You learn something new everyday!

In all honesty, I learned this new thing on Sunday but I didn't want to post twice on one day... So, a friend at church was going through some music she had at home and brought me some to look at. One item was The Manitoba School Song Book first copyright in 1940 and reprinted many times, the most recent (the date of my copy) being February 1959. Yes, I know; it's not really all that recent!

I realized once again, as I thumbed through the book, how British oriented the school system was at that time. Makes sense, historically speaking. I was not yet in school in 1959 (!) but when I think back to my elementary school years, yes, the songs we sang in music class were often British folk songs, hymns and occasionally Canadian folk songs. By now, you're wondering what it was I learned.

Well, the hymn that is variously called The Agincourt Hymn or Deo Gratias is one that I have seen with the words, "O love, how deep, how broad, how high". I recall my organ teacher, Conrad Grimes, referring to this tune as The Agincourt Hymn but I had no idea why. Here are the words I found. Unfortunately there is no information given about the lyrics, approx. date of origin, etc.

Our King went forth to Normandy,
With grace and might of chivalry;
The God for him wrought marv'lously,
Wherefore England may call and cry Deo gratias.

He set a siege, the sooth for to say,
To Harfleur town with royal array;
That town he won, and made a fray,
That France shall rue till Domesday. Deo gratias.

Then went our King, with all his host,
Through France for all the Frenchman's boast:
He spared for dread of least nor most,
Until he came to Agincourt coast. Deo gratias.

Then forsooth that Knight comely,
In Agincourt field he fought manly:
Through grace of God most mighty,
He had both the field and the victory. Deo gratias.

Their dukes and earls, lord and baron,
Were taken and slain and that well soon:
And some were led into London,
With joy and mirth and great renown. Deo gratias.

The gracious God now save our King,
His people and all his well-willing:
Give him good life and good ending,
That we with mirth may safely sing, Deo gratias.

A New Perspective

I hinted in my previous post that my perspective on some hymns has changed over time. That fact is consistent, I think, in that our perspective on many things changes as we go through life. The specific hymn that came to mind during Holy Week was "Beneath the Cross of Jesus", a hymn I have known and sung since childhood. I used to dread singing this hymn as it seemed to me to be so painfully slow and mournful, and not really enjoyable to sing. When I consider the text, the tune (ST. CHRISTOPHER) definitely suits it and I think as children, very generally speaking, we do not want to think of sad things, or hear sad tunes. Maybe the simple fact of it is that as we mature physically, we realize that sadness is inevitably part of life. Hopefully we also are maturing spiritually and realize the importance of Christ's death and why the cross is such an important part of our faith.

On Good Friday, when we sang this hymn, I found my eyes filling with tears at the profundity of the words of verse 3 - part prayer, part confession.

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His (Jesus') face;
Content to let the world go by, to know no gain nor loss;
my sinful self my only shame, my glory all, the cross.

More to come...

I have been thinking lately about how my perspective on hymns has changed. Hymns I once dreaded to sing in church have now become meaningful and emotional to me. Is this simply a matter of maturity/age? Is it a matter of understanding/comprehension? I will write more on this subject when Holy Week has come to its glorious conclusion.