Tuesday, March 30, 2021

"Go to Dark Gethsemane"

This classic Maundy Thursday hymn has a fourth verse that looks forward to sunrise on Resurrection morning: "Early hasten to the tomb ..." Most hymnals flag that verse, though, suggesting it be omitted for Holy Week services. Here I borrowed the fourth verse from "As With Gladness Men of Old," as it seems to better fit the plaintive mood of the occasion, asking of Jesus — who from Gethsemane to Calvary embodied perfect obedience along "the narrow way." 

I confess I found harmonizing with this extremely simple tune far more difficult than anticipated. I may well have overlooked something more obvious and satisfying, but did not want to harmonize and thus distract from the final stanza in each verse, so that last line tends to be unison. Not sure how successful these harmonies will be. But the thing I really like is the simple descending triads at the end — all white keys, in the key of C (guitar Capo 5) — which seem to correspond to the end of Jesus' struggle in the garden and his arrival at pure resolve.

Here's the link to the streamer page:





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