Program Notes

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, or as it is otherwise known, “Ein Feste Berg ist unser Gott” is one of the most beloved and solid long lasting hymns of all humanity. This is shown by a strong desire over the years to continue to retranslate the original text (over 75 times just in English alone) into many different languages around the world.

Martin Luther 1483-1546) the German monk and Catholic priest who was predominantly known for his 16th-century Christian movement, “The Protestant Reformation”, wrote the lyrics for “Ein feste Borg ist unser Gott” (which he set to his own melody) in 1528. This was roughly 11 years after he nailed to the door of the Castle Church of Wittenberg, his infamous Ninety-Five Theses, regarding the disputes over abuse from clergy within the Catholic Church.

Martin Luther’s main emphasis and inspiration for A Mighty Fortress Is Our God was gathered from Psalm 46. Psalm 46 focuses on how God, no matter what happens in our lives is our refuge and strength, He is ever present and will always be there for us, as a bastion of strength and protection, a “Mighty Fortress”.

This particular arrangement by Franz Waxman and Hugo Friedhofer for the 1943 Warner Brothers film Edge of Darkness, staring Errol Flynn, Ann Sheridan, Walter Houston, Judith Anderson, Ruth Gordon, directed by Louis Milestone, offers an exciting showcase for this spectacular hymn. It is very cinematic sounding in nature:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work as woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be loosing;
Would not the right man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And through the world, with devil’s filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness gram, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God is truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.