September 2009

Great Hymns & their Writers: Be Still My Soul

Patricia Eadie

Be Still My Soul, written by Katherina von Schlegel, was introduced into the Church of Ireland repertoire in 1990 and so my familiarity is relatively recent. The music to which it is set is part of Sibelius's tone-poem Finlandia and I think it was to this I was first attracted. Jean Sibelius, Finland's most famous composer, wrote Finlandia in 1899 as the closing and culminating piece of a patriotic pageant staged to protest against press censorship imposed by the country's Russian rulers. The idea was to increase Finnish patriotism, and Finlandia became the symbol for Finland's struggle for independence. The chorale, like melody to which Be Still My Soul is set, comes after a turbulent passage played by the brass section of the orchestra, out of which the haunting air arises, started by the wind section and is later echoed by the strings.

The hymn was originally written in German by Katherina von Schlegel, a Pietist, born in 1697. She was thought to be either a Lutheran nun or a lady attached to the ducal court at Cothen. The German Pietistic Revival, similar to The Puritan and Wesleyan movements, reintroduced congregational singing at worship and Katherina wrote at least 20 hymns. Be Still My Soul is the only one to have survived. It was translated in the 19th century by Jane L Borthwick, who with her sister Sarah Findlater, translated and published over 120 hymns of Lutheran origin. Originally set to a different melody, this was changed to the Finlandia setting for the Presbyterian Revised Church Hymnary in 1927. Apparently its popularity was waning at that time and no doubt its current setting has helped its survival.

The words to me are particularly beautiful and moving. It illustrates the guidance and care of Jesus in times of trouble, grief, fear and pain. The gentle words evoke a smoothing of a turbulent soul and one cannot but feel calmer after reading or singing it.

‘Be still my soul: the winds and wave still know’ and ‘His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.’ It was also a favourite of the Olympian athlete, Eric Liddell. He rose to fame in 1924 when he refused to run on the Sabbath and was featured in the movie Chariots of Fire. He subsequently became a missionary in China and was incarcerated in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in World War II. It is said he taught this hymn to others in the prison camp, where he eventually died of a brain tumour.

The talents of three individuals, Katherina von Schlegel, Jean Sibelius and Jane Borthwick have combined to create what is to me the most beautiful hymn in the current Church Hymnal, one with the message that reminds us of the truth that we often need to remind ourselves of “They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength...." (Isaiah 40:31).

Patricia Eadie is a member of the choir of St Mary’s Howth

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