"You are more beautiful than these" is the work of sister SehLin, a Taiwanese Christian.
She is the founder of Lamb Music and an excellent singer. Many years ago, when I first heard this song,
I was deeply moved by its lyrics and melody, because Sister Lin used the praise in the new heavens and new earth from
the Revelation to set off the strong contrast between the sublime greatness and self-sacrifice of Christ:
Pearly Gates, Jasper Walls, New Heaven New Earth. All sorrow and pain have come to pass. Yet your scar still
remains a mark that will last. Your life-giving love how can one forget.
Our Utmost High King, the Lamb who once was slain. You are more beautiful than these.
The musical theme is repeated three times from the bass to treble of the violin and then takes on a new form of
melody in the middle : who can forget, who can forget. I transcript this main theme to play on the G-string in
order to bring out the power and depth of "You are more beautiful than these". Immediately after that, a changed
tone was developed and ends in treble notes.
Another verse of the lyrics also greatly motivated me:
Saints of all ages none will miss. Clad in pure white praising Your brand New Creation.
This shows that God's election never fails, and that I am still chosen when I am weak and defeated.
Ultimately, I will praise the Lord with all chosen people in the new heavens and new earth.
Thank God! As we are about to embark on our missionary journey, I had the opportunity to record this praise song
into a video. There is currently almost no violin version of this song. My prayer is through this video that more people
will come to know the great love of the Lord Jesus and remember His sacrificial love forever.
“你比这一切更美丽” 这首赞美诗是台湾基督徒林婉容姐妹的作品。林婉容姐妹是小羊诗歌的创办者与优秀歌手。多年前听到这首诗歌时就被它的歌词与
旋律深深打动，林姐妹用启示录新天新地中的赞美衬托出基督的崇高伟大与舍己降卑：
珍珠門碧玉墙新天和新地，疾苦悲痛都成為過去，但你的伤痕仍在永远为印記，捨命大爱有谁能忘記。
至高的君王曾被杀的羔羊，你比这一切更美丽。
“你比这一切更美丽” 这个音乐主题从低音到高音三次重复后，在展开部以崭新的形式出现：谁能忘记，谁能忘记。我把这个展开部的主旋改编到G-弦上来演奏，
衬托出 “你比这一切更美丽”中的力度与深度，之后马上换调在高音部结束。
另外一节歌词对我也有极大的激励：
历代众圣徒无一缺席，身穿白衣歌颂你新造的奇迹，救赎大恩有誰能忘記。
这表明神的拣选永不失效，在我最软弱，最失败的时候我仍是蒙拣选的。最终我将与所有蒙拣选的子民在新天新地赞美主。
感谢神！在我们即将踏上宣教旅程时我有机会把这首多年喜爱的赞美诗录制成视频。目前这首赞美诗的提琴版几乎没有。我的祷告
乃是通过这首赞美诗让更多的人来认识赞美主的大爱，永记他的救赎之恩。
Pie Jesu is composed by English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1985.The term Pie Jesu
is taken from the 13th century Latin poem Dies irae (the Day of Wrath), which means
merciful Jesus, holy Jesus. It means that in God's last great and terrible judgment, sinners
can only be saved and enjoy eternal rest by trusting in the Lamb of God. The unbelivers will
have no hope and rest. Holy, merciful Jesus and eternal rest are the central themes of this
hymn. The themes are repeated in different voices and forms. The soprano and the boy's
voices complement each other; and finally the chorus, in which all who have eternal rest in
Christ join to praise Holy Jesus, the Lamb of God. The whole hymn ends slowly after the
climax of the high notes, leading the heart into rest in Christ.
On Valentine's Day 2023 I had the opportunity to record this piece at the Knox Presbyterian
Church in Ottawa. The sky was clear that day, and the sun shone in from the high windows
of the church, making the church full of glory! May this piece once again draw our hearts to
the Holy Lamb, our Savior Jesus Christ, in whom we may find true rest, eternal rest.
Pie Jesu 是英国作曲家安德鲁.韦伯(Andrew Lloyd Webber)1985年的作品。Pie Jesu一词
取自13世纪的拉丁诗歌神的愤怒(Dies irae/the Day of Wrath), 意思是怜悯的耶稣,
神圣的耶稣。主题是在末日的大审判中人只有依靠神的羔羊才能得救, 得享永恒的安
息, 不信者将没有盼望和安息。神圣, 怜悯的耶稣与永恒的安息乃是这首诗歌的中心
主题。主题以不同的声部形式不断重复, 女高音与童音相互辉映；最后是大合唱, 所
有在基督里得享安息的人都来赞美神圣耶稣, 神的羔羊。整首曲目在推向高音后缓慢
结束, 使人心进入基督里的安息。
2023年的情人节我有机会在渥太华Knox的长老会教会录制的这首曲子。当天晴空万里
, 阳光从教会高高的窗户照进, 使教会充满荣耀！愿这首曲子再次把我们人心引向神
圣羔羊, 我们的救主耶稣基督, 在他里面得享真正安息, 永恒安息。
Frances Havergal is an English hymn writer. This hymn expresses her dedication to the Lord
based on her testimony：
“I went for a little visit of five days. There were ten persons in the house, some unconverted
and long prayed for; some converted, but not rejoicing Christians. He gave me the prayer:
‘Lord, give me all in this house.’ And He just DID! Before I left the house everyone had got a
blessing. The last night of my visit, after I had retired, the governess asked me to go to the
two daughters. They were crying, etc. Then and there both of them trusted and rejoiced. It
was nearly midnight. I was too happy to sleep, and passed most of the night in praise and
renewal of my own consecration; and these little couplets formed themselves and chimed in
my heart one after another till they finished with ‘ever, only, all for Thee’” (Lutheran Hymnal
Handbook, 486).
