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166 Christ the Lord Is Risen TodayThe first Wesleyan Chapel in London, England, was a deserted iron foundry. It became known as the Foundry Meeting House. This hymn was written by Charles Wesley for the first service in this chapel in 1739, just one year after Charles's dramatic Aldersgate conversion experience. The hymn was first published in the Foundry's Collection, which contained "hymns set to music as they are commonly sung at the Foundry." The book had approximately fifty hymns with an additional Psalm Supplement. This hymn was originally entitled "Hymn for Easter Day" and consisted of eleven four-line stanzas. The popularity of this hymn is due in part to the fine tune with which it has been wedded for many years. The composer of the music has never been identified. The tune first appeared anonymously in the Lyra Davidica humnal, published in London in 1708. The joyous "alleluia" at the end of each line was not written by Wesley but was added by some editor to make the text fit the tune. "Hallelujah" or "alleluia" is from the ancient Hebrew worship service and was a common expression of praise in the early Christian Church. Jerome, an important leader of the early church who translated the Bible into the Latin language and died c. 420 A. D., wrote that in his day the very ceilings of houses of worship were often shaken with the reverberating "Hallelujahs" when believers sang their praises to God.*
*from Short Stories About Great Hymn Writers 4/15/06Worgan MIDI [ Click > to play ] MIDI Copyright © 1996-2001
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Grace Notes was a joint production of the late Minister of Music, Steve Gungl, and former Pastor John Duge. It relies heavily on The Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal and The SDA Digital Hymnal.
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