If you’ve ever paged through the tune index of Evangelical Lutheran Worship, you may have noticed that some entries—see, for instance, Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade and Agincourt Hymn—are indented and italicized. As was practiced in Lutheran Book of Worship and Service Book and Hymnal, these specially formatted entries indicate other names used for tunes by previous hymnals or, in some cases, by other denominations.
A leisurely stroll through any hymnal companion such as Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship often provides fascinating glimpses into the origins of tune names, as well as ways in which names have changed across generations of hymnal compilation, editing, and production. The practice of assigning tune names emerged in English psalters around the turn of the seventeenth century, and Thomas Ravenscroft’s 1621 psalter was the first publication to systematically assign names—usually of towns with important cathedrals—to its tunes. Have you ever looked for a setting of the tune Southwell? If so, thank Mr. Ravenscroft for that name! Have you ever heard the tune for the hymn “Beautiful Savior” referred to simultaneously as Crusader’s Hymn, St. Elizabeth, and Schönster, Herr Jesu? If so, thank composer Franz Liszt, who borrowed this nineteenth-century Silesian folk melody for the “crusader’s march” in his 1873 oratorio, The Legend of St. Elizabeth!
As naming tunes became widespread practice, Lutheran chorale melodies came to be known by their first few words such as Ein feste Burg or Vom Himmel hoch. However, this posed a problem for multiple texts that were sung to the same melody, resulting in several hymn tune “homonyms,” or melodies that sounded the same but were identified by different names. Depending on the composer or publisher, settings of what we know today as Herzlich tut mich verlangen might be titled Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder; Befiehl du deine Wege; or O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden. Hymnals from Anglican and Episcopal traditions often refer to this same melody as Passion Chorale. Even within a single denomination, names for the same tune may change as hymnal committees and publishers weigh new scholarship, tastes, and conventions. In Evangelical Lutheran Worship, tunes once named for their composers have been revised: Weyse (as it was known in Service Book and Hymnal) became Den signede dag while Taulé (as it was known in With One Voice) became Toda la tierra.
Although the family of Evangelical Lutheran Worship resources such as Vocal Descants for the Church Year uses tune names matched to the hymnal itself, other collections shelved in our choral and organ libraries from a variety of times, places, and publishers may instead utilize some of these alternate names. Thus, it is easy to scan a resource’s listing of tunes and miss a melody that is actually included in Evangelical Lutheran Worship. For example, Bach’s so-called “Schübler” organ chorales contain a setting of Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter, a melody we know as Lobe den Herren. Similarly, some editions of Buxtehude’s chorale-based organ works include a set of variations on Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott, but many will recognize the melody as Vater unser.
Accordingly, the following list (far from comprehensive) is offered as a starting place for recognizing both common and lesser-known tune “homonyms,” and will hopefully assist organists, instrumentalists, and cantors in making the most of older or seemingly obsolete collections that hold wonderful treasures hidden under different names.
Bolded tune names indicate those used by Evangelical Lutheran Worship (with associated hymn numbers in parentheses), and alternate names for each tune are shown in italics.
An Wasserflüssen Babylon (340) | Ein Lämmlein geht
Assurance (638) | Blessed Assurance
Austria (823) | Austrian Hymn | Haydn
Bicentennial (484) | Gift of Finest Wheat
Chesterfield (239, 551) | Richmond
Christus, der ist mein Leben (539) | Ach, bleib mit deiner Gnade
Converse (742) | Erie
Dejlig er den himmel blå (301) | Celestia
Den blomstertid nu kommer (830) | Blomstertid
Den signede dag (627) | Weyse
Den store hvide flok (425) | Behold a Host | Great White Host
Deo gracias (316, 322) | Agincourt Hymn
Det kimer nu til julefest (298) | Emmanuel
Divinum mysterium (295) | Corde natus ex parentis
Dix (302, 879) | Treuer Heiland
Dundee (758, 863) | French Tune
Easter Hymn (365) | Worgan
Ebenezer (327, 511) | Ton-y-Botel
El desembre congelat (299) | Lo desembre congelat
Ellacombe (361, 521, 722) | Ave Maria, klarer und lichter Morgenstern
Es ist das Heil (442, 590) | St. Paul
Fred til bod (380, 381) | Easter Glory
Freu dich sehr (256, 672, 783) | Genevan 42
Gabriel’s Message (265) | Basque Carol
Gelobt sei Gott (385) | Vulpius
Gethsemane (347, 609) | Ajalon | Petra | Redhead | Readhead No. 76
Grosser Gott (414) | Hursley (closely related variant) | Te Deum
Her kommer dine arme små (286) | Paedia
Herr Jesu Christ, meins (404) | Breslau
Herzlich tut mich verlangen (351, 352, 606) | Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder | Befiehl du deine Wege | O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden | Passion Chorale
I Am the Bread (485) | Bread of Life (Toolan)
Ist Gott für mich (788) | Roland’s Tune
Iste confessor (766) | Rouen
Italian Hymn (408, 673) | Giardini | Moscow | Trinity
Jeg er så glad (271) | Christmas Eve
Jesus Loves Me (595) | China
Kuortane (313, 576) | Nyland
Lobe den Herren (858, 859) | Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter
Munich (514, 810) | Meiningen | O Gott, du frommer Gott
Narodil se Kristus Pán (291) | Be Ye Joyful | Salvator natus
National Anthem (891) | America | National Hymn
Nyt ylös, sieluni (827) | Suomi
O dass ich tausend Zungen hätte (833) | König
O Heiliger Geist (405) | O Jesulein süss
O Jesu, än de dina (468) | Franzén
O Welt, ich muss dich lassen (480, 568) | Innsbruck
Old 124th (321) | Genevan 124 | Toulon
Rendez à Dieu (478) | Genevan 98 | Genevan 118
Romedal (730) | Herre Gud, dit dyre navn
St. Magnus (432) | Nottingham
Salzburg (310, 876) | Alle Menschen müssen sterben
Schönster Herr Jesu (838) | Crusader’s Hymn | St. Elizabeth
Sicilian Mariners (545) | O sanctissima
Song 13 (398) | Light Divine
Spirit Life (457) | Waterlife (Hanson)
Terra Patris (824) | Terra beata
Thompson (608) | For You and For Me | Softly and Tenderly
Toda la tierra (266) | Taulé
Tryggare kan ingen vara (781) | Sandell
Tuya es la gloria (849) | Rio de la Plata
Unser Herrscher (533) | Neander
Valet will ich dir geben (344) | St. Theodulph
Vater unser (746, 747) | Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott
Victory (366) | Palestrina
Ville du Havre (785) | It Is Well
Wade in the Water (459) | Trouble the Water
Walton (658, 719) | Beethoven | Fulda | Gardiner | Germany | Melchizedec
Warum sollt ich (273) | Ebeling
Was frag ich nach der Welt (806) | Darmstadt | O Gott, du frommer Gott
Waterlife (732) | Borning Cry
Wer nur den lieben Gott (769) | Neumark
Werde munter (501) | Jesu, Joy
Yigdal (831) | Leoni
Your Only Son (336) | Lamb of God
