year, I hope you enjoy reading Newton's original hymn text as you listen to Mark Hayes's beautiful arrangement of this beloved song.
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the vail,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be for ever mine.
HYMNS FOR YOU TO SING
(transposed to easily singable keys!)
Another Year is Dawning
Words by Frances Havergal, Music by Samuel Sebastian Wesley, "Aurelia" hymn tune
Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
and he will make straight your paths.
_______________________________
Another year is dawning!
Dear Father, let it be,
in working or in waiting,
another year with thee;
another year of leaning
upon thy loving breast,
another year of trusting,
of quiet, happy rest.
Another year of mercies,
of faithfulness and grace;
another year of gladness
in the shining of thy face;
another year of progress,
another year of praise,
another year of proving
thy presence all the days.
Another year of service,
of witness for thy love;
another year of training
for holier work above.
Another year is dawning!
Dear Father, let it be
on earth, or else in heaven,
another year for thee.
Words by Phillip Doddridge, Music arranged by William Gardiner, "Germany" hymn tune
Psalm 145:15-16
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
A fresh new year is underway. We've said farewell to both the trials and challenges as well as the joys of this past year, and are looking forward with hope, trusting that God will walk with us through each new day. In 1873, hymn writer Frances Havergal (1836-1879) was similarly reflecting on the calendar's change, and contemplating all that lay ahead. She wrote the poem "Another Year is Dawning" and had it printed on greeting cards to be sent to her friends, along with the caption "A Happy New Year! Ever Such May it Be!" Eventually, the hymn was included in the book Under the Surface (1874) and the posthumous collection Life Chords (1880). Frances Havergal was featured in our July 5 post as the author of "Take My Life and Let it Be," more information on her life and legacy as a hymn writer can be found there.
Although this hymn text is most likely new to you, you may be very familiar with the tune it is matched with here: "Aurelia" by Samuel Sebastian Wesley, which is frequently sung with "The Church's One Foundation." (Here's the post in which that tune was featured). The words fit so well with the tune that hopefully you'll have no problem at all singing right along with the piano accompaniment!
The beauty and simplicity of Havergal's poetry seem to perfectly capture our hopes for the coming year. "Another year of progress, another year of praise, another year of proving Thy presence all the days." Perhaps this lovely hymn will become one of your new New Year's Eve/Day musical traditions!
Another year is dawning!
Dear Father, let it be,
in working or in waiting,
another year with thee;
another year of leaning
upon thy loving breast,
another year of trusting,
of quiet, happy rest.
Another year of mercies,
of faithfulness and grace;
another year of gladness
in the shining of thy face;
another year of progress,
another year of praise,
another year of proving
thy presence all the days.
Another year of service,
of witness for thy love;
another year of training
for holier work above.
Another year is dawning!
Dear Father, let it be
on earth, or else in heaven,
another year for thee.
Great God, We Sing That Mighty Hand
Words by Phillip Doddridge, Music arranged by William Gardiner, "Germany" hymn tune
Psalm 145:15-16
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Acts 26:22
To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass.____________________
The Bible frequently mentions the strength and might of God's hand (and arm). (See verses listed above, also Joshua 4:24, "so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever."). This theme is reflected in the hymn, "Great God! We Sing that Mighty Hand" by British pastor and hymn writer Philip Doddridge (1702-1751) which uses not only this imagery of God's power, but also describes His guidance, mercy, "unerrant counsel," "incessant bounty," and goodness. This is another wonderful hymn to sing at the beginning of a new year: when it was originally published in 1755, it was listed under the heading " Help obtained of God, Acts xxvi. 22. For the New Year." Indeed, the first verse refers to both the start and close of the year, and the second verse reflects with thankfulness on the past and also ponders what is to come, surrendering the future to God. "With grateful hearts the past we own; the future, all to us unknown, we to Your guardian care commit, and peaceful leave before Your feet." Philip Doddrige wrote over 400 hymn texts, often to accompany his sermons, much as John Newton, author of "Amazing Grace" often did. He was part of the Non-Conformist church in England, whose members frequently dealt with discrimination. Few of his hymns are still in circulation today, but "Great God! We Sing That Mighty Hand" is one that merits regular singing and reflection.
Here it is sung to the classic hymn tune "Germany" which was written (or arranged) by William Gardiner (1770-1853), who worked in manufacturing but also had the opportunity to meet composers like Haydn and Beethoven on his business travels, and arranged some of their melodies as hymn tunes as a way to infuse psalm singing with fresh melodic material. Although this tune was originally attributed to Beethoven, it seems more likely that Gardiner himself composed it, and it was published in his important 1815 collection, Sacred Melodies.
This beautiful tune will probably sound familiar to you as it has been used for a number of hymn texts including "Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life," "Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness," "All Things are Yours" and "Take Up Thy Cross," among many others. Feel free to listen to the piano accompaniment once to refresh your memory (or become familiar with the tune if it is new) and then join in!
Great God, we sing that guiding hand
by which supported still we stand;
the opening year Your mercy shows;
that mercy crowns it till it close.
By day, by night, at home, abroad,
still are we guarded by our God;
by His incessant bounty fed,
by His unerring counsel led.
With grateful hearts the past we own;
the future, all to us unknown,
we to Your guardian care commit,
and peaceful leave before Your feet.
In scenes exalted or depressed,
You are our joy, You are our rest;
Your goodness all our hopes shall raise,
adored through all our changing days.
