Peace be to you and grace from Him
Who freed us from our sin
Who loved us all, and shed his blood
That we might saved be.
Sing holy, holy to our Lord
The Lord almighty God
Who was and is, and is to come
Sing holy, holy Lord.
Rejoice in heaven,
all ye that dwell therein
Rejoice on earth, ye saints below
For Christ is coming,
Is coming soon
For Christ is coming soon.
E’en so Lord Jesus quickly come
And night shall be no more
They need no light, no lamp, nor sun
For Christ will be their All!
The church music world mourns today following this news announcement from Morningstar Publishers:
Beloved composer, organist, and church musician Dr. Paul Manz passed away in St. Paul Minnesota on Wednesday evening, October 29, after several weeks of hospice care. He was 90 years old. He died surrounded by his family while they sang his famous motet “E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come.” Funeral services will be held in St. Paul on Sunday afternoon, November 8. Paul’s many compositions, recordings, and hymn festivals have influenced the art and practice of church music in the United States since the 1960’s. His playing and teaching has influenced untold numbers of organists throughout this country who considered him a mentor and friend.
Here is the full obituary from Morningstar Publishers.
Much has and could be written about this man who has made such a profound influence on church music in the United States. As an organist, his hymn improvisations are familiar to many a Lutheran organist. My favorites were his “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”, which was the Recessional for our wedding, and “Jesus, Lead Thou On”. His motet, “E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come” is world-renowned and has been recorded numerous times, even by choirs of which I’ve been a part. The haunting beauty of that peace coupled with the confidence of faith in Christ expressed there makes the piece unforgettable. Here’s a snippet from an excellent post on this piece written by Pr. Larry Peters,
If you want to know what is genius in liturgy and music, I think of this anthem. I think of the faith rooted in Jesus Christ from which the words flowed and the music of the man so anxious about his son and the mystery of the moment of pain that gave birth to such words and music of hope, confidence, and peace. It is one of those wonderful intersections of music and words where neither is bigger than the other but both form a piece of what is larger than either — the message understood in the mind with words but felt in the soul with the notes that speak the same message.
When I die I want the choir to sing this piece in the funeral. It is about all that needs to be said of me… of any Christian… Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come….
Below I’ve provided one of several recordings of the motet with scenes from the Castle Church in Wittenberg. E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come!
