Music for St. Luke, Evangelist (Oct 18)

All hail, O Lamb for sinners slain!   The HYMN OF THE DAY, “O God of God, O Light of Light” (810) was written by John Julian (1839-1913) in 1883 and published in Congregational Hymns in 1884.  Julian was a priest in the Church of England and is especially known for his book, A Dictionary of Hymnology, published in 1891, which remains an authoritative source on the study of hymns.

Julian’s original fourth stanza is omitted, though it was included in The Lutheran Hymnal hymn 132:

Nations afar, in ignorance deep, Isles of the sea, where darkness lay,

These hear His voice, they wake from sleep. And throng with joy the upward way.

They cry with us, “Send forth Thy light, O Lamb, once slain for sinful men;

Burst Satan’s bonds, O God of might; Set all men free!” Amen, Amen.

The tune is by an unknown composer and was first published in Schlag-Gesang-und Notenbuch in 1744 in Stuttgart.

The PRELUDE includes selections from a partita on this hymn by Kevin Hildebrand (b. 1973), kantor at Concordia Theological Seminary and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church—Fort Wayne.

Your Holy Name, O Jesus, Forevermore be blest!   The ENTRANCE HYMN, “By All Your Saints in Warfare” (517-518), joins our praises of Our Lord together with the saints of every time and place.  This hymn, by Horatio Nelson (1823-1913), was published in 1864 in Hymns for the Saints’ Days, and other Hymns, By a Layman.  In this hymn, the first and third stanzas remain constant, while the second stanza changes for particular commemorations.  Today we sing stanza 26, as we celebrate the Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist.