Nun danket all und bringet Ehr

"Nun danket all und bringet Ehr"
German Lutheran hymn
English Now thank all and bring honour
Text by Paul Gerhardt
Language German
Melody by Johann Crüger
Published 1647 (1647)
 Tune EG 322 

"Nun danket all und bringet Ehr" (Now thank all and bring honour)[1] is a German Lutheran hymn, with a text written by Paul Gerhardt and first published in 1647. As a general song of thanks, it has appeared in several hymnals, including the German Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch and the Catholic hymnal Gotteslob. It has inspired musical settings by composers from the 17th to the 21st century.

History

When Paul Gerhardt wrote "Nun danket all und bringet Ehr", he was 40 years old, had completed his theological studies but had not found a suitable position as a pastor yet. The Thirty Years' War was in its final year.[2] Nonetheless, he wrote a hymn of praise, in nine stanzas of four lines each.[3][4] The song is related to a biblical passage, Wisdom of Sirach 50:22–26, expressing thanks and praise to God, and requesting further help.[3]

It appeared first in Johann Crüger's hymnal Praxis pietatis melica in the 1647 edition, among the first 18 songs by Gerhardt to be published, which also include the Passion hymn "Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld", the Easter hymn "Auf, auf, mein Herz, mit Freuden", the morning song "Wach auf, mein Herz, und singe", and the evening song "Nun ruhen alle Wälder".[2] In the 1653 edition of the hymnal, it was printed with a melody by Crüger. In the German Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch, it appears as EG 322.[3] In the Catholic hymnal Gotteslob, it is GL 403 with stanzas 1, 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9.[5]

Melodies and settings

Johann Crüger published the hymn in the (lost) 1647 edition of his hymnal Praxis pietatis melica, possibly without a melody. It appears in the 1653 edition with a melody by Crüger and a figured bass. In 1657/58, Crüger composed a four-part setting, using the melody and bass line.[5]

The hymn is part of the Neu Leipziger Gesangbuch with the melody of "Lobt Gott, ihr Christen alle gleich". It is this melody that Johann Sebastian Bach set to close his cantata Dem Gerechten muß das Licht, BWV 195.[6]

Hugo Distler composed a chorale cantata, No. 2 of his Op. 11.[7] Ulrich Metzner composed Toccata sopra 'Nun danket all und bringet Ehr' in 2009.[8]

The hymn tune became known as "Gräfenberg", which appears in 173 hymnals.[9] In the current German hymnals, the hymn appears with Crüger's melody.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Nun danket all und bringet Her / Text and Translation of Chorale". Bach Cantatas Website. 2006. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  2. 1 2 Sundermann, Uwe (2007). "Predigt über "Nun danket all und bringet Ehr" (eg 322)". predigtpreis.de (in German). Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Bernoulli, Peter Ernst (2013). Herbst, Wolfgang; Seibt, Ilsabe; Hahn, Gerhard, eds. 322 "Nun danket all und bringet Ehr". Liederkunde zum Evangelischen Gesangbuch (in German). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. pp. 50–57. ISBN 978-3-52-550341-6.
  4. ↑ "Nun danket All und bringet ehr". hymnary.org. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 "EG 322 / GL 403 / Nun danket all und bringet Ehr" (PDF). johann-crueger.de. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  6. ↑ Dahn, Luke (2017). "BWV 195.6". bach-chorales.com. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  7. ↑ "Verzeichnis der Werke Distlers". surf-inn.net/HugoDistler. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  8. ↑ Toccata sopra 'Nun danket all und bringet Ehr' (Metzner, Ulrich): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
  9. ↑ "Gräfenberg". hymnary.org. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
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