Handbook to
The Mennonite Hymnary
_By_
Lester Hostetler, B. D.
Coeditor, _The Mennonite Hymnary_
General Conference of the Mennonite Church of North America
Board of Publications
Newton, Kansas
1949
Copyright, 1949, by the General Conference of Mennonites,
Board of Publications
Printed by the Brethren Publishing House, Elgin, Illinois
TO
ALL WHO LOVE THE HYMNS OF THE CHURCH
AND
DESIRE TO SING THEM
WITH
THE SPIRIT AND THE UNDERSTANDING
THIS BOOK
IS DEDICATED
IN
GRATITUDE AND LOVE
CONTENTS
PAGE
PREFACE ix
EXPLANATORY NOTES xi
INTRODUCTION TO OUR HYMNS AND TUNES xii
NOTES ON THE WORDS AND MUSIC OF THE HYMNS
HYMNS
WORSHIP
Praise and Adoration 1-18
Morning 19-27
Evening 28-40
Close of Worship 41-45
GOD THE FATHER
His Majesty and Power 46-47
Maker of Heaven and Earth 48-53
His Love and Mercy 54-64
JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD
His Advent 65-69
His Birth 70-86
His Epiphany 87-91
His Life and Ministry 92-99
His Triumphal Entry 100-101
His Passion 102-112
His Resurrection 113-116
His Ascension 117-124
His Coming Again 125-130
THE HOLY SPIRIT 131-139
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
The Call of Christ 140-144
Penitence and Confession 145-147
Faith and Vision 148-154
Peace and Joy 155-159
Guidance and Protection 160-169
Love and Gratitude 170-179
Prayer and Communion 180-189
Loyalty and Steadfastness 190-194
Trials and Temptation 195-198
Aspiration and Hope 199-204
Purity and Uprightness 205-211
Consecration and Stewardship 212-220
Service and Brotherhood 221-231
Inner Life 232-239
HYMNS OF COURAGE AND COMFORT 240-259
THE LIFE ETERNAL 260-266
THE KINGDOM OF GOD 267-272
THE CHURCH
General 273-277
The House of God 278-282
The Lord’s Day 283-288
The Holy Scriptures 289-292
The Ministry 293-297
Sacraments and Rites
Consecration of Children 298-300
Baptism of Believers 301-302
The Lord’s Supper 303-311
Marriage 312
Burial of the Dead 313-316
The Communion of Saints 317-319
Church Unity 320-323
CHRISTIAN MISSIONS 324-342
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LIFE
The Nation 343-349
World Friendship and Peace 350-357
THE CHRISTIAN HOME AND FAMILY 358-363
SPECIAL SERVICES
Mother’s Day 364
Farewell Service 365
Our Forefathers 366-369
Hospital Sunday 370
Temperance Sunday 371
Labor Day 372-374
THE SEASONS
Harvest and Thanksgiving 375-378
New Year 379-383
Winter 384
Spring 385
Summer 386
Autumn 387
SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES 388-390
YOUTH 391-402
BOOK TWO
HYMNS FOR CHILDREN
{Praise} 403-405
{Nature} 406-410
{Christmas} 411-414
{Easter} 415
{Loyalty and Consecration} 416-421
{Prayer} 422-435
{Missions} 436
BOOK THREE
GOSPEL SONGS 437-504
BOOK FOUR
THE CHURCH YEAR IN CHORALES
Call to Worship 505-508
Praise 509-520
Advent 522-524
Christmastide 525-527
(New Year) 528
Epiphany 529-530
Lent 531-540
Eastertide 541-545
Whitsuntide 546-548
The Church and Missions 549-552
{Morning} 553-555
{Evening} 556-557
General 558-574
BOOK FIVE
METRICAL PSALMS 575-600
BOOK SIX
RESPONSES, CHANTS, DOXOLOGIES, AND AMENS
{Responses} 601-609
{The Lord’s Prayer} 610
{Offertories} 611-612
{Benedictions} 613-614
{Doxologies} 615-618
{Amens} 619-623
PAGE
PRINCIPAL WORKS CONSULTED 395
INDEXES
(1) Index of Scripture Texts 400
(2) Topical Index of the Metrical Psalms 402
(3) Composers and Sources of Tunes 402
(4) Authors, Translators and Sources 407
(5) Alphabetical Index of Tunes 412
(6) Original First Lines of Translations 417
(7) Index of First Lines 419
PREFACE
The aim of this book is to serve as a companion to the _Mennonite
Hymnary_. It seeks to explain, as far as possible, the origin of the
words and music of every hymn in the _Hymnary_.
The great lyrics of the church, contributed by every age since the days
of the apostles, are a precious heritage, and a source of inspiration
and power. This work is intended to foster an understanding of and love
for our hymns, new and old, and to stimulate the time-honored and
blessed practice of congregational singing in the church today.
The _Handbook_ may be found useful as an aid (1) in the private study of
hymns or their use in family devotions; (2) in selecting suitable hymns
for the many and varied services of public worship; (3) in preparing
special music services or hymn sings where such occasions are planned to
improve the singing in the church; (4) for study groups in hymnology in
churches and schools. The historical development of hymnology may be
followed in the brief “Introduction to Our Hymns and Tunes.”
The author has endeavored to make the work as comprehensive as possible
without overburdening the reader with too many details. Many hymns have
interesting stories connected with their origin and use while others,
equally valuable, were just written, without drama or incident, the poet
scarcely knowing how or why, except that the Inner Voice spoke. The
apocryphal tales which have been circulated concerning some hymns have
been studiously avoided. The aim has been to include only such material
as seems to bear genuine marks of authenticity. The bibliography of
“Principal Works Consulted,” found elsewhere in the book, indicates the
main sources.
The original versions of translated hymns are not always readily
available and for that reason they are reproduced in the _Handbook_.
Translated hymns are usually selections from a much larger number of
stanzas and it is often instructive to be able to study the whole
structure of the original work.
_Acknowledgements._ I wish to acknowledge valuable help received from
the following and to express hereby my gratitude to them: to Dr. Robert
McCutchan, author of _Our Hymnody_, who generously responded to my
request for information on a dozen or more hymns on which I had no data;
to Dr. Henry Wilder Foote, of Harvard University, author of _Three
Centuries of American Hymnody_, for biographical material on several
hymn writers, and the use of books from his private library; to Dr.
Reginald McAll, Executive Secretary of the Hymn Society of America for
helpful material; to Dr. Ruth Messenger, Archivist for the Hymn Society
of America, who furnished nearly all the Latin originals, and the
Italian original of Savonarola’s hymn, and information concerning these
hymns; to Dr. Armin Heussler, author of a forth-coming handbook to the
_Evangelical hymnal_, for material on several of the chorales; to Wm.
Runyan of the Hope Publishing Company, and to Dr. John Trowbridge of the
Bible Institute of Los Angeles, for information concerning several of
the gospel songs; to Dr. Cornelius Krahn who made the rich hymnic
treasures of the Mennonite Historical Library at Bethel College
available to me; to the late Rev. C. E. Krehbiel who loaned me material
from his private library for this work but did not live to see its
completion; to B. Bargen for help in preparing the manuscript for
publication; to Mrs. Beatrice Buller for reading the manuscripts and
proofs of the German chorales; to my wife, Charity Steiner Hostetler,
who read all the manuscripts and proofs and whose constant interest and
assistance were indispensable; and to others, too numerous to mention,
who in any way facilitated the completion of the work.
The book, written during spare moments of a busy pastorate, is sent
forth with the prayer that, in spite of errors and imperfections, it may
inspire all who use it to sing with greater devotion the praises of Him
who loved us and redeemed us.
Lester Hostetler
The Parsonage
Bethel College Mennonite Church
North Newton, Kansas
January 20, 1949
EXPLANATORY NOTES
In the interest of brevity and to avoid repetition, certain recurring
words are abbreviated:
_Hymnary_ is used for _Mennonite Hymnary_.
_c._ (_circa_) means approximate date.
_Tr._ is prefixed to the names of all translators.
_Anon._ (anonymous) means without any name acknowledged, as that of
author or composer.
The word “Number” has been omitted: thus Hymn 22 means Hymn No. 22.
_Cf._ means compare. (Latin: confer).
The original texts of German hymns found throughout the _Handbook_,
especially in the section of Chorales, Book IV, are the versions used in
one or more of the following works: _Gesangbuch mit Noten_, (Berne,
Ind., 1890); _Gesangbuch der Mennoniten_, (Canadian, 1942); _The
Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal_, (Concordia Pub. House, 1942);
_Gesangbuch zum gottesdienstlichen und häuslichen Gebrauch in
Evangelischen Mennoniten-Gemeinden_, (Konferenz der süddeutschen
Mennoniten zu Ludwigshafen a. Rh. 1910); and Knapp, _Evangelischer
Liederschatz_. Many variations occur in the texts as found in these
versions, the explanation of which would require a much greater
knowledge of German hymnody than the author possesses. An effort has
been made to bring the spelling into conformity with the modern German
practice of omitting the “h” where it was formerly used with the “th”;
the use of “ss” instead of “sz”; and printing the initial letter of the
pronouns referring to Deity, in lower case rather than with capitals.
AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR HYMNS AND TUNES
With Illustrations From the _Hymnary_
1. Definition of a Hymn.
2. The Beginnings of Christian Song.
3. Hymns of the Eastern Church: Greek and Syriac.
4. Hymns of the Western Church: Latin.
5. Hymns of the Bohemian Brethren.
6. Hymns of the Reformation: The German Chorales.
7. Hymns of the Reformation: The Metrical Psalms.
8. Psalm Versions.
9. English Hymnody.
10. American Hymns.
11. The Gospel Songs.
12. Women Hymn Writers.
13. Mennonite Hymnody.
14. Antecedents of the _Mennonite Hymnary_.
15. The Translation of Hymns.
16. Church Unity in the Hymn Book.
17. Hymn Meters.
18. Hymn Tunes.
19. John Wesley’s Rules for Singing.
1. Definition of a Hymn.
St. Augustine, 354-430, gave a definition of a hymn, which has been
widely accepted:
A hymn is the praise of God by singing. A hymn is a song embodying the
praise of God. If there is merely praise but not praise of God it is
not a hymn. If there be praise, and praise of God, but not sung, it is
not a hymn. For it to be a hymn, it is needful, therefore, for it to
have three things—praise, praise of God, and these sung.
A recent definition, accepted by the Hymn Society of America, is that of
the late Carl F. Price:
A Christian hymn is a lyric poem, reverently and devotionally
conceived, which is designed to be sung and which expresses the
worshiper’s attitude toward God, or God’s purposes, in human life.
L. F. Benson, America’s foremost hymnologist, defines a hymn in these
simple words:
The Christian hymn ... is a form of words appropriate to be sung or
chanted in public devotions.
A hymn is to be sung _by a congregation_. Its message must be simple,
not subtle. It must read well and sing well. In modern usage, the hymn
is not limited to the praise of God but includes other moods of worship
such as resignation and consecration.
2. The Beginnings of Christian Song.
Hymn singing has always been associated with Christian worship. Jesus
and the Twelve sang a hymn, presumably a portion of the _Hallel_ (Ps.
115-118), after the Supper was ended. Paul and Silas sang hymns, “songs
of the night,” during the midnight hours of their imprisonment in
Philippi. The great Apostle recognized the value of song when he
exhorted the churches thus:
Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord. Eph. 5:18, 19.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col. 3:16.
I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding
also. I Cor. 14:15.
The Jewish converts who at first composed the church had a rich heritage
of song in the Book of Psalms. This was their hymnbook, used in the
Temple worship and in the home and probably also in the synagogue
services. The use of the Psalms, carried over from the Jewish service,
forms to this day an important element in Christian worship.
Besides the Psalms, the early church sang the nativity lyrics that adorn
the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke. It also made extensive use
of _Hallelujah_ as a part of the people’s praise, adding, in the course
of time, the _Gloria Patri_, the _Sanctus_, the _Te Deum_, and other
canticles.
The nativity hymns in Luke, five in all, are extensively used in Roman
Catholic and Anglican services.
_Ave Maria_ (Hail Mary). 1:28-29, 42-45. The salutation of Gabriel and
of Elizabeth.
_Magnificat._ “My soul doth magnify the Lord....” 1:46-55. Hymn of the
Virgin Mary.
_Benedictus._ “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel....” 1:68-79. Song of
Zacharias.
_Nunc Dimittis._ “Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace.”
2:29-32. Song of Simeon.
_Gloria in excelsis._ “Glory to God in the highest....” 2:14. Song of
the Angels. Used as a part of the Roman mass and often found in
Protestant hymns, e.g., “Angels we have heard on high” 82.
Beginnings of Christian Song in the Hymnary
_Psalms._ Book Five. 575-600.
_Gloria Patri_ 606-7.
_Ter Sanctus_ (_Trisagion_) “Holy, holy, holy” 601-2.
_Te Deum._ “Holy God we praise Thy name” 519. A metrical translation
of an ancient version.
3. Hymns of the Eastern Church: Greek and Syriac.
The ancient Eastern Church developed a rich hymnody, rising steadily in
the fourth century until it reached its culmination in the eighth and
ninth centuries. Since it employed the Greek and Syriac languages, its
hymnic treasures remained almost completely hidden and unknown to the
English speaking churches for many centuries. It is only in recent
years, through the efforts of scholars like John Mason Neale and Edward
Caswall that some of the Eastern hymns have been translated and made
available for modern use. Eastern hymns are characterized by an
objective, dignified, contemplation of God. Except when confessing sin
and unworthiness, they contain nothing of the subjective feelings of the
worshipper such as is found in many modern hymns. Though there is very
little in the _Hymnary_ from the Eastern Church, our collection is
enriched by the inclusion of a small number of hymns from this source.
Greek Hymns in the Hymnary
Clement of Alexandria, 170-220, “Shepherd of tender youth” (398)
Candle Lighting Hymn, “O gladsome light” (34)
Synesius, c. 375-430, “Lord Jesus, think on me” (196)
St. Germanus, 634-734, “A great and mighty wonder” (526)
St. John of Damascus, 8th century, “The day of resurrection” (115)
“Come, ye faithful, raise the strain” (113)
St. Stephen the Sabaite, 725-94, “Art thou weary, heavy-laden” (143)
Candle Lighting Hymn, “Darkening night, the land doth” (32)
4. Hymns of the Western Church: Latin.
Two great names are associated with the music of the Western Church:
Ambrose, c. 340-97, known as the “Father of Hymnody in the Western
Church;” and Gregory the Great, 540-604, the missionary-minded pope, and
reformer of church music.
Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, not only composed hymns and music but
stimulated others to do the same. Under his leadership there developed a
large body of church music based upon four scales, which came to be
known as Ambrosian Chant. Although widely known as a scholar,
theologian, and preacher, Ambrose’s most lasting influence was upon the
music of the church. None of his hymns are found in our collection.
Gregory the Great, two centuries later, carried forward the work of
Ambrose. He added four more scales or modes to the Ambrosian system,
thus giving to the repertory of church music more definiteness and
variety. The music that developed during the papacy of Gregory came to
be known as Gregorian Chant, or plainsong, or plainchant. It is “plain”
because unadorned, unharmonized and unmeasured. Its rhythm is the free
rhythm of speech, the beats falling irregularly. The Gregorian Chant
remained the music of the church for a thousand years and forms the
basis of all Roman Catholic music today. Some of these chants were
adapted by Luther for congregational singing, and set to words in the
vernacular of the people. A few of the tunes, usually in a form scarcely
recognizable from the original, are used today in Protestant hymnals, as
for instance, the tune “Hamburg.” Some of the music in the Amish church
services is traceable to the Gregorian Chant.
The singing in the medieval church was liturgical in character and
confined to the clergy and trained choirs. This was its weakness. The
laity was not expected to sing, neither were they able to do so.
Congregational singing, so important in our worship today, had for
centuries been unknown in the Roman Catholic Church. Reform was
inevitable and it came in due time.
While only remnants of the music survive, many hymns from the Western
Church have been translated from the Latin and a few choice ones have
found their way into the _Hymnary_.
Latin Hymns in the Hymnary
Prudentius, 348-c. 413, “Bethlehem, of noblest cities” (88)
Gregory the Great, 540-604, “Father, we praise Thee” (24)
Anonymous, 6th or 7th century, “Christ is made the sure” (277)
“Joy dawned again on Easterday” (415)
Theodulph of Orleans, 9th century, “All glory, laud, and honor”
(100)
Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091-1153, “Jesus the very thought” (155)
“O sacred Head, now wounded” (539)
Bernard of Cluny, 12th century, “Jerusalem, the golden” (262-3)
Anonymous, 12th century, “O come, O come, Emmanuel” (67)
Savonarola, 1452-98 (Italian), “Jesus, Refuge of the weary” (536)
Anonymous, 17th-18th centuries, “O come, all ye faithful” (80)
“The year is gone beyond recall” (382)
5. Hymns of the Bohemian Brethren.
The followers of John Hus who came to be known as the Bohemian Brethren,
and later as the Moravians, were the first Protestant group to introduce
congregational singing into their worship. They also published the first
Protestant hymnbooks, one in 1501 and another in 1505, containing 89 and
400 hymns, respectively, in their native Bohemian tongue. Their efforts
to introduce congregational singing were sternly opposed by the Roman
hierarchy. The Council of Constance condemned Hus to be burned at the
stake and warned his successor, Jacob of Misi, to cease the singing of
hymns in the churches. It decreed:
If laymen are forbidden to preach and interpret the Scriptures, much
more are they forbidden to sing publicly in the churches.
As a result of their persecution, the Brethren in 1508 sent out
messengers to search for true Christian people into whose communion they
might apply for admission—one to Russia, one to Greece, one to Bulgaria,
and one to Palestine and Egypt. All returned unsuccessful. No such
Christians had been found. They therefore remained in their own country,
giving themselves assiduously to the translation and printing of the
Bible.
In 1522 the Brethren sent two messengers to Luther to greet him and ask
his advice. Luther became interested in them and welcomed their
fellowship. He was impressed with the hymnbook the Brethren had
published, and later used some of the hymns in his own work.
