Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr

"Aleyne God yn der Höge sy eere" is the first Low German version of the later "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr" published in Joachim Slüter's Geystlyke leder (Rostock, 1531).[4][5] The first print in High German appeared in a hymnal by Valentin Schumann in Leipzig in 1539.[6] Text and melody of the hymn were published together for the first time in Johann Spangenberg's Kirchengesenge Deudtsch (Magdeburg 1545).[7]

In 17th-century Leipzig hymnals the German text of "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr" was attributed to Nikolaus Selnecker.[8][9] In his church history of Braunschweig, published in five volumes between 1707 and 1720,[10] Philipp Julius Rehtmeyer refers to a Latin document from 1600, which named Decius as the author of text and melody of both "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr" and "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig".[7] The creation of hymns by Decius is dated 1522/23,[11] before the first publications of hymns by Martin Luther (1524): thus these hymns belong to the earliest of the Reformation.[1][11]

As a hymn usually sung every Sunday, "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr" was often the basis for chorale preludes. Among those by Johann Sebastian Bach there are three in Clavier-Übung III (BWV 675, BWV 676 and BWV 677), and three others in the Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes (BWV 662, BWV 663 and BWV 664), and BWV 711 in Kirnberger Chorale Preludes.[14] Other composers from the 18th century or earlier set the hymn tune for organ including Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Georg Böhm, Christian Geist, Johann Peter Kellner and Melchior Schildt.[5]

Max Reger composed two chorale preludes, the first of his 52 chorale preludes, Op. 67 in 1902, and No. 2 of his 30 small chorale preludes, Op. 135a, in 1914. Charles Tomlinson Griffes wrote an organ piece in 1910.[5] Sigfrid Karg-Elert included a setting as No. 23 of his 66 Chorale improvisations for organ, published in 1909.[15] Ernst Pepping used it for the Gloria of his Deutsche Choralmesse, a six-part setting of 1928.[5] Contemporary organ settings were written by Aivars Kalējs, among others.[5]

Bach set the hymn as a four-part chorale, (BWV 260).[16] In his extant cantatas, the melody appears in association with Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein, BWV 128, for Ascension, and for Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt, BWV 112, a paraphrase of Psalm 23 by Wolfgang Meuslin, printed in 1530.[5]

Felix Mendelssohn included a setting of the hymn in his oratorio Paulus, as No. 3, the first chorale, following the overture and a chorus.[17]

• Becker, Hansjakob, ed. (2009). Geistliches Wunderhorn: Große deutsche Kirchenlieder (in German). C. H. Beck. pp. 106–108. ISBN 9783406592478. Archived from the original on 2017-04-10.
• Braatz, Thomas; Oron, Aryeh (2006). "Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr / The German Gloria (in excelsis Deo)". Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
• Dahn, Luke (2017). "BWV 260". bach-chorales.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
• Leahy, Anne (2011). Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr. pp. 179–218. ISBN 9780810881815. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
• Marti, Andreas (2000). Hahn, Gerhard; Henkys, Jürgen (eds.). 179 Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr. pp. 32–26. ISBN 978-3-52-550330-0. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
• Williams, Peter (2003). The Organ Music of J. S. Bach (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-89115-9.
• Zahn, Johannes (1890). Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder. Vol. III. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann. pp. 80–81.
• "Allein Gott in der Höh". hymnary.org. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
• "All glory be to God on high, Who hath our race befriended". hymnary.org. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
• Paulus: Oratorium. 1839. p. 3.