"Was mein Herz schwer macht" (What makes my heart heavy) is a 2001 Christian song with text by
Eugen Eckert, with a melody by Jürgen Kandziora. The
hymn of the genre
Neues Geistliches Lied is contained in several hymnals and songbooks.
History
The text "Was mein Herz schwer macht" was written by the Protestant theologian and pastor
Eugen Eckert[1] from
Frankfurt.[2] The melody was composed by Jürgen Kandziora.[1]
The song has four stanzas, bringing sorrows and shortcomings before God in hope of his mercy. All stanzas end with the line "Gott meines Lebens, erbarme dich" (God of my life, have mercy). The melody is in a triple time, beginning in E minor and ending in G major.[2]
A four-part setting for men's chorus by Kandziora was published by
Dehm Verlag in 2003.[3] The song is contained in the regional section of the Gotteslob in the
Diocese of Limburg as GL 833,[2] in hymnals for young people and in several songbooks, including Auf dem Weg durch diese Nacht.[1] It can be sung for the
Kyrie of the mass, and has also been recommended for funerals.[4]