Two centuries later, the Brethren, known now as the Moravians, settled
on Count Zinzendorf’s estates in Saxony, spreading rapidly from thence
into other countries in Europe and to the United States. One of
England’s foremost hymn writers and hymnologists, James Montgomery, was
an adherent to their faith.
Bohemian Brethren and Moravian Hymns in the Hymnary
Michael Weisse, 1480-1534, “Christ, the Lord, is ris’n again” (544)
Tunes: “Mit Freuden Zart” (512), “Ravenshaw” (292)
von Zinzendorf, Nikolaus L., 1700-60, “Jesus, still lead on” (574)
von Zinzendorf, Christian R., 1724-62, “Man of sorrows” (537)
Henriette Luise von Hayn, 1724-82, “I am Jesus’ little lamb” (430)
James Montgomery, 1771-1854, “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” (65)
“Angels from the realms of glory” (81)
“Go to dark Gethsemane” (107) and many others
6. Hymns of the Reformation: the German Chorales.
The movement toward congregational singing, inaugurated by the Bohemian
Brethren, was soon to be merged into the greater Reformation movement.
Luther’s influence on the worship and music of the church was
revolutionary. For a thousand years the laymen had had no part in church
song. Congregational singing was unknown. Ambrosian music had at first
been introduced for congregational use but it became more and more
liturgical, thrusting the laity into the background. The Gregorian Chant
which followed was never intended for use except by the priests and
trained choirs. The followers of Hus pioneered in congregational
singing; but it was Luther and his followers who brought it into full
fruition.
Luther was a born music lover and a musician of adequate training.
Moreover he possessed a remarkable gift for writing hymns in clear
thought to bring the Word of God home to the hearts of the common
people. He and his followers put songs on the lips of the German people
and they sang themselves into the Reformation. So effective were these
songs that his enemies in the Roman church declared that “Luther’s songs
have damned more souls than all his books and speeches.”
_Chorales._ The word “chorale” (“choral” in German) refers to the hymn
tunes of Lutheran Protestantism, though in common usage the term
includes the words associated with the tunes. The melodies had much to
do with the popularity of the songs. They came from various sources.
Many of them were original compositions by Luther and others; some were
borrowed from the hymn books of the Bohemian Brethren; a considerable
number were adaptations of plainsongs used in the Catholic Church; still
others were adopted from beloved folksongs. Luther was an eclectic in
his choice of music. He used any tune from any source that suited his
purpose. Many thousands of chorales came into existence in Germany
during his time and the two centuries that followed. The hundreds still
in use represent the best in church music today. They are characterized
by a plain melody, a strong harmony, and a stately rhythm; all of which
adapts them well for effective congregational singing.
The chorales at first did not have the regular rhythms that they later
took on. The steady progression of even notes, invariable in Bach’s day,
had come only gradually into use. Some of the recent hymnbooks, in the
interest of greater variety of rhythm, are returning to the original
“rhythmic chorales.”
Though _unison_ singing has been widely practiced and is advocated today
by some good authorities in church music, Luther encouraged part
singing. In his first Preface to the _Geystliches Gesangbücklin_, 1525,
he wrote:
These songs have been set in four parts, for no other reason than
because I wished to provide our young people (who both will and ought
to be instructed in music and other sciences) with something whereby
they might rid themselves of amorous and carnal songs, and in their
stead learn something wholesome, and so apply themselves to what is
good with pleasure, as becometh the young.
The period of the German chorales may be said to have begun with Luther,
1483-1546, and ended two centuries later with J. S. Bach, 1685-1750.
Bach brought the chorale tunes to their highest perfection, using many
of them in his larger choral works. He composed about 30 original
chorale melodies, wrote reharmonizations for approximately 400, and
composed many chorale preludes for the organ which are in wide use
today.
The German hymns and chorale tunes, used constantly in the home and
school, as well as in the church, have been of great importance in our
Mennonite worship in the past. They constitute the main body of material
in all our German collections of hymns. In an effort to preserve and
emphasize this rich heritage, there was incorporated into the _Hymnary_,
a special section, Book III, made up exclusively of chorales.
German Chorales in the Hymnary
16th Century
Martin Luther, 1483-1546, “A mighty fortress is our God” (549)
“From heaven above to earth I come” (527)
“Out of the depths I cry to Thee” (531-2)
Nicolaus Selnecker, 1532-92, “Now cheer our hearts” (557)
Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608, “Wake, awake, for night is flying” (522)
“How brightly shines the Morning Star” (529)
17th Century
(_1_)—_Period of The Thirty Years War—1618-48_
Johann Heerman, 1585-1647, “Ah, dearest Jesus” (534)
Josua Stegman, 1588-1632, “Abide with us, our Savior” (559)
Matthaus von Löwenstern, 1594-1648, “Lord of our life” (278)
Georg Weissel, 1590-1635, “Lift up your heads” (523)
Heinrich Albert, 1604-51, “God who madest earth” (573)
Ernst Homburg, 1605-81, “Christ, the life of all the living” (535)
Michael Schirmer, 1606-73, “O Holy Spirit, enter in” (546)
Paul Gerhardt, 1607-76, “O sacred Head, now wounded” (539) and
others
Gerhard Tersteegen, 1697-1769, “God reveals His presence” (506)
“O power of love, all else transcending” (517)
(_2_)—_Later 17th Century_
Johann Franck, 1618-77, “Deck thyself, my soul,” (552)
Tobias Clausnitzer, 1619-84, “Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier” (553a)
Georg Neumark, 1621-81, “He who would be in God” (571)
Johann Scheffler, 1624-77, “I am the Lord, O hear my voice” (565)
Joachim Neander, 1650-80, “Heaven and earth, the sea” (510)
_18th Century_
Johann Mentzer, 1658-1734, “O that I had a thousand voices” (509)
Erdmann Neumeister, 1671-1756, “Sinners Jesus will receive” (466)
Benjamin Schmolck, 1672-1737, “My Jesus, as Thou wilt” (250)
Philipp F. Hiller, 1699-1769, “O Son of God, we wait for” (524)
“What mercy and divine compassion” (562)
Christian F. Gellert, 1715-69, “How great, almighty is Thy” (516)
Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750. The life of the great musician
marks the close of the German Chorale period and for that
reason his name is placed here. None of Bach’s original
chorale melodies are found in the _Hymnary_ but use is made of
a number of his harmonizations. See 539, 545, 556, 557, 564,
566.
7. Hymns of the Reformation: The Metrical Psalms.
While the German people, under the leadership of Luther, were singing
chorales set to original religious poems, a large section of
Protestantism, under the influence of John Calvin, confined itself to
the singing of Psalms. To the French reformer, now preaching at Geneva,
hymns were “man-made,” whereas the psalms were the inspired word of God
and the only proper vehicle for the praise of God. Calvin, unlike
Luther, was not a musician, and at first permitted only unison singing,
unaccompanied. Part singing and instrumental accompaniment seemed to
savor of the frivolous and worldly, an opinion which Calvin, however,
was soon to modify. For two hundred years the Calvinistic churches on
the Continent and in Britain were influenced in their worship song by
the strict views of Calvin, limiting themselves to the metrical psalms
and scriptural paraphrases. The German people in the meantime produced a
rich treasury of original religious lyrics, contributed by some of their
best poets.
Psalter Tunes and Metrical Psalms in the Hymnary
_Genevan Psalter_ Tunes, 1551.
O Seigneur (19)
Old 134th (128, 132, 616)
Rendez à Dieu (306)
Old 124th (354)
Old 100th (594)
_Scottish Psalter_, 1650.
Book Five (575 to 600) with a few exceptions
_New Version_, 1696, Tate and Brady.
“Through all the changing scenes of life” (583)
“As pants the hart for cooling streams” (586)
“O come, loud anthems let us sing” (18)
“While shepherds watched their flocks by night” (73-4)
8. Psalm Versions.
The use of the psalms in singing, first on the Continent, then in
England and Scotland, and later in America, brought forth many metrical
versions of the psalter, the principal ones being the following:
a. _The Genevan Psalter_, begun 1539, published complete in 1562. It was
made at the request of John Calvin by Clément Marot, court poet of
France, and Theodore Beza, a French scholar. It became the psalm book
for the Reformation churches on the continent, and is spoken of as the
most famous book of praise the Christian Church ever produced. It was
issued in at least one thousand editions and translated into a number of
tongues. Some of the original tunes are still in use, e.g., “Old
Hundredth.”
b. _The Anglo-Genevan Psalter_, Geneva, 1556. This was used by John
Knox, the Scottish reformer, and his followers who fled the persecutions
of “Bloody Mary,” and formed a congregation at Geneva. The book
incorporated some of the Sternhold and Hopkins versions which were in
use in England, and added others.
c. _The Old Version_, Sternhold and Hopkins, completed in 1562. Used in
England for 134 years. It is entitled, _The Whole Booke of Psalmes_, but
came to be known as the “Old Version.”
d. _The Bay Psalm Book_, Boston, 1640. This was the first book printed
in English-speaking America. It was made to obtain greater literalness
to the Hebrew original than was found in the versions then in use. The
book reigned supreme among the English churches in New England for over
a century. Seventy editions of it were printed in America, the last in
1773. Eighteen editions appeared in England, and twenty-two in Scotland.
There were no tunes given it until 1698, then only 13, with the air in
the bass.
e. _The Scottish Psalter_, completed 1650. Special mention is made of
this version of the Psalms because it is the source of nearly all the
selections of metrical psalms which constitute Book Five of the
_Hymnary_. The number of versions and editions of psalms which appeared
on the Continent and in England were numerous and confusing, each
claiming its own special merits. Finally, in the interests of better
literary diction and greater unity in singing in the Scottish
Presbyterian churches, the General Assembly authorized a new version.
The result, after many years’ work, was the famous _Scottish Psalter_ of
1650 which remains the standard work in Scotland today.
There is a certain “dignified crudeness” in some of the literary
expressions but the psalms have long been learned in this version and
have become an important part of the religious training and experience
of millions of English speaking people, especially in Scotland.
The Scottish Psalter first appeared with words only. There were no notes
and no suggestions for melodies. The succeeding one hundred years were a
time of confusion. The tunes used were few in number, such as the
leaders had learned from various sources, and passed on to succeeding
generations by rote. The time came when better singing and better tunes
were demanded and gradually the psalter appeared with tunes. Early tune
versions put the melody invariably in the tenor. The latest edition,
printed in 1929, by the Oxford Press, contains the best Psalm tunes
which had gradually come into use, many of them arranged with
“Faux-bourdon” (wherein the congregation sings one or more verses to the
melody while the choir supplies the harmony), and “Descant” (a second
melody over that of the tune).
f. _The New Version_, Tate and Brady, London, 1696. This version
gradually supplanted the _Old Version_ of Sternhold and Hopkins, and
held its place in the worship of the church for 150 years. It was
adopted, in 1789, by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United
States and bound with the prayer book of that Communion.
The above versions are only a few of the large number of psalters that
were published by the Calvinistic churches on the Continent, in Great
Britain, and in America. The metrical psalms were designed for the
singing church. They were intended to restore song to the people in
their worship, serving in this respect a similar purpose to the chorales
in Germany.
Some of the psalm books were published without music, some with the
melody only, and others in four-part harmony. The statement is
frequently made that Calvinistic Protestantism approved only unison
singing. The appearance of numerous books, complete with four voice
parts, points to the contrary. It is true that Calvin at first
encouraged unison singing only, regarding harmony more in the nature of
amusement than the worship of God; but upon observing the effectiveness
of singing in Germany, he soon changed his views and became more liberal
in this respect.
9. English Hymnody.
The youthful, courageous Isaac Watts, 1674-1748, an ardent dissenter,
pioneered the movement which resulted in a flood of hymns and hymnbooks
in the English churches. Watts was not satisfied with the psalm singing
of his time, which by now had become formal and lifeless. Parts of the
psalter, he pointed out, were obviously not written in the spirit of the
Gospel. “By keeping too close to David,” he wrote in one of his
Prefaces, “the vail of Moses is thrown over our hearts.” Watts removed
that “vail,” Christianizing the psalms and composing during his lifetime
more than 600 original hymns, expressing in the language of the time,
the thoughts of the worshippers. Through his influence, his age, the
18th century, became the first age of hymn singing in England.
John and Charles Wesley, following Watts, made enormous use of hymn
singing in their evangelistic work, giving the movement for
congregational singing a powerful impetus. Charles is said to have
composed over 6,000 hymns.
From the Wesleys onward through the 19th century, the hymn writers in
England became numerous. The restrictive shackles of psalm singing had
been broken and the creative urge to worship in new forms resulted in a
vast number of original religious lyrics and the publication of hundreds
of hymnbooks. The development can be summarized here only in outline
form.
English Hymnody in the Hymnary
Early—17th Century
Henry Wotton, 1568-1639, “How happy is he” (208)
George Herbert, 1593-1633, “Teach me, my God and King” (226)
John Milton, 1608-74, “Let us with a gladsome mind” (64)
“How lovely are Thy dwellings fair” (592)
Thomas Ken, 1637-1711, “Awake, my soul, and with the sun” (25)
“All praise to Thee, my God, this night” (33)
“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow” (618)
Joseph Addison, 1672-1719, “The spacious firmament on high” (50)
“How are Thy servants blest” (338)
18th Century
_1. Two Independents_:
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748, “Father of English Hymnody”
“When I survey the wondrous cross” (105-6)
“Joy to the world! the Lord is come” (70)
“God is the refuge of His saints” (257)
and many others
Philip Doddridge, 1702-51, “How gentle God’s commands” (56)
(and 128, 167, 218, 383, 465)
_2. The Wesleys and their Associates_:
John Wesley, 1703-91, translations (170, 226, 246, 508, 558)
Charles Wesley, 1707-88, “Bard of Methodism”
“Come, Thou long-expected Jesus” (69)
“Jesus, Lover of my soul” (158-9)
“Love divine, all loves excelling” (178-9)
and many others
William Williams, 1717-91, “Sweet Singer of Wales”
“Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah” (160)
John Cennick, 1718-55, “Lo, He comes, with clouds” (130)
“Jesus, my all, to heav’n is gone” (468)
Thomas Olivers, 1725-99, “The God of Abraham praise” (14)
Edward Perronet, 1726-92, “All hail the power of Jesus” (3, 4, 5)
_3. A Calvinistic Antagonist of Wesley_
Augustus Toplady, 1740-78, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me” (148)
_4. The Olney Hymnists:_
John Newton, 1725-1807, “Glorious things of thee” (274)
“Safely through another week” (284)
“Amazing grace! how sweet the sound” (463)
William Cowper, 1731-1800, “God moves in a mysterious way” (60)
“O for a closer walk with God” (197)
“There is a fountain filled with blood” (492)
_5. Others—18th Century:_
Anne Steele, 1716-78, “Father, whate’er of earthly bliss” (251)
Joseph Grigg, c. 1720-68, “Behold a Stranger at the door” (141)
“Jesus, and shall it ever be” (192)
Robert Robinson, 1735-90, “Mighty God, while angels bless” (46)
“Come, Thou fount of every blessing” (189)
John Fawcett, 1740-1817, “Blest be the tie that binds” (41)
“Lord, dismiss us with Thy blessing” (45)
Modern English—19th Century
_1. Earliest_:
Thomas Kelly, 1769-1854, “Look, ye saints, the sight” (119)
“Hark, ten thousand harps and voices” (123)
“On the mountain top appearing” (336)
James Montgomery, 1771-1854, “Prayer is the soul’s sincere” (184)
“Angels, from the realms of glory” (81)
“In the hour of trial” (195) and many others
Robert Grant, 1779-1838, “O worship the King” (7)
“Savior, when, in dust to Thee” (145)
Reginald Heber, 1783-1826, “Holy, holy, holy” (1)
“Bread of the world in mercy broken” (304)
“From Greenland’s icy mountains” (333)
Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871, “Just as I am, without one plea” (458)
“O holy Savior, Friend unseen” (233)
“My God and Father, while I stray” (245)
Henry Milman, 1791-1868, “Ride on, ride on in majesty” (101)
John Bowring, 1792-1872, “In the Cross of Christ I glory” (110)
“Watchman, tell us of the night” (66)
“God is love; His mercy brightens” (55)
Henry F. Lyte, 1793-1847, “Abide with me” (40)
_2. The Oxford Group_:
John Keble, 1792-1866, “New every morning is the love” (22)
“Sun of my soul, Thou Savior dear” (30)
Matthew Bridges, 1800-94, “Crown Him with many crowns” (118)
John Henry Newman, 1801-90, “Lead, kindly light” (162-3)
Richard Trench, 1807-86, “Lord, what a change within” (183)
Frederick Faber, 1814-63, “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy” (58)
“Faith of our fathers” (154)
Mrs. Cecil Frances Alexander, 1823-95, “There is a green hill” (104)
(_Translators of Latin and Greek Hymns_)
John Chandler, 1806-76, “Christ is our Cornerstone” (9)
“What star is this” (87)
Edward Caswall, 1814-78, “Bethlehem, of noblest cities” (88)
“Jesus, the very thought of Thee” (155)
John M. Neale, 1818-66, “O come, O come Emmanuel” (67)
“All glory, laud, and honor” (100)
_3. Translators of German Hymns_:
Catherine Winkworth, 1829-78, “Wake, awake for night” (522)
and 24 others
Frances E. Cox, 1812-97, “Sing praise to God” (512)
“Jesus lives” (543)
Jane L. Borthwick, 1813-97, “Be still, my soul” (54)
“My Jesus, as Thou wilt” (250)
“Jesus, still lead on” (574)
Sarah Borthwick Findlater, 1823-1907, “O happy home” (358)
_4. Other Hymnists—19th Century_:
Christopher Wordsworth, 1807-85, “Gracious Spirit,” (174)
“O day of rest and gladness” (285)
Horatius Bonar, 1808-89, “I heard the voice of Jesus say” (142)
“I lay my sins on Jesus” (444)
“When the weary, seeking rest” (203) and others
Alfred Tennyson, 1809-92, “Strong Son of God” (149)
“Sunset and evening star” (265)
“Ring out, wild bells” (379)
Henry Alford, 1810-71, “We walk by faith, and not by sight” (152)
“Come, ye thankful people, come” (377)
W. W. How, 1823-97, “O Jesus, Thou art standing” (144)
“For all the saints who from their labor rest” (317)
“O Word of God Incarnate” (289) and others
Godfrey Thring, 1823-1903, “From the Eastern mountains” (89)
“Thou to whom the sick and dying” (370)
Adelaide Proctor, 1825-64, “My God, I thank Thee” (177)
“I do not ask, O Lord” (471)
Edward H. Bickersteth, 1825-1906, “Peace, perfect peace” (256)
John Ellerton, 1826-93, “Savior, again to Thy dear name” (43)
“Now the laborer’s task is o’er” (315)
“Throned upon the awful tree” (109) and others
S. Baring-Gould, 1834-1924, “Now the day is over” (29)
“Onward, Christian soldiers” (225)
Edwin Hatch, 1835-89, “Breathe on me, breath of God” (135)
Frances R. Havergal, 1836-79, “Take my life, and let it be” (215)
“Lord, speak to me, that I may speak” (296)
“Thou art coming, O my Savior” (126) and others
Samuel Stone, 1839-1900, “The Church’s one foundation” (273)
George Matheson, 1842-1906, “O love that wilt not let me go” (175)
Recent English Hymns
Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936, “Father in heav’n” (401)
Stopford A. Brooke, 1832-1916, “Let the whole creation cry” (49)
John Oxenham, 1852-1941, “In Christ there is no East” (320)
“Peace in our time, O Lord” (357)
Percy Dearmer, 1867-1936, “Remember all God’s children” (436)
Richard Roberts, 1874—, “For them whose ways” (166)
Laurence Housman, 1865—, “Father Eternal” (354)
10. American Hymns.
The English speaking colonists who settled in America during the 17th
century continued the psalm singing traditions of their forebears in
England. The practice prevailed in their churches for two hundred years.
