In my very first post on this very sporadic blog, I wrote about “Der Friedensfürst,” a choral piece that has been a longtime favourite among certain groups of Mennonites, and which my extended family always used to sing at Christmas. That post got more comments than any other I’ve written—clearly, there were many others just as nostalgic about that piece as I was.
Since writing that post, I’ve learned a few things from my own research and from those who commented. Also, I recently discovered that if you ask ChatGPT about “Der Friedensfürst,” it cites my post (the fact that ChatGPT cited its sources was a pleasant surprise!). So I thought an update was in order.
“Der Friedensfürst” was written by Charles Eddy Leslie (1845-1893), an American composer and music teacher who published several collections of choral anthems. The German text is by E.C. Magaret (1845-1924), who wrote or translated the texts for all the music in Die Palme No. 3, the collection in which “Der Friedensfürst” first appeared. The collection was published in 1896 by the Chicago publishing house Meyer & Brother. Chicago was apparently home to many German-speaking immigrants; other publishers in that city, like Biglow & Main, also put out collections of German songs (for instance, Evangeliums-Lieder, which would be worth a post all by itself). What’s intriguing is that “Der Friedensfürst” was also published with text in English by Leslie, as “The Prince of Peace,” in Leslie’s Choral Anthems (The C.E. Leslie Publishing Co.). It’s difficult to say which version came first, since both collections were published in 1896. There are places where the English version reads better than the German, but in other places the reverse is true.
The fact that “Der Friedensfürst” was composed and published in the U.S. made me think that it came to Canada with Mennonites who immigrated here from the American Midwest in the early 1900s. I still think that’s possible, since the church where my mom grew up knew the piece from Die Palme No. 3. However, according to an article by Peter Letkemann in the Winter 2017 issue of Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian, “Der Friedensfürst” was also known to Mennonites in the Russian colonies as early as 1902, thanks to the work of Isaak Born (1853-1905). Born compiled several volumes of choral music for Mennonite church choirs and choral societies, with music chosen from over eighty songbooks that he ordered from the U.S and Germany. So this was definitely one route by which “Der Friedensfürst” came to Canada—crossing the Atlantic twice in the process.
Some of the comments on my earlier post also mentioned that “Der Friedensfürst” has long been popular among Mennonites in Paraguay. In fact, it’s included in their hymnal. A relative here in Winnipeg somehow got hold of a copy, and I was able to compare the two versions. The Paraguayan hymnal’s version is in a lower key, which makes it more suitable for congregational singing. The hymnal’s editors also made several changes to the text, mainly correcting the grammar—which, perversely, felt wrong to those of us who grew up on the earlier version!
But my family is getting used to the updated version, because we have begun singing “Der Friedefürst” again—not with extended family—those big gatherings don’t happen any more—but with immediate family and friends. And even though not everyone understands the German, we all have a rousing good time.