Review: The Marvel of This Night

The American Kantori-Robert Bergt, Conductor
The Children's Choir of St. Paul Lutheran Church-Mark Bender, Conductor (St. Paul's Lutheran Church, De Peres, Missouri)
Copyright 1996, Concordia Publishing House
Total time: 52:03
Recorded at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Sappington, Missouri

One of the new 20th century hymn writers to find his or her hymns included in the new hymnals and songbooks of recent Lutheranism is a Missouri Synod poet named Jaroslav Vajda. Several of Vajda's works are included in the Wisconsin Synod's Christian Worship and Let All the People Praise You. Included in Let All the People Praise You is "Before the Marvel of This Night," the title hymn of this album.

Jaroslav has served the church as pastor, preacher, editor, and book developer. The theology in Vajda's poems betray a keen knowledge of the simple yet profound message of the Gospel. Vajda's poems speak of the Means of Grace as well as the awesome mystery of the baby in Bethlehem's stable. It is this beauty of Christmas poems that the makers of this album focus on.

"Before the Marvel of This Night" leads off the album. This song, with a tune written by Carl Schalk (who is credited with the tunes for half the songs), relates the quiet marvel of the message of the angels to shepherds in the Judean hills.

Included are carols and tunes from many European styles. "Let Us Sing With Heart and Voice" is a translation of a Czech hymn. "Sleep, Softly, Softly, Beautiful Jesus" is a translation of an Alsatian carol. "A Dove Flew Down from Heaven" is a translation of a German carol with a Johannes Brahms tune. "Slumber, Lovely Baby" is a translation of an old Slovak carol. Another Czech hymn is translated with "Now Greet the Swiftly Changing Year." "Wake, Shepherds, Awake" is a translation of a Rhine carol. A traditional Puerto Rican carol is translated as "The King the Wise Men Found" and a Paul Speratus paraphrase of a German hymn in "The Rescue We Were Waiting For."

For personal or family Advent devotions, one cannot go wrong playing "Light the Candle," an Advent candlelighting carol that explains the meaning of the four candles.

Many of the songs are of the mein of lullabies. But what else do you sing when a baby is born? The finale piece, "Go, My Children, With my Blessing," is an appropriate benediction song. While the credits don't tell us, the tune is the same as the tune on a lullaby CD we have for Matthew. The tune is a Welsh traditional lullaby called "All Through the Night." (The CD is entitled Goodnight Baby: Vocal Lullabies and is part of the Lifescapes series of CDs).

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