The first book printed by them was the _Bay Psalm Book_, in 1640, at
Cambridge, Massachusetts. It contained no original hymns. The singing of
psalms, and later of hymns borrowed from England made up nearly the
entire repertory of church music until the middle of the 19th century.
On the other hand, the German speaking colonists, including the
Mennonites, had brought with them the hymn books of the Lutheran
tradition and continued the use of the German chorales in their worship.
The two streams of hymnody, English psalms and German chorales, went
their independent courses for two centuries, scarcely influencing each
other.
In the meantime there was very little original hymnody produced in
America, with the exception of the work of the Wesleys during their
brief experiment in Georgia, and the composition of certain hymns and
tunes by the German people of Pennsylvania, which have remained, until
recently, in manuscript form. Timothy Dwight’s hymn on the church, “I
love Thy Kingdom, Lord” (275) is probably the earliest American hymn
still in use.
After the middle of the 19th century the number of hymn writers became
large and their works came into increasing use, some choice examples
finding their way into English hymnbooks. America’s original
contribution to Christian hymnody has not been only the Gospel Songs
represented by the writings of Fanny Crosby, but the more permanent
works of Whittier, George W. Doane, Hosmer, Samuel Longfellow,
Washington Gladden, S. F. Smith, and many others. Our musical
contributions have been less conspicuous, but the tunes of Mason are
coming into their own again and many of them will doubtless survive for
a long time, as will also those of Bradbury, Hastings, and others.
The tendency today in American hymnbooks is to unite the best in English
and German traditions. The _Hymnary_ illustrates this trend. It makes
large use of the English hymns while at the same time preserving a
considerable body of the German chorales. In keeping with this trend,
the recent hymnbooks of the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist and other
churches of English origin, incorporate some of the German chorale tunes
and in some cases the translations of the words. The hymn books of our
time have become the channels through which flow the rich contributions
to the stream of Christian hymnody from Christian people of all times
and places.
American Hymns in the Hymnary
Early American
Timothy Dwight, 1752-1817, “I love Thy kingdom, Lord” (275)
Thomas Hastings, 1784-1872, “Hail to the brightness” (332)
Henry Ware, Jr., 1794-1843, “Happy the home when God” (361)
Wm. B. Tappan, 1794-1849, “’Tis midnight; and on Olive’s brow” (103)
Francis Scott Key, 1779-1843, “Lord, with glowing heart” (511)
George W. Doane, 1799-1859, “Softly now the light of day” (36)
19th Century
Leonard Bacon, 1802-81, “O God, beneath Thy guiding hand” (367)
John G. Whittier, 1807-92, “Dear Lord and Father” (181)
Ray Palmer, 1808-87, “My faith looks up to Thee” (150)
S. F. Smith, 1808-95, “The morning light is breaking” (324)
Oliver W. Holmes, 1809-94, “Lord of all being, throned afar” (53)
E. H. Sears, 1810-76, “It came upon the midnight clear” (75)
W. H. Burleigh, 1812-71, “Lead us, O Father, in the paths” (164)
Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1811-96, “Still, still with Thee” (23)
Sylvanus Phelps, 1816-95, “Savior, Thy dying love” (220)
Arthur C. Coxe, 1818-96, “O where are kings and empires” (276)
Elizabeth Payson Prentiss, 1818-78, “More love to Thee” (472)
Edward Hopper, 1818-88, “Jesus, Savior, pilot me” (161)
George Duffield, Jr., 1818-88, “Stand up, stand up for Jesus” (193)
Samuel Longfellow, 1819-92, “Holy Spirit, Truth divine” (136)
James Russell Lowell, 1819-91, “Once to every man” (346)
Anna Warner, 1820-1915, “We would see Jesus” (201)
John H. Hopkins, 1820-91, “We three kings of Orient are” (90)
Eliza Scudder, 1821-96, “Thou Grace Divine, encircling all” (57)
Samuel Johnson, 1822-82, “Father, in Thy mysterious” (188)
Jeremiah E. Rankin, 1828-1904, “God be with you” (365)
Joseph H. Gilmore, 1834-1918, “He leadeth me” (478)
Phillips Brooks, 1835-93, “O little town of Bethlehem” (84)
Recent American Hymns
Washington Gladden, 1836-1918, “O Master, let me walk” (223)
Frederick L. Hosmer, 1840-1929, “Not always on the mount” (98)
Mary Lathbury, 1841-1913, “Day is dying in the west” (31)
“Break Thou the bread of Life” (288)
Frank Mason North, 1850-1936, “Where cross the crowded” (222)
M. Woolsey Stryker, 1851-1929, “Almighty Lord, with one” (390)
Henry van Dyke, 1852-1933, “Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee” (10)
Louis F. Benson, 1855-1930, “O sing a song of Bethlehem” (92)
Maltbie D. Babcock, 1858-1901, “This is my Father’s world” (48)
Katherine Lee Bates, 1859-1929, “O beautiful for spacious” (343)
Milton S. Littlefield, 1864-1934, “O Son of man, thou” (373)
Jay T. Stocking, 1870-1936, “O Master Workman” (93)
Wm. M. Vories, 1880—, “Let there be light, Lord God” (353)
Harry Webb Farrington, 1880-1931, “I know not how that” (99)
W. Russel Bowie, 1882—, “Lord, through changing days” (402)
Howard Arnold Walter, 1884-1918, “I would be true” (207)
Earl Marlatt, 1892—, “‘Are ye able,’ said the Master” (392)
11. Gospel Songs.
During the latter part of the 19th century there came into use, both in
the United States and in England, a type of religious song known as the
Gospel Song. Less dignified than the chorales or the English hymns,
these songs made a popular appeal and were widely used in prayer
meetings and revivals.
The words of the typical Gospel Song are usually simple and easily
remembered and concern themselves largely with the individual’s
salvation. The personal pronouns “I” and “my” predominate. The tunes are
rhythmic and catchy and always have a refrain added. Their harmonies are
largely built on the simple tonic, dominant, and subdominant chords. The
masses of the people readily learned to sing these tunes and experienced
a thrill in singing them which the use of the more stately and solid
hymns failed to effect.
The great bulk of these songs were produced in America during the latter
half of the 19th century and were found extremely useful in large mass
meetings. The evangelistic work of Moody and Sankey during the 1870’s,
1880’s, and 1890’s brought the Gospel Songs into special prominence and
the Salvation Army has made them known in nearly every country in the
world. Collections of Gospel Songs sold by the millions of copies and
every denomination was affected, to a greater or lesser extent, by this
type of singing.
Since the standard of music and words in the Gospel Songs is
considerably below that which prevails in our best hymnals as well as in
secular music and literature taught in the public schools, churches
should seriously consider the ultimate effect of their too frequent use.
It is a fallacy to assert that the people will respond to nothing
better. Gospel Songs have a legitimate place, particularly in special
services and revivals, but they leave much to be desired in the total
work and worship of the church. Neither the music nor the words possess
the strength and dignity entirely adequate for the worshipful praise of
the Eternal.
The principal names associated with Gospel Songs are the following:
_Authors._ Fanny J. Crosby, Philip P. Bliss, Robert Lowry, Katherine
Hankey, E. A. Hoffman, and many others. Most of the words, though not
all, were written by Americans during the latter part of the nineteenth
century. Miss Crosby was by far the most prolific of them all and many
of her works are found in all modern hymnals of denominations that use
this type of music. In Germany, Ernst Gebhardt became the leader of the
gospel song movement, composing words and music, publishing numerous
song books, and serving as song leader in great revival meetings.
_Music._ William B. Bradbury, Robert Lowry, W. H. Doane, Philip Philips,
James McGranahan, George C. Stebbins, P. P. Bliss, D. W. Towner, Wm. J.
Kirkpatrick, and others.
_Song Leaders._ P. P. Bliss, Ira Sankey, James McGranahan, George C.
Stebbins, Charles Alexander, Homer Rodeheaver.
It should be noted that there is no absolute line of demarcation between
hymns and some of the Gospel Songs. Some of the numbers in the Gospel
Songs section of the _Hymnary_ might well be classified as hymns, e.g.,
Nos. 441, 444, 447, 458, 463, 468, 470, 471, 472, and 492. Either words
or music meet the generally accepted standards of a hymn.
12. Women Hymn Writers.
There have been no outstanding women composers of church tunes but some
of our finest lyrics have been contributed by women, as the following
list from the _Hymnary_ will show:
_German_
Katharina von Schlegel, b. 1697, “Be still, my soul” (54)
Henriette Luise von Hayn, 1724-82, “Weil ich Jesu” (430)
_English_
Anne Steele, 1716-78, “Father, whate’er of earthly bliss” (251)
Marianne Nunn, 1778-1847, “One is kind above all others” (447)
Harriet Auber, 1773-1862, “Our blest Redeemer” (138)
Dorothy Ann Thrupp, 1779-1847, “Saviour, like a shepherd” (395)
Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871, “Just as I am, without one plea” (458)
Margaret Mackay, 1802-87, “Asleep in Jesus” (314)
Sarah Flower Adams, 1805-48, “Nearer my God, to Thee” (202)
Jemima Luke, 1813-1906, “I think when I read that sweet” (427)
Anne Brontë, 1820-49, “Believe not those who say” (210)
Cecil Frances Alexander, 1823-95, “There is a green hill” (104)
Adelaide Proctor, 1825-64, “My God, I thank Thee” (177)
Elizabeth Clephane, 1830-69, “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” (112)
Anna L. Coghill, 1836-1907, “Work, for the night is coming” (221)
Frances R. Havergal, 1836-79, “Take my life and let it be” (215)
Dorothy Blomfield, 1858-1932, “O perfect love, all human” (312)
Jessie Adams, 1863—, “I feel the winds of God today” (391)
(_Translators_)
Frances Cox, 1812-97, “Sing praise to God” (512)
Jane L. Borthwick, 1813-97, “Be still my soul” (54)
Sarah Borthwick Findlater, 1823-1907, “O happy home” (358)
Catherine Winkworth, 1829-78. Numerous hymns. Foremost translator of
German chorales.
_American_
Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1811-96, “Still, still with Thee” (23)
Elizabeth Prentiss, 1818-78, “More love to Thee, O Christ” (472)
Susan Warner, 1819-85, “Jesus bids us shine” (420)
Anna B. Warner, 1820-1915, “Jesus loves me! this I know” (428)
Fanny Crosby, 1820-1915, “Rescue the perishing” (497) and many
others
Eliza Scudder, 1821-96, “Thou Grace Divine, encircling all” (57)
Phoebe Cary, 1824-71, “One sweetly solemn thought” (264)
Katherine Hankey, 1834-1911, “I love to tell the story” (493)
Mary Ann Thomson, 1834-1923, “O Zion, haste” (328)
Annie Sherwood Hawks, 1835-1918, “I need Thee every hour” (187)
Mary Lathbury, 1841-1913, “Day is dying in the west” (31)
“Break Thou the bread of life” (288)
Katherine Lee Bates, 1859-1929, “O beautiful for spacious” (343)
13. Mennonite Hymnody.
Mennonites have made many contributions to society through their
religious life and practices, but we have produced no important hymnody
of our own. Throughout the four hundred years of our existence as a
church, we have been a singing people, in times of persecution as well
as in times of peace. Great emphasis has always been laid upon the
importance of congregational singing in our worship services. Since the
beginning of the 19th century the Mennonites of various branches, in
America alone, have published over fifty hymnbooks. But an examination
of these hymnbooks shows that we are heavily indebted to others. Instead
of producing original hymns and tunes, we have borrowed, with minor
exceptions, our entire repertory from other denominations. The wealth of
verse and music produced by German and English writers throughout the
centuries has been found to serve our needs adequately and well.
The churches in Europe used hymnbooks compiled from Lutheran and
Reformed sources. Upon coming to the United States and Canada, they
gradually adopted English and American hymns and in some sections of the
church, the Gospel Songs came into wide use.
Our German collections of hymns have, until recently, been uniformly on
a higher level, both as to music and poetry, than the collections used
after the change was made to the English language. During the transition
from the German to the English language, many churches, in their choice
of their hymnbooks, sacrificed the fine chorales which had been a part
of their religious heritage. This was due partly to the revivalistic
influences of the times and partly to the fact that there were no good
translations available of the German hymns which earlier were in use.
The situation is gradually correcting itself. We are re-evaluating our
hymnody, sifting the wheat from the chaff, and bringing back into our
worship the rich treasure of song which had been used in the past. The
_Mennonite Hymnary_ is an effort in this direction.
14. The Antecedents of the Mennonite Hymnary.
The story of the hymn books antedating the _Hymnary_ may be briefly
summarized by listing the following books:
1565. The first German Mennonite hymn book was published in 1565 or
1566 (date omitted from title), entitled, _Ein schön Gesangbüchlein
Geistlicher Lieder, zusammengetragen aus dem A. und N. Testament
durch fromme Christen und Liebhaber Gottes, welcher hiefür etliche
getrucht sei gewesen, aber noch viel dazu gethan, welche nie im
Truck aussgangen seindt, in welchen auch ein recht Leben und
Fundament dez rechten Christlichen Glaubens gelehrt wirdt. Coloss.
3._
A second edition, 1570-1583, (date not given), adds to the above
title the following:
_Jetzo von neuem widerum übersehn, an vielen Orten gebessert und mit
etlichen newen Liedern vermehret. Coloss. 3._
Of the 133 hymns in the book, 9 had been in use among other
churches. Many of the others were by Mennonite authors, among them
Johann Schütz, Thomas Ducker, Gerhard Siebenakker von Sittart, and
Heinrich Krenen von Breidtbock. Many of the hymns are of a
controversial nature and have no literary value; for example, this
on infant baptism:
Die Schrift sagt nicht von Kindertaufe
Davon hab ich nicht gelesen.
Wer nach Gottes Wort getauft soll sein
Der musz gläubig wesen.
Es ist ein Bad der Wiedergeburt,
Ein Bund eines guten Gewissens
Ein’ Verneurung des heiliges Geistes
Davon keine Kinder wissen.
Most of the hymns were set to secular melodies popular at the time.
Very little of this first hymnal survives.
1570—_Ausbund, Das ist: Etliche schöne Christliche Lieder, wie sie in
dem Gefängnis zu Passau in dem Schlosz von den Schweizer-Brüdern und
von andern rechtglaubigen Christen hin und her gedichtet worden._
At least twelve editions have been printed in Europe, the last one
in Basel, 1838. Its use was confined to the South Germans and Swiss
Mennonites. Reprinted in America and still in use by the Amish, the
_Ausbund_ has the distinction of being the oldest hymn book
officially in use by any church in America.
1780—_Geistreiches Gesangbuch zur öffentlichen und besonderen Erbauung
der Mennonitischen Gemeinde in und vor der Stadt Danzig._
The book has had long use in Danzig. A revised edition appeared in
1908.
1803—_Das Kleine Geistliche Harfe der Kinder Zions._ Germantown, Pa.
The first Mennonite hymnbook printed in America. It was the official
hymnbook of the Franconia Conference of Mennonites of which John H.
Oberholzer, founder of the General Conference of Mennonites, was a
member. Seven editions were printed, the last in Elkhart, Ind.,
1904.
1804—_Unpartheyisches Gesangbuch_, Lancaster, Pa. The official
hymnbook of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference for almost a century.
Fourteen reprints were made, the last in 1923 for the Amish.
1843—_Gesangbuch in welchem eine Sammlung geistreiche Lieder
befindlich._ 9th ed. Elbing. The hymnbook of the Prussian
Mennonites. It was taken by the Prussians to Russia where it was
republished in Odessa, 1844.
1856—_Gesangbuch zum Gottesdienstlichen und haeuslichen Gebrauch in
Evangelischen Mennoniten Gemeinden._ Worms.
Published by the churches of Baden and the Palatinate. The hymnal
committee was fortunate in securing the assistance of the eminent
German hymnologist, Albert Knapp. The book contains 600 hymns and an
appendix of prayers. A book of melodies was also provided. This
collection holds an important place in Mennonite hymnody. It was
reprinted in Danzig, 1873, for use by the Danzig Mennonites, and in
Philadelphia, 1873, for use in the General Conference of Mennonites.
The excellent qualities of the more recent _Gesangbuch mit Noten_
may be traced, in considerable measure, to this work.
1869—_Gesangbuch in Mennoniten Gemeinden für Kirche und Haus._
Published for the churches of West Prussia, this work went through
at least four editions, the fourth in 1901. The book was republished
in Danzig, 1873.
