How Brightly Beams the Morning Star

Representative text cannot be shown for this hymn due to copyright.

Author: Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608

Philipp Nicolai (b. Mengeringhausen, Waldeck, Germany, 1556; d. Hamburg, Germany, 1608) lived an eventful life–he fled from the Spanish army, sparred with Roman Catholic and Calvinist opponents, and ministered to plague-stricken congregations. Educated at Wittenberg University, he was ordained a Lutheran pastor in 1583 in the city of Herdecke. However, he was soon at odds with the Roman Catholic town council, and when Spanish troops arrived to reestablish Roman dominance, Nicolai fled. In 1588 he became chief pastor at Altwildungen and court preacher to Countess Argaretha of Waldeck. During that time Nicolai battled with Calvinists, who disagreed with him about the theology of the real presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper. These doctri… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: How brightly beams the morning star! (Service Book and Hymnal)
Title: How Brightly Beams the Morning Star
Author: Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608
Meter: Irregular
Source: Tr. Service Book and Hymnal, 1955
Language: English
Copyright: © 1958 Service Book and Hymnal Reprinted by permission of Augsburg Fortress

Tune

WIE SCHÖN LEUCHTET

Adapting a tune written for Psalm 100 found in Wolff Köphel's Psalter (1538), Nicolai composed WIE SCHÖN LEUCHTET, which was published with the text in 1599. Although the tune was originally more varied rhythmically, the hymnal version here is isorhythmic (all equal rhythms) and set to the rich ha…

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Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 2 of 2)

Ambassador Hymnal #55

Great Songs of the Church (Revised) #186

Include 2 pre-1979 instances
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