The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil,
for thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen. Amen.
The first three repeated notes of Albert Hay Malotte’s (1895–1964) setting of “The Lord’s Prayer” are among the most recognizable in church music. Although settings of this text from Matthew’s Gospel are numerous, Malotte captures both the intimacy of its petitions and the concluding grandeur of soaring praise before returning to a quiet “Amen.” Sung settings of the Lord’s Prayer are not new to church hymnody. Hymnals have long included the prayer set to Gregorian chant, an unmetered syllabic melody by John Merbecke (c. 1510–c. 1585), and multiple versions of the German hymn, Vater unser im Himmelreich. In contrast, rhythmic compositions on this text from churches in the Caribbean and Latin America enliven the prayer.
The composition was first published as a vocal solo in 1935. Congregational arrangements of Malotte’s “The Lord’s Prayer” have appeared in hymnals since 1976, when Fred Bock (1939–1998) arranged it for Hymns for the Family of God, a collection he edited.
Composer Albert Hay Malotte, a well-known concert and theater organist and a composer in the Disney organization in California, dedicated his setting of The Lord’s Prayer to his friend, American baritone John Charles Thomas (1891–1960). Thomas first recorded it in 1934 and introduced the solo on the radio.
Varying accounts exist concerning the origins of Malotte’s composition. One tells of a runaway choirboy pleading for train fare home and contemplating the words he knew from church in rhythm with the sounds of the train around him. Another tells of Malotte stepping into a church and praying for guidance before writing his setting. When asked why he set The Lord’s Prayer to music, Malotte replied, “You can’t answer a question like that intelligently—it came from within”. Another part of the tale of this setting’s creation follows the success of some of Malotte’s other compositions. He is reported to have asked an actor friend, “What would you think if I wrote music for The Lord’s Prayer?” His friend’s doubtful response led to his statement of conviction that he wanted to do it because “I feel so grateful to God”. Regardless of the song’s origins, it has been a success.
Malotte was born and raised in Philadelphia, where he was a choirboy in his father’s choir at St. James Episcopal Church. In addition to singing, he took piano and organ lessons from the church organist, Dr. William S. Stansfield, FRCO, FAGO, and later studied in Paris with Georges Jacob (1877–1950). He also was mentored by Victor Herbert (1859–1924). After moving to Hollywood in 1927, Malotte operated a short-lived school to train theater organists. He composed film scores for the Walt Disney organization and is credited with creating the music for eighteen Silly Symphonies, including “Ferdinand the Bull” and “The Ugly Duckling.” He also composed ballets, musicals, and popular songs. Malotte’s sacred music, in addition to “The Lord’s Prayer,” includes an oratorio, “The Voice of the Prophet,” and vocal settings of the twenty-third and ninety-first Psalms and the Beatitudes. Albert Hay Malotte suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in 1962 and died at his Hollywood home in 1964, following a period of ill health.
Since its introduction, Malotte’s “The Lord’s Prayer” has become the most popular vocal setting of this text. Many artists have recorded it, ranging from concert and operatic stars to popular singers, country and gospel singers, and solo instrumentalists. In addition to solo performances, Malotte’s setting was particularly well-known as a staple of the choral repertoire of the Billy Graham crusades and was invariably sung as an opening prayer by the Fellowship Choir of the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church of Chicago on their broadcast services with Pastor Clay Evans (1925–2019), the “What a Fellowship Hour.”
In addition to the vocal solo arrangements in several keys, choral settings in different voice combinations, keyboard solo settings, and instrumental, ensemble, and orchestral settings are also available. The G. Schirmer company originally published Malotte’s “The Lord’s Prayer” and continues to hold the copyright. It is clear from the range of recordings and editions available that Malotte’s work can be performed in many different styles and voicings and with great leeway in interpretation.
Blessings,
Dorene
Source: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-the-lords-prayer