Concert Band

Let Us Rejoice!

by Anonymous

Grade 2.5 | 3 Mins

The hymn tune Lasst uns erfreuen is popular throughout the Christian world and first appeared in Geist­liche Kirch­en­ge­sängwhich was published in Cologne in 1623. The identity of the composer is unknown.

In the English-speaking world it is usually sung to the hymn All creatures of our God and King which is based on St. Francis of Assisi’s Can­ti­co di frat­re so­le (Song of Bro­ther Sun). He wrote this hymn short­ly be­fore his death in 1226, but it was not pub­lished for al­most 400 years. It was trans­lat­ed into Eng­lish by William Henry Draper (1855-1933) for a child­ren’s Whit­sun­tide fes­ti­val in Leeds, Eng­land and first ap­peared in the Pub­lic School Hymn Book in 1919.

This arrangement presents three contrasting verses and is effective as a concert piece as well as an instrumental interlude as part of a church service, particularly at Easter or Whitsun.