1873—_Gesangbuch zum Gottesdienstlichen und häuslichen Gebrauch in
Mennoniten Gemeinden._ Philadelphia. Ordered by the sixth General
Conference of Mennonites held at Wadsworth, Ohio. The main body of
the book is the same as that published in Worms, 1856, but with the
appendix of prayers omitted, and an appendix of 22 hymns added, the
latter the contribution of the Mennonites in Pennsylvania. The book
was intended to form a closer bond of union between the Mennonites
in the East and those west of the Mississippi.
1890—_Gesangbuch mit Noten. Herausgegeben von der allgemeinen
Conferenz der Mennoniten von Nord America._ Berne, Ind. The book
passed through 15 editions, the last in 1936. A noteworthy
collection of hymns and tunes that met with wide approval in the
General Conference churches.
1894—_Mennonite Hymnal, A Blending of Many Voices._ Berne, Ind. An A.
S. Barnes publication adopted, practically unchanged, by the General
Conference of Mennonites. Our first official English hymnal, though
many collections from other sources were finding wide use in our
churches. The book has nothing of distinctiveness or distinction.
1927—_The Mennonite Hymn Book._ Berne, Ind. Published by the General
Conference of Mennonites. Compiled and edited by a committee
appointed by the Conference. The book was more satisfactory than the
_Mennonite Hymnal_ of 1894, but never became very popular. Total
sales of three editions were less than 5,000 copies.
1940—_The Mennonite Hymnary._ Published by the General Conference of
Mennonites of North America, Board of Publication, Mennonite
Publication Office, Newton, Kansas, 1940. Now in its sixth edition.
15. The Translation of Hymns.
A word may be in order concerning the translation of hymns. It is
difficult to transfer the color and feeling of one language to another.
For this reason many people who know the German hymns by heart have a
sense of disappointment when they read them in an English version. In
some instances a translation is inferior to the original but this is not
necessarily the case. It is well to remember that nearly all of us read
the Bible only in a translation, yet never doubt the literary quality of
the English King James Version or the German Version of Luther. The
hymn, “Ich weiss einen Strom,” is superior as poetry, and in its
religious feeling, to the English original, “O have you not heard of
that beautiful stream,” though the former is a translation of the
latter. The reason is that Gebhardt, the translator, was a poet in his
own right. Good translations are possible if the translator has poetic
ability of a high order, and if he translates into his native tongue.
Catherine Winkworth was the foremost translator of German hymns into
English and Ernst Gebhardt performed a similar role in translating
English and American hymns into German. Had either tried to do the work
of the other, the results would in all probability have lacked true
color and correct idiomatic and poetic expression.
16. Church Unity in the Hymnbook.
The unity of the Christian Church is expressed nowhere more eloquently
than in the hymns we sing. Every modern hymnal, regardless of the
denominational interest it represents, reaches across the ages to gather
its treasures from sources new and old; it knows nothing of the external
barriers which divide Christians into denominations, but makes use of
the hymns of widely divergent Christian groups. The _Mennonite Hymnary_
is no exception. Here are found hymns from the early church, East and
West, translated from the Greek and Latin fathers. Others, like
Savonarola’s hymn, come from the Middle Ages. Many are chorales from the
land of Luther, or metrical psalms from the Calvinistic reformers. A
substantial body of our hymnody stems from the Anglican Church, while
some of our best hymns are from sturdy independents like Watts and
Doddridge, and still others breathe the evangelistic fervor of Wesley,
Cowper, and Newton. The Quakers too have made their contribution as well
as certain Roman Catholics and Unitarians. In no aspect of our church
life do we attain so nearly to ecumenicity as in our worship in song.
Christians may differ widely in their religious views but they are able
to unite as one body in singing their songs of praise.
The following classification of hymns by denominations is far from
exhaustive. It is intended merely to suggest the wealth of material
drawn from many denominations, listing only representative writers
together with a representative hymn. The index of authors may be
consulted for a complete list of hymns written by each author.
a. _Anglican_ (_Church of England_)
Addison, Joseph, “The spacious firmament on high” (50)
Alexander, Mrs. Cecil (Irish), “Jesus calls us, o’er the tumult”
(140)
Baring-Gould, Sabine, “Onward, Christian soldiers” (225)
Bode, John E., “O Jesus, I have promised” (212)
Croly, George (Irish), “Spirit of God, descend” (133)
Dix, William C., “As with gladness men of old” (530)
Ellerton, John, “Savior, again to Thy dear name we raise” (43)
Elliott, Charlotte, “Just as I am, without one plea” (458)
Grant, Robert (Scotch), “O worship the King” (7)
Hankey, Katherine, “I love to tell the story” (493)
Havergal, Frances, “Take my life, and let it be” (215)
Heber, Reginald, “Holy, holy, holy” (1)
How, W. W., “O Jesus, Thou art standing” (144)
Lyte, Henry F., “Abide with me” (40)
Newton, John, “Glorious things of thee are spoken” (274)
Pierpoint, Folliott S., “For the beauty of the earth” (51)
Stone, Samuel, “The Church’s one foundation” (273)
Toplady, Augustus, “Rock of ages” (148)
Wordsworth, Christopher, “O day of rest and gladness” (285)
b. _Baptist_
Fawcett, John (Eng.), “Blest be the tie that binds” (41)
Gilmore, Henry, “He leadeth me” (478)
Hearn, Marianne (Eng.), “Just as I am, thine own to be” (393)
Hawks, Annie S., “I need Thee every hour” (187)
Lowry, Robert, “Low in the grave He lay” (452)
Phelps, Sylvanus, “Savior, Thy dying love” (220)
Rankin, Jeremiah, “God be with you till we meet again” (365)
Smith, Samuel F., “The morning light is breaking” (324)
Stennett, Samuel, “Majestic sweetness sits enthroned” (120)
c. _Bohemian Brethren_ (_Moravians_)
Hayn, Luise von, “I am Jesus’ little lamb” (430)
Montgomery, James, “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire” (184)
Rights, Douglas LeTell, “Veiled in darkness Judah lay” (68)
Weisse, Michael, “Christ, the Lord, is ris’n again” (544)
Zinzendorf, Nikolaus Ludwig, Graf von, “Jesu! geh’ voran” (574)
Zinzendorf, Christian Renatus, Graf von, “Man of sorrows” (537)
d. _Catholic_ (_Roman_)
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, “O sacred Head, now wounded” (539)
Bridges, Matthew, “Crown Him with many crowns” (118)
Faber, Frederick, “Faith of our fathers” (154)
Franz, Ignaz, “Grosser Gott, wir loben dich” (519)
Mohr, Joseph, “Silent night” (83)
Newman, John Henry, “Lead, kindly Light” (162-3)
Scheffler, Johann, “Mir nach, spricht Christus” (565)
e. _Congregational_
Bliss, Philip P., “Brightly beams our Father’s mercy” (448)
Dwight, Timothy, “I love Thy Kingdom, Lord” (275)
Gladden, Washington, “O Master, let me walk with Thee” (223)
Luke, Jemima (Eng.), “I think when I read that sweet story” (427)
Palmer, Horatio, “Yield not to temptation” (477)
Palmer, Ray, “My faith looks up to Thee” (150)
Shurtleff, Ernest W., “Lead on, O King Eternal” (399)
Sleeper, W. T., “Ye must be born again” (461)
Stocking, Jay T., “O Master Workman of the race” (93)
Stowe, Harriet Beecher, “Still, still with Thee” (23)
Walter, Howard A., “I would be true” (207)
Wolcott, Samuel, “Christ for the world we sing” (327)
f. _English Independent_
Doddridge, Philip, “How gentle God’s commands” (56)
Watts, Isaac, “When I survey the wondrous cross” (105-6)
g. _Episcopal_ (_American_)
Brooks, Phillips, “O little town of Bethlehem” (84)
Bowie, W. Russel, “Lord, through changing days” (402)
Coxe, Arthur C., “O where are kings and empires now” (276)
Doane, George W., “Fling out the banner” (331)
Hopkins, John, Jr., “We three kings of Orient are” (90)
Key, Francis Scott, “Lord, with glowing heart I’d praise” (511)
Roberts, Daniel C., “God of our fathers, whose almighty” (347)
h. _Lutheran_ (_German_)
Clausnitzer, Tobias, “Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier” (553a)
Gerhardt, Paul, “Commit thou all thy griefs” (558)
Luther, Martin, “A mighty fortress is our God” (549)
Nicolai, Philipp, “Wake, awake for night is flying” (522)
Rinkart, M. Martin, “Now thank we all our God” (514)
Schmolck, Benjamin, “My Jesus, as Thou wilt” (250)
Spitta, Karl Johann Philipp, “O happy home, where Thou” (358)
i. _Methodist_
Crosby, Fanny, “Jesus, keep me near the cross” (490)
Farrington, Harry Webb, “I know not how that Bethlehem’s” (99)
Gebhardt, Ernst (German), “Ich weiss einen Strom” (232)
Lathbury, Mary, “Break Thou the bread of life” (288)
Marlatt, Earl, “Are ye able, said the Master” (392)
Nicholson, James, “Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole” (469)
North, Frank Mason, “Where cross the crowded ways of life” (222)
Owens, Priscilla, “We have heard the joyful sound” (334)
Wesley, Charles, “Jesus, lover of my soul” (158-9)
Williams, William (Welsh), “Guide me, O Thou great” (160)
j. _Presbyterian_
Babcock, Maltbie, “This is my Father’s world” (48)
Benson, Louis, “O sing a song of Bethlehem” (92)
Clephane, Elizabeth (Scotch), “Beneath the cross of Jesus” (112)
Duffield, George, “Stand up, stand up for Jesus” (193)
Hastings, Thomas, “Hail to the brightness” (332)
Hopper, Edward, “Jesus, Savior, pilot me” (161)
Mackay, Wm. P., “We praise Thee, O God” (437)
Matheson, George (Scotch), “O Love that wilt not let me go” (175)
Merrill, Wm. P., “Rise up, O men of God” (230)
Prentiss, Elizabeth, “More love to Thee, O Christ” (472)
Small, James G. (Scotch), “I’ve found a Friend” (445)
Van Dyke, Henry, “Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee” (10)
k. _Quaker_
Adams, Jessie, “I feel the winds of God today” (391)
Barton, Bernard, “Walk in the light” (209)
Whittier, John G., “Dear Lord and Father of mankind” (181)
l. _Unitarian_
Adams, Sarah F., “Nearer, my God, to Thee” (202)
Bennett, S. F., “In the sweet bye and bye” (504)
Bowring, John, “In the cross of Christ I glory” (110)
Holmes, Oliver W., “Lord of all being, throned afar” (53)
Hosmer, Frederick L., “Father, to Thee we look in all our” (249)
Johnson, Samuel, “Father, in Thy mysterious presence” (188)
Longfellow, Samuel, “I look to Thee in every need” (244)
Martineau, James, “Thy way is in the deep, O Lord” (242)
Parker, Theodore, “O Thou great Friend to all the sons” (224)
Sears, Edmund, “It came upon a midnight clear” (75)
Ware, Henry, Jr., “Great God, the followers of Thy Son” (13)
m. _No Church Affiliation_
Bates, Katherine Lee, “O beautiful, for spacious skies” (343)
Vories, Wm. M., “Let there be light, Lord God of hosts” (353)
17. Hymn Meters.
Meter (English, _Metre_) refers to the rhythmic element in poetry:
a. the number of lines in a stanza.
b. the number of syllables in a line.
c. the arrangement of accented and unaccented syllables.
The figures attached to the tune names in the _Hymnary_ indicate the
number of lines in a stanza and the number of syllables in a line, e.
g., 8.7.8.7. means that the hymn has four lines in each stanza, the
first line being made up of 8 syllables, the second of 7 syllables, the
third of 8 syllables, and the last of 7 syllables. The figures are
placed there to facilitate the fitting of tunes to hymns, a
responsibility which is left now-a-days largely to hymnbook editors.
A given tune may be used with any variety of hymns provided the latter
have the same meter as the tune. Likewise a given hymn may be sung to
any tune that fits its meter, e.g., “Come, Thou Almighty King,” set to
the tune, “Italian Hymn,” as both have the meter pattern 6.6.4.6.6.6.4.
This is also the meter of “My country ’tis of thee” set to “America.”
Hence the words and tunes of these hymns may be interchanged. As a
matter of fact, “Come Thou Almighty King” was originally used with the
tune “America.” The practice of using alternate tunes is less common now
than formerly and must be done with care for while the meters may be
suited, the words and tune may be incompatible otherwise.
Meter Names
A few meters have specific names. These, with their abbreviations are as
follows:
_Short Meter_ (S.M.) 6.6.8.6, e.g.
Blest be the tie that binds (6)
Our hearts in Christian love: (6)
The fellowship of kindred minds (8)
Is like to that above. (6)
_Short Meter Double_ (S.M.D.) is used for a tune in which the quatrain
is repeated, e.g. “Terra Beata” (48), set to the words “This is my
Father’s world.”
_Common Meter_ (C.M.), also called Ballad Meter, consists of four lines
of 8.6.8.6. syllables, e.g.
In Christ there is no East or West (8)
In Him no South or North; (6)
But one great fellowship of love (8)
Throughout the whole wide earth. (6)
Nearly all the metrical psalms appeared in this meter.
_Common Meter Double_ (C.M.D.) is employed when two Common Meter
quatrains are used to form one stanza, e.g.,
“It came upon a midnight clear.” (75)
_Long Meter_ (L.M.) consists of a four line stanza in which each line is
of eight syllables, e.g.,
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; (8)
Praise Him, all creatures here below; (8)
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; (8)
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (8)
_Long Meter Double_ (L.M.D.), not often used, consists of a stanza of
eight lines, each line of eight syllables, e.g.,
“The spacious firmament on high.” (50)
Accentuation
In setting a hymn to music it is important that the accented syllables
of the poetry fall on the accented beats of the musical bars. Try
singing “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling” (456) to the tune “Ich
weiss einen Strom” (232). The meter is the same in each
case—11.7.11.7.—with refrain—but the words and tune are obviously not
suited to each other because of differences in accentuation.
18. Hymn Tunes.
a. What is a good tune?
b. Importance of tunes.
c. Composers of tunes.
d. Sources of tunes.
e. Tune names.
a. What is a good tune?
The quality of a tune must be judged by its definite and restricted use.
It is to be sung by a congregation of people, the majority of whom have
had only limited musical training, and without benefit of rehearsal. The
tune must therefore be judged by such questions as these: Is it
singable? Are the parts within easy pitch range of the voices? Is it
free from difficult intervals or modulations into other keys? Is it
interesting? Does it create a worshipful atmosphere? Does the mood of
the tune fit the mood and thought of the words?
b. The importance of tunes.
The tune is of great importance to the success of the hymn. Our “best
hymns” owe their popularity in many instances, to the tune with which
they are associated. On the other hand many excellent hymns remain
unused because the tunes given them are too difficult or too
uninteresting. It is the tune that creates the mood of worship and
charges the words with emotion so that their message is carried forth
with feeling and power.
c. Composers of tunes.
The story of the development of the hymn tune begins with the worship
song in the Temple at Jerusalem where the psalms were sung antiphonally
by priests and people accompanied by harps and trumpets. Little is known
of these tunes or their composers. This early Christian music would
doubtless sound strange to modern ears.
The important names in the roll of church musicians, from the early
centuries to the present time, include the following:
_Italian_—Ambrose, 4th century
Gregory the Great, 6th century
Palestrina, 1525-94
_French_—Louis Bourgeois, c. 1510-?
_German_—Luther, 1483-1546; Nicolai, 1556-1608; Hassler, 1564-1612;
Praetorius, 1571-1621; Crüger, 1598-1662; Bach, 1685-1750.
_English_—Tallis, 1510-85; Gibbons, 1583-1625; Croft, 1678-1727;
Gauntlett, 1805-76; Monk, 1823-99; Dykes, 1823-76; S. Wesley,
1810-76; Barnby, 1838-96; Stainer, 1840-1901; Sullivan,
1842-1900.
_American_—L. Mason, 1792-1872; Bradbury, 1816-68; Hastings,
1784-1872; Stebbins, 1846-1945.
The great composers, besides Bach, whose names are found in church
hymnals are: Haydn, Beethoven, Handel, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Gounod, and
Sibelius.
The above is only a partial list of composers of good church music.
Among their works is a corpus of fine hymn tunes far greater than has
been utilized by the church so far. For years to come, compilers of hymn
books will have a vast reservoir of excellent tunes, old yet new, to
draw from.
d. Sources of tunes.
An examination of the origin of church tunes shows a variety of sources.
Many tunes were especially written for the words to which they are set;
others are adaptations from early medieval chants; still others, as for
example, the “Passion Chorale” and “Londonderry Air”, were folk tunes
originally used with secular words. Some of our best tunes are
adaptations of melodies from larger musical works, as for example, “Hymn
to Joy” (10) from Beethoven’s _Ninth Symphony_; “Finlandia” (54), from a
tone poem by Sibelius; and “Seymour” (36), from Weber’s opera, _Oberon_.
e. Tune names.
Composers usually name their tunes in order to facilitate their
identification. The names given them are selected quite arbitrarily. W.
H. Havergal, prolific composer of church music, named his tunes after
the rivers, mountains, valleys, etc., of Palestine, e.g. “Abana,”
“Ahava,” “Ararat,” “Baca,” etc. Other tunes have been named for the
composer, e.g., “Bradbury” (395); the name of a friend, e.g.,
“Rockingham” (105); name of a city or village, e.g., “Boylston” (214); a
street, “Federal Street” (192); a cottage, “Hollingside” (159); an event
in history, “Nicaea” (1); or the central idea in the words, “Pilot”
(161).
In Germany, the usual practice has been to name the tune after the first
line of the hymn to which it was originally set.
Some tunes, unfortunately, are known by more than one name, e.g., “St.
Michel’s” (93) and “Jerusalem, Jerusalem” (125). In a few cases the same
name is given to several tunes, e.g., “Wesley” (309 and 332). This is
confusing and it is highly desirable that hymnbook editors strive toward
uniformity of nomenclature.
