If Luther retained the ordinary of the mass, in 1526 he nevertheless created a metrical version, the Deutsche Messe, which could be easily sung by ordinary congregations. This is similar to what motivated the non-Lutheran reformers to versify the Psalms. Here is the metrical credo, We All Believe in One True God, which is sung here in the Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche in Berlin:
Here is Michael Praetorius’ arrangement of the Sanctus hymn, Isaiah Mighty Seer in Days of Old. I was unable to find a less ornamented and more straightforward rendition of this tune.
I have never experienced the celebration of Luther’s Deutsche Messe but would love to one day. Perhaps our resident Lutheran, Pastor McCain, could tell us where and when we would be most likely to hear this.
