Early on November 9, 1632, the troops of King Gustavus Adolphus, the Lutheran monarch of Sweden, gathered for prayer. They were about to fight the Catholic forces of Albrecht von Wallenstein in the decisive Battle of Lützen, which would change the course of the Thirty Years’ War. Before the fighting began, the Lutheran soldiers with their chaplain, Jacob Fabricius, sang a hymn: “O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe.” This hymn was freshly drafted by Gustavus Adolphus, as legends have it, and then versified as three verses for singing by Fabricius. After praying the words “God is with us, and we with God— / Our vict’ry cannot fail,” King Adolphus rode out with his men, became separated in the smoke and fog, had his horse shot out from under him, received multiple wounds, and died on the battlefield. Though a tragedy from a human perspective, death was but the portal to eternal life, and King Adolphus gained the victory, though not perhaps in the way he expected.
The hymn “O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe” spread quickly as the last song of a beloved king, and the original three verses were expanded by 1673 to include twenty-five verses. The four that are sung today as LSB 666 correspond to a 1638 source, and the tune paired with it can be traced back to 1490. With its battle-rich imagery, the text is fitting not only as a hymn to prepare soldiers for war, but for all Christians to sing for comfort in the midst of the fight against evil. The students in Kammerchor have been learning settings of “O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe” by Michael Praetorius. Although Praetorius had the text of another hymn in mind for his settings, the music fits quite well for the text of “O Little Flock” and shows Praetorius’ skill at composition. In the days before surround sound speakers, people would have still heard aural wonders in works like this which were written for different choirs to be stationed in different balconies and positions. With eight different parts happening simultaneously, the setting of this hymn is both a challenge and delight, and the students have taken the challenge well. You can hear their work at the Spring Concert coming up on May 6.
O little flock, fear not the foe
Who madly seeks your overthrow;
Dread not his rage and pow’r.
And though your courage sometimes faints,
His seeming triumph o’er God’s saints
Lasts but a little hour.
Be of good cheer; your cause belongs
To Him who can avenge your wrongs;
Leave it to Him, our Lord.
Though hidden yet from mortal eyes,
His Gideon shall for you arise,
Uphold you and His Word.
As true as God’s own Word is true,
Not earth nor hell’s satanic crew
Against us shall prevail.
Their might? A joke, a mere facade!
God is with us and we with God—
Our vict’ry cannot fail.
Amen, Lord Jesus, grant our prayer;
Great Captain, now Thine arm make bare,
Fight for us once again!
So shall Thy saints and martyrs raise
A mighty chorus to Thy praise
Forevermore. Amen.
In Christ,
Miss Engwall
Painting: Death of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden at the Battle of Lützen by Carl Wahlbom, 1855