19. John Wesley’s Rules for Singing.
In one of John Wesley’s compilations of tunes, _Sacred Melody_, the
great preacher and founder of Methodism gives the following rules for
singing. Some of the expressions used may provoke a smile but, as
Lightwood suggests, “it would be a very good thing if these were read
aloud from time to time in all churches and chapels where good
congregational singing is aimed at.”
a. Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as
many as you please.
b. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or
mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise,
unlearn it as soon as you can.
c. Sing ALL. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as
you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you.
If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.
d. Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you
were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength.
Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being
heard, than when you sang the songs of Satan.
e. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct
from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the
harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one
clear melodious sound.
f. Sing in tune. Whatever time is sung be sure to keep with it. Do not
run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices,
and move therewith exactly as you can; and take care not to sing too
low. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy: and it is
high time to drive it out from among us, and sing all our tunes just
as quick as we did at first.
g. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you
sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature.
In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and
see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to
God continually; so shall our singing be such as the Lord will approve
of here, and regard you when He cometh in the clouds of Heaven.
BOOK I
Hymns for Worship and Praise
WORSHIP—PRAISE AND ADORATION
1. Holy, holy, holy _Reginald Heber_, 1783-1826
A metrical paraphrase of Revelation 4:8-11. The hymn was written for use
on Trinity Sunday of the Church Year but has found a wide general use as
a morning hymn. It ranks high in any list of “best hymns.” Some give it
first place.
The author, Reginald Heber, was educated at Oxford, England, for the
Anglican ministry. For sixteen years he served as rector at Hodnet,
Shropshire, where most of his hymns were written. He became an eminent
churchman, as well as hymn writer, and was made bishop of Calcutta in
1822. After four years, his life came to an end suddenly at the close of
a day in which he had baptized forty-two native converts. He is the
author of the popular missionary hymn, “From Greenland’s icy mountains”
(333).
“Holy, holy, holy,” was one of Alfred Tennyson’s favorite hymns, and it
was sung at his funeral service in Westminster Abbey, April 12, 1892.
_MUSIC._ The tune, NICAEA, was composed for this hymn and was so named
because the text deals with the doctrine of the Trinity as expounded in
the Council of Nicaea which met in the city of Nicaea in Asia Minor, 325
A.D., the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It convened
at the call of the Emperor, Constantine, to settle the so-called “Arian
controversy” concerning the nature of Christ. Arius, a presbyter of
Alexandria, taught that Christ was neither divine nor human, but
superangelic. After sitting from May 20 to August 25, to hear all sides
of the heated debate, the council decided in favor of Athanasius, a
deacon of Alexandria and chief opponent of Arius. The result was
incorporated in the Nicene creed which declares that Christ is “the same
substance with the Father.” Our hymn asserts the same doctrine: “God in
Three Persons, blessed Trinity.”
J. B. Dykes, 1823-76, composer of the tune, was born in Hull, England,
the son of a banker. He was educated at Cambridge for the ministry but
had also received a thorough training in music and became one of
England’s leading hymn-tune writers. For a score of years he was vicar
of the Anglican church, St. Oswald’s, in the city of Durham. He
published sermons and other writings but is best known for his 300 hymn
tunes, many of which are still in wide use. One of his most popular
tunes is “Lux Benigna” which is always associated with John Henry
Newman’s hymn, “Lead kindly light” (162).
2. God is in His holy temple _Anonymous_
Based on Hab. 2:20: “The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth
keep silence before him.” The hymn, whose authorship is anonymous, is a
call to silence and reverence as the worshipper bows in the presence of
God.
_MUSIC._ The origin of the popular and useful tune, AUTUMN, has been in
dispute. Some books refer to it as a Spanish melody, and others have
seen in the tune a reminiscence of a psalm-tune found in the _Genevan
Psalter_ of 1551. It is ascribed here to one, Louis von Esch, but Dr.
Robert McCutchan, editor of the _Methodist Hymnal_ and author of _Our
Hymnody_, says: “There is no basis whatever for ascribing it to any
other than Barthélémon.”
Francois H. Barthélémon was born in Bordeaux, July 27, 1741, and died in
London, July 20, 1808. He gave up his position as an officer in the
French army to make music his profession and became a composer and
distinguished violinist and conductor in England. Most of his
compositions were of a secular nature. His other church pieces are
“Morning Hymn” (25) and “Ballerma” (146, 585). Late in life Barthélémon
joined the Swedenborgian Church. He died of paralysis at the age of 67.
3, 4, 5. All hail the power of Jesus’ name _Edward Perronet_, 1726-92
The original version of this hymn contained eight stanzas and first
appeared in the _Gospel Magazine_, Augustus Toplady’s journal, the first
stanza together with the tune “Miles Lane,” in November, 1779, and the
remaining stanzas in April, 1780. It is one of the popular, stirring
hymns of the English language, sung in England almost invariably to the
tune “Miles Lane” and in America more generally to “Coronation.”
Edward Perronet was born in 1726 and became a vicar in the Church of
England in Shoreham. Later, under the influence of John Wesley, he left
the established church to become an itinerant Methodist preacher. After
some years he left the Methodists and ministered to a small dissenting
congregation in Canterbury, where he died in 1792.
The fourth stanza is attributed by some authorities to the Rev. John
Rippon, a Baptist minister.
A missionary in India, E. P. Scott, went to visit a mountain tribe when
one day he found himself surrounded with a number of wild, ferocious
tribesmen, pointing their spears at him. Expecting death, he closed his
eyes and sang this hymn, “All hail the power of Jesus’ name,” playing
the tune “Miles Lane” on his violin. The music and words produced such a
profound effect upon these wild tribesmen that they spared Scott’s life
and invited him to settle among them. For over two years, until his
health failed, he worked with great success among them, and when he was
compelled to return to America, they accompanied him thirty or forty
miles and begged him to return. Upon regaining his health, he did return
and labored with them until his death.
_MUSIC._ MILES LANE (No. 3) was composed by William Shrubsole,
1760-1806, especially for this hymn. He was an intimate friend of the
author of the hymn. Most of his life was spent as music teacher and
organist in various English churches. The tune is very effective,
especially in its thrilling climax in the fourfold repetition of “Crown
Him.” However, due to its wide melodic range, its sustained notes, and
interrupted pace, it is more difficult to sing than “Coronation.”
CORONATION (No. 4) was composed by Oliver Holden. He had little formal
training in music and was a carpenter by trade. He was born in Shirley,
Mass., Sept. 18, 1765. After the English burned Charlestown, across the
river from Boston, Holden helped in the task of rebuilding and made
considerable money. Later he engaged in the real estate business, owned
a music store, and all the while led choirs and singing schools. He was
elected representative to the Congress. He was an influential citizen
and a prominent member of the Baptist Church. However, he is remembered
by posterity as the composer of this much-loved tune.
DIADEM (No. 5) is an effective tune widely used on anniversary
occasions. The composer, James Ellor, an English Methodist, was born in
Lancashire in 1819. He was not a professional musician, but a hatter by
trade. For a time he worked as a railway employee. While still a young
man, he came to America, where he worked at the hatmaking trade. For
some years before his death in 1899, he was nearly blind. This tune was
composed when Ellor was only 19 years old. It was written especially for
this hymn and has had wide use as a choir number.
6. Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim _Charles Wesley_, 1707-88
This hymn by Charles Wesley, perhaps the greatest hymnist of all ages,
was No. 1 in a collection published in 1774 and entitled, _Hymns for
Times of Trouble and Persecution_. The original had six stanzas and was
marked, “To be sung in a tumult.” The Wesleys knew the meaning of
persecution and tumults. They were often attacked by godless men who
used physical violence. Hoodlums were known to try to break up their
meetings by blowing horns, ringing bells, or barking in front of the
preacher. Sometimes cattle were driven into the congregation. The
Wesleys were also opposed by the clergy and people of the established
church who hated the upheavals and disturbances these men caused in the
staid and stolid church life of the times. Nothing could stop the
Wesleys or repress their enthusiasm. John, who once thanked God for
getting together such a “congregation of drunkards, swearers, and
Sabbath breakers,” continued his preaching; and Charles his hymn
writing. With the early apostles, the Wesleys could say, “We cannot but
speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
Charles Wesley, John’s youngest brother, graduated from Oxford in 1729
and became a devout priest in the Anglican Church. He came to Georgia in
1735 as secretary to General Oglethorpe but after one year, he returned
to England on account of failing health. The years from 1738 to 1756
were devoted whole heartedly to assisting his brother John in the great
revivalistic work among the masses of the common people in England,
Scotland, and Ireland. He was a prolific writer, being the author of
about 6,500 hymns. Of these only a few score survive, so difficult is it
to write hymns that stand the test of time. Twenty-three of his hymns,
more than of any other author, are included in the _Hymnary_. Wesley,
being Arminian in his theology (as opposed to the predestinarian views
of Calvinism) emphasizes in his hymns the power of Christ to save to the
uttermost. Others of his hymns surpass this one from the standpoint of
good literature, but very few equal its spirit of adoring praise and
fervid enthusiasm.
_MUSIC._ HANOVER is a vigorous, singable, hymn-tune which has long been
associated with these words, although the tune “Lyons” (7), too, is
frequently set to this hymn. It is one of the earliest examples of the
English psalm-tune, as distinguished from the Genevan. The triple
measure was novel and met with objection when it first appeared.
The composer, William Croft, 1678-1727, had a doctor’s degree in music
and was organist, for a time, in Westminster Abbey, London, where his
remains lie buried. He labored hard, amidst many discouragements, to
improve the music in the Church of England, and made for himself in the
field of sacred music, one of the greatest names in English musical
history. His tunes and anthems are widely used.
7. O worship the King, all glorious above _Robert Grant_, 1779-1838
A simple, yet majestic hymn, based on the magnificent 104th Psalm. A
careful reading of the Psalm will result in a new appreciation of this
free paraphrase by Grant.
Robert Grant was born in Bombay, India. When six years old, his parents
moved to London. He received his education in Oxford, was admitted to
the bar, elected to Parliament in 1808, and then held various
responsible government positions, climaxed in 1834 by his appointment as
Governor of Bombay. He died at Delpoonie, India, where a medical school,
bearing his name, was erected in his memory. Though a prominent man and
active in public affairs, Grant will be remembered principally as the
author of this, his most important hymn. He wrote a number of other
hymns but only this one and “Savior, when, in dust, to Thee” (145) have
survived.
_MUSIC._ The tune LYONS is by Haydn, not the famous “Papa” Haydn who
wrote symphonies, string quartets, and _The Creation_, but J. Michael
Haydn, 1737-1806, a younger brother. He was born in Austria. Though
self-taught in music (like his famous brother Franz), he became the
teacher of many eminent musicians of his time, including Carl von Weber.
Haydn was a warm-hearted, devout, and gifted man, and might have become
famous except for two things—his life was lived in the shadow of his
more illustrious brother, and he was too modest to permit most of his
works to be published.
LYONS is a singable tune with a fine melodic curve and is strikingly
similar to “Hanover” (6) with which it may be interchanged with good
effect.
8. Come Thou Almighty King _Charles Wesley_, 1707-88
This hymn of praise and prayer is widely used in all branches of the
Christian church in the English speaking world and has been translated
into many foreign languages. It has been generally attributed to Charles
Wesley, the great “Bard of Methodism,” but the authorship is uncertain.
The hymn appeared as the first of only two selections in a small booklet
published by John Wesley about 1757. The second hymn was by Charles
Wesley and was entitled, “The Backslider.” “Come, Thou Almighty King,”
with the title, “An Hymn to the Trinity,” did not bear the name of
Charles Wesley, and it appears nowhere in his collected works. No one
can be certain, therefore, of the authorship or date of its writing.
Like all good hymns, it rises above time or personal circumstance and
expresses for all Christians their feeling of praise and adoration of
God. It was originally sung to the tune, “God Save the King,” the hymn
following the same metrical pattern as the British National Anthem and
our own “America.”
_MUSIC._ ITALIAN HYMN, also called “Trinity,” and “Moscow,” is one of
our most famous hymn tunes and deserves its renown. It was composed for
this hymn by Felice de Giardini, 1716-1796, an Italian violinist, who
spent many years in England and ranked among the top-notch artists and
teachers of violin in Europe. Though a great artist, he was a capricious
and peevish personality, had few friends and many enemies, was a poor
business manager, and died in poverty and distress in the city of Moscow
where he had gone to better his fortune and failed.
9. Christ is our Cornerstone _Latin, 8th century_
_Tr. John Chandler_, 1806-76
This is a translation of a mediaeval Latin hymn. At the beginning of the
Christian era, the prevailing language was Greek. With the dominance of
Rome over the empire of Alexander the Great, Greek gradually gave way to
the Latin tongue, and from the fourth century to the dawn of the
Reformation, a rich treasury of Latin hymns came into existence in the
church. Many of these have now been translated for use in modern English
speaking churches. They are stately, reverent, devout pieces of
devotional literature which have been the joy and consolation of
countless saintly souls down through the centuries. Other examples of
hymns from Latin sources are found at Nos. 67, 80, 87, 114, 116, 171,
277, 382, and 415.
“Christ is our Cornerstone” is based on “_Angularis fundamentum_,” a
dedication hymn of anonymous authorship, attributed here to the 8th
century, but it may be of much earlier origin. Hymn 277, “Christ is made
the sure foundation,” is another rendering of the same Latin poem, by a
different translator and into a different meter, and is there dated “6th
or 7th century.”
John Chandler, the translator, was one of a group of Anglican clergymen
belonging to what was known in England as the Oxford Group (not to be
confused with the recent Oxford group movement headed by John Buchman).
They were interested in restoring to the church a dignified service of
worship. These Latin hymns contributed to this purpose. Chandler was a
scholar as well as preacher, author of several books and many printed
sermons and tracts, and was one of the first and best translators of
Latin hymns. This, of course, is not a literal translation, for
consideration had to be given to poetic and doctrinal fitness for modern
use.
_MUSIC._ The tune DARWALL was composed by John Darwall, 1731-89, an
Anglican clergyman and also an enthusiastic amateur musician. He
composed a tune for each of the 150 metrical Psalms, each written in two
parts only, treble and bass. DARWALL was set to Psalm 148. His tunes,
for the most part, have not been published and have passed into
oblivion.
10. Joyful, joyful we adore Thee _Henry van Dyke_, 1852-1933
A nature hymn of the first order, written by one who himself had a
profound appreciation and love of the out-of-doors. The words from
beginning to end are an expression of the beauty in nature and the
resulting joy and spirit of praise it brings to the worshipper. The hymn
was written in 1907 while the author was on a preaching visit to
Williams College; it was designated to be sung to the “Hymn to Joy” in
the last movement of Beethoven’s _Ninth Symphony_. The words fit the
music perfectly. It is one of the most joyful hymns in the English
language.
Henry van Dyke was born in Germantown, Pa.; received his education in
Princeton University and Theological Seminary; and began his work as
pastor of the United Congregational Church in Newport, R. I. After four
years he was called to the pulpit of the Brick Presbyterian Church in
New York where he became a widely known figure. In 1900 he was called to
the chair of English Literature in Princeton. He was a friend of
President Woodrow Wilson who appointed van Dyke as minister to the
Netherlands and Luxemburg, which post he held from 1913 to 1917. He is
the author of many books, including the beautiful story entitled, _The
Other Wise Man._
_MUSIC._ HYMN TO JOY is a hymn tune arrangement from the fourth movement
of Beethoven’s _Ninth Symphony_, probably the greatest symphony ever
penned, even though the composer was stone-deaf when he wrote it.
Ludwig von Beethoven was born at Bonn, Germany, in 1770 and died in
Vienna in 1827. During his tempestuous life, he composed many
compositions for piano, violin, orchestra, and string quartet. His nine
symphonies are on the repertoire of all the great modern symphony
orchestras.
11. Give to our God immortal praise _Isaac Watts_, 1674-1748
Recognized as the best of three versions which Watts made of Psalm 136.
The hymn expresses with dignity and fervor the high praise of God.
Isaac Watts, scholar, poet, and pastor of the Independent Church in Mark
Lane, London, ranks among the greatest of English hymn writers. He is
the author of about 600 hymns and versions, many of which are still in
common use. The _Hymnary_ contains 19 of his works. Watts is often
referred to as the “father of English hymnody.” Though suffering from
bodily ailments during the greater part of his adult life, he was robust
in his thinking and became a bold and sturdy fighter for the cause of
intellectual and religious freedom. Watts was one of the gentlest and
kindest of men and a friend of the young. His wide intellectual
interests enabled him to write textbooks on logic, geography, and
astronomy, which were used in the universities of England as well as
Harvard and Yale. Though he was never married and had no children of his
own, Watts was a lover of children and wrote one of the world’s most
beautiful cradle songs—“Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber.” In 1715,
he issued a notable book of verse for children. One of the poems,
entitled, “Against Quarrelling and Fighting,” runs as follows:
Let dogs delight to bark and bite
For God hath made them so;
Let bears and lions growl and fight
For ’tis their nature to.
But children, you should never let
Such angry passions rise;
Your little hands were never made
To tear each other’s eyes.
Let grown-ups in our day grasp the idea in this simple poem!
_MUSIC._ The tune, LASST UNS ERFREUEN, one of the most famous in any
hymn book, was published in _Geistliche Kirchengesäng_, Cologne, 1623.
It was set to an Easter hymn beginning, “_Lasst uns erfreuen herzlich
sehr_,” from whence it derives its name. The tune is unusual for its
simplicity of structure and its invariable repetition of phrases
throughout. Usually the alleluias in lines 3 and 6 are sung in harmony,
the rest of the song in unison. The tune lends itself well to antiphonal
or echo singing on the rare occasions when such varied effects are
desired. The composer is not known.
12. O for a thousand tongues to sing _Charles Wesley_, 1707-88
From a poem of 18 stanzas, written by Wesley to celebrate the first
anniversary of his great spiritual change, a conversion experience in
which he felt the clear light of the Gospel possessing his soul. The
poem was entitled, “For the Anniversary Day of One’s Conversion.” Wesley
was greatly influenced by the Moravian missionary Peter Bohler who once
said to him: “Had I a thousand tongues, I would praise Him with them
all.” The incident, lingering in Wesley’s mind, was turned into a song
which expresses the joy and confidence of the redeemed. For 150 years,
and until recently, this hymn appeared as No. 1 in Methodist hymnbooks
on both sides of the Atlantic.
