Rock of Ages (song)
Rock of Ages is an English spiritual song . The German translation is entitled Fels des Heils .
Text and melody
The text comes from the Calvinist preacher Augustus Montague Toplady and first appeared in Gospel Magazine in 1775 . A publication together with the melody composed by Thomas Hastings took place around 1830 .
The title Rock of Ages (“Rock of Eternity”) refers to God and in this respect ties in with Isa 26.4 LUT : “ Therefore rely on the Lord forever; for the Lord God is a rock for ever. “(Luther translation). In keeping with the tradition of the Calvinist doctrine of predestination , the text of the song then also emphasizes the overpowering role of God in salvation history : Man cannot be redeemed either through his own works or through faith , but only through God's - ultimately arbitrarily exercised - grace (“You must save, and thou alone "). Accordingly, he stands naked, helpless and empty-handed before the crucified Christ , hoping to be washed clean of his sins and to find refuge in God. Toplady thus contradicts the Methodist theology of his rival John Wesley , according to which man can gain God's grace not through works, but at least through faith.
History of origin
According to tradition, Toplady is said to have been inspired for his song by an incident in the Cheddar Gorge ( Somerset , England ). Toplady, a preacher from the nearby village of Blagdon , was caught by a storm while crossing the gorge. After he found shelter in a crevice, the title came to mind and he wrote the lyrics on the back of a playing card. The column still bears the name "Rock of Ages" and is also shown on some maps.
Impact history
The piece was one of the favorite works of the Prince Consort Albert , on whose deathbed it was also played. It was also performed at the funerals of British Prime Minister Gladstone in Westminster Abbey in 1898 and of American President Harrison in 1901.
In particular, Rock of Ages was taken up by gospel music . Today it is one of the central pieces of this music genre and in the repertoire of numerous performers and choirs. These include about Amy Grant , Johnny Cash , Tennessee Ernie Ford , Al Green , Jim Nabors , Mahalia Jackson , The Golden Circle Choir , The Chuck Wagon Gang , The Stanley Brothers or The Martins . Bob Dylan played the piece several times in his concerts in 1999 and 2000.
Web links
- Choir sheet music in German, English (.png, PriMus format) and midi
- Text and MIDI audio sample
- The story of Rock of Ages and a short biography of Toplady