Prelude On Herzliebster Jesu

While looking through the Pilgrim Hymnal for tunes to arrange and combine, Fred Gramann chanced upon the 17th century German hymn HERZLIEBSTER JESU (AH, HOLY JESUS) and on the opposite page, the early American melody KEDRON (SUNSETTO SUNRISE CHANGES NOW). He found that the two melodies could be overlapped beautifully by rhythmically transposing the HERZLIEBSTER melody into a triple meter. The resulting arrangement is his PRELUDE ON HERZLIEBSTER JESU. The VICTIMAE PASCHALI LAUDES (the chant for Easter Day) is intertwined with the two passion chorales as if to foretell the victory of the approaching resurrection. Written for 4-7 octaves of handbells, this moving setting uses antiphonal tower swings, suspended handbells, and shakes. It is an AGEHR level5 number.