Today’s hymn, picked for the Feast of the Transfiguration, is “Jesus on the mountain peak” by Brian Wren. Sung to the traditional tune ‘St Albinus’ (better known to the Easter hymn “Jesus lives!”), it is in four verses with alleluias, and tells the story of the appearance of Moses and Elijah to Jesus as described yesterday. The lyrics are in the first person plural, as “we” tell the story. “We” could be interpreted as the first disciples (Peter, James and John) or as us their successors who see by faith.
We can never know whether Jesus had control over the timing of this event, but the fact that he went up the mountain and took just his three closest disciples with him suggests that he knew that this, or at least some form of special spiritual experience, was about to happen. It appears in the three synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew and Luke) where they each put it after the feeding of the multitude, and after Peter has already declared his belief in Jesus as Messiah. What has been evidenced in Jesus’ miraculous works is now confirmed directly by the Father from heaven, so that these three at least can have been in no doubt afterwards of Jesus’ unique status. But like some of those he healed, they are told to keep silent, perhaps because he didn’t want to stir up opposition earlier than necessary.
I first came across this hymn at a conference of the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland, in a talk given by John Barnard on hymn tunes of the present century – in a slightly different version “Christ upon the mountain peak” it was paired with Peter Cutts’ tune “Shillingford”, a piece of 20th century serialism worthy of Paul Hindemith or Arnold Shoenberg*. Those without a strong constitution would have simply hated the whole effect, but I found it rather inspiring, and for me the setting of it to a traditional tune like “St Albinus” does cause it to lose some effect. Having said that, I haven’t the skill to play “Shillingford”, never mind also sing the hymn to it!
I don’t find that every text by Brian Wren scratches where I itch – but I like this one, and I think it does a fine job of combining the narrative of what is actually recorded in the bible accounts with the sense of awe, wonder, dread and terror which actually being there must have evoked. I take my hat off to Brian for it, and it certainly has the effect of bringing the Transfiguration to life for me.
Stephen is quite right that the “we” in the hymn raises questions: many of us think 2 Peter is pseudonymous, and there is the “we” right at its centre (2 Peter 1:18).
* Listen to “Shillingford” at: https://hymnary.org/media/fetch/199084 .