I will go with the shepherds
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I want to go with the shepherds is a Christmas carol from the Minden-Ravensberger Lutheran revival movement . It is best known in Westphalia and has been in popular songbooks there since its creation and in the regional parts of church hymn books since 1929. Pastor Emil Quandt wrote the text, and the melody was composed by Pastor August Rische in 1885.
Origin and reception
Johann Heinrich Volkening (1796–1877), the leading figure in the East Westphalian revival, published the songbook Kleine Missionsharfe in church and folk tones for festive and extra-festive circles from 1852 onwards, which was reprinted in rapid succession for decades. The express purpose of the collection was to encourage the singing of popular Christian songs outside of church and worship.
With the 43rd edition in 1885, August Rische took over editorial responsibility for the mission harp . In the same edition, the song I will go with the shepherds appeared for the first time .
Since then it has been included in all editions of the missionary harp and has also been included in other domestic song collections. When the new Evangelical Hymnbook for Rhineland and Westphalia appeared in 1929 with the songs of the German Evangelical Hymn book as a main part, Mit den Hirten was included in the regional church song part in the category Spiritual folk songs - Not for the church service (Appendix No. 43). In the Evangelical Church Hymn book , which was only published for Rhineland-Westphalia- Lippe in 1969, it is marked in the table of contents as one of the songs that are “suitable for smaller children” (No. 412). In the regional church part of the Evangelical Hymn book it has the number 544.
content
The song is in the first person. In the first four stanzas, the singing person identifies himself with the main characters of the Christmas story , the shepherds, the angels, the wise men and Mary, in order to become similar to them in their respective roles. In the last stanza he turns to Jesus himself with the request to make his heart a manger for him.
melody
The melody follows the four-line, trochaic , pair of rhymed stanzas scheme in a simple, cantable syllabic . The double anapest in each line gives it exhilaration. The triple time is reminiscent of the traditional time signature of the Pastorella . Despite the harmonic simplicity - tonic, dominant and subdominant are sufficient for accompaniment - it is not without expressiveness due to the increase in the third line.
