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Lenten Hymn Sings - Episode 6 - The Rev. Barbara Ballenger
Join our new Director of Music, Mr. Tyrone Whiting (www.tyronewhiting.com), for the sixth episode of our new Lenten Hymn Sings series! Please, do share this video with friends and family to help spread the joy of hymn singing!
These are the audio versions of the weekly videos found on YouTube.
This week, our Associate Rector, The Reverend Barbara Ballenger, discusses the powerful hymn "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord" and Tyrone discusses the Palm Sunday favorite "All Glory, Lord, and Honor" and plays them with which to sing along. These can be found in the Hymnal 1982 at 172 and 154 respectively.
The hymn texts are found within the transcript below.
The final bonus episode in the series will be released on Easter Day (April 4)!
Transcript:
[Tyrone] Welcome to the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Philadelphia and to the penultimate episode of our Lenten Hymn Sing Series.
In this week's episode, we welcome our Associate Rector, The Rev. Barbara Ballenger who will discuss one of her favorite hymns.We have really enjoyed hearing your thoughts and feelings on our Lenten Hymn meditations and hope you will join us through Holy Week and Easter for our liturgies. More details of which can be found on our website displayed on the screen now. All previous episodes can be found on our YouTube page, and the final video will be released on Easter morning. Now let us take a moment at the end of another busy week to pause, learn and reflect, on hymns, their scripture and their histories. [Barbara] Were you There When They Crucified my Lord is a song that brings me closer to the experience of Jesus' death than any other. To say it is a favorite seems a bit strange. But I find it find in among the truest and most effecting songs I've ever sung. Its question convicts me every time I hear it - were you there, when my Lord was crucified, nailed to the tree, died upon the cross, laid in the tomb - was I there, or did I flee, avoid, look the other way?When I sing this song I can't help thinking of all the way that Christ's suffering and death on the cross is replayed in the lives of people who are tortured, rejected, killed, and all who mourn them. And then there is that lament, a wailing right in the middle. There have been times my soul has cried out and trembled right along with it.And so I take the invitation of this song to put myself in the moment of my Lord's great suffering: to mourn and weep and tremble. To let myself be there. So that I can recognize Easter when it finally breaks through.As is the case for many African American songs of worship of this time, little is known about this hymn. First appearing in print in 1899 in William Eleazar Barton's Old Plantation Hymns, Were You There is a powerful hymn with its origins firmly in the African American tradition. Described by Barton as a "tender and beautiful hymn", it first appears in the Episcopal Church's hymnal in 1940; the first spiritual to ever appear in an American hymn book. In our hymnal today, a verse begins "Were you there when they nailed him to the tree". While telling of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, this hymn also shows a parallel between the suffering of our Lord and that of enslaved people. The harmonization we use today from the Hymnal 1982 is by Canon Charles Winfred Douglas. If this priest and musician's name sounds familiar, that might be because he also wrote the harmony for the hymn Eternal Lord of Love (among many others) which featured in Episode 3 of our Hymn Sings. This hymn has been covered by many popular artists including Harry Belafonte, Johnny Cash, and Paul Robeson. So let us add to those interpretations with our own as we sing "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?"[Introduction]Were you there when they crucified my Lord?Were you there when they crucified my Lord?Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?Were you there when they pierced him in the side?Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
[Tyrone] Theodulf of Orléans was a poet, writer, during the reigns of Charlemagne (Charles the First) and Louis the Pious, or Louis the first. He was later made Bishop of Orléans from 798 to 818. A key figure in liturgical reforms during the reign of Charlemagne, he is famed not only for these reforms but also his private chapel in his villa in northern France, which has a mosaic of the Ark of the Covenant dating from around 806. Theodulf's work was translated in the 19th century by John Neale, an Anglican priest, scholar and hymn writer, who notably translated ancient Latin and Greek texts, including the well known Christmas piece Good King Wenceslas and introduces them to the English church music tradition. Named for its author, the tune St. Theodulph was written by the philosopher, theologian and musician Melchior Teschner, born in 1584 in what is now modern day Poland. He later studied at the University of Frankfurt in Germany and served as cantor and pastor at churches in Germany until his somewhat early death in around 1635.All Glory Lord and Honor exists in our hymnal in a harmonization by William Henry Monk, editor of four editions of the well known hymnal Hymns Ancient and Modern. A prolific hymn writer, it is in this publication where his famous hymn "Abide With Me" first appears. As we begin our journey through Palm Sunday, Holy Week to the miracle of Easter, let us end this week's episode by singing All Glory, Laud and Honor. [Introduction]All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.Thou art the King of Israel, thou David's royal Son,who in the Lord's Name comest, the King and Blessed One.
All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.The company of angels are praising thee on high;and we with all creation in chorus make reply.
All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. The people of the Hebrews with palms before thee went;our praise and prayer and anthems before thee we present.
All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. To thee before thy passion they sang their hymns of praise;to thee, now high exalted, our melody we raise.
All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. Thou didst accept their praises; accept the prayers we bring,who in all good delightest, thou good and gracious King.
All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.
Permission to podcast/stream this music is obtained from One License with license #A-701187. All rights reserved.
