Chorale Services
The tradition of the Lutheran Chorale Service originated when Martin Luther used the words of the historical liturgy translated or paraphrased into the local vernacular language, set to the tune of familiar hymns and songs. Some of the first hymnals produced according this practice were published in 1524 AD. It was a way to maintian the rich practice of the western liturgical tradition, while making the language accessable and understandable for worshipers. In that same tradition, Lutherans (and other Christians) have often set the words of the liturgy to the tune of familar hymns in their own generation. This page features a number of such services, written and set to music by NALC Pastor Cathy Ammlung, based on public domain texts in English from the Book of Common Prayer.* Many thanks to Rev. Ammlung for her work on this!
Seasonal Orders of Worship:
Advent Season - Chorale Service
Christmas Season - Chorale Service
Epiphany Season - Chorale Service
Lent Season - Chorale Service
Easter Season - Chorale Service
General Orders of Worship:
Ordinary Time - Chorale Service 1
Ordinary Time - Chorale Service 2
Daily Prayer Services:
Morning Prayer - Chorale Service
Evening Prayer - Chorale Service
*Note: These links may be used to download the entire service in PDF format. The individual songs (words and music) used in these services can also be found seperately on the Hymns & Music section of the SOWeR website (Select: Theme = Liturgical as the filter). Active subscribers to SOWeR are given permission to download and reproduce these files for local use, with the appropriate attribution.
Some Words About These Documents from the Author:
The works above are hymn paraphrases of the liturgy (Holy Communion, Morning Prayer, and Evening Prayer) using the basic structural form as found in worship books like LBW, ELW, WOV, or LSB. However, in order to prevent copyright infringement, the texts of prayers, proper prefaces, etc., have either been taken or adapted from the copyright-free Online Book of Common Prayer (BCP), Biblical texts (of assorted translations), public-domain translations of, for example, the Hippolytan Canon (for a Eucharistic prayer), or my own creation. The paraphrases of the principal parts of the liturgy are my own creation, based on a respectful rendition of the historic texts. Hymn tunes are all in the public domain. (In at least one instance, I could not use a harmonization as that arrangement was copyrighted.)
The great majority of the hymns selected have meters that are extremely common, so that in addition to the hymn tunes I’ve selected, there are often several others that could be used if your congregation so desires. On the other hand, several of the tunes have been used in two or more orders of worship – either because they were such an excellent fit (such as the melodies for the Sanctus) or, more likely, because I ran out of energy scoring and “wording” them to different tunes.
Though these are Adobe PDF files, it should be easy for you to cut or paste – eliminating the Lenten Hymn, for example, replacing a Eucharistic Prayer with one of your own choosing, or using the setting of the Nunc Dimittis from the Epiphany service for, say, an All Saint’s Sunday worship folder. All I ask is that you not change the actual words of my hymn paraphrases, please.
- Pastor Cathy Ammlung