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O Love, How Deep,
How Broad, How High 
Composer Alfred V. Fedak
Text Thomas à Kempis
Voicing SATB, cong., organ, opt. brass & timpani
Church Season Lent, Easter Topics Life of Christ
Length 5' 10" Price $2.25 (U.S.) Released 12/93
Catalog no. 425-339 Difficulty Moderately difficult
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Reviews
"Using both tunes associated with this text, DEO GRACIAS and DEUS TUORUM MILTUM, Fedak has fashioned an exciting concertato which portrays both the darkness of Lent and the glory of Easter. Scored for congregation, SATB choir, brass, timpani, and organ, it starts with a rather severe, somewhat extended prelude which introduces DEO GRACIAS. The first four stanzas are sung to this tune, utilizing stanzas for both everyone and choir alone. An interlude follows which introduces DEUS TUORUM MILITUM. Stanzas five through seven, reflecting the Easter events, are sung to this tune by everyone. Quite an effective setting of this hymn."-The Hymn, October 1993
"Alfred V. Fedak has produced an engaging 'concertato' arrangement of 'O love, how deep' (Thomas á Kempis, trs. B. Webb) for SATB choir, congregation, organ and optional brass and timpani. After an extended introduction, vv. 1-4 are partnered by varied settings of DEO GRACIAS (Agincourt Song): then an instrumental interlude leads into DEUS TUORUM MILITUM at 'For us he rose from death again.' The congregational part, separately printed on the back page, may be photocopied, provided that sufficient copies have been purchased for the choir." -Bulletin of the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland, July, 1994.
"there is Alfred Fedak's equally definitive festival setting of O Love, how deep, how broad, etc.' It sounds hokey, but he uses both DEO GRACIAS (stanzas 1-4) and DEUS TUORUM MILITUM (stanzas 5-7) with really stunning results. Fedak's restraint is telling and his pacing is so exquisite that by the simple substitution of a V7 of IV chord (for the colorful major III chord we expect five measures from the end), the piece's climax is made from the inside out, as opposed to the imposition of increased volume and slower tempo only."-AAM Journal, February 1995.
Description An extraordinary setting of an extraordinary hymn. Fedak uses the tunes DEO GRACIAS and DEUS TUORUM MILITUM to reflect the story of Christ's Incarnation, Life, Crucifixion, and Resurrection.
Anthem text
O Love, how deep, how broad, how high,
how passing thought and fantasy,
that God, the Son of God should take
our mortal form for mortals' sake.
For us baptized, for us he bore
his holy fast and hungered sore.
For us temptations sharp he knew,
for us the tempter overthrew.
For us he prayed, for us he taught,
for us his daily works he wrought,
by words and signs and actions,
thus still seeking not himself but us.
For us to evil pow'r betrayed,
scourged, mocked, in purple robe arrayed.
He bore the shameful cross and death,
for us gave up his dying breath.
For us he rose from death again;
for us he went on high to reign;
for use he sent his Spirit here
to guide, to comfort and to cheer.
All glory to our Lord and God
for love so deep, so high, so broad;
the Trinity whom we adore
forever and forevermore!
O love, how deep, how broad, how high,
how passing thought and fantasy,
that God, the Son of God, should take
our mortal form for mortals' sake.
Text: Thomas á Kempis; tr. Benj. Webb, J.M. Neale, alt.
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