The rhythm of Reformation

As tomorrow marks the 492nd anniversary of the event that traditionally marks the beginning of the Reformation, I thought it appropriate to post the following choral rendition of Luther’s Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott, sung in its original syncopated rhythm.

This hymn is, of course, a free paraphrase of Psalm 46 with a christocentric focus. The nonlutheran Reformers generally versified the psalms while sticking more closely to the original texts. Here is an example from the Genevan Psalter: Psalm 46, sung by the 270-year-old Debrecen College Cantus of Debrecen, Hungary, a choral group that deserves more recognition on this side of the pond.