Hymn Of The Week: May 18, 2020

A Mighty Fortress is Our God (written in 1592)

275 in Glory to God

Translated into English by Fredrick Henry Hedge 1852

There is so much already written about this great hymn. Just reading the translation which we sing, one is comforted during this time of quarantine. Our hymnal has the following note at the bottom of the page: Long before Isaac Watts began to Christianize the Psalms, Martin Luther had already done so when he created the text and tune for this most famous hymn, which is based on Psalm 46.

1. A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing: For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; His craft and pow’r are great, and, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal.

2. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing: Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same, And He must win the battle.

3. And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us; The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure, One little word shall fell him.

4. That word above all earthly pow’rs, no thanks to them, abideth; The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth; Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.

Enjoy the recording of Max Reger’s (1873-1916) arrangement from his short Chorale Preludes Opus 67.

His chromatic writing always contains fragments of the tune in every voice and he weaves the tune into an amazing tapestry.