Dec 12: All Praise to Thee, Eternal God | Robert Swenson, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Today's posting comes from a long-time friend, Robert Swenson. The first time I met Rob was in our 10th grade college algebra class. Rob and I both love music. He and I sang together in the Utah Valley Children's Choir for several years, in all of our high school choirs and then we both went on to sing 2 years in the BYU Concert Choir during college. He is currently the performing arts department chair at the American Heritage School where he teaches choir in grades 7-12 and AP Music Theory. In 2007, he founded the Timpanogos Youth Chorus – which is now the American Heritage Youth Chorus. I wish I could tell about all of the funny stories and experiences I have had with him over the years. He's a good friend and a talented musician.

Rob says, "Asking a choir director to select a favorite Christmas song is like asking them to choose a favorite child. If I'm being honest, it's probably the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah, but that's just too clichéd and overdone to include here (and was not necessarily intended to be a Christmas song in the first place, but that's another story...)."

"My favorite Christmas song is whichever one I'm currently working on with my choir. This year, I've fallen in love with Elaine Hagenberg's stunning new setting of Martin Luther's All Praise to Thee, Eternal God. I've always been a sucker for modern settings of traditional Protestant hymn texts, but this one is truly exceptional. Although Luther and I do not completely see eye to eye on doctrinal issues, I think his depiction of Jesus Christ in the overall plan of salvation is beautiful. I love the way that he identifies so many of Christ's unique roles in just a few short verses:

"Verse one portrays Christ as the divine creator who willingly puts on a 'garb of flesh and blood' so that he could more perfectly empathize with and understand us."

"Verse two he alludes to Christ's role as Savior and his unique ability to make us 'children of the light', allowing us to eventually return and live with him again."

"Verse three describes his role as comforter for weary souls and his triumph over death (pay attention to the text painting in the music at 'that we may rise' -- a beautiful musical description of the resurrection)."

Rob concludes, "As beautiful as the verses of text are, the most moving part of this piece is of course the refrain on the simple word 'Hallelujah'. Where words fail, music speaks -- and this section speaks sermons to my heart about Christ's unconditional love for each one of us and the great blessings that await if we strive to follow in His footsteps. Merry Christmas!"

All Praise to Thee, Eternal God

Text by Martin Luther

Arranged by Elaine Hagenberg

Conducted by Craig Courtney

Accompanied by Dan Forrest

1. All praise to Thee, Eternal God,

Who, clothed in garb of flesh and blood,

Dost take a manger for Thy throne,

While worlds on worlds are Thine alone.

2. Thou comest in the darksome night

To make us children of the light,

To make us in the realms divine,

Like Thine own angels, round Thee shine.

3. A little Child, Thou art our Guest

That weary ones in Thee may rest;

Forlorn and lowly is Thy birth

That we may rise to heaven from earth.

Special thanks to Elaine Hagenberg (composer) for sending me the MP3 of her beautiful arrangement and allowing me to upload it to YouTube. Make sure to check out her website: http://www.elainehagenberg.com/