Re: Gottheil's hymns

[SamWeiss <SamWeiss...>]

At 08:51 AM 12/19/01, you wrote:
>Robert,
>If I read your post correctly, the Gottheil setting of "Adir Hu" is new to
>you.  I'm quite certain that this tune was taught to us at...

Robert was obviously not refering to the age-old melody of Adir Hu, but to 
Gottheil's textual adaptation, "God of Might God of Right," which -- like 
his "Rock" hit -- has only a mild relationship with the Hebrew text it is 
purportedly adapting (not "translating," as the Cyberhymnalist puts it).

These two inspiring hymns share with their Hebrew inspirations (even 
calling them "Hebrew sources" would stretching it) the fact that they can 
be sung to the same traditional melody, and they also share approximately 
one word in their first lines: "rock=tzur" and "of might=adir".  As I 
mentioned in my earlier posting, in the case of "Rock of Ages, Let Our 
Song" even the words "of ages" are problematic.  The title "Rock of Ages," 
I now see, did gain this Jewish hymn entree into at least one Christian 
hymnal -- apparently by association with the Christian hymn of that name: 
"Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me".  {Have any J-M listers sighted it in any 
other hymnals?}   Gottheil's "God of Might" must have also been included on 
the strength of his "Rock of Ages."

I reach this conclusion after having searched the Cyberhymnal site in vain 
for other Jewish-related hymns besides the famous "The God of Abraham 
Praise" set to "Leoni's" Yigdal melody.
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/o/godofabe.htm
The site's comment that the words are "From The Yigdal of Daniel ben Judah, 
circa 1400, paraphrased by Thomas Olivers, circa 1765"
deserves a chuckle (or something else)  when you consider the last verse of 
this "paraphrase":

The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high;
"Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," they ever cry.
Hail, Abraham's God, and mine! (I join the heavenly lays)
All might and majesty are Thine, and endless praise.

Getting back to Gottheil's paraphrase of Maoz Tzur, it's noteworthy that 
Jewish usage further "paraphrased" his original hymn by usually printing or 
singing his first verse, sometimes his third, but never his second verse.
Here are all three as they appear in the Cyberhymnal (note the 
capitalization of "Word"):

Rock of Ages, let our song
Praise Thy saving power;
Thou, amidst the raging foes,
Wast our sheltering tower.
Furious they assailed us,
But Thine arm availed us,
And Thy Word
Broke their sword
When our own strength failed us.

Kindling new the holy lamps,
Priests, approved in suffering,
Purified the nation's shrine,
Brought to God their offering.
And His courts surrounding
Hear, in joy abounding,
Happy throngs,
Singing songs
With a mighty sounding.

Children of the martyr race,
Whether free or fettered,
Wake the echoes of the songs
Where ye may be scattered.
Yours the message cheering
That the time is nearing
Which will see
All men free,
Tyrants disappearing.

_____________________________________________________________
Cantor Sam Weiss === Jewish Community Center of Paramus, NJ