Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2002 22:48:26 -0600
From: James Jordan 
Subject: Re: (urth) Watts, presentiments, eponyms

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Alice,
         Isaac Watts was not Church of England but a Congregationalist. The 
Puritan Congregationalists (his forebears) sang only metrical psalms. Watts 
set most of the Biblical psalter to verse as new metrical psalms, though a 
bit more freely than was traditional (and thus as better English poems). 
This one, and "Jesus Shall Reign Where'er the Sun" (Psalm 72) are found in 
almost all English-language hymnals: Methodist, Episcopalian, Lutheran, 
Baptist, etc.
         Wolfe is now RC, but grew up Presbyterian. He probably sang a four 
or five stanza reduction of Watt's Psalm 90 growing up -- few hymnals have 
all the stanzas.
         The tune commonly used for Psalm 90, St. Anne, is famous also 
because Bach wrote a wonderful Prelude and Fugue for organ based on it, 
sometimes used for wedding processions.
         Marc brought  it up to suggest that more than just the one stanza 
Wolfe quoted is relevant to the Severian narrative.
         Finally, and just so you know, it is the Lutherans who have the 
best church music. I'll bet many of the tunes you remember actually go back 
to Lutheran sources. But that's only a statistical win. The Welsh cannot be 
excluded, nor can later Anglican, etc.

Jim Jordan (Nutria)

At 07:03 PM 2/24/2002, you wrote:
>I'm not quite sure what the context is for reprinting this. It's a famous
>old Anglican hymn. I'm a heathen now, but I was brought up as an
>Episcopalian/Anglican and I will staunchly say that our music is the
>best--aside from a few early items by designer names (Bach, Handel etc.) and
>some fabulous gospel, mostly Baptist, I suppose, we win hands down for
>music. This one is sort of a drone, but an effective drone. Wolfe is RC;
>this doesn't count for him,.
>
>Alice
>
> > Isaac Watts Psalm 90
> > Part 1.
> > Man frail, and God eternal.
> >
> >    1  Our God, our help in ages past,
> >          Our hope for years to come,
> >       Our shelter from the stormy blast,
> >          And our eternal home.
> >
> >    2  Under the shadow of thy throne
> >          Thy saints have dwelt secure;
> >       Sufficient is thine arm alone,
> >          And our defense is sure.
> >
> >    3  Before the hills in order stood,
> >          Or earth received her frame,
> >       From everlasting thou art God,
> >          To endless years the same.
> >
> >    4  Thy word commands our flesh to dust,
> >          "Return, ye sons of men:"
> >       All nations rose from earth at first,
> >          And turn to earth again.
> >
> >    5  A thousand ages in thy sight
> >          Are like an ev'ning gone;
> >       Short as the watch that ends the night
> >          Before the rising sun.
> >
> >    6  [The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
> >          With all their lives and cares,
> >       Are carried downwards by the flood,
> >          And lost in following years.
> >
> >    7  Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
> >          Bears all its sons away;
> >       They fly, forgotten, as a dream
> >          Dies at the op'ning day.
> >
> >    8  Like flowery fields the nations stand
> >          Pleased with the morning light;
> >       The flowers beneath the mower's hand
> >          Lie with'ring ere 'tis night.]
> >
> >    9  Our God, our help in ages past,
> >          Our hope for years to come,
> >       Be thou our guard while troubles last,
> >          And our eternal home.
>
>
>
>
>--


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Alice,

        Isaac
Watts was not Church of England but a Congregationalist. The Puritan
Congregationalists (his forebears) sang only metrical psalms. Watts set
most of the Biblical psalter to verse as new metrical psalms, though a
bit more freely than was traditional (and thus as better English poems).
This one, and "Jesus Shall Reign Where'er the Sun" (Psalm 72)
are found in almost all English-language hymnals: Methodist,
Episcopalian, Lutheran, Baptist, etc. 

        Wolfe is
now RC, but grew up Presbyterian. He probably sang a four or five stanza
reduction of Watt's Psalm 90 growing up -- few hymnals have all the
stanzas.

        The tune
commonly used for Psalm 90, St. Anne, is famous also because Bach wrote a
wonderful Prelude and Fugue for organ based on it, sometimes used for
wedding processions.

        Marc
brought  it up to suggest that more than just the one stanza Wolfe
quoted is relevant to the Severian narrative.

        Finally,
and just so you know, it is the Lutherans who have the best church music.
I'll bet many of the tunes you remember actually go back to Lutheran
sources. But that's only a statistical win. The Welsh cannot be excluded,
nor can later Anglican, etc. 


Jim Jordan (Nutria)


At 07:03 PM 2/24/2002, you wrote:

I'm not quite sure what the context
is for reprinting this. It's a famous

old Anglican hymn. I'm a heathen now, but I was brought up as an

Episcopalian/Anglican and I will staunchly say that our music is 
the

best--aside from a few early items by designer names (Bach, Handel etc.)
and

some fabulous gospel, mostly Baptist, I suppose, we win hands down
for

music. This one is sort of a drone, but an effective drone. Wolfe is
RC;

this doesn't count for him,.


Alice


> Isaac Watts Psalm 90

> Part 1.

> Man frail, and God eternal.

>

>    1  Our God, our help in ages past,

>          Our hope for
years to come,

>       Our shelter from the stormy
blast,

>          And our
eternal home.

>

>    2  Under the shadow of thy throne

>          Thy saints
have dwelt secure;

>       Sufficient is thine arm
alone,

>          And our
defense is sure.

>

>    3  Before the hills in order stood,

>          Or earth
received her frame,

>       From everlasting thou art
God,

>          To endless
years the same.

>

>    4  Thy word commands our flesh to dust,

>          "Return,
ye sons of men:"

>       All nations rose from earth at
first,

>          And turn to
earth again.

>

>    5  A thousand ages in thy sight

>          Are like an
ev'ning gone;

>       Short as the watch that ends the
night

>          Before the
rising sun.

>

>    6  [The busy tribes of flesh and blood,

>          With all their
lives and cares,

>       Are carried downwards by the
flood,

>          And lost in
following years.

>

>    7  Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

>          Bears all its
sons away;

>       They fly, forgotten, as a
dream

>          Dies at the
op'ning day.

>

>    8  Like flowery fields the nations 
stand

>          Pleased with
the morning light;

>       The flowers beneath the mower's
hand

>          Lie with'ring
ere 'tis night.]

>

>    9  Our God, our help in ages past,

>          Our hope for
years to come,

>       Be thou our guard while troubles
last,

>          And our
eternal home.







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