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One of the earliest morning hymns is (c. 1535) is “Ich dank’ dir, lieber Herre” (I thank you, dear Lord, Ob 144) of the poet and teacher Johann Kolrose (c1487-1558). It is a nine 8-line stanza general Morning Hymn, set to the associated melody (Anon. 1662, Zahn 5354b) and is based on the secular song Entlaubt ist uns der Walde (1532). It was published in Valentin S. Schumann’s Geistliche lieder auffs new gebessert und gemehrt (Leipzig, 1539). “In 1544 Johann Roh or Horn or Horn attached it to his Hymn, ‘Lob’ Gott getrost mit Singen,’ in his Ein Gesangbuch der Bruder inn Behemen und Merherrn” (Nürnberg, 1544). In a simplified form the tune was attached to J. Kolrose’s Hymn in the 1662 (Frankfort) Praxis Pietatis Melica,” says Charles S. Terry. It is found in the NLGB as No. 191, Morning Song, and is listed in the Orgelbüchlein as Ob. 144 but not set.
J.S. Bach set “Ich dank’ dir, lieber Herre” as three variant plain chorales: “Cantata BWV 37, Wer da gläubet und getauft wird” (Whoever believes and is baptised, Mark 16:16) (Ascension, 1724), No. 6 in A Major, Stanza 4, “Den Glauben mir verleihe”Grant me faith); as well as in BWV 347 in A Major, and BWV 348 in B-Flat Major. He also used Stanza 6, “Dein Wort laß mich bekennen” (Let me forget your word), to close Cantata BWV 147a, “Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben” (Heart and mouth and deed and life), for the 4th Sunday in Advent 1716, set to the Salomo Franck text (http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV147-D6.htm). A realization of Cantata BWV 147a is found in Carus 31/147 by Uwe Wolf (transposed to C Major; Stuttgart, 1966), using BWV 348. Speculation also suggests that BWV 348 may be the setting for Picander cycle published text (P.20), Sei getreu bis in den Tod, for Sexagesimae 1728. It also is possible that BWV 347 was presented in 1731 during a reperformance of Cantata BWV 37.
Source: Devotional Hymns: Morning, Evening Songs (William L. Hoffman, December 14, 2017) |