For further comments on Charles Wesley see Hymn 6.
_MUSIC._ AZMON was introduced into this country from Germany where it
was a favorite school song. Carl G. Gläser, the composer, was born at
Weissenfels, Germany, 1784, and died at Barmen, 1829. He was a teacher
of piano, violin, and voice, and director of choruses. He also owned and
managed a music store.
Lowell Mason, the arranger of the tune, was one of America’s earliest
exponents and teachers of public school music and did much to bring
worthy popular hymn tunes into the churches. He was born January 8,
1792, at Orange, N. J. At the age of 16, he was a choir leader and
teacher of singing classes. At 23, he went to Savannah, Ga., as a bank
clerk, returning to Boston in 1827 to become president and conductor of
the Handel and Haydn Society. He wrote a large number of singable hymn
tunes which have had wide use in the hymn books of all denominations.
More of his compositions are found in the _Hymnary_ than of any other
composer. He died at Orange, N. J., August 11, 1872.
13. Great God, the followers of Thy Son _Henry Ware, Jr._, 1794-1843
Written for an ordination service which took place in Baltimore in 1819,
William E. Channing preaching the sermon.
The author, Henry Ware, Jr., was born at Hingham, Mass., April 21, 1794;
died September 25, 1843, at Framingham, Mass. He was educated at
Harvard, and served as minister of the Second Unitarian Church, Boston,
1817 to 1829, with Ralph Waldo Emerson as assistant for a time. From
1829 to 1842, he was Professor of Pulpit Eloquence and Pastoral Care in
the Harvard Divinity School. He was editor of the _Christian Disciple_
and later of the _Christian Register_.
_MUSIC._ For comments on Lowell Mason, composer of HEBRON, see Hymn 12.
14. The God of Abraham praise _Daniel Ben Judah, 14th century_
_Revised version by Thomas Olivers_, 1725-99
This praise hymn, with its magnificent tune, had its origin in a Jewish
synagogue in London. Thomas Olivers, a Welshman and follower of John
Wesley, spent fifty years of his life as a Methodist minister, during
which time he travelled more than 100,000 miles on horseback in his
evangelistic work. His fame, however, rests upon this hymn. While
visiting in London, he went to the Great Synagogue in Duke’s Place and
heard the cantor sing the Hebrew _Yigdal_ or doxology, in which the
articles of the Jewish faith are recited. Upon hearing this, Oliver
wrote “The God of Abraham praise,” a Christian version of the _Yigdal_.
The original is by Daniel Ben Judah of the 14th century. Oliver then
called on the Cantor, Meyer Leoni, who gave him this melody to suit the
hymn he had written.
_MUSIC._ LEONI, according to Winfield Douglas, is probably not older
than the 17th century and is not related to ancient Jewish music.
Although written in a minor key, it strikes the note of praise. Its
rhythm and vigor of movement adapts it well for use as a processional or
recessional hymn.
15. We praise Thee, O God, our Redeemer _Julia Bulkley Cady Cory_
A notable hymn of praise written by Mrs. Julia Cady Cory, who was born
and reared in what was reputed to be one of the happiest Christian homes
in New York City. Her father, J. Cleveland Cady, was a nationally known
architect. A devout Christian, he had a genuine love for boys and girls
and was superintendent of the same Sunday school for fifty-two years.
Concerning the origin of this hymn, Mrs. Cory has written:
Years before I was married (in 1902), the organist of the Brick
Presbyterian Church of New York City, knowing of my interest in
hymnology, came to me and told me that he had a very fine Netherlands
melody associated with most militaristic and unchristian words. He
lamented the fact, and requested me to write more suitable words,
which could be used for the Thanksgiving service at the Brick Church.
The hymn as you see it today, was the result.
_MUSIC._ KREMSER is named after Edward Kremser, 1838-1914, a Viennese
musician who arranged the tune from a Netherlands melody dating to 1625.
The composer is not known. It is a stirring piece of music, simple in
style, and easy to sing. It is equally impressive, whether sung in
measured, stately tones like a chorale, or in the gayer festive mood in
which young people like to sing. Children and young people usually
respond to this hymn with enthusiasm.
16. Praise the Lord: ye heavens adore Him _Foundling Hospital
Collection_
_Stanza 3 by Edward Osler_, 1798-1863
A free rendering of some lines of Psalm 148 in which all the hosts of
heaven and earth join in a magnificent chorus of praise to God.
The first two stanzas are anonymous. They were first published in the
_Foundling Hospital Collection_, a book of hymns and anthems compiled by
Thomas Coram, an English seaman, merchant captain and philanthropist. In
later life, Mr. Coram devoted his time and fortune to the support of a
children’s hospital in which a chapel was also maintained and the
children trained in singing.
Edward Osler, author of the third stanza, was an English surgeon and
author of books on scientific as well as religious subjects. He was also
a distinguished hymnologist and wrote a number of versions of the Psalms
and hymns for use in the Church of England.
_MUSIC._ FABEN was composed by John Henry Wilcox, 1827-75, Boston
organist and expert in organ construction. The tune should not be taken
too fast; otherwise the short notes become choppy and the effect is
spoiled. Singers should avoid slurring the intervals of the melody,
especially the descending fourth at the end of the first, third and
seventh lines.
17. Come, let us join our cheerful songs _Isaac Watts,_ 1674-1748
A paraphrase of Revelation 5:11-13. It is one of the most widely
esteemed of Watts’ poems and one of the classics of English hymnody.
The basses and tenors would be less likely to sing the wrong words at
the beginning of the third score if the lines of all four stanzas had
been printed. Let the song leader remind them to look ahead for the
proper lines of each stanza before singing their solo part, and so avoid
some incongruities of thought!
For comments on Isaac Watts see Hymn 11.
_MUSIC._ CAMBRIDGE is an effective tune but with most congregations it
needs some rehearsal before it is usable in a worship service. The
composer, John Randall, 1715-99, was an organist and Professor of Music
in Cambridge University. He was a friend of the poet Thomas Gray.
18. O come, loud anthems let us sing _Tate and Brady_
A metrical version of Psalm 95, by Tate and Brady, two Irishmen who
collaborated in producing, in 1696, the _New Version_ of the Psalms.
Their work partly supplanted the older version by Sternhold and Hopkins,
then in use.
Nahum Tate, 1652-1715, was the son of an Irish clergyman, and, like
Brady, received his education at Trinity College, Dublin. He was only a
second-rate poet but managed to receive appointment as Poet Laureate of
England in 1690.
Nicholas Brady, 1659-1726, was granted the honorary degree of Doctor of
Divinity from Dublin University for services rendered to the Protestant
cause. Among his many appointments were the chaplaincy to the king of
England and incumbency of Stratford-on-Avon. Tate and Brady recast all
of the Psalms into metrical verse in an attempt to improve on the old
version then in use in the churches. Their work was done in a day when
only the psalms were permitted to be sung in worship services in
England. The writing of hymns was still in the future. Only a few of
their renderings still find a place among our modern English hymns. The
_Hymnary_ includes two besides this one, Nos. 583 and 586.
_MUSIC._ The tune was found in _St. Basil’s Hymn Book_ where it is
credited to Haydn, but we are not told which Haydn. No further
information concerning its origin has been traced. It is especially
effective when sung by a large congregation.
MORNING
19. When morning gilds the skies _19th century_
_Tr. E. Caswall_, 1814-78
A radiant morning hymn of adoration. It comes from the German song, “Bei
frühem Morgenlicht,” of unknown authorship, which first appeared in
print in the _Katholisches Gesangbuch_, 1828, bearing the title, “A
Christian Greeting.”
Bei frühem Morgenlicht
Erwacht mein Herz und spricht.
Gelobt sei Jesus Christus!
So sing ich früh and spät,
Bei Arbeit und Gebet,
Gelobt sei Jesus Christus!
The translator, Edward Caswall, was an English scholar and clergyman,
educated at Oxford. He left the Church of England to become a Roman
Catholic priest. Caswall did much for the sick poor and the poor
children in Birmingham, England, where he lived. He wrote excellent
original hymns and made many translations from German and Latin sources.
(See Nos. 88 and 155.)
_MUSIC._ O SEIGNEUR was composed or arranged by the Frenchman L.
Bourgeois, _c._ 1500- _c._ 1561, who was an adherent of Calvin and
followed him to Geneva in 1541. He was assigned by Calvin the task of
providing music for the metrical psalter, but his work was attended with
troubles and difficulties. Once he was thrown in prison for making
unauthorized alterations in certain well-known tunes. He tried hard to
introduce part-singing in a day when only unison singing was permitted
by Calvin. Not succeeding in this, he left Geneva and returned to Paris,
his birthplace. O SEIGNEUR is a superb tune. It gathers interest and
force throughout its considerable length. The tune, which also may be
used as a choir anthem, should be sung in fairly lively tempo to bring
out its extraordinary power.
20. Lord, in the morning _Isaac Watts_, 1674-1748
Based on Psalm 5:3: “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in
the morning will I direct my prayer to thee, and will look up.” Watts
did not hesitate to change the wording of the Psalms, when necessary, to
“Christianize” them. In the preface to his book of _Psalms_, he states
his method and purpose in these words:
It is necessary that I should inform my readers that they are not to
expect in this book an exact translation of the Psalms of David. My
design is to accommodate the Book of Psalms to Christian Worship.
For further comments on Watts see Hymn 11.
_MUSIC._ WARWICK, a psalm-tune of somewhat ornamental style, was
composed by Samuel Stanley, 1767-1822, who for thirty-three years was
the leader of singing in Carr’s Lane Meeting House, Birmingham, England,
where he made its music famous. He was a noted violincellist and an
authority on the music of Handel. His position in the church was not
then considered inconsistent with his being, for a time, keeper of the
town tavern.
21. When morning gilds the skies _19th century, Tr. E. Caswall_,
1814-78
For comments on the words see Hymn 19.
_MUSIC._ LAUDES DOMINI was composed by Joseph Barnby, 1838-96, an
English organist and one of the most prolific hymn-tune writers of his
time. He was conductor of the Royal Choral Society in London, which
presented many splendid performances of the great oratorios. It is a
reverent and vigorous tune, written especially for this hymn, and makes
a good processional.
22. New every morning is the love _John Keble_, 1792-1866
Taken from John Keble’s _Christian Year_, a book of devotional poetry,
one of the great religious classics in the English language. The
original poem of sixteen stanzas is based on Lamentations 3:22b, 23a:
“His compassions fail not. They are new every morning.” The hymn shows a
deep appreciation of the beauties of the natural world, linking them
with the worship of God.
John Keble was educated at Oxford where he was an outstandingly
brilliant student. Later he taught at Oxford for nine years and then
spent thirteen years as curate in his father’s church in
Gloucestershire. Following that he became vicar of Hursley where he
rebuilt the parish church with profits from his book, _The Christian
Year_, which passed through 90 editions during the author’s lifetime.
Keble was one of the influential leaders in the so-called Oxford or
Tractarian Movement in England, an effort to emphasize worthier ideas of
the church and a greater dignity and beauty in worship.
_MUSIC._ MELCOMBE, a melody of fine balance and great dignity, was
composed by Samuel Webbe, 1740-1816, son of an English government
official in Minorca. He spent his early life as a cabinetmaker but later
turned to music, becoming a noted organist and composer of a large
quantity of secular and sacred music.
23. Still, still with Thee _Harriet Beecher Stowe_, 1811-96
Based on Psalm 139:18: “When I awake I am still with Thee.” It is a
beautiful, personal, morning hymn, expressing the soul’s adoration upon
waking to find itself in the glad consciousness of the divine presence.
Harriet Beecher Stowe belonged to a famous American family. Her father,
Lyman Beecher, and her brother, Henry Ward Beecher, were eloquent and
influential preachers in the Presbyterian and Congregational churches,
respectively. Harriet’s girlhood was spent in Cincinnati, Ohio, where
her father was president of Lane Theological Seminary. She married
Calvin Ellis Stowe, of the Lane faculty. In 1852, she published _Uncle
Tom’s Cabin_, a story which became immensely popular and made a notable
contribution to the cause of freedom for the slaves.
_MUSIC._ CONSOLATION is No. 9 of the 48 pieces, all of distinctive lyric
quality, composed by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, and known as _Songs
without Words._ The tune appears here in slightly modified form. It is
well adapted for the hymn but suffers frequently from dragging. It
should be sung with a steady pace and clearly defined rhythm.
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy was born in Hamburg, Germany, 1809, the son
of a Jewish banker. His father, Abraham Mendelssohn, wished the children
to be brought up as Protestant Christians and added the name “Bartholdy”
to distinguish them from the Jewish members of the family. “Bartholdy”
was the name of the proprietor of the garden belonging to the family.
Mendelssohn composed extensively for the piano and wrote symphonies for
the orchestra. Among his choral works are the great oratorios, _Elijah_
and _St. Paul_. A man of culture and wealth, he travelled extensively
and was popular wherever he went, especially in England. He died in
Leipzig in 1847.
24. Father, we praise Thee _Gregory the Great_, 540-604
_Tr. Percy Dearmer_, 1867-1936
The original of this morning hymn is attributed to Gregory the Great,
Pope Gregory I, a sincere man, devoted to missions and reforms within
the church, and one of the greatest of the line of Popes. The date of
his election to the papacy, A.D. 590, is usually given by church
historians as the end of the period of the Ancient Church and the
beginning of the period of the Middle Ages—a witness to the importance
of Gregory. A man of unblemished character and statesmanlike wisdom, he
had a noble vision and ambition for Christianity and took a keen
interest in the ritual and music of the church. Though not original or
scholarly, he was a voluminous writer and had much influence in his
time. He sent out missionaries, such as Augustine to England, and
labored incessantly to purify and strengthen the church, care for its
poor, and bring Christianity to the heathen. Gregory was particularly
interested in the music of the church; and the “Gregorian Chants,” many
of them composed by him, became the basis of cathedral music for a
thousand years. He did away with certain embellishments which had crept
in through the influence of Ambrose, and inaugurated the use of the
solemn, stately chants which bear his name.
The translation of this hymn is by Percy Dearmer, an English hymnologist
and clergyman who became Canon of Westminster, London, in 1931. He
edited _Songs of Praise_, adopted widely in England for use in churches
and public schools.
_MUSIC._ CHRISTI SANCTORUM is a tune of uncertain origin taken from a
book by Francois de la Feillée, entitled _Methode du Plain Chant_,
published in 1782. The melody, easily within range of all voices, is
well adapted for unison singing. It is most effective when sung somewhat
slowly. Though the tune appears in a book of plainsong, the melody has
rhythm and is measured, and has none of the characteristics of a
plainsong.
25. Awake, my soul, and with the sun _Thomas Ken_, 1637-1711
Taken from a _Manual of Prayers_, which Bishop Ken wrote for Winchester
College students in 1674. It appeared as the “Morning Hymn.” The preface
of the book admonished the boys “to be sure to sing the Morning and
Evening Hymn in your chamber devoutly.” Both the Morning and Evening
Hymn (33) had for the closing stanza the famous doxology, “Praise God
from whom all blessings flow,” now sung by the whole Christian church.
The original poem had fourteen stanzas. According to Julian, this hymn
is one of four at the head of all hymns in the English language.
Thomas Ken was an English poet and clergyman and had considerable
musical talent. He was a man unafraid to declare his convictions. He
once refused to read, at the king’s command, a certain document to his
parishioners, and was imprisoned for his defiance. He finally lost his
bishopric because he refused to swear allegiance to Mary and William of
Orange when they became rulers of England. Ken was known for his saintly
character, his great ability and eloquence as a preacher, and his
pioneering in the art of hymn writing.
That all hymns must be written in the third person, as is sometimes
asserted, is disproved by this great hymn in its use of “I” and “my.”
_MUSIC._ For comments on Francois H. Barthélémon, composer of the tune,
MORNING HYMN, see Hymn 2.
26. Christ, whose glory fills the skies _Charles Wesley_, 1707-88
One of the greatest morning hymns in the English language, based on Mal.
4:2: “But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness
arise with healing in his wings.” James Montgomery called it “one of
Charles Wesley’s loveliest progeny.” It pictures Christ as the true
Light and the Sun of Righteousness triumphing over the darkness of sin
and grief.
Charles Wesley was the second youngest in a family of nineteen children
and became the “sweet singer of Methodism.” He and Isaac Watts were the
most important hymnists of the 18th century in England.
For further comments on Wesley see Hymn 6.
_MUSIC._ LUX PRIMA is by the French composer, Charles F. Gounod,
1818-93, a musician of a deeply religious nature. Gounod had taken two
years of theology with the expectation of becoming ordained, but later
decided that his greatest contribution to religion would be through
music. His outstanding religious work is the oratorio, _The Redemption_.
While composing it, he used to spend hours in Notre Dame Cathedral in
prayer and meditation. LUX PRIMA is a stirring tune, building up to a
climax at “Day-star,” and is widely used as a processional.
27. Come, my soul, thou must be waking _F. R. von Canitz_, 1654-99
_Tr. H. J. Buckoll_, 1803-71
From a book of German lyrics, translated by H. J. Buckoll. The original
poem of 13 stanzas begins with the words, “_Seele, du muszt munter
werden_.” The hymn, expressing the glories of a new day, is especially
suitable for use in schools and colleges. It is a translation of stanzas
1, 6, 8, 10, and 11 of the original:
Seele, du musst munter werden!
Denn der Erden
Blickt hervor ein neuer Tag.
Komm, dem Schöpfer dieser Strahlen
Zu bezahlen,
Was dein schwacher Trieb vermag.
Bitte, dass er dir Gedeihen
Mag verleihen,
Wenn du auf was Gutes zielst;
Aber dass er dich mag stören
Und bekehren
Wenn du böse Regung fühlst.
Denk, dass er auf deinen Wegen
Ist zugegen,
Und erkennet, was du tust;
Dass er auch verborgne Flecken
Kann entdecken,
Und die tiefste Sündenlust.
