In this newest volume of the Hymns Complete series, John A. Behnke provides organists with fully orchestrated hymn settings—an introduction and a complete harmonization for every stanza of each hymn. Designed to eliminate the need for juggling multiple alternate‑harmonization books, each hymn is shaped according to the progression of its text, with musical treatments that highlight the character and message of each stanza. This set includes hymns for Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost, and general praise, making it useful throughout the Church Year. This set continues to offer a “hymn festival in a book,” giving organists expressive, congregation‑supporting options for every stanza they lead.
The “Hymn Festival in a Book”
This fifth volume of Behnke’s Hymns Complete series adds nine hymns to the organist’s “hymn festival in a book” repertoire. Hymn festivals are wonderful opportunities for musicians and congregants to gather and sing hymns outside of the church service setting. At hymn festivals, the hymns are adorned with special arrangements, instrumentation, and variety.
Hymn festivals also provide an opportunity to reflect more deeply on the hymn texts. The musical arrangement of hymns can help accomplish this; Close attention to harmonization, instrumentation, and part-writing beckons the singer to consider a phrase, stanza, or hymn in a more profound way.
Behnke’s Hymns Complete series may certainly be of use to organists in the hymn festival setting, but they’re also fitting for the church service. Consider especially the Hymn of the Day—the chief hymn of the Divine Service—since musicians have historically treated the Hymn of the Day with special care and attention.
These arrangements can also highlight the organ’s versatility and depth as an instrument. The introductions and hymn harmonizations lend themselves to a variety of textures and registrations, allowing the organist to explore the diversity of options his or her instrument has to offer.
Versatile Arrangements
Multiple hymn tunes in this volume appear with more than one text in Lutheran Service Book. An introduction and two harmonizations are included for the joyful tune IN DIR IST FREUDE. This tune is most well known with the hymn “In Thee Is Gladness” (LSB 818), but it also accompanies Stephen Starke’s textual paraphrase of the Magnificat, “My Soul Rejoices” (LSB 933). Both hymns have two stanzas.
“In Thee Is Gladness” appears throughout the Church Year. It was first published as a Christmas carol in 1598, and Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a well known prelude for the tune which appears in the Christmas section of his Orgelbüchlein. While we don’t think of this tune as a Christmas hymn today, we might sing it during Easter or the non-festival half of the Church Year.
The Magnificat is the appointed canticle for Evening Prayer and Vespers. While LSB provides musical settings of the Magnificat for each of those orders of service, “My Soul Rejoices” would be a fine option for a festive service of Evening Prayer or Vespers. Many Lutheran weddings happen in the context of one of these evening offices, and the text of “My Soul Rejoices” with the tune IN DIR IST FREUDE would be a nice touch for such a festive occasion.
An introduction and five harmonizations are included for the tune WO GOTT ZUM HAUS. This tune is most well-known with the hymn “Oh, Blest the House” (LSB 862), but it also accompanies the Epiphany hymn “The Star Proclaims the King Is Here” (LSB 399). Both hymns have five stanzas in LSB.
“Oh, Blest the House” is based on the Table of Duties in Luther’s Small Catechism, and “The Star Proclaims the King Is Here” is based on events that correspond to the season of Epiphany: Herod’s murder of the holy innocents, the visitation of the Magi to the child Jesus, the Baptism of Jesus, and the first miracle at Cana.
Festival Half of the Church Year
This volume also contains an introduction and seven harmonizations for the Pentecost hymn “Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest” (LSB 498); an introduction and four harmonizations for the Advent hymn “Prepare the Royal Highway” (LSB 343); an introduction and three harmonizations for the Easter hymn “This Joyful Eastertide” (LSB 482); and an introduction and three harmonizations for the Christmas hymn “What Child Is This” (LSB 370).
These arrangements could all be useful whenever one of these hymns is sung in a service during the festival half of the Church Year. A common feature of hymn festivals is to sing hymns that appear in different times of the Church Year, so any of these four hymns could be a worthy choice to represent a season of the Church Year in a hymn festival setting.
Common Time of the Church Year
Additionally, an introduction and four harmonizations of “Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus” (LSB 685); an introduction and four harmonizations of “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God” (LSB 941); and an introduction and six harmonizations of “Christ Sits at God’s Right Hand” (LSB 564) round out this volume.
Many of the individual stanzas feature the melody written in a solo line, allowing the organist to choose a strong solo stop or configure a solo combination on the organ. Certain stanzas are also designated for men or women, corresponding to the text of the hymn. These designations are common in a hymn festival or for a Hymn of the Day in the Divine Service.
Use this collection at an upcoming worship service by ordering it below.
