This Joyful Eastertide
This joyful Eastertide
The hymn proclaims the central Christian conviction of Christ's resurrection as the foundation of redemption and hope, emphasizing the victory over sin and death that defines Easter faith. In Lutheran theology, this resurrection hope anchors believers' confidence in justification and eternal life through Christ alone.
History & Background
Written by English hymnodist George Ratcliffe Woodward in 1902, this hymn first appeared in The Cowley Carol Book. It became widely adopted in Lutheran hymnals throughout the 20th century, particularly valued for its joyful Easter proclamation and singable melody.
George R. Woodward (b. Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, Scripture References 1848; d. Highgate, London, England, 1934) wrote the text of st. 2 = 1 Cor. 15:51-52 this Easter carol to fit the VRUCHTEN tune. The text expresses ref. = 1 Cor. 15:14,20 the joy Christ’s resurrection brings to believers (st. 1); thatjoy provides a sense of security throughout our lives (st. 2) and gives confidence even in the face of death (st. 3). The hymn was first published in Woodward’s Carolsfor Easter and Ascension (1894), which later became a part of the 1902 edition of his famous Cowley Carol Book. Educated at Caius College in Cambridge, England, Woodward was ordained in the Church of England in 1874. He served in six parishes in London, Norfolk, and Suffolk. He was a gifted linguist and translator of a large number of hymns from Greek, Latin, and German. But Woodward’s theory of translation was a rigid one—he held that the translation ought to reproduce the meter and rhyme scheme of the original as well as its contents. This practice did not always produce singable hymns; his translations are therefore used more often today as valuable resources than as congregational hymns. With Charles Wood he published three series of The Cowley Carol Book (1901,1902, 1919), two editions of Songs of Syon (1904,1910), An Italian CarolBook (1920), and the Cambridge CarolBook (1924). Much of the unfamiliar music introduced in The English Hymnal (1906) resulted from Woodward’s research. He also produced an edition of the Piae Cantiones of 1582 (1910) and published a number of his translations in Hymns of the Greek Church (1922). 562 EASTER Time VRUCHTEN is originally a seventeenth-century Dutch folk tune for the love song “De liefde Voortgebracht. ” It became a hymn tune in Joachim Oudaen’s David’s Psalmen (1685) as a setting for “Hoe groot de vruchten zijn.” The tune is distinguished by the melismas that mark the end of stanza lines and by the rising sequences in the refrain, which provide a fitting word painting for “arisen. ” Although the melody has a wide range, it has become a popular Easter carol in modern hymnals. The harmonization by Dale Grotenhuis makes for glorious part singing (many hymnals use a harmonization by Charles Wood). Use medium organ accompaniment, possibly with a trumpet stop or real trumpets.
Hymnal Appearances
- Chalice Hymnal — 227
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 391
- Glory to God — 248
- The Hymnal 1982 — 193
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 149
- Lutheran Service Book — 482
- Lift Up Your Hearts — 189
- Lutheran Worship — 140
- New Century Hymnal — 240
- Psalter Hymnal — 403
- Voices Together — 275
- With One Voice — 676
Liturgical Use
Easter season; funerals.
Bulletin Note
Written by English hymnologist George Ratcliffe Woodward in 1902, this Easter hymn draws on the Dutch tune VRUECHTEN (meaning 'fruits') and has become a staple of modern Protestant worship for its direct proclamation of resurrection hope.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies the Lutheran heart of Law and Gospel: it names death and sin's power, then pivots entirely to Christ's resurrection as the sole ground of our justification and eternal life.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Of Justification Augsburg Confession
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: From natural resurrection imagery (stanza 1) through Christ's death and resurrection (stanzas 2-3) to personal spiritual renewal (stanza 4); Law gives way to Gospel's transformative power
Themes
Resurrection joy Victory over death Christian hope Easter celebration Redemption through Christ