I'd planned to post this on Easter itself, but then I figured, why let it get lost among all the other Easter music I'll be posting? It's a brand-new Easter song, and every choir singer knows it's best to learn new songs before the actual event.
Not that many of you will be learning the words, since they are in German. I won't attempt a translation, but the text is based on the traditional Easter hymn, "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today." But the music is exciting, and even if you don't know German, I almost guarantee that if you listen a few times, the chorus will stay with you. As earworms go, it's a great one.
Here's the cool part: This new Easter song was written (music and text) by none other than our own Stephan Stücklin.
Here's the question: Can a German praise song go viral on YouTube? :)
Congratulations, Stephan; I think it's great and hope it spreads like wildfire throughout German-speaking churches. I'd happily sing it in our own church, but while the choir will occasionally sing in Latin (albeit reluctantly on the part of some), we've already drawn the line at French. (Cantique de Jean Racine in English is better than not at all, but....). I'm not too hopeful that German praise songs will become as popular here as English praise songs are in the German-speaking world.
I've copied the text below, in case anyone wants to attempt a translation. Google Translate gets the chorus perfectly:
Jesus is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Hallelujah!
But in some places their translation is downright peculiar, e.g.
Let us seek drum of the heart
After our main and Savior
Stephan, would you care to elucidate?
Jesus ist erstanden!
(Text by Stephan Stücklin, based on Charles Wesley's "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today")Chorus:
Jesus ist erstanden!
Er ist wahrhaftig auferstanden!
Halleluja!
Christen, lasst die Kehlen klingen!
Stimmt mit Engelschören ein
Unserm Gott ein Lob zu singen
Freudenfest soll heute sein, denn (chorus)
Tod, dein Stachel ist gezogen
Unser König Jesus lebt!
Deine Macht ist nun verflogen
Und kein Christ mehr vor dir bebt, denn (chorus)
Liebe hat ihr Werk vollendet
Grab, gesprengt ist dein Verlies!
Christus hat das Blatt gewendet
Uns gehört das Paradies, denn (chorus)
Wir sind sein, durch Kreuz und Leben
Nun droht uns kein Ungemach!
Lasst uns drum von Herzen streben
Unserm Haupt und Heiland nach, denn (chorus)
I'm impressed. Both by the composing and hitting those high notes.
I'm impressed too. But how can it be a praise song? It has too many words! :)
Well, first, I think I can quite confidently predict that no, there will be no going viral for this one - but thank you for the well-wishes. If I had fallen off the chair or Janet had swallowed a fly mid-halleluja, outside chances for a Failarmy compilation.
Dad-o, not all praise songs are 7-Eleven songs (take seven words, repeat eleven times). But i'll agree that the verse is closer to hymns and folk songs in melody and rhythm - intentionally so, and with your daughter's help.
I'll gladly elucidate the peculiar part. Google translate didn't recognize "drum" as a shortening of "darum", nor did it realize that "Haupt" in the context of an Easter hymn is more likely to mean the more literal "head". IOW: Let us therefore follow our Head and Savior from the bottom of our hearts - kind of. I do think that you're best off just singing Wesley...
Excerpt: Easter is in less than three weeks so it's time to bring back my favorite new Easter song from last year. I know it's still Lent, but the only way to learn a new song in time for Easter is to start practicing earlier. Enjoy!...
Weblog: Lift Up Your Hearts!
Date: March 9, 2016, 9:59 pm
