Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott

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"Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott"
Hymn by Martin Luther
Enchiridion geistlicher Gesange 36.jpg
In the Erfurt Enchiridion , 1524 (first of three pages)
English"Come, Holy Spirit, God and Lord"
Catalogue Zahn  7445a–b
Textby Martin Luther
LanguageGerman
Based on"Veni Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium"
Published1524 (1524)
Loudspeaker.svg Tune  (help·info)

"Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott" ("Come, Holy Ghost, Lord God") is a Lutheran hymn for Pentecost, with words written by Martin Luther based on "Veni Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium". The hymn in three stanzas was first published in 1524. For centuries the chorale has been the prominent hymn (Hauptlied) for Pentecost in German-speaking Lutheranism. Johann Sebastian Bach used it in several chorale preludes, cantatas and his motet Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226.

Contents

The hymn inspired composers from |the Renaissance to contemporary to write chorale preludes and vocal compositions. It has been translated, for example by Catherine Winkworth as "Come, Holy Spirit, God and Lord" in 1855, and has appeared in hymnals of various denominations.

The artist Hans Holbein the Younger featured the hymn in the painting The Ambassadors .

Text

The first stanza is an anonymous translation of the Latin antiphon for Pentecost "Veni Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium" (Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful) from the 11th century. The German version appeared with the current tune in Ebersberg in c. 1480. The stanza has nine lines, with the irregular meter 7.8.8.8.8.8.8.10.8. [1] It opens with requesting the Holy Spirit to come. An acclamation "O Herr" (O Lord) begins the central fifth line, and the thoughts culminate in a double Hallelujah in the last line. The Spirit is asked: "fill with the goodness of your grace / the heart, spirit and mind of your believers, / kindle in them your ardent love!" [2]

Martin Luther added two more stanzas. [3] [2] He kept not only the meter and the tune, but also the structure, with acclamations at the beginning of lines 1 and 5, and the final Halleluja. [2] In his stanzas, the group of "deiner Gläubigen" (your believers) is speaking directly, pronouncing "wir" and "uns" ("we" and "us"). Luther alludes to several of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to Isaiah11:2: wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. He also drew on Galatians4:6 ("because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts"), Matthew23:8-10 ("for one is your Master"), and Romans8:26 ("the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities").

Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach, 1521 Lucas Cranach d.A. - Bildnis Luthers als Junker Jorg (Leipzig).jpg
Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach , 1521

In the second stanza, Luther uses the attributes "heiliges Licht, edler Hort" (holy light, precious refuge) and words the request "protect us from strange doctrines / so that we may never look for any teacher / except Jesus in true belief". In the last stanza, the Spirit's "ardent love" and "sweet consolation" are named, asking for help "always to remain joyful and comforted / in your service" and "so that we may bravely struggle / through life and death to reach you!" [2]

The hymn appeared first in 1524 in Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn , (booklet of spiritual song), collected by Johann Walter. [4] The same year it appeared also in Eyn Enchiridion in Erfurt, [5] titled "Der gesank Veni sancte spiritus". For centuries the chorale has been the prominent hymn (Hauptlied) for Pentecost in German-speaking Lutheranism, the number in the current hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch (EG) is 125. [3] [6]

The hymn was translated to Swedish first in 1567, "Kom Helge Ande Herre Gudh", [7] and has appeared in a 1983 version by Britt G. Hallqvist in Den svenska psalmboken 1986  [ sv ] (The Swedish 1986 hymnal). The song was translated to English by Catherine Winkworth as "Come, Holy Spirit, God and Lord!", published in the first series of Lyra Germanica in 1855, among others. [5] It has been used in different translations, [1] appearing in hymnals of various denominations.

