This is a setting of an old Swedish hymn tune for flute and cello. Could also be used with violin and cello, oboe and bassoon, or other soprano and bass instrument combinations. It might even work as a two-part invention for piano.

The hymn tune itself is a bit of a mystery. There do not even seem to be many theories as to who wrote it or when, simply that it seems to have come from Sweden.

The lyric most closely associated with this tune in English is by Peter Achan and translated to English by Karl Olsson.

O let your soul now be filled with gladness,
Your heart redeemed, rejoice indeed!
O may the thought banish all your sadness,
That in His blood you have been freed,
That God's unfailing love is yours,
That you the only Son were given,
That by His death He has opened heaven,
That you are ransomed as you are.

If you seem empty of any feeling,
Rejoice, you are His ransomed bride!
If those you cherish seem not to love you,
And dark assails from every side;
Still yours the promise, come what may,
In loss and triumph, in laughter, crying;
In want and riches, in living dying,
That you are purchased as you are.

It is a good, every good transcending,
That Christ has died for you and me!
It is a gladness that has no ending
There in God's wondrous love to see!
Praise be to Him the spotless Lamb,
Who through the desert my soul is leading
To that fair city of joy exceeding,
For which He bought me as I am!

You are certainly welcome to use the first line, O Let Your Soul Now Be Filled With Gladness, as an alternate title for this piece.

MP3 sound sample: Entire piece (synthesizer/midi).



SWEDISH FOLK MELODY arranged by Tom Kirkland for Flute and Cello, comes in a pdf file of 509K, with a four-page score, two two-page parts, and a license page, nine pages in all. Performance time should be approximately 3:00.