Songs of the Righteous: A New Series

If there is one thing I have heard over and over throughout the pandemic, it's how much we have missed making music as a group.  Lately, in my music therapy studies, I've learned of more and more context in the use of group music making to fill personal and social needs. Going into that will be a long process, but just consider the article I've already written entitled "My Pet Peeve on the Song of the Righteous" that goes a little bit into the context. To go into gospel doctrine in short, singing hymns as a group is critical to building the Zion people we are destined to become. Consider the hymn plastered on the home page of this website, "then come before God's presence, in singing worship him, express a heart to full to speak, in one exultant hymn."  When we sing, we are praying, and drawing closer to God's presence as a social group.  

With that in mind, I have taken on a new gospel study endeavor.  I'm going through the hymns published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and finding the doctrines of the hymns, their main messages, and the significance of singing these hymns as a group.  Specifically, I'm going through each hymn and answering these five questions:

• What is the theme of the hymn?
• What is the message of the hymn?
• What are musically significant portions of the song? (This dives into a musical analysis, you can skim if you want).
• What do the musically significant portions of the song contribute to the overall message?
• What is the social context of a group of people singing this hymn?

As I do this, I will be posting significant finds on this blog.  I will not be posting about every single hymn, but I will be posting on many of them.  (I already have two to share from just the first few I've studied so far). As I do this, I hope you as a reader will find added insight in your testimonies of the gospel, your testimonies of the important role music has in the church, and find insights as you do your part in making music in your local church unit.  This could take the form of selecting hymns to sing in sacrament meeting, as you prepare hymns as a ward organist, or even as one who sings with the congregation each week.  Regardless of your role, I have already found significant meaningful insights for my own life and I think you will as well.  To kick off the series, here is an example for the hymn "High on a Mountain Top".

• What is the theme of the hymn?

The restoration, attending the temple and general conference.

• What is the message of the hymn?

The truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ will be revealed in the latter day, in space consecrated to the Lord for that purpose. 

• What are musically significant portions of the hymn?

This hymn has always been one of my favorites from a singer's perspective.  Particularly as one who sings in a bass vocal range.  The moving bass lines and staggered entry points between voice parts create for an engaging singing experience.  Having said that, as an organist, this is one of my LEAST favorite hymns to play for the exact same reason.  Keeping up with the pedals and alternating voice lines at the high tempo this hymn is commonly sung in makes for a traffic jam waiting to happen that leads to a musical crisis if one is not well practiced.  

​Having said that, looking at the harmonic portions of the hymn I found some fascinating discoveries.  The first stanza begins in G major, and spends a good amount of time there, with just enough V chords to keep the music going.  With all the time spent in the "home" chord, there is no question there is a solid foundation for the variations that proceed it. It is such a strong foundation that as the hymn transposes to the key of D, holding the 5th relationship with the original key of G for the next two lines, it almost sounds as more of a suspension that leads to the climactic last stanza. It's this last line that I think is the most musically significant portion of the hymn as it returns to G major, but also highlights the E minor chord through the V/vi chord in the 2nd measure on its way there. This harmonic event, combined with the melodic melasmas in all four voice parts on the word "mount", lead me to believe that the central messages of this hymn lie in this last musical phrase.

• What do the musically significant portions of the song contribute to the overall message?

Looking at the message of the entire hymn, it is clear the original writers wanted to highlight the importance of "Zion's mount".  This is the word we sing in that vocal melisma I mentioned in the last line of the hymn.  The messages of the next two verses really hone in on this last line as well, teaching of the Lord's promise of revealing truths in this holy location.  Verse three pushes the heartstrings further on this message as this same melisma lands on the word "truth".  Verse four brings this message home, as we sing in that same last phrase that this "truth" will lead to our own salvation, and the salvation of our family ancestry. 

•  What is the social context of a group of people singing this hymn?

This is the really fascinating part that really pulls at my own heartstrings.  As we sing this hymn, we have a whole congregation that is acknowledging the group's presence at a holy place. The group continues to acknowledge and ask for the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ to be revealed to them.  We know that our hymns are prayers, and I truly believe that as we sing this hymn as a social group, we are asking the Lord in prayer to reveal truth to the group, that will lead to our salvation and overall wellbeing.  Not just salvation for the individual, but for the family and for the social group singing the hymn, be it a ward, a Sunday School class or otherwise.  

I have found added insight on a similar message in the next hymn I'll cover, "Israel, Israel, God is Calling". Stand by for next week's article!