
Born Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, April 4, 1863. Graduated from the Moravian Parochial School in 1879, and began teaching in Bethlehem. Organist of Trinity Church, Philadelphia (1881-84) and a student there under David D. Wood. Studied with Rheinberger in Munich, 1884-85, and after returning to America was organist of the Packer Memorial Church at Lehigh University (1887-1905). Organized the first choral societies in Bethlehem and Easton. With the Bethlehem society, presented the first complete performance of Bach's St. John Passion in 1888, the St. Matthew Passion in 1892, and the B-minor Mass in 1900. In 1905, moved to California, where he taught at the University of California (1905-11) and was organist of the First Congregational Church, Be… Go to person page >| Title: | PALMARUM |
| Composer: | John Frederick Wolle (1888) |
| Meter: | 8.8.8.8 |
| Incipit: | 12334 53777 5433 |
| Key: | d minor |
| Copyright: | Public Domain |
John Frederick Wolle (b. Bethlehem, PA, 1863; d. Bethlehem, 1933) was a descendant of the Moravian missionaries who founded Bethlehem in 1741. Wolle taught mathematics at the parochial school in that city. From 1881 to 1884 he was also the organist of Trinity Episcopal Church in Bethlehem. After going to Munich, Germany, to study the organ with Joseph Rheinberger, Wolle returned to Bethlehem to become organist at the Moravian Church and Lehigh University (1887-1905). In 1898 he founded and conducted the Bethlehem Bach choir, which gave the American premiere of J. S. Bach's B Minor Mass in 1900. Wolle taught music at the University of California from 1905 to 1911 and then returned again to live and teach in Bethlehem. He conducted Bach festivals at Lehigh (1912-1932) and promoted interest in Bach's choral works throughout the United States. A founder of the American Guild of Organists, he wrote organ transcriptions of orchestral compositions by Bach and Richard Wagner.
Wolle wrote PALMARUM in 1888 for the Central Moravian Church of Bethlehem; the tune was first published in the Moravian Offices of Worship and Hymns (1891). It was first used as a setting for "Ride On, Ride On in Majesty" (382), which explains the tune's title. Later it became associated with the missionary hymn "Fling Out the Banner." PALMARUM's ascending melodic phrases give the tune a confident cast. Repeated melodic notes require clear articulation in accompaniment. The alternate setting by Roy Hopp (PHH 11) provides a helpful descant for stanzas 2 and 4.
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1987
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