This hymn is a dedication prayer that God would both draw us closer to Himself, and use us
to bring others to Him. God calls us to a life of discipleship, and our only response should be:
Take my life and let it be; consecrated, Lord, to thee. Take my moments and my days; let
them flow in endless praise, let them flow in endless praise.
弗朗西丝··海弗格耳是一位英国圣诗作者。这首圣诗表达了海弗格耳奉献为主的心志，出自她
的一个生命见证：
“我去朋友家逗留了五天。房子里有十个人，他们当中有些人虽然长期祈祷但没有信主；有些
人信主了，但没有基督徒应有的喜乐。主就赐给我这样的祷告：“主啊，把这房子里的人都给
赐我。主应许了我的祈求！在我离开之前，每个人都得到了祝福。我逗留的最后一晚，在我离
开前，家教让我去看看两个女儿。她们在哭。就在那时，她们俩都信了主并欢喜起来。时间已
近午夜。我兴奋的睡不着觉，在赞美和圣洁奉献中度过了大半个夜晚；这些歌词的字句在我心
中一个接一个地跳了出来，直到以 ‘一切都歸於祢，從今日直到永遠“ 而结束’”（路德赞美诗手
册，486）。
这首赞美诗是一个奉献的祷告，祈求神既让我们更接近他，又使用我们把他人带到主面前来。
神呼召我们作门徒，这是我们应有的回应：
我一生求主管理，願獻身心為活祭；我雙手為主作工，因被主慈愛感動，因被主慈愛感動。
願我一生聽主命，放棄己見隨主行；我心成為主寶座，願你作王我心中，願你作王我心中。
'The Lord's Prayer' is composed by Albert Hay Malotte in 1935, is well loved by many and mighty used by God, especially in Billy Graham's evangelical meetings throughout the world.
The pinnacle of the song is at the end of the prayer phase 'forever': For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!
主祷文一曲为美国作曲家阿尔伯特·马洛特作于1935年, 很快为全世界大众所喜爱, 也被神祝福使用, 尤其是葛培理牧师的全球布道会。这首曲子的特点是在它的结尾突出了神国度, 权柄荣耀的永恒性：因为国度, 权柄, 荣耀全是你的, 直到永远。阿们!
The Variations on the Moses Theme was adapted by the famous Italian violinist Paganini based on the theme of the opera "Moses in Egypt" by the Italian opera composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini. Rossini's opera is divided into three acts: the first is God's plague on Egypt, the second is Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, and the third is crossing the Red Sea. Paganini's arrangement has five parts, all played on the G string of the violin, which is very difficult to play. Interestingly, Paganini placed the main theme of Crossing the Red Sea as the first part, which is repeated many times in different ranges, including harmonics. It expresses that Moses' prayer to God in the face of the Red Sea is repeated by the people of Israel: Moses prayed, the people prayed, and the interaction with each other was very beautiful, and finally the victory crossing of the Red Sea.
In addition to the difficulty of the G string, the harmonics also increased the difficulty of playing and also expressed the earnest of the Israelites' prayers to God. I have specially chosen the first part to share with you, which I think is the pinnacle of Rossini's opera, and the most melodic and beautiful part. The piano accompaniment is by my daughter Michelle.
摩西主题变奏曲是意大利著名小提琴家帕格尼尼根据意大利歌剧家安东尼奥·罗西尼"摩西在埃及"的歌剧主旋律改变而成。罗西尼的这部歌剧分为三幕: 第一幕是神对埃及的降灾, 第二幕是摩西带领以色列人离开埃及, 第三幕是过红海。帕格尼尼的改编有五段, 全部在小提琴的G弦上演奏, 难度很大。有意思的是帕格尼尼把过红海中的主旋律放在第一部分, 这部分的主旋律乃在不同的音域多次重复, 包括泛音。表明摩西在面对红海时向神的祷告, 重复的部分乃是以色列民众的附和：摩西祷告, 众人祷告, 彼此相互交接, 非常之美丽, 最后是过红海得胜。
帕格尼尼改变的特征除了G弦上的难度外, 还有泛音, 更增加了演奏的难度, 也表达了以色列人向神的祷告之难。我特别选择了第一段过红海与大家分享, 我认为这是罗西尼这部歌剧的高峰, 也是最具旋律性, 最优美的部分。钢琴伴奏为我的女儿咪雪。