As the new choir season gets under way each fall, many choral groups begin rehearsing anthems for two festive services: Reformation Sunday and Thanksgiving Day. Fortunately, a wealth of material is available for these two events. Many published anthems are based on familiar hymns associated with the Reformation and on traditional hymns of thanksgiving. You'll find some of those anthems listed on this page.
Many of the anthems in this list are hymn concertatos that feature the choir and organ, additional instruments, and congregational participation. Choir directors can use the hymn anthems that are not concertatos either in the usual way or as alternate stanzas during congregational singing.
All of the tunes and texts listed below are in at least one of the three new Reformed hymnals: Rejoice in the Lord, Psalter Hymnal, and Trinity Hymnal. All compositions are intended for SATB choir with organ unless otherwise noted. Those I have used with my choirs and recommend are marked easy, medium, or difficult. The remaining titles were taken from publishers' lists.
| REFORMATION | |||||
Tune |
Song Title |
Publisher |
Composer |
Instrumentation |
Difficulty |
| AURELIA | |||||
| "The Church's One Foundation" | Concordia, 97-5346 (choir pan, 98-2282) | Manz | oboe, brass quartet, congregation | ||
| G.I.A., G-2238 | Powell | congregation | |||
| Concordia, 98-2469 | Schalk | two trumpets, congregation | |||
| EIN FESTE BURG | |||||
| "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" | Concordia. 97-1412 (choir pan, 98-1417) | Bunjes | three trumpets, congregation | ||
| Augsburg, 11-2219 | Hopson | optional brass, timpani, congregation, no organ | easy/medium | ||
| Augsburg, 11-1441 | Johnson | trumpet, congregation | |||
| Concordia 98-1859 | Schein | SA or TB, organ, cello | medium | ||
| "Psalm 46" | Beckenhorst Press, BPII53 | Beck | congregation | medium | |
| KIRKEN | |||||
| "Built on the Rock" | Concordia, 97-4571 (choir part, 98-1635) | Bunjes | two trumpets, congregation | ||
| Augsburg, 11-0104 | Christiansen | a capella, baritone solo | |||
| Augsburg, 11-1322 | Nystedt | congregation | |||
| Concordia, 98-2345 | Wolff | brass quartet, congregation | |||
| OLD HUNDREDTH | |||||
| Oxford, 42 P 953 |
Vaughan Williams | trumpet, optional brass, congregation | easy | ||
| Stainer and Bell, 4011 |
Vaughan Williams | organ or piano | medium/difficult | ||
| ST. ANNE | |||||
| "O How Amiable" | Oxford, A 94 | Vaughan Williams | easy/medium | ||
| "Lord, Thou Hast Been Our Refuge" | G. Schirmer, 9720 |
Vaughan Williams | trumpet, added semi-chorus | medium/difficult | |
| ST. CATHERINE | |||||
| "Faith of Our Fathers" | G.I.A..G-2144 | Goemanne | optional two trumpets, congregation | ||
| SINE NOMINE | |||||
| "For All the Saints" | C.Fischer, CM 6637 | Rosenberg | easy | ||
| TOULON | |||||
| "God of the Prophets" | Concordia. 98-1647 | Bunjes | trumpet descant, congregation | easy | |
| THANKSGIVING | |||||
| DIX | |||||
| "For the Beauty of the Earth" | G.I.A., G-2253 | Goemanne | SAB, two trumpets, congregation | ||
| KREMSER | |||||
| "We Praise Thee, O God" | Augsburg, 11-1563 |
Johnson | SAB, trumpet, congregation | ||
| Mark Foster, MF 236 | Wolff | two trumpets | |||
| LOBE DEN HERREN | |||||
| "Praise to the Lord" | Concordia, 97-4450 (choir part, 98-1473) | Bunjes | trumpet, congregation | ||
| Arista, AE 109 |
Distler | a cappella | medium | ||
| G.I.A., G-2224 | Goemanne | one of two trumpets, congregation | |||
| Concordia, 97-5296 (choir part, 97-5297) | Manz | brass quartet, congregation | easy | ||
| Concordia, 97-4423 (choir pan, 98-1448) | Rohlig | flute, trumpet, no organ | |||
| NATIONAL HYMN | |||||
| "God of Our Fathers" | G.I.A., 2240 | Hopson | SAB, brass quartet, congregation | ||
| NUN DANKET | |||||
| "Now Thank We All Our God" | H.W.Gray, 1497 | Bach | easy | ||
| G.I.A., G-2553 | Carroll | three trumpets, congregation | |||
| Peters, 6588 | Willan | easy | |||
