Creator Connection March 2023

Fellowship
Music Ministry
Theodulph - All Glory Laud and Honor
Hymns sometimes give an
extraordinary glimpse into history
and connect us with generations
now long past. The hymn always
sung on Palm Sunday is “All Glory
Laud and Honor.” It is one of those
hymns that comes from an amazing
period in history. It was written by an
abbot, who later became a bishop,
named Theodulph who lived from
about A.D. 750 until 818. He was
originally from Spain. Not terribly
much is known about him. But we
know a lot about his boss.
This was Charlemagne. Born
A.D. 742, became king of the
Franks in 768 when he was 26,
and died in 814 after ruling almost
half a century. He united the lands
that are now France, Western
Germany, Switzerland, Austria,
Holland, Belgium, and northern
Italy. He Christianized Saxony. He
conquered England piecemeal in
18 savage campaigns, only finally
succeeding after he converted the
English people of that region to
Christianity. He helped Spain fend
off the Saracens who were Muslims,
and who were set to invade Western
Europe. Charlemagne advanced
education, and reformed the laws,
economy, and culture of Europe.
He was a visionary. There is a
description of his height—“It is well
known his height was seven times
the length of his foot.” (This is not
helpful if you don’t know how long
his foot was.) Elsewhere it says he
was well over 6 feet tall. He was
known as a ‘doer’ not a ‘thinker.’ He
seems to have known his strengths;
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and when he needed help for his
weaknesses, he found the best
minds he could. His counselors
came from all over Europe and the
British Isles. He reigned for 46 years
over a government that was known
to be firm and usually benevolent.
He was a very determined man.
Charlemagne found and
recruited Theodulph from Spain
when his British philosopher/
theologian Alcuin died. Theodulph
became a member of his small
intellectual circle at court.
Charlemagne recruited him not
only to be a religious leader, but
also to build churches. Theodulph
built the churches, some of which
are still standing. Charlemagne
favored church architecture that
would impress and inspire, but
also rival and suggest the glorious
buildings of ancient Rome. (This
style of architecture is known as
Romanesque). The churches are
beautiful.
Theodulph also advocated
high morals and reformation of the
clergy. But reformers are not always
popular, and after Charlemagne’s
death, Theodulph was falsely
accused of conspiring with King
Bernard of Italy. In A.D. 818 he
was put into prison in Angers, a
city south of Paris. The story is that
either he from his dungeon window,
or his choristers instructed by him
sang this hymn to the new king as
he rode by. The legend is that the
king, Louis I, was so moved, he
immediately released Theodulph.
(Charlemagne had 3 sons. Two
died during Charlemagne’s lifetime,
and Louis was his only surviving
child. He was sadly a rather
ineffectual king and lost his father’s
empire.) Theodulph did not live long
after this and died only 3 years after
Charlemagne, it is said of poison.
“All Glory Laud and Honor,”
which originally had almost a
hundred verses, was used in
connection with processions sung
outside at the city gates on Palm
Sunday, with the people singing
and carrying palms. Places such
as Rouen, and Tours in France,
and Hereford in the U.K. are among
those mentioned where this hymn
was used and there were special
processions. The tune we know
was added in 1615. It is sung as a
chorale in Bach’s St. John Passion.
I have tried to think what great
leader compares to Charlemagne.
Do Alfred the Great, Napoleon,
George Washington, Lincoln, or
Churchill? When you sing this
hymn on Palm Sunday, ask yourself
what words you would have written
to remember and honor Jesus’
procession through Jerusalem,
and also honor a great leader and
friend? These are pretty, amazing
words!
It is a kind of miracle to me that
a hymn written 1200 years ago is
still sung on Palm Sunday, and we
still process around churches and
parking lots singing and waving
palms. And that everyone still
knows the words and the tune.