Frydetoner Jeg behøver dig o Jesu You Raise Me Up

A new acquisition for my hymn library came this past week in Wisconsin, when I purchased for a modest price a volume from the Norwegian community in America of the past.

In Minnesota, the first immigrants from Scandinavia that came in large group were from Sweden at around the time of Minnesota’s entry into the Union in 1858. It was several years before there was an influx from Norway.

Along with the Swedes and Norwegians, Germans and others followed, many being of the Lutheran Christian denomination. And though becoming acculturated into the American way of life, it was not so difficult to maintain ties to their heritage if for no other reason than there were so many living in both Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as other Midwest states. One of these ties was to worship and study about their faith in the native language of their country of origin, but that is getting ahead of that for which I wish to share with you.

It seems that even back in the 1890s young adults would express their “growing pains” of progress through music. What was the standard fare for their parents seemed to them obsolete. One way to meet this need was in the publication of songbooks that included styles of music found in their new country. Decried by the leaders of the Norwegian Synod as not of good quality, the new songbooks being published contained a wide range of styles that were not traditional to the Lutheran church.

Frydetoner, or Joyful Songs, published by in Minneapolis, was one of these songbooks. The book I have is large and seems to be a compilation of three volumes bound as one. Each portion has its own title page and frontispiece, and has its own numbering.

Included are a few Christian songs in English and a few instrumental pieces. I can see that there are also liturgical pieces.

FRYDETONER.
(Første Bind.)
SANGE
FRA
UNGDOMMENS VEN.
1890-1893.
Minneapolis, Minn.“UNGDOMMENS VEN’’S FORLAG.
144 pages

FRYDETONER
(Andet Bind.)
SANGE
FRA
“UNGDOMMENS VEN.”
1894-1896.
Minneapolis, Minn.
UNGDOMMENS VENS FORLAG.
136 pages

FRYDETONER
(Tredie Bind.)
SANGE FRA “UNGDOMMENS VEN.”
1897-1899.
Minneapolis, Minn.
UNGDOMMENS VENS FORLAG.
134 pages

Mrs. Clara Erickson of Meroa, Iowa, related the following memory.

The choir director in churchwas Deacon Anderson from Norway. He was always so please with mother as she could easily sing the high notes. He would call before each rehearsal and say exactly the same words, "Clara, please, bring the first book of Frydetoner'. Then he would hang up, never asking to see if he had the right party or not. (http://iagenweb.org/mitchell/localdat/meroa-7b.htm )
On my first browse through the pages to look for a hymn to enter into my finale program, I came upon Jeg behøver dig, o Jesu!, which seems to have had an interesting life upon which I can present a report. If I have this correct from what I can put together through internet research, the story goes as follows.

The hymn I Need Thee, Precious Jesus, was written by Frederick Whitfield (1829-1904), an Anglican priest in England. It was then translated into the Swedish language by Lina Sandell (1832-1903), who wrote the well-known hymn, Children of the Heavenly Father. It’s first appearance in a Norwegian-language hymnal is unknown to me at this time. The message of the hymn is presented as a person telling Jesus why there is a need for the Savior in his life. It is a personal hymn of a sentimental nature.

The following brief reference comes from English Hymns: Their Authors and History by Samuel Willoughby Duffield, Second Edition, revised and corrected, Funk & Wagnalls, New York, 1866.

"This hymn is found in the Rev. Frederick Whitfield's Sacred Poems and Prose, 1859. The author is the son of H. Whitfield, and was born at Threapwood, in Shropshire, January 7th, 1829. He was graduated at Dublin University in 1859; ordained deacon, 1859; ordained priest, 1860; curate of Otley Yorkshire, 1859-61; rector of Kirkby-Ravensworth, 1861; and has been incumbent of St. John's, Bexley Heath, London, and vicar of St. Mary's, Hastings. he has also been Secretary for Irish Church Missions, and has some repute as an author and poet. This hymn is based on the words, 'Unto you who believe, his is precious.'" (1Peter 2:7)

As presented on the website, http://www.cyberhymnal.org/, the hymn included five stanzas. Lina Sandell’s hymn has seven stanzas, as does in Norwegian in Frydetoner, volume one, page 27. In this hymn is a confession of sin, and statement of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of the world. The text states, in essence, Jesus Christ's gift of salvation and freedom from the penalty of sin through His death on the cross is what makes us complete. It is the missing link between us and the creator.

Below you will find a link to this hymn in pdf format, which I have transcribed. The English text works very well with this hymn tune. There is a very interesting connection between this particular hymn tune and the very recent popular song, You Raise Me Up, and the tune arranged by Rolf Løvland, a Norwegian composer.

I need Thee, precious Jesus,For I am full of sin;
My soul is dark and guilty,
My heart is dead within.
I need the cleansing fountain
Where I can always flee,
The blood of Christ most precious,
The sinner’s perfect plea.

I need Thee, precious Jesus,
For I am very poor;
A stranger and a pilgrim,
I have no earthly store.
I need the love of Jesus
To cheer me on my way,
To guide my doubting footsteps,
To be my strength and stay.

I need Thee, precious Jesus,
I need a friend like Thee,
A friend to soothe and pity,
A friend to care for me.
I need the heart of Jesus
To feel each anxious care,
To tell my every trouble,
And all my sorrows share.

I need Thee, precious Jesus,
I need Thee, day by day,
To fill me with Thy fullness,
To lead me on my way;
I need Thy Holy Spirit,
To teach me what I am,
To show me more of Jesus,
To point me to the Lamb.

I need Thee, precious Jesus,
And hope to see Thee soon,
Encircled with the rainbow
And seated on Thy throne.
There, with Thy blood bought children,
My joy shall ever be,
To sing Thy praises, Jesu,
To gaze, O Lord, on Thee.

What is of particular interest is the tune. (Which works very well with the English version, I Need Thee, Precious Jesus) Upon first playing it was very familiar without being able to place how I knew it. Several hours later it be unmistakably clear to me how I knew the tune. It is the tune in the song You Raise Me Up which as stated in the music, was written by Rolf Løvland, and made popular by Josh Groban and the group Selah.

JegBehøverDigOJesu.pdf

My research on the internet states that his melody is based upon “Derry Air” or “Londonderry Air” so familiar around the world as the song, O Danny Boy. I didn’t find much of O Danny Boy in the notes of You Raise Me Up. What I did find is a beautiful melismatic variation based upon the tune of unknown origins that I found in the songbook, Frydetoner, used with the him Jeg behøver dig, o Jesu!
If anyone knows whether the tune is a folk melody or composed tune, where it comes from or who composed it, if it has a name…. I would sure like to know. In the meantime, let’s give credit where it is due for this beautiful melody, as least as much as we can without knowing more than I have discovered in my research thus far.

Babamarusia (Mary Katherine May) & Rick May are owners of the website www.QualityMusicandBooks.com, where books, printed music and gifts are sold. We invite you to browse our website and visit our other blogs available through the about me page of this blog found along the right side.