Amen (Dresden)

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Amen, amen.

Music: attributed to Johann G. Naumann, 18th c.

            In Hebrew, the word Amen means "firm, established, certainly, assuredly;" in colloquial English it means "so be it," or "I agree." There are three different meanings of the word in the Hebrew scriptures:
    To confirm the acceptance of a task in faithfulness to God's will (1 Kings 1:36)
    To confirm the injunction of a divine curse (Numbers 5:22; Deuteronomy 27:15ff)
    To confirm a response of praise to God following a doxology (1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 41:13; 72:15; 106:48).
In all cases the congregation's "Amen" affirmed that God's judgments were truthful.

As an expression of affirmation, the use of Amen in Christian worship was borrowed from Jewish practice. It is most appropriately used as a response to prayer. Whenever Jesus use "Amen," it connoted that what he was about to say was true and binding. Paul used "amen" as a liturgical response, often concluding a statement of praise or thanksgiving (1 Corinthians 14:16; Galatians 1:5; Ephesians 3:21). Revelation uses "Amen" frequently as a response of praise.

The use of "Amen" in the Christian church ahs changed through the years. Often it its spoke by the congregation at the end of prayer, giving the congregation assent to the words spoken by the priest or minister. The congregation usually did not speak the word after a prayer it spoke in unison. During the 19th century "Amen"s were appended to most hymns whether they were prayers or doxologies. This overuse was not in keeping with the original meaning of the word.

In Hymnal: A Worship Book "Amen"s have been restored to their original purpose and are found:
At the end of plainsong melodies where they were part of the melody line (#27, 646)
At the end of a doxology, serving as the congregation's assent to God's praise (#118,119)
At the end of prayer hymns traditionally sung by choirs which may close a period of prayer (#23, 38, 538)
At the end of a hymn in which the composer wrote music specifically for an "Amen (#411, 602)

By deleting most "Amens" from the hymnal, we wished to respect the integrity of the original musical setting and to reclaim the appropriate use of "Amen" in worship.

The first two of the three "Amen" settings included in this hymnal are familiar to Brethren and Mennonites. This "Dresden Amen" (381) is attributed to Johann Gottlieb Naumann (1741-1801), a composer of operas and church music. It derives its name from the fact that it was used at the Royal Chapel in Dresden, Germany. Both Felix Mendelssohn and Richard Wagner incorporated its few measures into their longer works-Mendelssohn in his Reformation Symphony and Wagner in the opera Parsifal.
The origin of the "Threefold Amen" (382) is unknown, but it may be Danish since it has been widely used in the churches of Denmark. The third "Amen" (643), composed by Richard Proulx, comes from "Eucharistic Prayer for Children II," published in 1986. The cue notes at the beginning refer to the accompaniment found in the Accompaniment Handbook. Written in canon (round), this "Amen" contrasts in style to the other two. All three were chosen because they may be sung by both congregations and choirs.

from Hymnal Companion

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