#200 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

Music & voice:
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Lyrics:

1. Christ the Lord is ris’n today,
Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say,
Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high,
Alleluia!
Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth reply,
Alleluia!

2. Love’s redeeming work is done,
Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the vict’ry won,
Alleluia!
Jesus’ agony is o’er,
Alleluia!
Darkness veils the earth no more,
Alleluia!

3. Lives again our glorious King,
Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save,
Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave?
Alleluia!

Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788
Music: Anon., Lyra Davidica, 1708

-History: (Source: Wikipedia)

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today is a Christian hymn associated with Easter. Most of the stanzas were written by Charles Wesley, and the hymn appeared under the title Hymn for Easter Day in Hymns and Sacred Songs by Charles and John Wesley in 1739. It remains a traditionalprocessional hymn on Easter Sunday.

Many hymnals include both hymns separately. Almost all list Jesus Christ Is Risen Today to be sung to the hymn tune Easter Hymn (either the original from Lyra Davidica or an alternative arrangement by William Henry Monk). Some, such as the Australian Hymn Book, also list that as the tune for Christ the Lord Is Risen Today. However, most list Christ the Lord Is Risen Today to be sung to the anonymous tune Nassau (first found in a late 17th-century German book of sacred tunes), to the tune Gwalchmai byWelsh composer Joseph David Jones, or to the tune Llanfair, by another Welsh composer, Robert Williams. Hymns Old and New (New Anglican Edition – published by Kevin Mayhew Ltd) uses Wurttemberg with Alleluias (attributed to Hundert Arien, Dresden 1694) for ‘Christ the Lord is Risen Again’.The hymn is a variation of an earlier hymn Jesus Christ Is Risen Today, a 14th century Latin hymn which had been translated into English and published in Lyra Davidica in 1708 (and later in 1749 in Arnold’s Compleat Psalmodist). In some hymnals, Jesus Christ Is Risen Today is in fact the 3 stanza Compleat Psalmodist version with one or more of the additional stanzas written by Wesley appended.

Written By: Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley (the Younger), and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley. Despite their closeness, Charles and his brother John did not always agree on questions relating to their beliefs. In particular, Charles was strongly opposed to the idea of a breach with theChurch of England into which they had been ordained. Charles Wesley is chiefly remembered for the many hymns he wrote. He ministered for part of his life in The New Room Chapel in Bristol. His house, located nearby, can still be visited today.[1]

In the course of his career, Charles Wesley published the words of over six thousand hymns, writing the words for a further two thousand, many of which are still popular. These include:

The lyrics to many more of Charles Wesley’s hymns can be found on Wikisource and “Hymns and Sacred Poems”.[10]

Some 150 of his hymns are in the Methodist hymn book Hymns and Psalms, including “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing, and “The Church Hymn Book” (In New York and Chicago, USA, 1872) where “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” is published.

Many of his hymns are translated into other languages, and form the foundation for Methodist hymnals, as the Swedish Metodist-Episkopal-Kyrkans Psalmbok printed in Stockholm after a decision in New York, USA, 1892.

Music By: Anonymous, Lyra Davidica

-Video: