Download PDFGod is faithful through the generations in spite of times of persecution and martyrdom. We must not forget—the ultimate victory is won through Christ. God manifests His Kingdom to the world in the hearts and lives of His people.
We at ReflectHymn felt that the well known tune for “Faith of Our Fathers” did not communicate the richness of the words of this poem. We sought to encapsulate deeper meaning by incorporating a sweeping melodic line and rich harmonies. Our tune, “Perpetua”, was named after a young mother martyred in the 200′s.
We hope you will appreciate the fresh take on this hymn, reconsidering the truths of these words as you sing praise to our God.
Faith of our fathers! living still
in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
O how our hearts beat high with joy
whene’er we hear God’s glorious Word:REFRAIN
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.Our fathers, chained in prisons dark,
were still in heart and conscience free;
And blest would be their children’s fate
if they, like them, should die for thee:Faith of our fathers! God’s great pow’r
shall draw all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God
his people shall indeed be free:Faith of our fathers! we will love
both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
by witness true and virtuous life:Author, Frederick W. Faber, 1849; alt. 1961
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After some great dialogue with Ray Suzuki, plus a few observations from John Emmons, we have decided to update the harmony of Faith of Our Fathers. We have changed a few notes in the alto, tenor, and bass parts, mostly in the second line of the hymn. If you are really into music theory, you might notice the changes from the first edition. At all accounts, continue to enjoy the newest hymn tune from ReflectHymn! You can tell you have the latest because there’s a little “(b)” after the word “Family” on the Copyright notice.
I love the tune you’ve written! I like the sound by itself, and it fits the words well. Overall, the harmony sounds good as well (I especially like the second half of the second line), but there were a few notes that seemed slightly discordant to me. In the bass part: C# on the 1st line, 2nd measure; C# on the 1st line, 3rd measure; A on the 3rd line, 1st measure; and A on the 3rd line, 3rd measure. In the tenor part: F# on the 1st line, 7th measure.
I say this only as one who enjoys playing and singing hymns; I don’t consider myself an expert by any means.
I’m excited about what you’re doing here, and I’ll be looking forward to seeing future projects!
Dear Anna,
Thanks for your encouragement! This afternoon, I took some time at the piano to go over your “question notes”. A few of them are 1st or 2nd inversion chords, so it sounds “different” than having the root in the bass. Most of the ones you noted are either 7th or 9th chords with the 7th or 9th in the bass. There were a variety of reasons to do this:
1. Avoiding parallel 4ths, 5ths, and octaves.
2. Flow of the bass line.
3. Giving a richer harmonic texture.
4. I’m still learning how to write harmony!!! : )
I admit, harmony is a skill I’m still seeking to perfect. Lord willing, as the months go by, and more and more hymns are released here at ReflectHymn, the harmony should get easier to sing, tighter, and more and more correct. There may even be some revisions of the previous releases harmony. : )
Have you had opportunity to study the rules of writing harmony? It is a fascinating thing to learn if you have the chance.
Thanks for your wonderful questions!
In Christ,
Rebecca Loomis
The mp3 here is now a piano playing instead of a synthesizer.
I enjoyed your new version of Faith of Our Fathers. There is an excellent book out there called “Why Johnny Can’t Sing Hymns” that gives some sage advice on writing hymns that are acceptable for congregational singing. The book is written by T. David Gordon. You might it useful, if you haven’t already read it.
Keep up the good work. I look forward to hearing more.
Blessings,
Victoria
Dear Victoria,
We are so glad you enjoyed Faith of Our Fathers! Feel free to print it off and pass it around (church, friends, etc).
I’ve been hearing great feedback on the book Why Johnny Can’t Sing Hymns by T. David Gordon. I guess we’ll have to get ourselves a copy! By the way, I believe that Dad Serven knows T. David Gordon through seminary connections . . . it’s a small world!
Thanks for your encouragement,
Steven and Rebecca Loomis