O Heiland, Reiß Die Himmel Auf
"O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf" (O Saviour, tear open the heavens) is a Christian Advent song. The text was first printed in 1622, attributed to Friedrich Spee; the melody was first printed in 1666. History The song was first published in Würzburg in the collection ''Das Allerschönste Kind in der Welt'' (The most beautiful child in the world). Its author is not named, but is thought to be Friedrich Spee, due to similarities to his later collection ''Trutznachtigall''. The text was written in the context of the Thirty Years War, the plague and witch trials. The text was first sung to the melody of "Conditor alma siderum". The melody known today appeared first in the '' Rheinfelsisches Gesangbuch'' of 1666. The song is focused on the longing for the arrival of a Saviour. It has been included in both Catholic and Protestant hymnals; in Protestant hymnals sometimes with an added seventh stanza of unknown authorship. It is part of the Catholic ''Gotteslob'' as GL 231, of the '' ...
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Christian Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' derives from Greek (''hymnos''), which means "a song of praise". A writer of hymns is known as a hymnist. The singing or composition of hymns is called hymnody. Collections of hymns are known as hymnals or hymn books. Hymns may or may not include instrumental accompaniment. Although most familiar to speakers of English in the context of Christianity, hymns are also a fixture of other world religions, especially on the Indian subcontinent (''stotras''). Hymns also survive from antiquity, especially from Egyptian and Greek cultures. Some of the oldest surviving examples of notated music are hymns with Greek texts. Origins Ancient Eastern hymns include the Egyptian ''Great Hymn to the Aten'', composed by Pharaoh Akhenaten; the Hurrian '' ...
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