Tune and musical settings

First page of Bach's autograph of BWV 651 Orgelwerke-BWV651.png
First page of Bach's autograph of BWV 651

The anonymous melody, Zahn No.  7445a, [8] is similar to the tune of the hymn "Adesto, sancte spiritus" by Marchetto di Padua (c. 1270). Early settings were by Heinrich Faber, for five voices, and by Johann Walter, for four voices. The tune, which also exists in a slightly different form from the 1530s (Zahn No.  7445b), [8] was set for several parts by Arnold von Bruck and Samuel Scheidt. [4] Johann Eccard composed a five-part motet. [9]

Dieterich Buxtehude wrote a chorale prelude, BuxWV 199. [10] Chorale preludes were also written by Heinrich Scheidemann, Nicolaus Hasse  [ de ], Andreas Nicolaus Vetter, Georg Friedrich Kauffmann, Johann Gottfried Walther and Johann Ludwig Krebs. [4]

Johann Sebastian Bach composed two chorale preludes which he made part of his collection Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, Fantasia super Komm, Heiliger Geist, canto fermo in Pedale, BWV 651, and Komm, Heiliger Geist, alio modo a 2 Clav. e Pedale, BWV 652. [11] [12]

Bach quoted the tune instrumentally as the cantus firmus in a duet of his first cantata for Pentecost Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten! BWV 172 (1714). He used the first stanza as movement 3 in his cantata for Pentecost Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59 (1723 or 1724), and the third stanza as the closing chorale of his funeral motet addressing the Holy Spirit, Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226 (1729). [4]

Other vocal compositions have included two masses on the tune by Georg Philipp Telemann for four parts and basso continuo, and motets by Moritz Hauptmann, August Eduard Grell  [ de ], Arnold Mendelssohn (1921), Hans Humpert (1932) and Rudolf Petzold (1957). [4]

Max Reger quotes the tune in the Pentecost section of his organ pieces Sieben Stücke, Op. 145.

Related Research Articles

"Veni Creator Spiritus" is a traditional Christian hymn believed to have been written by Rabanus Maurus, a ninth-century German monk, teacher, and archbishop. When the original Latin text is used, it is normally sung in Gregorian Chant. It has been translated and paraphrased into several languages, and adapted into many musical forms, often as a hymn for Pentecost or for other occasions that focus on the Holy Spirit.

Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes Organ pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach

The Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, BWV 651–668, are a set of chorale preludes for organ prepared by Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig in his final decade (1740–1750), from earlier works composed in Weimar, where he was court organist. The works form an encyclopedic collection of large-scale chorale preludes, in a variety of styles harking back to the previous century, that Bach gradually perfected during his career. Together with the Orgelbüchlein, the Schübler Chorales, the third book of the Clavier-Übung and the Canonic Variations, they represent the summit of Bach's sacred music for solo organ.

<i>Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten!</i> BWV 172 Church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach composed for Pentecost Sunday

Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten!, BWV 172, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, composed in Weimar for Pentecost Sunday in 1714. Bach led the first performance on 20 May 1714 in the Schlosskirche, the court chapel in the ducal Schloss. Erschallet, ihr Lieder is an early work in a genre to which he later contributed complete cantata cycles for all occasions of the liturgical year.

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland Song by Martin Luther

"Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" is a Lutheran chorale of 1524 with words written by Martin Luther, based on "Veni redemptor gentium" by Ambrose, and a melody, Zahn 1174, based on its plainchant. It was printed in the Erfurt Enchiridion of 1524.

Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten

"Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten" is a 1641 hymn by Georg Neumark, who also composed the melody for it. It has seven verses and deals with the Christian putting their trust in God. Its author referred to it as a "Trostlied" or song of consolation and it first appeared in his Fortgepflantzer musikalisch-poetischer Lustwald. It also appeared in Johann Crüger's 1672 Praxis pietatis melica and in the first part of Johann Anastasius Freylinghausen's 1704 Geistreiches Gesangbuch. It has inspired musical settings, and is part of current German hymnals, both Protestant and Catholic.

<i>Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten</i>, BWV 59

Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the cantata for Pentecost and probably first performed it in Leipzig on 28 May 1724, but an earlier performance on 16 May 1723 at the Paulinerkirche, the University Church of Leipzig, is possible.

<i>Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen</i>, BWV 175

Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen, BWV 175, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the cantata in Leipzig for the third day of Pentecost and first performed it on 22 May 1725.

<i>Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf</i>, BWV 226 Motet by Johann Sebastian Bach

Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226, is a motet by Johann Sebastian Bach, composed in Leipzig in 1729 for the funeral of Johann Heinrich Ernesti.

Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist Christian song by Martin Luther

"Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist" is a German Christian hymn. The first stanza is a leise from the 13th century which alludes to the Latin sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus for Pentecost. It was widely known, and aside from its Pentecostal origin was also used as a procession song and in sacred plays.

Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält 1524 Lutheran hymn

"Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält" is a Lutheran hymn by Justus Jonas, a paraphrase of Psalm 124 in eight stanzas. It was first published in 1524 in the Erfurt Enchiridion. The theme of the psalm is the need of help against raging enemies. It has been translated also as "Where the Lord God does not stand (stay) with us", "If God the Lord is not with us", "If God the Lord is not on our side", among others.

Gott der Hoffnung erfülle euch, TWV 1:634, BWV 218, is a church cantata by Georg Philipp Telemann formerly credited to Johann Sebastian Bach. It was composed for Whit Sunday in Eisenach in 1717, with text by Erdmann Neumeister. The closing chorale is the first stanza of Martin Luther's hymn for Pentecost "Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist".

"Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren" is a Lutheran hymn written in German by the theologian and reformer Johann Gramann in 1525. It was published in 1540 and appears in 47 hymnals. A translation by Catherine Winkworth, "My Soul, now Praise thy Maker!", was published in 1863.

"Vater unser im Himmelreich" is a Lutheran hymn in German by Martin Luther. He wrote the paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer in 1538, corresponding to his explanation of the prayer in his Kleiner Katechismus. He dedicated one stanza to each of the seven petitions and framed it with an opening and a closing stanza, each stanza in six lines. Luther revised the text several times, as extant manuscript show, concerned to clarify and improve it. He chose and possibly adapted an older anonymous melody, which was possibly associated with secular text, after he had first selected a different one. Other hymn versions of the Lord's Prayer from the 16th and 20th-century have adopted the same tune, known as "Vater unser" and "Old 112th".

"Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr" is a Lutheran hymn in German by the Protestant theologian and reformer Martin Schalling, written in Amberg in 1569 and first printed in 1571. It is sung to an anonymous melody, Zahn No. 8326, which appeared in a tablature book for organ in 1577. The hymn is often used for funerals, especially the third and last stanza, "Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein". It appears in the current German Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch (EG).

Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort

"Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort" is a Lutheran hymn by Martin Luther with additional stanzas by Justus Jonas, first published in 1542. It was used in several musical settings, including the chorale cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, BWV 126.

Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist

"Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist" is a Lutheran hymn for Pentecost, with words written by Martin Luther based on the Latin "Veni Creator Spiritus". The hymn in seven stanzas was first published in 1524. Its hymn tunes are Zahn No. 294, derived from the chant of the Latin hymn, and Zahn No. 295, a later transformation of that melody. The number in the current Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch (EG) is 126.

Komm, Schöpfer Geist, kehr bei uns ein

"Komm, Schöpfer Geist, kehr bei uns ein" is a Christian hymn in German for Pentecost. The text is a paraphrase of the Latin hymn Veni Creator Spiritus by Heinrich Bone. The melody is an adaptation of the Latin hymn's plainchant. It was first published in 1845. In the Catholic hymnal Gotteslob, it is GL 351.

"Komm, Heilger Geist, der Leben schafft" is a Christian hymn in German for Pentecost. The text is a paraphrase of the Latin hymn Veni Creator Spiritus by Friedrich Dörr, with a 1524 melody. It was first published in the Catholic German hymnal Gotteslob in 1975.

References

  1. 1 2 "Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott". hymnary.org. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott / Text and Translation of Chorale". Bach Cantatas Website. 2006. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  3. 1 2 ""Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott" (EG 125)". EKD (in German). Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott". Bach Cantatas Website. 2006. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Come, Holy Spirit, God and Lord!". hymntime.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "Evangelisches Gesangbuch 125" (in German). Vier Bibeln. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  7. ↑ Lövgren, Oscar (1964). Psalm- och sånglexikon (in Swedish).
  8. 1 2 Zahn, Johannes (1891). Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder (in German). Vol. IV. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann. pp.  421–423.
  9. ↑ "Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott". Carus-Verlag . Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  10. ↑ Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, BuxWV 199 (Buxtehude, Dietrich): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
  11. ↑ Stinson, Russell (2001), J.S. Bach's Great Eighteen Organ Chorales, Oxford University Press, ISBN   0-19-516556-X
  12. ↑ Williams, Peter (2003), The Organ Music of J. S. Bach (2nd ed.), Cambridge University Press, pp. 336–386, ISBN   0-521-89115-9
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