The hymn we know as “All Glory, Laud and Honor” is known by most denominations as the Palm Sunday hymn. Why this hymn?
The text dates back nearly 1300 years, to Charlemagne’s time. Theodulph (760–821) was born into Italian nobility and entered a monastery in Florence, but Charlemagne made him Bishop of Orleans, France. When Charlemagne died, Theodulph was suspected of political loyalty to Italy. He was thrown into prison, where his faith sustained him. After writing the poem Gloria, laus et honor, he died in prison.
The tune we know as St. Theodulph, was written by Melchior Teschner, (1584–1635), a German composer who studied theology, philosophy and music. He became Kantor (choirmaster) first of a village church, and then in 1609, of the Protestant Kirche zum Kripplein Christi in Fraustadt, where he had been born. Valerius Herberger, the pastor with whom Teschner worked, wrote Valet will ich dir geben (I will bid you farewell) as a Sterbelied, a hymn text for those dying of the plague that he had survived. Teschner put the text to music. (The chorale melody, with some variations, was later used by Bach, Telemann and Max Reger.)
The translator of Theodulph’s text was John Mason Neale (1818–1866), a hymnographer and translator of hymn texts. Neale was a high church Anglican priest whose poor health allowed him time for scholarly activities. He was also the founder of the Society of St. Margaret, one of the first Anglican conventual sisterhoods, whose members tended to poor and dying villagers. He wrote a number of original hymns —“Good King Wenceslas” is the only real survivor—but his translation of more than 100 ancient and medieval hymn texts have held up under the scrutiny of time.
Theodulph died in prison; Teschner survived the plague years; Neale was never valued by his church. Yet our Palm Sunday hymn, “All Glory, Laud and Honor,” is the legacy of these three—a ninth-century poet, a 17th-century composer and a 19th century translator—all of whom were faithful to God in times of grave trial.
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