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The Plough Music Series is a regular selection of music intended to lift the heart to God. It is not a playlist of background music: each installment focuses on a single piece worth pausing to enjoy.
The days between Christmas and Epiphany are a time to reflect on the miracle of Christmas and to look toward the challenges of the coming year. Here’s music from 1646 that does both. Starting and ending with a solemn “Alleluia,” the song describes God’s love in sending his son to the manger to be our friend, and expresses the resolve never to waver from Christ. The end of each verse is overtaken by the chorus, an exuberant repetition of the words “Joy, joy upon joy,” and the song ends with a prayer for a peaceful and blessed new year for all of God’s people. The prayer for peace was as urgent then as today: the Thirty Years’ War had already dragged on for twenty-eight years when composer Andreas Hammerschmidt – who with his family was a refugee during the war – wrote this hope-filled motet.
Listen to this recording:
George Herbert McCord, Night Scene in Winter with Moon and a Church Tower in the Background (detail)
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Lyrics
Allelujah!
Freuet euch, ihr Christen alle!
Freue sich, wer immer kann,
Gott hat viel an uns getan.
Freuet euch mit großem Schalle,
Daß er uns so hoch geacht't,
Sich mit uns befreund't gemacht.
Freude, Freude über Freude!
Christus wehret allem Leide.
Wonne, Wonne über Wonne!
Er ist die Genadensonne.
Siehe, siehe, meine Seele,
Wie dein Heiland kommt zu dir,
Brennt in Liebe für und für,
Daß er in der Krippe Höhle
Harte lieget dir zugut,
Dich zu lösen durch sein Blut.
Freude, Freude …
Jesu, wie soll ich dir danken?
Ich bekenne, daß von dir
Meine Seligkeit herrühr'.
O laß mich von dir nicht wanken,
Nimm mich dir zu eigen hin,
So empfindet Herz und Sinn
Freude, Freude …
Jesu, nimm dich deiner Glieder
Ferner in Genaden an!
Schenke, was man bitten kann,
Zu erquicken deine Brüder;
Gib der ganzen Christenschar
Frieden und ein sel'ges Jahr.
Freude, Freude …
Allelujah!
Alleluia!
Rejoice, all Christians,
Rejoice, whoever is able,
God has done great things for us.
Rejoice with mighty voice
that he loved us so dearly
as to have become our friend.
Joy, joy upon joy!
Christ defends us from all suffering.
Delight, delight upon delight!
He is the Sun of Grace.
Behold, my soul,
how your Savior comes to you,
Forever burning with love,
so that in the manger
he lies on a hard bed for your benefit,
to redeem you through his blood.
Joy, joy upon joy!...
Jesus, how shall I thank you?
I confess that my salvation
comes only from you.
May I never waver from you.
Take me for your own,
thus my heart and mind will feel
Joy, joy upon joy!...
Jesus, lead your followers
deeper and deeper into grace.
Grant, we pray you,
renewal to your brothers:
give to all Christ’s people
peace and a blessed year.
Joy, joy upon joy!...
Alleluia!
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Anne Ryan
Thank you so much for providing not only the lyrics but the audible version. So lovely and food for thought as well.