- #DEAR CHRISTIANS ONE AND ALL REJOICE SHORTENED VERSION HOW TO#
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Luther's next objective was to establish singing in religious services that had been held in Latin up until that point. That's why we are looking for poets everywhere." More and more Christians were daring to express their faith in German rhymes. In 1523, he wrote to his companion and friend Georg Spalatin: "I have the intention to create psalms for the people, in other words spiritual songs so that the word of God will remain among the people also by means of music. Martin Luther's "Achtliederbuch" was a collection of eight songsīut Luther did not intend to limit himself to working as a poet and a composer. One year later, all 24 of his songs were published in a choir songbook for schools. The first collection of reformist songs was published in late 1523, namely the "Achtlieder Buch," a collection of eight songs of which four were composed by Luther. "The big advantage of these songs was that they provided two different ways of memorizing them - by the rhythm and rhyme of the verses, or by the melody," explained Burkhard Weitz.īut memorizing alone wasn't enough. Once in a while, there was also a refrain, like in folk songs."Ĭatchy melodies and verses that were easy to memorize were an ideal combination in a time when most people were able to read neither texts nor music. The structure of Luther's verses was quite simple, differing from the structure of modern pop songs with a verse, a refrain, and a bridge. "An earworm, a catchy tune, stays in our memory for a very long time. "Earworms - that's the keyword," said Falk. The records he produced for Patricia Kaas, Pur, Roger Chapmann, Paul Young and Gildo Horn have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.
#DEAR CHRISTIANS ONE AND ALL REJOICE SHORTENED VERSION HOW TO#
These songs are hits."ĭieter Falk knows how to identify a hit. "The guy was totally uninhibited," commented Falk, adding, "Considering 'From Heaven Above to Earth I Come' and the similarly constructed 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,' I come to the conclusion that, like many modern musicians, Martin Luther also used to steal from his own repertoire. The original version of the Christmas song "From Heaven Above to Earth I Come" was based on a ballad. When a melody fit a particular text, Luther was also willing to borrow popular songs that were sung in pubs or on the streets. Martin Luther was far more significant as a musician than commonly assumedīut that wasn't always the case. Its composer came to understand just how powerful a song can be. It was sung all over the text was even printed on flyers. The song appealed to many people and contributed to the spreading of reformist principles. Still haunted by the terrible fate of the martyrs, Luther composed the song "Dear Christians, One And All, Rejoice." In 10 verses, Luther described how God has saved humanity. Read more: Will Catholics and Protestants Reunite?
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It was full of defiance, says Burkhard Weitz: "When the first martyrs who followed his teachings were burned in Brussels, the reformer was shocked and horrified. That changed in 1523, when he composed his first song. Besides developing his reformatory thoughts and putting them in writing, he had to deal with tough disputes with the pope and the clergy, as well as the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and a Church ban against him.
Things soon got busy - and stressful for Luther. After all, it was his expertise in theology that enabled Luther to take on the Catholic Church in 1517 and transform social and political thought at the threshold of the modern era. Had he decided differently, the course of history could have been changed. Read more: The Luther effect: How Protestantism went global He played the lute and the German flute, wrote four-part compositions and joined a musical circle - a kind of band.Īs Burkhard Weitz told DW, "He even thought about becoming a musician, but then opted for theology." Later on, he studied theology, music, voice and composition at the Erfurt University. He sang in a church choir and a student choir.
And pop means nothing but popular."Īt the young age of 14, Luther was trained in music theory while attending the Latin school in Eisenach. Reformer Martin Luther portrayed by Lucas Cranach the Elderĭieter Falk, a successful musician and music producer, said, "In my view, Luther was the first pop musician of the church.