[Hymns] Famous hymns and sacred songs. Recommended hymns and sacred songs.
Hymns and sacred songs beloved around the world.
Hymns and sacred songs are known as songs that praise the Christian God, but in Japan—where many people are Buddhist—their recognition is by no means high.
There are many excellent pieces, but the difficulty is that they can be hard to find.
This time, we’ve picked out some famous works among hymns and sacred songs.
We also explain in detail the background of each piece and the meaning of the lyrics, so even those without prior knowledge of hymns and sacred songs can enjoy it.
How about soothing a heart worn down by daily stress with hymns and sacred songs?
Please sit back and enjoy!
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[Hymns] Famous hymns and sacred songs. Recommended hymns and sacred songs (71–80)
Come, let us praise God together.J.S.Bach
A majestic chorale composed by Bach, the father of music.
Born in Germany in 1685, Bach created works suffused with profound spirituality.
This piece evokes a powerful yet warm vision of communal prayer in praise of God.
Its four-part texture weaves rich harmonies that recall the sound of an organ resounding through a church, filling the heart with purity.
The work has also been included in educational collections for wind band and has been performed by many who are learning ensemble fundamentals.
It’s perfect for moments when you want to immerse yourself in music in a quiet space or enjoy performing while feeling a sense of unity with your companions.
Lend your ear to this musical treasure, where beautiful melodies interlace.
The morning star shinesPhilipp Nicolai
Among the great masterpieces of solemn chorales, this work shines with an especially radiant sense of hope—truly worthy of the title “Queen of Hymns.” Its author, Philipp Nicolai, was both a theologian and a poet.
Around 1597, amid a desperate situation in which as many as thirty graves were dug in a single day due to a plague outbreak, he wrote this piece to bring comfort to the people.
Its majestic melody, like the morning star piercing the darkness, sinks deeply into the heart.
Published in 1599 in the hymnal Frewdenspiegel deß ewigen Lebens, it soon became widely known, and later Johann Sebastian Bach composed cantatas based on this melody.
When the heart is weary or the night is still, its sacred harmonies seem to gently enfold the soul.
Hymn No. 96: “From Jesse’s Root”
It is a carol from Germany’s Rhineland region.
It is sung during Advent (Christmas).
A man named Jesse, who appears in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah, is said to be an ancestor of Jesus Christ’s parents, and this is a song celebrating the birth of Christ, born as a descendant of Jesse.
[Hymns] Famous hymns and sacred songs. Recommended hymns and sacred songs (81–90)
All Creatures of Our God and King (Arr. Buck Mangum)BYU Vocal Point
Hymn No.
75, “All Creatures of Our God and King.” Its lyrics are based on St.
Francis’s “Canticle of the Sun,” listing each element of God’s creation in heaven and earth and praising God.
BYU Vocal Point is an a cappella group made up of students from Brigham Young University in the United States.
Their singing—and their performance—are highly regarded, and just listening to them is truly soothing, isn’t it?
Be Still, for the Presence of the LordCeleste
This hymn, with its beautiful harmonies sung by women, is gentle on the ears and soothing to the heart.
It praises the radiant Holy One and expresses a spirit of faith.
The song is performed with the theme of serving and ministering to God.
True to the grace of hymns, it’s a piece that makes us listeners feel as though our hearts are being cleansed.
Listening to this song can make you feel like you’re set for a pleasant day.
Earth and All StarsLive Hymnal
A track from Live Hymnal’s 2018 release “Word.” It’s a hymn about “singing a new song to praise God.” Live Hymnal is a group formed by musicians and singers from South Florida.
Their arrangements let you enjoy hymns as casually as you would pop music.
Be sure to listen for the exquisite harmonies!
Love Divine, All Loves ExcellingTim Brace
This is a hymn by Charles Wesley, a leader of the Methodist movement.
The hymn’s theme is the ultimate and eternal “perfection” that belongs to God alone.
Among the roughly 6,500 hymns Wesley is said to have written in his lifetime, this is one of the most famous and beloved.
It is said to be based on “Fairest Isle,” the song sung by Venus in the semi-opera King Arthur, composed by Henry Purcell with a libretto by John Dryden.