Category Archives: Themes

B-A-C-H

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Because notes have letter names, it is possible to generate musical themes from words or names. One of the earliest and most popular themes has been the name of one of the greatest composers of organ music: Johann Sebastian Bach. Germans use the letter B for what we call B-flat and H for B-natural, making Bach’s name into a concise chromatic motif:

Videos:
Anders Börjesson – Improvisation fugue B A C H – Mariestad Cathedral
Tomáš Ibrmajer – Organ Improvisation on B-A-C-H – Bazilika minor, Brno
Martin Látal – Improvisation on the Theme B-A-C-H – Šternberk
Tomasz Adam Nowak – Improvisation on BACH – Hauptwerk organ

Nun danket alle Gott

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NunDanket
This melody is attributed to Johann Crüger and was written around 1647. The German text “Nun danket alle Gott” was written in approximately 1636 by Martin Rinkart. It was translated into English in the 19th Century by Catherine Winkworth.

See a list of other chorale and hymn themes here.

Videos:
Gabriela Montero – Improvisation on “Now thank we all our God” (piano)
Johannes Schröder – Improvisation zum Auszug über ‘Nun danket alle Gott’ – Abtei Marienstatt
Sietze de Vries – Improvisation Nun danket alle Gott – Geneve
Sietze de Vries – Improvisation Nun danket alle Gott – Martinikerk, Groningen

Ein feste Burg

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EinFesteBurg
Ein feste Burg is one of the best known of Martin Luther’s hymns. The words, a paraphrase of Psalm 46, and melody were written sometime between 1527 and 1529. It is strongly associated with the Reformation. The original melody was much more rhythmic, but it has been standardized into the isometric rhythm shown above.

See a list of other chorale and hymn themes here.

Videos:
Maria Scharwieß – Organ Improvisation:Ein feste Burg – Nathanaelchurch in Berlin-Schöneberg
Sietze de Vries – Ein Feste Burg improvisation – Martinikerk, Groningen
Sietze de Vries – Improvisation Ein feste Burg – Leeuwarden

New Britain (Amazing Grace)

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NewBritain

NEW BRITAIN is a pentatonic melody of unknown origin, first published in Columbian Harmony in 1829. It is often paired with the text “Amazing Grace” written by John Newton and published in 1779. The two were first paired together in William Walker’s Southern Harmony.

See a list of other hymn and chorale themes here.

Videos:
Patrick Alston – Improvisation on Amazing Grace – Sligo SDA Church, Takoma Park, MD
Gerre Hancock – Improvisation on Amazing Grace – St. Thomas, New York

TV Show Themes

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OrangeTVAside from children’s song, some of the most popular melodies today come from television shows. It can be a little hard to find recordings on YouTube that are not simply covers of the TV Show Themes, so the list below is short. Please feel free to share any others you find or create in the comments below:


Videos:
Zacharias Ehnvall – Organ Improvisation “The Simpsons Theme” – Alunda Orgelfestival 2012
Olivier Latry – Improvisation on The Simpsons Theme – Toronto

O dass ich tausend Zungen hätte

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ODassIchTausendZungen

Johann Balthaser König (1691 – 1758) composed this tune, which later became associated with Johann Mentzer’s hymn “O dass ich tausend Zungen hätte” (Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices).

See a list of other chorale and hymn themes here.

Videos:
William Porter – O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Prelude
William Porter – O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Canon
William Porter – O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Intermezzo
William Porter – O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Fugue

Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her

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VomHimmelHoch

Composed by Martin Luther in 1535, “Vom Himmel hoch” was first published in Valentin Schumann’s Geistliche Lieder in 1539. Johann Sebastian Bach used the melody in his Christmas Oratorio and as the theme for his Canonic Variations.

See a list of other chorale themes here.

Videos:
Cor Ardesch – Vom Himmel hoch – Grote Kerk, Dordrecht
Maria Scharwieß – Vom Himmel hoch – Nathanaelchurch Berlin-Schöneberg

La Marseillaise

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LaMarseillaise

Allons enfants de la Patrie
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L’étendard sanglant est levé
Entendez-vous dans nos campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras.
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes!

Aux armes citoyens
Formez vos bataillons
Marchons, marchons
Qu’un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons



La Marseillaise is the national anthem of France. The song was written and composed in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle during the French Revolutionary Wars, and was originally titled “Chant de guerre pour l’Armée du Rhin”. It acquired its nickname after being sung in Paris by volunteers from Marseille marching on the capital. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic’s anthem in 1795. It later lost this status under Napoleon I, and the song was banned outright by Louis XVIII and Charles X. It returned briefly after the July Revolution of 1830, but was not restored as France’s national anthem until 1879.

See a list of other traditional song themes here.

Videos:

Xaver Varnus – La Marseillaise – Mathias Church, Budapest
Pierre Cochereau (Jeremy Filsell plays) – La Marseillaise – Liverpool

Adoro te devote

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AdoroTeDevote
Adoro te devote is a Eucharistic hymn written by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) at Pope Urban IV’s (1261-1264) request when the Pope first established the Feast of Corpus Christi in 1264. The chant melody in Mode V potentially dates from the first millennium.

Videos:
Robert York – Improvisation on ‘Adoro te devote’ – St. Sulpice, Paris

Happy birthday!

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GoodMorningToAll
According to the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records, “Happy Birthday to You” is the most recognized song in the English language. Traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person’s birth, the melody comes from the song “Good Morning to All”, which has been attributed to American siblings Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill in 1893. However, the Summy Company registered for copyright in 1935 crediting authors Preston Ware Orem and Mrs. R.R. Forman. With changes in the US copyright laws, this has led to confusion about when the song will become public domain. In the European Union, copyright lasts for the life of the author(s) plus 70 years; since Patty Hill (the last surviving author) died in 1946, the copyright in these countries would expire at the latest on December 31, 2016. In the US, if the formalities were properly followed for a valid copyright and renewal, the song would not pass into the public domain until the end of 2030, 95 years after the publication by the authors. A class action lawsuit is currently in process to determine if the proper copyright procedures were followed and/or if the song is now public domain.

See a list of other traditional song themes here.

Videos:
Philippe Bardon – Happy Birthday – St Maximin
Johannes Mayr – Happy Birthday – St.Eberhard, Stuttgart
Paolo Oreni – Happy Birthday – St. Joseph, Bonn Beuel
Olivier Latry, Vincent Dubois, Paolo Oreni and Michael Bottenhorn – Happy Birthday – St. Joseph, Bonn Beuel