Frances E. Cox

Frances Elizabeth Cox was born at Oxford on this day in 1812. Almost nothing is known about her life, but her translations of German hymns have survived and continue to be sung today.

Congregational hymn singing in Germany was part of their worship long before the practice took hold in England. Yet German hymns were nearly unknown in England until the middle of the nineteenth century, except for some that had been translated by John Wesley. Catherine Winkworth would come to be the most prolific translator, but others such as Frances Cox made their contribution.

In 1841, Cox published Sacred Hymns from the German, containing 49 translated hymns. Her second volume, 23 years later, Hymns from the German, contained many of those 49 with an additional 29. Julian's Dictionary of Hymnology says that there were a few other translations published in magazines that appeared in neither collection.

It seems that everyone who ever translated a German hymn took a crack at Martin Luther's Ein feste burg. Cox's translation begins:

A Fortress firm and steadfast Rock
Is God in time of danger
A Shield and Sword in every shock
From foe well-known or stranger.

Two of Cox's translations we have already seen here: one for Easter and one of my favorite hymns, for All Saints' Day. This one is, I suspect, more widely known in various denominations.

Sing praise to God who reigns above,
The God of all creation,
The God of power, the God of love,
The God of our salvation;
With healing balm my soul is filled,
And every faithless murmur stilled:
To God all praise and glory.

What such almighty power hath made,
God's gracious mercy keepeth;
By morning glow or evening shade
God's watchful eye ne'er sleepeth.
Within the realm of God's delight,
Lo! all is just and all is right:
To God all praise and glory.

For God is never far away,
But through all grief distressing,
An ever present help and stay,
Our peace and joy and blessing.
As with a mother's tender hand,
God gently leads the pilgrim band:
To God all praise and glory.

Then all my toilsome way along
I sing aloud God's praises,
That all may hear the grateful song
My voice unwearied raises:
Be joyful in the Lord, my heart!
Both soul and body bear your part!
To God all praise and glory.

O ye who name Christ's holy name
Give God all praise and glory;
Let all who know God's power proclaim
Aloud the wondrous story!
Cast each false idol from its throne,
And worship God, and God alone!
To God all praise and glory.

Johann J. Schutz, 1675
tr. Frances E. Cox, 1864; alt.
Tune: MIT FREUDEN ZART (8.7.8.7.8.8.7.)
Bohemian Brethren Kirchegesang, 1566

This hymn by the Lutheran Johann Schutz was originally in eight verses, though most hymnals print only four or five. One that is rarely seen:

I cried to God in my distress --
In mercy, hear my calling!
My Maker saw my helplessness
And kept my feet from falling;
For this, Lord, thanks and praise to thee
Praise God, I say, praise God with me!
To God all praise and glory.

The tune, MIT FREUDEN ZART, may have been traced back to a medieval French secular song, Une pastourelle gentille, though the more martial setting we know today seems a little heavy for a French shepherd girl.

The Feast of All Saints

November 1 is celebrated in many Western traditions as All Saints' Day, a commemoration of all saints, known and unknown. The early church believed that all those martyred for the faith should have a particular day named for their remembrance (the beginning of the various calendars of saints), but as time went on they ran out of days. It was decided that there should be one day for all martyrs and saints (though this did not supplant the individual days of commemoration), and the Eastern church seems to have chosen a day as early as the fifth century (now observed on the first Sunday after Pentecost. The day in Western tradition dates from the seventh century, first celebrated in May and later moved to November 1.

Many churches today move it again; if your church celebrates it, it will likely be tomorrow, and generally the first Sunday in November.

Today's hymn dates from eighteenth century Germany, with a popular nineteenth century translation. Heinrich Theobald Schenk, a pastor's son, wrote this text with imagery from Revelation 7, describing the throng of saints in heaven. It's absolutely one of my ten all-time favorites.

Who are these like stars appearing,

These before God’s throne who stand?

Each a golden crown is wearing;

Who are all this glorious band?

Alleluia! Hark, they sing,

And to God their tribute bring.

Who are these of dazzling brightness,

These in God’s own truth arrayed,

Clad in robes of shining whiteness,

Robes whose luster ne’er shall fade,

Ne’er be touched by time’s rude hand?

Whence come all this glorious band?

These are they who have contended

For their Savior’s honor long,

Wrestling on till life was ended,

Following not the sinful throng;

These who well the fight sustained,

Triumph by the Lamb have gained.

These are they whose hearts were riven,

Sore with woe and anguish tried,

Who in prayer full oft have striven

With the God they glorified;

Now, their painful conflict o’er,

God has bid them weep no more.

These, like priests, have watched and waited,

Offering up to Christ their will;

Soul and body consecrated,

Day and night to serve God still:

Now in that most holy place

Blest they stand before God's face.

Heinrich Theobald Schenk, 1719; tr. Frances E. Cox, 1861; alt.

Tune: ZEUCH MICH, ZEUCH MICH (8.7.8.7.7.7.)

Darmstadt Gesangbuch, 1698

Schenk's text was probably written for this slightly older tune which, though it has had a number of names in hymnals of the last hundred years, was originally matched with a text that began Zeuch mich, zeuch mich mit dem Armen.

P.S. The illustration above, the glorious band in their golden crowns, is by Fra Angelico, the Italian Renaissance painter. Who are these? He probably could name them all; most seem to have been painted with particular details, such as what they are wearing or what they are holding, that would identify each one.