Martin Luther wrote, in the preface to the Wittenberg Hymnal, 1524
That it is good and God pleasing to sing hymns is, I think, known to every Christian; for everyone is aware not only of the example of the prophets and kings in the Old Testament who praised God with song and sound, with poetry and psaltery, but also of the common and ancient custom of the Christian church to sing Psalms. St. Paul himself instituted this in 1 Cor. 14[:15] and exhorted the Colossians [3:16] to sing spiritual songs and psalms heartily unto the Lord so that God’s Word and Christian teaching might be instilled and implanted in many ways.
Therefore I, too, in order to make a start and to give an incentive to those who can do better, have with the help of others compiled several hymns, so that the holy Gospel which now by the grace of God has risen anew may be noised and spread abroad.
Like Moses in his song [Ex. 15:2], we may now boast that Christ is our praise and song and say with St. Paul, 1 Cor. 2[:2], that we should know nothing to sing or say, save Jesus Christ our Savior.[1]
In the sixteenth century, it was no longer the practice of congregations to sing hymns. Martin Luther was determined to bring this ancient tradition back. He understood the importance of congregational hymn singing. His work in hymnody was his way of giving people the chance to practice their religion, just as his German translation of the Bible made it possible for them to read and study the scriptures. Luther’s German translation of the Bible is considered one of the great monuments in German literature. His hymn “A Mighty Fortress” is one of the great Christian hymns. I once heard the hymnodist Eric Routley say that Martin Luther was one of the only people who was successful in writing both the text and tune of a first-rate hymn. Most of the great hymns are written by two different people, one writing the text and the other the tune.
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February, 2008
