Often, at Northgate Baptist Church in Norman, Oklahoma,
our songleader will call out "#485--Onward, Christian
Soldiers." Whenever he does that, we know he really
means 422. The reason for this mistake is that 485 IS
also Onward, Christian Soldiers, but it's not the
Arthur Sullivan tune that has become so associated with
the words. Rather, it's an ambitious setting by the
British composer W.H. Jude which uses one tune for
verses 1 and 3 and a different tune for verses 2 and 4.
This complexity...(+)
Often, at Northgate Baptist Church in Norman, Oklahoma,
our songleader will call out "#485--Onward, Christian
Soldiers." Whenever he does that, we know he really
means 422. The reason for this mistake is that 485 IS
also Onward, Christian Soldiers, but it's not the
Arthur Sullivan tune that has become so associated with
the words. Rather, it's an ambitious setting by the
British composer W.H. Jude which uses one tune for
verses 1 and 3 and a different tune for verses 2 and 4.
This complexity, plus the way it is written, make it
very difficult, which is part of the reason it isn't as
well known as Sullivan's version. However, it's one of
those tunes that, once you learn it, is well worth the
effort. Jude pulls out all the stops, and his
triumphant writing creates a feeling of grandeur and
victory as you read it--a fitting setting for words
such as "We have Christ's own promise, and that cannot
fail!"
PARTITION