As With Gladness Men of Old
Words by William Chatterton Dix, Music by Conrad Kocher
Matthew 2:1-12
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Revelation 21:23
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.___________________________
We are approaching January 6, which in many Christian denominations is the day that the visit of the wise men to the Christ is remembered. In fact, this observance has its own name (Epiphany) and is a very old tradition which reminds us that, unlike what most nativity scenes depict, the Bible states that these men visited separately from the shepherds, some time after the birth of Christ. In some Christian churches, Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas celebration period, concluding the traditional "twelve days of Christmas."
This gives us a good opportunity to sing a wonderful hymn which may be lesser known, but is a lovely way of both recalling this part of the Biblical narrative of Christ's birth while also pondering how we can worship Christ today. The hymn text was written by William Chatterton Dix (1837-1898) who was featured just a few weeks ago here on Notes of Glory as the author of the poem "The Manger Throne" from which the text for "What Child is This" was extracted. Like Phillip Doddridge (author of "Great God! We Sing That Mighty Hand," Dix also worked outside the field of music, literature, and ministry (he managed a maritime insurance company) but had a creative side that manifested itself in poetic composition. He suffered from an extended illness and as a result, was at home in bed on January 6, 1859, unable to attend his church's Epiphany service. That morning, he read the account of the wise men's visit to Christ in Matthew 2:1-12, and spent the rest of the day reflecting on this text and composing "As with Gladness Men of Old."
Dix's text paints a picture in words of the wise men beholding the guiding star, hailing its light "with joy." In fact, the first three verses include the word joy at various points, reminding us that true worship brings joy. Each verse also brings us into the narrative, juxtaposing the actions of the wise men with prayers that we may similarly have a worshipful response: beholding and bowing to Christ and honoring Him in our hearts, and giving to Him from hearts overflowing with joy and gratitude. The final verse is an entire prayer, that our lives may be guided by Christ and that we will join Him in heaven "where (our lives) need to star to guide, where no clouds Thy glory hide."
In 1860, "As with Gladness Men of Old" was first published (text only) in Hymns for Public Worship and Private Devotion. A year later, it was included in Hymns Ancient and Modern where it was matched by editor William Henry Monk (1823-1899) with a tune by German composer Conrad Kocher (1786-1872) written in 1838. This tune, eventually named "Dix" because of its association with "As of Gladness Men of Old," was also paired around the same time with Folliott S. Pierpoint's hymn text "For the Beauty of the Earth." ("For the Beauty of the Earth" was featured as part of the September 20 Notes of Glory post). If you know the melody to that hymn, you'll find it very easy to sing "As with Gladness, Men of Old" but if the tune is new to you, here's a video showing a the congregation of St. Mary le Tower Church in Ipswich, England singing this hymn with great enthusiasm.
As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold,
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright;
so, most gracious God, may we
evermore be led to thee.
As with joyful steps they sped,
Savior, to thy lowly bed,
there to bend the knee before
thee whom heav’n and earth adore;
so may we with willing feet
ever seek thy mercy seat.
As they offered gifts most rare
at thy cradle rude and bare,
so may we with holy joy,
pure and free from sin’s alloy,
all our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heav’nly king.
Holy Jesus, ev’ry day
keep us in the narrow way,
and, when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed souls at last
where they need no star to guide,
where no clouds thy glory hide.
POSTLUDE
(to send you forth with joy!)
How Brightly Shines the Morning Star
Words and music by Philipp Nicolai, Translated by William Mercer. Solo piano arrangement by Larry Shackley.
Psalm 45:6
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Revelation 22:16
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Jeremiah 33:14-16
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’_____________________________
We'll close today with one more hymn that has a long tradition of being sung during or after the Christmas season (at Epiphany). It clearly refers to Jesus as the Morning Star, as does Revelation 22:16 (shown above). What a wonderful way for us to start 2021: praising Christ, "thou victorious Prince of graces, filling all the heavenly places."
'How Brightly Shines the Morning Star" (considered a "chorale" at the time of its composition) was written in 1597 by Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608), a German Luther pastor and poet. Nicolai described the text as "a spiritual bridal song of the believing soul concerning Jesus Christ, her heavenly Bridegroom, founded on the 45th Psalm" and referred to Christ as "the Bridegroom, and the King of grace," reflecting the wedding theme of that psalm. This chorale subsequently inspired many other Reformation and post-Reformation-era musical compositions including a cantata by the same name by Johann Sebastian Bach. Nicolai's German text was further adapted by Johann Schlegel (1791-1823) and was translated to English by Catharine Winkworth (1827-1878) as well as byWilliam Mercer (1811-1873), whose translation is shown below.
Larry Shackley's piano arrangement of this hymn seems to begin with a bell- or chime-like effect in the treble part, calling our attention to behold the beauty of Christ, the Morning Star. Listening to the music while reading Nicolai's text may be just what you need to ring in the New Year with a song in your soul!
How brightly shines the Morning Star!
The nations see and hail afar
the light in Judah shining.
Thou David's son of Jacob's race,
The Bridegroom, and the King of grace,
for thee our hearts are pining!
Lowly, holy, great and glorious,
thou victorious Prince of graces,
filling all the heavenly places!
Though circled by the hosts on high,
he deigns to cast a pitying eye
upon his helpless creature;
the whole creation’s Head and Lord,
by highest seraphim adored,
assumes our very nature.
Jesus, grant us, through thy merit,
to inherit thy salvation:
hear, O hear our supplication.
Rejoice, ye heav'ns; thou earth, reply;
with praise, ye sinners, fill the sky
for this his incarnation.
Incarnate God, put forth thy pow'r,
ride on, ride on, great Conqueror,
till all know thy salvation.
Amen, amen! Alleluya, alleluya!
Praise be given evermore by earth and heaven.
Here's a playlist with all the music featured on today's post. Enjoy!
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