Drum so seufze, dass dein Scheiden
Nicht ein Leiden,
Sondern sanftes Schlafen sei—
Dass ich seh’ mit ew’ger Wonne
Jene Sonne,
Wann des Todes Nacht vorbei.
Treib’ nur Gottes Gnadenblicke
Nicht zurücke
Fasse treulich ihren Schein;
Dann wird deiner Seele Frieden
Schon hienieden
Süsser als die Sonne sein.
Friedrich Rudolph Ludwig, Freiherr von Canitz, was born in Berlin in
1654. He was a distinguished diplomat, a philanthropist, and a devout
Christian. In the early morning of his last day on earth, August 11,
1699, ill with dropsy, he gazed at the rising sun and exclaimed, “Oh, if
the sight of this created sun is so charming and beautiful, what will be
the sight of the unspeakable glory of the Creator himself!” He was
_Staatrath_ (State Counsellor) at the time of his death.
The translator, Rev. Henry J. Buckoll, was educated at Oxford and spent
most of his life teaching. He edited several collections of songs for
schools and in 1842 published _Hymns Translated from the German_.
_MUSIC._ HAYDN comes from a tune in one of the movements of a string
quartet by Franz Joseph Haydn, 1732-1809, the great Austrian composer,
and important figure in the history of music. He was affectionately
named “Papa Haydn” by Mozart. He wrote church music, song, opera, and
oratorio, over 100 symphonies and 83 string quartets. His _Creation_, a
sacred oratorio, is widely known. He was devoutly religious and did not
hesitate to ascribe his musical scores to God’s glory. He gave as one of
his reasons for writing music: “that the weary and worn or the man
burdened with affairs might enjoy something of solace and refreshment.”
There is a cheerfulness and optimism about his music which appeals to
amateur and professional alike. Haydn was a teacher as well as composer
and numbered among his pupils Mozart and Beethoven.
EVENING
28. Now on land and sea descending _Samuel Longfellow_, 1819-92
Written for use in a series of vesper services the author was conducting
in his church. It was published, with other hymns, in a small book
called _Vespers_. This hymn and “Again as evening’s shadow falls” (No.
280), also by Longfellow, have become two of the most-loved evening
hymns in the English language.
Samuel Longfellow, younger brother of the poet, Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow, was born and died in Portland, Maine. He was educated at
Harvard for the ministry and served congregations in Fall River, Mass.;
Brooklyn; and Germantown, Pa., resigning the last charge to write his
brother’s _Life_, 1886. Though a Unitarian, he speaks of Christ as Lord
and Saviour and accepted the miracles of the New Testament. He edited
several important hymn books and wrote a number of hymns of excellent
quality. Thirteen of his compositions are included in the _Hymnary_.
_MUSIC._ VESPERS is by the Russian composer Dimitri Stephanovitch
Bortniansky who was born at Gloukoff, in the Ukraine, 1752, and died at
St. Petersburg, 1825. He studied music at Moscow, St. Petersburg, and
Venice, Italy, the Empress Catherine of Russia supplying the necessary
funds. (It was this Empress Catherine who extended an invitation in 1786
to Prussian Mennonites to settle in South Russia, promising religious
toleration, military exemption, and other special privileges.)
Bortniansky became Director of the Imperial Kapelle, the Empress’ Church
Choir. He was a distinguished composer of sacred music and has had a
great and lasting influence on Russian church music. From his pen came
the well-known chorale tune, “_Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe_” (No.
517).
The word “Jubilate” means “to shout for joy.” It comes from the same
Latin root as “jubilee” and “jubilant.” Its English pronunciation in
singing is Jōo-bĭ-lä-tĭ. If you prefer the Latin, sing it
Yōo-bā-lä-tĭ.
29. Now the day is over _Sabine Baring-Gould_, 1834-1924
Based on Proverbs 3:24:
“When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid;
Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.”
The hymn was written for children, but is suitable for worshippers of
all ages.
Sabine Baring-Gould was educated at Cambridge and became a clergyman of
the Church of England. He was a man of great industry and versatility,
and possessed a wide range of interests. He wrote books on travel,
biography, history, and is the author of several novels. He also edited
several collections of folk songs. Baring-Gould is the author of “Onward
Christian soldiers,” another hymn written for children, which has
received a much wider use than originally intended.
_MUSIC._ MERRIAL is a favorite tune for choir use in evening services.
The average congregation can learn to sing it without difficulty, and
when sung slowly and thoughtfully, it constitutes a deeply moving
evening prayer.
For comments on the composer, Joseph Barnby, see Hymn 21.
30. Sun of my soul, Thou Savior dear _John Keble_, 1792-1866
Another evening hymn, widely used, and destined to live as long as
English hymns are sung. It is taken from the author’s _Christian Year_,
a book of devotional poetry which sold 305,500 copies in forty-six
years. The original poem of fourteen stanzas, composed November 25,
1820, appeared with the title, “’Tis Gone, that Bright and Orbèd Blaze,”
and was headed with the text, “Abide with us” (Luke 24:29). The hymn
represents a lone traveller pressing on his way after the sun has set,
but trusting in Christ, the “Sun of the soul,” for guidance and
protection, and lifting a prayer for the sick and poor and the helpless.
Tennyson, too, likened Christ to the sun. Asked what Christ meant to him
he paused beside a flower in the garden and answered: “What the sun is
to that flower, Jesus Christ is to my soul. He is the Sun of my soul.”
For further comments on John Keble see Hymn 22.
_MUSIC._ HURSLEY is a good tune but not as good as the original,
“_Grosser Gott, wir loben Dich_” (No. 519), from which some unknown
person adapted it. The melody and harmonization have been changed, not
for the better, to suit the English words. “Hursley” was the name of the
parish of which Keble was vicar, and the tune was doubtless given this
name when it came to be associated with Keble’s hymn.
31. Day is dying in the west _Mary Lathbury_, 1841-1913
An evening hymn of high rank which has been used widely in American
churches during the past half century.
Mary A. Lathbury, daughter of a Methodist minister, was a successful art
teacher but is remembered chiefly for her work with the Methodist Sunday
School Union and her literary contributions to periodicals for young
people. The “Look Up” Legion which she founded had for its motto, Edward
Everett Hale’s four rules of good conduct:
Look up, not down;
Look forward, not back;
Look out, not in,
And lend a hand.
Miss Lathbury wrote this hymn for use at the vesper services at Lake
Chautauqua, in western New York, where hundreds of young people, eager
to deepen their spiritual life, have met every year since 1873 for Bible
study and prayer. This hymn and “Break Thou the Bread of Life” give the
author a permanent place in American hymnody.
_MUSIC._ CHAUTAUQUA was written especially for Miss Lathbury’s hymn.
William F. Sherwin, 1826-88, studied music under Lowell Mason and later
became a teacher of vocal music. He was unusually successful in leading
choral groups and was appointed music director at Lake Chautauqua. The
tune is dignified and stately, yet simple. The refrain should be sung
softly at the beginning and rise gradually to a climax.
32. Darkening night the land doth cover _Anon. Greek_
_Tr. Robert Bridges_, 1844-1930
From an anonymous 8th-century or earlier Greek hymn. Some authorities
believe it to be an expansion of the Greek candle lighting hymn (No.
34), also translated by Robert Bridges. The editors of the _Hymnary_, in
search of a poem to fit the well-known UNTER LILIEN JENER FREUDEN tune
in the _Gesangbuch mit Noten_, found for it this beautiful evening hymn
published in the _American Oxford Hymnal_.
The translator, Robert Bridges, was one of England’s great literary
scholars who gave serious attention to hymnology. After graduating from
Eton and Oxford, he turned his attention to medicine and became a
distinguished surgeon. At the early age of 38, however, he retired from
medicine to give himself to literature and music. In 1913, he was made
Poet Laureate of England. His most significant work in hymnology was the
famous _Yattendon Hymnal_, which he published in 1899 while living in
the village of Yattendon. It consisted of 100 hymns, 44 of which were
from his own pen, either as author or translator. The hymns were set to
music derived largely from the _Genevan Psalter_. The hymnal represented
an extraordinarily high standard, both as to words and music, but it
never became popular, and copies of it are nearly impossible to find.
_MUSIC._ The tune, UNTER LILIEN JENER FREUDEN, is found at No. 546 of
the _Gesangbuch mit Noten_ where it is set to a poem by J. Allendorf. No
information has been traced concerning the composer, J. Voigtländer.
33. All praise to Thee, my God this night _Thomas Ken_, 1637-1711
Based on Psalm 91:4: “He shall cover thee with his feathers; and under
his wings shalt thou trust.”
This is the “Evening Hymn,” whereas No. 25 is the “Morning Hymn” which
Bishop Ken wrote for the devotional use of students at Winchester
College. His endeavor was to express in simple, fitting words the
thoughts that ought to be in the minds of the boys of the school “and
all other devout Christians” in the evening. The two hymns were
published in 1695 and have been growing in fame and power these two and
one-half centuries. Both concluded with the doxology, “Praise God from
whom all blessings flow,” now known and sung throughout Christendom.
_MUSIC._ The tune, EVENING HYMN, was originally in canon form, i.e., a
form in which one voice begins the melody which is then imitated note
for note by some other voice, as in a “round.” Tallis, as was customary
at the time, started the melody in the tenor, imitated by the soprano.
The tune used here is a later and altered form which, in the judgment of
this writer, is less interesting than the canonic form used in many
hymnbooks. Its choice was an editorial inadvertence.
Thomas Tallis, composer of the tune, died in 1585. The exact date of his
birth, probably before 1520, remains uncertain. Styled the “Father of
English Cathedral Music,” he was chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral,
London, and later held important posts as organist. He was indisputably
the greatest English musician of his age, and EVENING HYMN is his most
famous tune.
34. O Gladsome Light, O Grace _Greek 1st or 2d Century_
_Tr. Robert Bridges,_ 1844-1930
This is the oldest Christian hymn in common use, belonging to the first
or second century. It was sung by the early Christians as a hymn of
thanksgiving at the lighting of the candles at the vesper services in
the church and probably also in the home. It is still so used in the
Eastern churches. St. Basil wrote c. 370 regarding this hymn: “We cannot
say who is the father of this expression at the Thanksgiving of the
Lighting of the Lamps; but it is an _ancient_ formula which the people
repeat.” So in A.D. 370 the hymn was already ancient!
For comments on the translator, Robert Bridges, see Hymn 32.
_MUSIC._ The tune NUNC DIMITTIS is by the French musician, Louis
Bourgeois, c. 1510-61, the best melodist of his day, and composer of
most of the music for the _Genevan Psalter_, a French metrical version
of the Psalms published in 1549. Many of his melodies have been altered,
as for example, “Old Hundredth,” but this one has come to us unchanged.
It is a glorious melody which needs to be listened to repeatedly to be
appreciated. The harmonization is by Claude Goudimel, c. 1505/10-72,
another eminent Protestant musician, who provided harmonies for many of
the Genevan psalm tunes. Goudimel’s life came to an end in the massacre
of St. Bartholomew in 1572, one of those tragedies during the
counter-reformation in which the Protestants suffered at the hands of
the Jesuits.
35. God that madest earth and heaven _Stanza 1, Reginald Heber_,
1783-1826
_Stanza 2, William Mercer_, 1811-73
_Stanza 3, Richard Whateley_, 1787-1863
The original hymn consisted of the first stanza only which was written
by Reginald Heber after hearing the tune used here played by a Welch
harpist in a home where Heber was visiting. Retiring to a quiet place,
he promptly wrote the stanza to suit the melody.
For comments on Reginald Heber see Hymn 1.
William Mercer, author of the second stanza, was a clergyman in the
Church of England in Sheffield. In 1857, he issued _The Church Psalter
and Hymn Book_, the most important Church of England book of its time.
His aim was to promote greater participation by the congregation in the
hymn singing.
Richard Whately was archbishop of Dublin. He was a man of great
brilliance of mind, though, it is said, he had no ear for music and no
eye for natural beauty.
_MUSIC._ The tune AR HYD Y NOS is a Welsh traditional melody commonly
associated with the words “All through the night.” It appears in many
modern hymnals. A growing number of folk tunes are being used for hymn
tunes.
36. Softly now the light of day _George Washington Doane_, 1799-1859
An American hymn characterized by simplicity and grace, and sung the
world over wherever the English language is spoken. It appeared in 1824
in a collection of poems, _Songs by the Way_, with the heading
“Evening.” It is based on Psalm 141:2, “Let my prayer be set forth
before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening
sacrifice.”
George Washington Doane was born in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1799, the
year that the “Father of our Country” died; hence his name. He was
educated at Union College, Schenectady, New York, and ordained, at the
age of 22, in the Episcopal Church. At the early age of 33 he was made
bishop of New Jersey. A pioneer in education, and ahead of his time in
many things, his life was full of trials. But his exceptional talents,
learning and force of character made him one of the great church leaders
of his time.
_MUSIC._ SEYMOUR is by the eminent German composer of opera, Carl M. von
Weber, 1786-1826. This tune, a great favorite, is from the opening
chorus of his opera, _Oberon_, which is sung while fairies “trip it
lightly” on the stage. When contributions towards the musical edition of
the famous English book, _Hymns Ancient and Modern_, London, 1861, were
invited by advertisement, the editor, W. H. Monk, received more requests
for the insertion of this tune than any other, despite its secular
origin.
37. At even, when the sun was set _Henry Twells_, 1823-1900
This evening hymn, a prayer for the healing of our bodily as well as
spiritual ills, has been translated into many foreign tongues, and is
found in nearly all standard hymn books both in America and abroad. The
original has eight stanzas. It is based on the touching evening scene
described in Mark 1:32, “At even, when the sun was set, they brought
unto him all that were sick.”
Henry Twells was ordained in 1849 in the Church of England. Among the
parishes he served was Stratford-on-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare.
At the time he wrote this hymn, he was headmaster of a large grammar
school and penned the verses one afternoon while the boys were writing
an examination.
_MUSIC._ The tune, ANGELUS, appeared in somewhat different form in
_Heilige Seelenlust_, one of a series of Catholic collections of hymns
in Germany, written in the vernacular, and edited by Johann Scheffler.
The tune is credited to Georg Josephi, a German musician of whom little
is known except that he was the musical editor of _Heilige Seelenlust_.
It is a tune of rare beauty though its modulations into several
different keys makes it more difficult to sing than some and gives it a
sense of restlessness not found in other popular tunes.
38. Savior, breathe an evening blessing _James Edmeston_, 1791-1867
This hymn ranks with the best of the evening hymns of the English
language though it is practically all that survives of the more than two
thousand hymns that came from the too prolific pen of the author.
James Edmeston, a member of the Church of England, was an eminent London
architect and surveyor who had a great love for and interest in children
and possessed a gift for writing sacred poetry. He had the habit of
writing a hymn every Sunday and reading it at family worship.
During the Boxer uprising in China in 1900, in which many Americans lost
their lives, a group of missionaries, beleaguered outside of Shanghai,
found in this hymn the expression of their feelings, as well as a great
source of comfort. One of them wrote:
Separated from home and friends, facing death in a far-off land, and
full of tenderest feelings, we lifted our hearts in song:
“Though destruction walk around us,
Though the arrows past us fly:
Angel guards from Thee surround us;
We are safe if Thou art nigh.”
Out of the storm each soul, renewing its strength, mounted up with
wings as eagles and found peace in the secret of His presence. Our
Saviour breathed, in very deed, “an evening blessing,” the fragrance
of which remains even unto this day. The last verse of the hymn,
“Should swift death this night o’ertake us,” was omitted. It seemed
too probable that it might. We wanted only to think of the
safe-keeping, and such, thank God, it proved to be.
_MUSIC._ The tune EVENING PRAYER was written by Stebbins while music
director at Tremont Temple, Boston, as a response to be sung after the
morning prayer. Two years later it was set to this evening hymn by the
composer himself, for use in an evangelistic campaign in Providence, R.
I. Stebbins writes, “I arranged to have a male choir of 20 voices sing
the music as set to the beautiful hymn, and to my gratification found
they were admirably suited to each other. Since then the hymn has been
used in many gospel hymn books and church hymnals, both here and abroad.
It has been used also in St. Paul’s Cathedral, in London.”
George C. Stebbins, 1846-1945, was born and reared on a farm in New
York. He became interested in music through the country singing school.
After serving as music director at the First Baptist Church, Chicago,
and Tremont Temple, Boston, he became associated with D. L. Moody and
helped organize choruses for many of Moody’s evangelistic campaigns both
here and abroad. He was co-editor with Ira Sankey and James McGranahan
of various editions of _Gospel Hymns_ and was himself one of the best
composers of gospel hymn tunes. He lived to be nearly 100 years old.
The hymn is also set to the tune “Ringe Recht” (147) in some hymnals.
39. Unheard the dews around me fall _Anonymous_
This hymn, emphasizing the silences of God as manifested in the world
without and within, is of anonymous authorship. It is found in _Hymns of
the Spirit_ but most of the other modern hymnals have overlooked it.
_MUSIC._ WINDSOR is an English tune of unknown origin. It was set to
Psalm 116 in a book of Psalm tunes by M. William Damon, published in
1591. It is one of a number of tunes written in the minor mode which
appear in the _Hymnary_. Note that the “Amen” closes with the chord in F
major, in keeping with the general practice of following a minor tune
with an “Amen” in which the last chord is in the major mode.
In _Songs of Praise_, London, 1931, this tune is set to the hymn “Jesus,
the very thought of Thee” (155).
40. Abide with me; fast falls the eventide _Henry F. Lyte,_ 1793-1847
One of the great consolation songs of Christianity. It is really not an
evening hymn, but for a person in his last illness, when the thought of
passing through the gateway of death, and the glory of the great beyond
are the soul’s vital concern. It has long been sung at evening services
because, presumably, the end of the natural day suggests the evening of
life, and the mood of the tune is so well suited to the pensive
quietness of the close of day.
