A Hymn for Easter: Christ is Risen! (Cristo vive!)

Text: Nicolas Martinez; Translated: Fred Kaan; Tune: Pablo Sosa

One does not have to look far when researching Fred Kaan to realize he played a major role in influencing twentieth century hymnody on a global scale. Kaan’s texts appear in multiple American hymnals, but his texts also occur in international hymnals, such as: Australian Hymnal (Australia), Cantate Domino (England), Magnificat for a New Millennium (Norway), New Songs of Asian Cities (Hong Kong), Thuma Mina (Germany), and Voices United (Canada). Understanding the breadth of influence Kaan had on twentieth century hymnody is important in understanding the text for this post.

Fred Kaan

Kaan began his ministry as a pastor at Pilgrim Church in Plymouth, England in 1963. His hymn-writing journey transpired from his career in the pulpit because he often composed texts that would complement his sermons. He stated that, “As I found myself more and more frustrated or bored or even angry at not finding what I felt we needed…I would reluctantly sit down and stammeringly write my own text, generally late on Saturday night or early on Sunday morning.”[1] As Kaan expanded his hymn repertoire, he eventually published Pilgrim Praise for his home church, which then led to commissions from fellow ministers and clergy.

Kaan typically wrote and translated hymns to bring awareness of the social and political issues of his day, which helped him break down denominational barriers and allowed his hymns to be published in a variety of ecumenical hymnals. This focus on a broad Christian culture also allowed him entrance into various countries and societies, furthering his influence on twentieth century hymnody by having his hymns published in multiple languages. Throughout his career, Kahn held such employment as: Minister and General Secretary of the International Congregational Council in Geneva, Switzerland; Executive Secretary for World Alliance of Reformed Churches; Co-producer of monthly radio program Intervox, broadcast from Geneva; and Moderator of the West Midlands Province of the United Reformed Church in the UK.

Fred Kaan translated the original text to Christ is Risen from the Argentinian poet Nicolas Martinez. Martinez’s hymn first appeared in the hymnal Cantico Nuevo in 1960[2], and later in the ecumenical hymnal Cantate Domino, 1974 edition.[3] Kaan worked on staff with the editors of the 1974 edition of Cantate Domino to bring the hymnal to fulfillment. He held Cantate Domino in such high regard that in a personal interview published in The Hymn journal, Kaan stated, “No hymnbook committee nowadays ought to undertake its work without taking cognizance of Cantate Domino.”[4]

Christ is Risen

Christ is Risen is in 8.7.8.7.D. meter and uses the tune CENTRAL by Pablo Sosa, also from Argentina.[5] This hymn is a celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter morning and is jubilant in nature. In 1962, the year Martinez’s hymn was first printed, there was a military coup in Argentina in which members of governmental offices were overthrown and the country was thrust into chaos.[6] This hymn of celebration was written during a dark time in Argentina’s history and possibly helped provide hope for Christians living in an unsettled environment. Interestingly, the tune CENTRAL is in E minor, which almost seems to offset the triumphal text. When discussing the marriage of text and tune in Argentinian culture, C. Michael Hawn states, “There is much more going on than the literal communication of a text. There is a paradox of a simultaneous identification with pain, struggle, and oppression on the one hand and the celebration of liberation on the other.”[7]

Christ is Risen is based on 1 Corinthians 15:12–23, where Paul discusses Christ being resurrected from the grave. The first verse proclaims the resurrection narrative found in the Gospels, as well as 1 Corinthians. After celebrating Christ being risen from the grave, the verse references Acts 2:24 that, “God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (NIV) There is a direct implication to Luke 24:1–6 when the angels appeared to the women at Jesus’ tomb and said, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” (v.5–6, NIV)

Verse 1

Christ is risen, Christ is living
dry your tears, be unafraid!
Death and darkness could not hold him,
nor the tomb in which he laid.

Do not look among the dead for
one who lives for evermore;
tell the world that Christ is risen,
make it known he goes before.

The second verse of Christ is Risen alludes to many Biblical references. The first is almost a direct quote from Jesus in John 14:19, “Because I live, you also will live.” (NIV) The second reference in this verse is of Adam and the fact that through his sin, death entered God’s creation. But the response in the next line states that, “in Christ we live again,” because Christ’s death ultimately brought life for all who believe. The verse ends with the proclamation that Christ has conquered death, and according to 1 Corinthians 15:56–57, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”

Verse 2

If the Lord had never risen,
we’d have nothing to believe.
But his promise can be trusted:
‘You will live, because I live’.

As we share the death of Adam,
so in Christ we live again.
Death has lost its sting and terror.
Christ the Lord has come to reign.

The third verse reiterates the celebration that death has lost its power through Christ and that Jesus is the true Adam in that he is “the firstborn of the living.” The stanza progresses to thankfulness for the hope we have in Jesus, and ends with praising Christ for the eternal life we have in Him.

Verse 3

Death has lost its old dominion,
let the world rejoice and shout!
Christ the firstborn of the living
gives us life and leads us out.

Let us thank our God who causes
hope to spring up from the ground.
Christ is risen, Christ is giving
life eternal, life profound.

Using Christ is Risen in Corporate Worship

This hymn would be appropriate in an American service for a contemplative moment of reflection on Christ’s sacrifice. Due to its minor key, it allows for more poignancy in character while still enabling fellow believers to profess through congregational singing that their Lord is risen. Christ is Risen transcends national boundaries with its original Spanish text and English translation, to allow usage in hymnals world-wide. This hymn appears in eleven hymnals, including the 1991 Baptist Hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book, the Presbyterian Hymnal, Praise y Adoración, and the United Methodist Hymnal.[8] As Kahn said, “With the world shrinking all the time and the sense of nearness becoming more pronounced, we ought to put alongside our national hymnody, with its own cultural diversification, the international hymnody of the church universal. There’s a greater opportunity for doing this now than we’ve ever had before.”[9]

[1] Fred Kaan, “My Hymn-Writing Journey,” The Hymn, 47 no. 3 (1996): 15.

[2] C. Michael Hawn, New Songs of Celebration Render: Congregational Song in the Twenty-First Century (Chicago: GIA Publications, 2013), 274.

[3] The Only Earth We Know: Hymn Texts by Fred Kaan (Illinois: Hope Publishing, 1999), 117.

[4] Harry Eskew, “An Interview with Fred Kaan,” The Hymn, 31 no. 4 (1980): 239.

[5] The Hymn Texts of Fred Kaan (Illinois: Hope Publishing, 1985), 13.

[6] Peter G. Snow, “Parties and Politics in Argentina: The Elections of 1962 and 1963,” Midwest Journal of Political Science, 9 no. 1 (1965), 1–36.

[7] C. Michael Hawn, Gather Into One: Praying and Singing Globally (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003), 50.

[8] Hymnary.org. https://hymnary.org/text/christ_is_risen_christ_is_living (accessed 27 February 2019).

[9] Eskew, 239.