Herr Jesu Christe, mein getreuer Hirte

Herr Jesu Christe, mein getreuer Hirte. Johann Heermann* (1585-1647). First published in Heermann’s Devoti Musica Cordis (Breslau and Leipzig, 1630). It was entitled ‘Vom heil. Abendmahl’. It had nine 8-line stanzas, with the note that ‘Kyrieleison’ should be sung after the fourth and the last line of each stanza. In EG, where it appears in the ‘Abendmahl’ (Holy Communion) section, this has been added, making 10-line stanzas. The four-stanza text at EG 217 omits stanzas 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9. It begins with Christ as the faithful shepherd (‘getreuer Hirte’), but becomes a fine hymn for Holy Communion, maintaining (stanza 2) that all other food and drink is superseded by Christ himself, the bread...