Komm, du schöne Freudenkrone,
Bleib nicht lange,
Deiner wart’ ich mit Verlangen!
Known as the “Queen of the Chorales.” The words and music were written in 1527 by the Lutheran pastor, Philipp Nicolai, during the same pestilence that inspired “Wachet auf,” the “King of Chorales” ([No. 522]). Nicolai, in deep meditation concerning the suffering around him, started writing the hymn one morning, and forgetting his noonday meal, worked on till he had finished it in the late afternoon. It was first published in the author’s Freuden-Spiegel, Frankfurt, 1599, under the title, “A Spiritual bridal song of the believing soul, concerning her Heavenly Bridegroom, founded in the 45th Psalm of the prophet David.” Catherine Winkworth wrote of the chorale:
So popular did it soon become, that its tune was often chimed by city chimes, lines and verses from it were printed by way of ornament on the common earthenware of the country, and it was invariably used at weddings and certain festivals.
For comments on Miss Winkworth see [Hymn 236].
MUSIC. NICOLAI is usually known by the first line of the words for which it was written, “Wie shön leuchtet der Morgenstern.” It is a magnificent chorale tune. Mendelssohn used the tune in his Christus, and Bach made a harmonization of it.
530. As with gladness men of old
William Chatterdon Dix, 1837-98
A popular Epiphany hymn, written on Epiphany Day, about 1858, while the author was sick in bed. After reading the Gospel of the day, Dix started writing this hymn and finished it by evening.