When I write that this song is pretty old, I actually mean old, not pre-1950.
‘Let Our Choir New Anthems Raise’ is a mid 19th century translation by John Mason Neale of a text from the 8th century by St. Joseph the Hymnographer. (Which I think is about the coolest name ever invented.)
Cyberhymnal has a page for the hymn here, along with another translation of the hymn by Neale titled Let Us Now Our Voices Raise.
The tune we used is the one most commonly associated with the Christmas song, Good King Wenceslas.
The most neglected aspect of contemporary western Christian worship is connection with Christians from past generations. Some Christians can’t stand it if their worship reminds them of the church ten years ago. Not only does this song reach back across the centuries, the song itself points us further back to the faithful example of the martyrs, (Scriptural or otherwise, I think, by allusion) and exhorts us to faithful trust in Christ.
I believe that Christian worship which will not affirm our links with past Christians is impoverished. To try and make this hymn sound contemporary defeats the purpose: worship cements our relationship with twenty centuries of Christians (and with God’s people who preceded them.)
Here’s the lyrics from Hymnary.org:
1.
Let our Choir new anthems raise:
Wake the morn with gladness:
GOD Himself to joy and praise
Turns the Martyrs’ sadness:
This the day that won their crown,
Opened Heav’n’s bright portal;
As they laid the mortal down,
And put on th’ immortal.
2.
Never flinched they from the flame,
From the torture, never;
Vain the foeman’s sharpest aim,
Satan’s best endeavour;
For by faith they saw the Land
Decked in all its glory,
Where triumphant now they stand
With the victor’s story.
3.
Faith they had that knew not shame,
Love that could not languish;
And eternal Hope o’ercame
Momentary anguish.
He Who trod the self-same road,
Death and Hell defeated;
Wherefore these their passions showed
Calvary repeated.
4.
Up and follow, Christian men!
Press through toil and sorrow!
Spurn the night of fear, and then,—
On the glorious morrow!
Who will venture on the strife?
Who will first begin it?
Who will seize the Land of Life?
Warriors, up and win it?
Hymns of the Eastern Church, 1866
The YouTube is a lovely guitar instrumental, just in case you’ve never heard the melody.
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