Let Us Break Bread Together

Text:

This hymn is a traditional spiritual, probably from the antebellum period in the American south. It may have been used by slaves to signal a secret gathering, since such assemblies were illegal. In that case, perhaps the original version of the song consisted of only the final stanza and the refrain. Some writers are of this opinion, and add that after the Civil War, the first two stanzas were added in order to make it a Communion hymn. However, an understanding of certain aspects of church history and tradition present another theory.

In the antebellum South, many slaves were required to attend church every Sunday at an early morning service, while their white owners attended the later service. The song refers to kneeling during Communion, which is common in certain liturgical traditions. It also refers to having one's “face to the rising sun.” Horace Boyer has pointed out that “it is an old tradition for Christian Churches to be aligned on an East-West axis so that early morning communion was always 'into the sun.' This was the tradition of Anglican church buildings almost universally until about 1800” (The Hymnal 1982 Companion, vol. 3A, p. 614). Therefore, it is possible that this song was first sung by slaves in Episcopal Virginia for whom the experience of taking Communion would have involved kneeling toward the rising sun.

The text in modern hymnals tends to be fairly stable, with three stanzas and a refrain. The first two stanzas are about the main theme of the hymn – Communion – and the third is about praising God, which is a natural response to understanding God's mercy and grace of which Communion should remind us. The first two lines of the refrain have been explained above, and the last line may be a reference to the Kyrie.

Tune:

The tune of this hymn developed with the words. It has an unusually large range for a spiritual of over an octave. A slow tempo is appropriate, with singing in unison. Try singing the first two lines of each stanza antiphonally.

When/Why/How:

This short Communion hymn can be combined with other related hymns or sung by itself. The hymn could be sung before Communion or as the bread and the wine is shared. A congregational accompaniment, including an alternate verse setting, is part of the collection “Laudes Domini.” There are many choral and instrumental arrangements suitable for use during a time of meditation. “Let Us Break Bread Together” is a medley of this spiritual with the modern tune BREAD OF LIFE for handbells with optional handchimes. A choral arrangement of “Let Us Break Bread Together” designed for Communion combines a setting of the Kyrie Eleison with this hymn in a simple texture and a devotional mood. A spirited arrangement titled “Let Us Break Bread” is for unaccompanied choir. “Spirituals for Piano” includes a setting of “Let Us Break Bread Together.”

Tiffany Shomsky
Hymnary.org