Robe Yourself with Joy and Gladness--Choral Octavo
4-Part - Digital Sheet Music

This is a sacred SATB choral piece (with some divisi on the big ending) which can be accompanied by either piano or organ, or both. It's suitable for any celebration of the Eucharist, but especially during Advent. With some allusions to the Parable of the Ten Wise and Foolish Virgins, it would also be thematically congruent with an emphasis on the Second Coming. Approximately 3:10 in duration. A Piano/Organ Duet edition will be posted separately on Sheet Music Plus.

 

Here are some program notes:

 

Johann Franck (1618-1677) was born in Guben, Germany, the son of a lawyer.
Like his father, Johann studied law at the University of Konigsburg, where–in
addition to his studies–he developed a warm friendship with a group of hymnists
and poets. Returning home, he began his law practice and eventually became
mayor of Guben. As an avocation, the Lutheran politician wrote poems–and soon
became known as one of the leading hymnists of his time, ranked only behind
Gerhard. He is credited for the creation of a group of so-called "Jesus hymns,"
building the foundation for the pietistic hymn movement that would later sweep
through Europe. Franck once wrote that poetry should be "the nurse of piety, the
herald of immortality, the promoter of cheerfulness, the conqueror of sadness,
and a foretaste of heavenly glory." Indeed, his hymns echoed his own spirit of
encouragement.

Lyndell Leatherman (1953-   ) was born into a Nazarene parsonage in southeast
Kansas. After studying church music and composition at Olivet Nazarene
University (Kankakee, Illinois) and Illinois State University (Bloomington-
Normal, Illinois), he launched into a life of music ministry. Since 1977 he has
enjoyed a diverse career as church musician, editor, accompanist, and composer–
placing choral and instrumental compositions with nine different publishers. In
1998 he became aware of Franck’s eucharistic / Advent hymn, translated either "Deck
Thyself with Joy and Gladness" (Mattes) or "Deck Thyself, My Soul, with
Gladness" (Winkworth). Because the text was unique in its unusually exultant
treatment of the sacrament of holy communion, Lyndell felt that the hymn was
worthy of renewed consideration in the third millennium of Christian worship.
So he updated the language and gave it the new musical setting used here.