Production, music, and photography by Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music at Episcopal Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St. Martin's Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118. 215.247.7466. https://www.StMartinEC.org
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By St. Martin-in-the-FieldsJoin our new Director of Music, Mr. Tyrone Whiting (www.tyronewhiting.com), for the sixth episode of our new Lenten Hymn Sings series! Please, do share this video with friends and family to help spread the joy of hymn singing!
These are the audio versions of the weekly videos found on YouTube.
This week, our Associate Rector, The Reverend Barbara Ballenger, discusses the powerful hymn "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord" and Tyrone discusses the Palm Sunday favorite "All Glory, Lord, and Honor" and plays them with which to sing along. These can be found in the Hymnal 1982 at 172 and 154 respectively.
The hymn texts are found within the transcript below.
The final bonus episode in the series will be released on Easter Day (April 4)!
Transcript:
[Tyrone] Welcome to the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Philadelphia and to the penultimate episode of our Lenten Hymn Sing Series.
In this week's episode, we welcome our Associate Rector, The Rev. Barbara Ballenger who will discuss one of her favorite hymns.We have really enjoyed hearing your thoughts and feelings on our Lenten Hymn meditations and hope you will join us through Holy Week and Easter for our liturgies. More details of which can be found on our website displayed on the screen now. All previous episodes can be found on our YouTube page, and the final video will be released on Easter morning. Now let us take a moment at the end of another busy week to pause, learn and reflect, on hymns, their scripture and their histories. [Barbara] Were you There When They Crucified my Lord is a song that brings me closer to the experience of Jesus' death than any other. To say it is a favorite seems a bit strange. But I find it find in among the truest and most effecting songs I've ever sung. Its question convicts me every time I hear it - were you there, when my Lord was crucified, nailed to the tree, died upon the cross, laid in the tomb - was I there, or did I flee, avoid, look the other way?When I sing this song I can't help thinking of all the way that Christ's suffering and death on the cross is replayed in the lives of people who are tortured, rejected, killed, and all who mourn them. And then there is that lament, a wailing right in the middle. There have been times my soul has cried out and trembled right along with it.And so I take the invitation of this song to put myself in the moment of my Lord's great suffering: to mourn and weep and tremble. To let myself be there. So that I can recognize Easter when it finally breaks through.As is the case for many African American songs of worship of this time, little is known about this hymn. First appearing in print in 1899 in William Eleazar Barton's Old Plantation Hymns, Were You There is a powerful hymn with its origins firmly in the African American tradition. Described by Barton as a "tender and beautiful hymn", it first appears in the Episcopal Church's hymnal in 1940; the first spiritual to ever appear in an American hymn book. In our hymnal today, a verse begins "Were you there when they nailed him to the tree". While telling of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, this hymn also shows a parallel between the suffering of our Lord and that of enslaved people. The harmonization we use today from the Hymnal 1982 is by Canon Charles Winfred Douglas. If this priest and musician's name sounds familiar, that might be because he also wrote the harmony for the hymn Eternal Lord of Love (among many others) which featured in Episode 3 of our Hymn Sings. This hymn has been covered by many popular artists including Harry Belafonte, Johnny Cash, and Paul Robeson. So let us add to those interpretations with our own as we sing "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?"[Introduction]Were you there when they crucified my Lord?Were you there when they crucified my Lord?Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?Were you there when they pierced him in the side?Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
[Tyrone] Theodulf of Orléans was a poet, writer, during the reigns of Charlemagne (Charles the First) and Louis the Pious, or Louis the first. He was later made Bishop of Orléans from 798 to 818. A key figure in liturgical reforms during the reign of Charlemagne, he is famed not only for these reforms but also his private chapel in his villa in northern France, which has a mosaic of the Ark of the Covenant dating from around 806. Theodulf's work was translated in the 19th century by John Neale, an Anglican priest, scholar and hymn writer, who notably translated ancient Latin and Greek texts, including the well known Christmas piece Good King Wenceslas and introduces them to the English church music tradition. Named for its author, the tune St. Theodulph was written by the philosopher, theologian and musician Melchior Teschner, born in 1584 in what is now modern day Poland. He later studied at the University of Frankfurt in Germany and served as cantor and pastor at churches in Germany until his somewhat early death in around 1635.All Glory Lord and Honor exists in our hymnal in a harmonization by William Henry Monk, editor of four editions of the well known hymnal Hymns Ancient and Modern. A prolific hymn writer, it is in this publication where his famous hymn "Abide With Me" first appears. As we begin our journey through Palm Sunday, Holy Week to the miracle of Easter, let us end this week's episode by singing All Glory, Laud and Honor. [Introduction]All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.Thou art the King of Israel, thou David's royal Son,who in the Lord's Name comest, the King and Blessed One.
All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.The company of angels are praising thee on high;and we with all creation in chorus make reply.
All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. The people of the Hebrews with palms before thee went;our praise and prayer and anthems before thee we present.
All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. To thee before thy passion they sang their hymns of praise;to thee, now high exalted, our melody we raise.
All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. Thou didst accept their praises; accept the prayers we bring,who in all good delightest, thou good and gracious King.
All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.
Permission to podcast/stream this music is obtained from One License with license #A-701187. All rights reserved.
Production, music, and photography by Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music at Episcopal Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St. Martin's Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118. 215.247.7466. https://www.StMartinEC.org