God heeft het eerste woord

In 2013 a new hymnal was introduced for use in the PKN (Protestant Churches) of the Netherlands.

Many new hymns were added to the earlier edition of 1973, about three hundred and many other did not make the cut and were removed for various reasons.
Texts were renewed and new melodies chosen from different countries and Dutch poets and composers.

So in addition to my small series of preludes to the Psalms I intend to do a similar series but this time on hymns and preludes.
The idea is the same: present contemporary preludes to hymns, new or other, by Dutch composers.

As the hymn melodies will not always be known to the audience on the concert hall the order is now reversed: the hymn is played once or twice and then the prelude written to it, to give listeners unfamiliar with the hymn a chance to get aquinted with it first.

This first one was also the first one in the hymnbook of 1973: the text in Dutch means: God has the first and the last word in everything.
The hymn is no longer the first of the new hymnal as the 150 psalms are also regarded hymns in the new compilation but is the first hymn of the Christmas period.
The melody is by .Gerard Kremer, the text by Jan Wit
The prelude by Johan van Dommele

Johan van Dommele was the organist of the Eusebius Church in Arnhem (1959-1995)
Apart from that he was teaching at the Arnhem conservatory for organ and theoretical subjects. He later on became the director of the academy.

He was a churchorganist from his youth on and a master of improvisation. For the Dutch reformed churches he advised on organ restaurations and newly build projects. His compositions are played widely.