Henry F. Lyte, a Scotsman, was a young clergyman in the Church of
England when he wrote this hymn. There is a popular tradition that he
wrote it near the end of his life when ill health compelled him to
resign his parish and after he held his last communion on September 4,
1847. But James Moffatt, the distinguished historian and translator of
the Bible, gives a different account of its origin. He says the hymn was
inspired during the fatal illness of an intimate friend of the author,
Rev. William A. Le Hunte. Dr. Lyte was constantly at the side of his
dying friend who, in his closing hours, repeatedly said these words,
“Abide with me,” which moved Dr. Lyte to write the hymn. Twenty-seven
years later, 1847, when he felt his own end approaching, he recalled the
hymn.
_MUSIC._ EVENTIDE is Monk’s best known tune. In a letter to J. C.
Hadden, Mrs. Monk wrote: “This tune was written at a time of great
sorrow—when together we watched, as we did daily, the glories of the
setting sun. As the golden rays faded, he took up some paper and
pencilled that tune which has gone over all the world.” The composition
is said to have been completed in ten minutes. It was the last hymn sung
by the Canadian nurse Edith Cavell before she suffered martyrdom in
Belgium, October 12, 1915.
Wm. H. Monk, 1823-89, English organist and composer, devoted his life to
the service of church music. For forty years he held the post of
organist at King’s College, London, and St. Matthias, Stoke Newington,
devoting himself to the advancement of good congregational singing. “He
taught many to praise God who had never praised Him before; he taught
others to praise Him more worthily than hitherto.” He was the music
editor of the famous _Hymns Ancient and Modern_, published in England,
1861.
CLOSE OF WORSHIP
41. Blest be the tie that binds _John Fawcett_, 1740-1817
This hymn is often sung at the close of church meetings. Sometimes the
custom of the people joining hands while singing is observed.
John Fawcett, an English Baptist minister, was serving a small country
church in Yorkshire when he received and accepted a call to a large city
church in London, which paid a salary more suited to the needs of his
big family. His farewell sermon had been preached, six or seven wagons
stood loaded with his furniture and books, and all was ready for his
departure. But when the members of his humble flock turned out to bid
farewell, many of them in tears, and imploring him to stay, it was more
than he or Mrs. Fawcett could stand. He ordered the wagons unloaded and
the furniture put back in its place, and sent a message to the London
church that he was not coming. Afterwards he wrote this hymn which was
to become one of the most famous in the English language.
_MUSIC._ DENNIS is simple and easy of performance, yet pleasing and
effective. The tune was composed by Hans Georg Nägeli, 1768-1836, a
Swiss, who was born near Zurich where he spent most of his life as music
publisher, composer, and teacher. He was a prominent figure in public
school music and was greatly interested in church music.
Lowell Mason found this melody in manuscript form and arranged it for
use as a church tune.
For comments on Lowell Mason see Hymn 12. The tune “Boylston” (214) is
also used with this hymn.
42. The Lord be with us as we bend _John Ellerton_, 1826-93
The hymn is particularly appropriate for the close of an evening
service.
John Ellerton was a minister of the Church of England, a teacher,
author, and one of England’s most distinguished hymnists. He assisted in
editing the famous _Hymns Ancient and Modern_, London, 1861. He was
early surrounded with religious influences and had a happy childhood
life. Of his parents he wrote, “I used to feel how happy my father and
mother were, even more than how good they were.” He composed about fifty
hymns and made about ten translations, a large proportion of which have
found their way into church hymnals. He refused to take out a copyright
for any of his hymns, saying that “if any are counted worthy to
contribute to Christ’s praise in the congregation, one ought to feel
very thankful and humble.” His hymns, of which there are eight in the
_Hymnary_, are elevated in tone and devotional spirit.
_MUSIC._ BEATITUDO was written for the Revised Edition of _Hymns Ancient
and Modern_, 1875, and was set to the words, “How bright these glorious
spirits shine.”
For comments on the composer, J. B. Dykes, see Hymn 1.
43. Savior, again to Thy dear Name we raise _John Ellerton_, 1826-93
This, the most popular of Ellerton’s hymns, was originally written in
1866 for a choir festival. It was revised and condensed to these four
verses, rich in poetic beauty and spiritual power, to take a high place
among our evening hymns. The first stanza may be used with good effect
as a choral benediction. The last stanza was sung at Ellerton’s funeral
on June 20, 1893.
For comments on John Ellerton see Hymn 42.
_MUSIC._ ELLERS was composed for this hymn in 1869.
Edward John Hopkins, 1818-1901, was a distinguished English church
musician who served as organist in several important London churches,
including Westminster Abbey. He was a prolific composer of church music
of fine quality—services, hymn-tunes, anthems, organ pieces—and enjoyed
a great reputation as editor of hymn books.
44. O Savior, bless us ere we go _Frederick W. Faber_, 1814-63
A hymn for the close of evening worship.
Frederick W. Faber was educated at Oxford and became a minister in the
Church of England. He began his parish work at Elton where he became a
forceful preacher and was known for his fine Christian character and
lovely spirit. Church attendance increased, the parish grew, and the
people who had been known for their intemperance and immorality were now
reputed for their thrift and good behavior.
Under the influence of John Henry Newman, Faber changed his views and
joined the Roman Catholic Church. After a trip to Rome, he lived at
Birmingham where he formed, with eight others, a community called
“Brothers of the Will of God.” Later he moved to London where he
continued his service in the Catholic Church until his death at the age
of forty-nine. He wrote many theological and devotional books but is
best known for his hymns of which he wrote 150, among which are such
favorites as “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy” (58) and “Faith of our
fathers” (154). His hymns are numbered among the treasures of English
hymnody. They are devotional in spirit and with slight alterations
appropriate for use in all Christian churches.
_MUSIC._ SURREY is a beautiful tune which became immediately popular and
has remained so, especially in England. The composer, Henry Carey,
1692-1743, was a teacher in boarding schools and private families in
England. He composed a large number of secular songs and was only
incidentally a writer of church music.
45. Lord, dismiss us with Thy blessing _John Fawcett_, 1740-1817
This popular dismission hymn is ascribed to the English Baptist
minister, John Fawcett, who is best known as the author of “Blest be the
tie that binds.” The hymn has undergone some alteration with the passing
of the years. The third stanza originally read:
“So whene’er the signal’s given
“Us from earth to call away,
“Borne on angels’ wings to heaven
“Glad the summons to obey,
“May we ever
“Reign with Christ in endless day.”
For comments on John Fawcett see Hymn 41.
_MUSIC._ SICILIAN MARINERS is a familiar tune of unknown origin which
has been set to various hymns, including the Latin “_O Sanctissima, O
Purissima_,” and the German “_O du fröliche, o du selige_.” The tune,
sometimes called “Sicily,” is not known in Sicily today.
GOD THE FATHER—HIS MAJESTY AND POWER
46. Mighty God, while angels bless Thee _Robert Robinson_, 1735-90
The author of this hymn had a unique career. Robert Robinson, born in
Norfolk, England, of lowly parentage, was left fatherless at eight to be
the sole support of his widowed mother. At fourteen he was apprenticed
to a barber in London who frequently reprimanded him for giving too much
time to the reading of books and too little to business. At seventeen he
heard the great evangelist Whitefield preach a sermon on Matthew 3:7 and
decided to dedicate his life to God. His complete conversion he dates a
few years later, 1755. He began preaching under the Methodists but soon
developed independent views and in 1759 he received adult baptism and
united with the Baptists. Shortly afterwards he became the pastor of a
small Baptist church in the university town of Cambridge. He was a
gifted scholar, and though he had little formal education, he held the
respect of Cambridge students, notwithstanding the taunts of university
professors. Serving a small and poor congregation and being without
finances to support his large family, he helped himself by engaging in
farming and carrying on business as a coal and corn merchant while
preaching twice a Sunday and holding evangelistic meetings during the
week. In this he succeeded in a very remarkable measure, aided by the
fact that he knew the soil and the tillers of the soil and was gifted
with the sense of humor and a Spurgeon-like wit. Besides this hymn, he
also wrote the well-known hymn, “Come, Thou fount of every blessing”
(189).
_MUSIC._ CRUCIFER, originally known as “Bethany,” was composed by Henry
Smart for “Jesus, I my cross have taken.” The composer favored unison
singing of this melody, at moderate tempo. Most congregations will find
the pitch range in the melody too wide for best results in unison
singing.
Henry Smart, 1813-1879, turned from the legal profession to devote his
life to music. Though largely self-taught, he became one of England’s
distinguished organists and builder of organs. He suffered from poor
eyesight and the last fourteen years of his life he was totally blind,
but he kept on playing and composing for he had a very retentive memory
and possessed a rare skill in extempore playing. Smart was a strong
advocate of congregational singing, but favored the unison singing of
melodies, and had a decided prejudice against what he considered unduly
fast congregational singing.
47. I sing the mighty power of God _Isaac Watts_, 1674-1748
A hymn of praise, magnifying the power, wisdom, goodness, and
omnipresence of God as revealed in creation. It appeared first in Watt’s
_Divine and Moral Songs for the Use of Children_ where it was entitled,
“Praise for Creation and Providence.” The original has eight stanzas.
For comments on Watts see No. 11.
_MUSIC._ ELLACOMBE is a cheerful, unpretentious tune that deserves to be
better known. The source designated is _Gesangbuch der Herzogl_
published in 1784, but some of our best authorities are content to leave
its exact origin in doubt. It found its way into English hymnals soon
after it was published in _Vollständige Sammlung der gewöhnlichen
Melodien zum Mainzer Gesangbuche_, by X. L. Hartig, in 1833.
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
48. This is my Father’s world _Maltbie D. Babcock_, 1858-1901
The original has sixteen stanzas, each beginning with the words “This is
my Father’s world,” a good slogan to begin and end the day. It appeared
in the author’s _Thoughts for Every Day Living_, a book of religious
verse. The hymn expresses a confident attitude toward life and a buoyant
faith in God.
Maltbie D. Babcock, prominent Presbyterian minister, was born in
Syracuse, New York, graduated from Syracuse University and Auburn
Seminary and then began his first pastorate at the First Presbyterian
Church, Lockport, N. Y. His second pastorate was at Brown Memorial
Church, Baltimore, where he was popular with the students at Johns
Hopkins University. He then received a call to the Brick Church, New
York City, where he became the successor of Henry van Dyke. In his
student days he was known as a fine student, a great athlete, a good
musician, and a friend to all. He loved young people and during his
ministry they turned to him for counsel.
_MUSIC._ The tune TERRA BEATA is simple, light in movement, and easy to
sing. It was composed by Franklin Sheppard, 1852-1930, a Philadelphia
business man, Presbyterian layman, and friend of Dr. Babcock. Sheppard
was also an accomplished musician. He modestly attributed the tune to an
old English folk melody, but it is known now that he himself was the
composer. He named the tune “Terra Beata,” happy or blessed earth.
The arrangement in the _Hymnary_, known as “Terra Patris,” is by Edward
Shippen Barnes, a contemporary American organist and composer. His
harmonization is a little more difficult to sing but also more
interesting than the original by Sheppard.
49. Let the whole creation cry _Stopford A. Brooke_, 1832-1916
The hymn is an imitation of Psalm 148. It is a universal call to praise
rather than an expression of praise, hence it is addressed not to God
but to his creation everywhere, as a call to worship God. The hymn is
characterized by literary grace, simplicity, and tenderness, and is
included in many modern hymnals.
Stopford A. Brooke, born in Ireland, was educated at Dublin, then became
a clergyman in the Anglican Church. For a time he was one of the most
popular preachers in London. In 1880, being restive under the doctrinal
standards of the church, he severed his relation with the Anglicans and
continued a ministry of preaching and lecturing and writing as an
independent, not associated with any denomination. His _Life and Letters
of F. W. Robertson_ ranks among the classic biographies. In 1881, he
compiled _Christian Hymns_ for use in his own congregation, in which
this hymn is found, the original having ten stanzas.
_MUSIC._ ROLAND is an easy, flowing tune which congregations love to
sing after learning it well. It is suitable for use as a processional.
The composer, Caleb Simmer, born 1856, was an American musician. His
sacred pieces include anthems, quartets, cantatas, and organ music.
50. The spacious firmament on high _Joseph Addison_, 1672-1719
This hymn was praised by Lord Selbourne as “a very perfect and finished
composition, taking rank among the best hymns of the English language.”
The author, Joseph Addison, was an eminent Englishman of letters. Dr.
Samuel Johnson said of him, “Whoever wishes to attain an English style,
familiar, but not coarse, elegant but not ostentatious, must give his
days and nights to the volumes of Addison.” In 1712, Addison wrote a
series of essays in the _Spectator_, concluding each essay with a hymn.
In the issue of August 23, this hymn, a free rendering of Psalm 19,
formed the conclusion to an essay on “The Proper Means of Strengthening
and Confirming Faith in the Mind of Man.”
_MUSIC._ CREATION is an adaptation of a part of the magnificent chorus
(No. 14) in Haydn’s oratorio, _The Creation_. For comments on Haydn, see
Hymn No. 27.
51. For the beauty of the earth _Folliott S. Pierpoint_, 1835-1917
This delightful hymn of thanksgiving was originally written for the
communion service to bring the note of joy into the solemn sacrament,
making it truly an “eucharist.” It is now used frequently at
Thanksgiving and children’s services. It names many causes for praise
and thanksgiving, from the “beauty of the earth” to the “church that
lifteth holy hands.”
The author, Folliott S. Pierpoint, was born at Bath, England, and
educated at Cambridge. He was a teacher of the classics, published
several books of poems, and made notable contributions to the hymnody of
the church.
_MUSIC._ DIX appeared first in a collection of chorales edited and
published by Kocher in Stuttgart in 1838, set to the hymn “_Treuer
Heiland, wir sind hier_.” It has long been used with the words, “As with
gladness men of old” (530), by W. C. Dix, hence the name “Dix.” It has a
strong, joyous tune which marches with stately tread and is a favorite
processional.
Conrad Kocher, 1786-1872, was a German student of church music, a
composer and teacher. He studied at St. Petersburg and in Rome. He
founded the School of Sacred Song in Stuttgart, which did much to
improve German church music and popularize four-part singing in Germany.
52. God of the earth, the sky, the sea _Samuel Longfellow_, 1819-92
A hymn which finds God in every aspect of nature. For comments on the
author, Samuel Longfellow, see Hymn 28.
_MUSIC._ SHELTERING WING, a long-meter melody admirably suited to these
words, is by the English church musician, Joseph Barnby, 1838-96. For
comments on him see Hymn 19.
53. Lord of all being, throned afar _Oliver W. Holmes_, 1809-94
A hymn difficult to praise too highly, probably the greatest penned on
the omnipresence of God. Its first appearance was in the _Atlantic
Monthly_ as the final installment of the series of articles later
collected into book form and entitled _The Professor at the Breakfast
Table_. The work closed with the following lines and the hymn:
Peace to all such as may have been vexed in spirit by any utterances
these pages may have repeated! They will, doubtless, forget for the
moment the differences in the hues of truth we look at through our
human prisms and join in singing (inwardly) this hymn to the Source of
the light we all need to lead us, and the warmth which alone can make
us brothers:
Lord of all being! throned afar,
Thy glory flames from sun and star;
Centre and soul of every sphere,
Yet to each loving heart how near.
Oliver Wendell Holmes was the son of a Congregational minister in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, although later when he became established as a
physician in Boston, he united with the Unitarians. His writings are
nevertheless permeated by an evangelical warmth which has made his hymns
acceptable to all denominations. Holmes was a distinguished graduate of
Harvard University in Arts and Medicine and spent most of his years
teaching anatomy at Harvard. But he is best known to us as a man of
letters. None of his writings is so widely known as the two hymns, “Lord
of all being” and “O Love divine, that stooped to share” (172), both of
them found in the author’s _The Professor at the Breakfast Table_.
_MUSIC._ LOUVAN is by an American musician, Virgil C. Taylor, 1817-91,
organist and editor of song books. This is the only one of his tunes now
in common use. An alternative tune that fits the hymn very well is “St.
Crispin” found at No. 149.
HIS LOVE AND MERCY
54. Be still, my soul, the Lord is on thy side _Katharina von
Schlegel, born c._ 1697
_Tr. Jane L. Borthwick_, 1813-97
The hymn is a translation of a poem by Katharina von Schlegel. She was
born in Germany, 1697. No one seems to have found anything definite
concerning her life, except that she wrote some hymns, one of which
passed into the English language. The original, based on Psalm 46:10,
“Be still and know that I am God,” had four stanzas, as follows:
Stille, mein Wille! Dein Jesus hilft siegen;
Trage geduldig das Leiden, die Not;
Gott ist’s, der alles zum besten will fügen,
Der dir getreu bleibt in Schmerzen und Tod.
Stille, mein Wille! Dein Jesus wird machen
Glücklichen Ausgang bedenklicher Sachen.
Stille, mein Wille! Der Herr hat’s in Händen;
Hält sich dein Herz nur im Glauben an ihn,
Wird er den Kummer bald wenden und enden
Herrlich wird endlich, was wunderbar schien.
Stille, mein Wille! Dein Heiland wird zeigen,
Wie vor ihm Meer und Gewitter muss schweigen.
Stille, mein Wille! Wenn Freunde sich trennen,
Die du so zärtlich und innig geliebt,
Wirst du die Freundschaft des Höchsten erkennen,
Der sich zum Eigentum treulich dir gibt.
Stille, mein Wille! Dein Jesus ersetzet,
Was dich beim Sterben der Liebsten verletzet.
Stille, mein Wille! Es kommen die Stunden,
Dass wir beim Herrn sind ohn’ Wechsel der Zeit;
Dann ist das Scheiden, der Kummer verschwunden.
Ewige Freundschaft vergütet das Leid.
Stille, mein Wille! Nach zeitlichem Scheiden
Sehn wir uns wieder ohn’ Schmerzen und Leiden.
The words, both in the original and in the English translation, are of
great beauty and their message has brought real comfort to many a
burdened and disquieted soul.
The translation is by Jane Borthwick, born in Edinburgh, who, with her
sister, Sarah B. Findlater, did outstanding work as a translator of
German hymns. Only Catherine Winkworth surpassed her. Miss Borthwick, a
member of the Free Church of Scotland, was a devout Christian character,
especially interested in the mission work of the church, both home and
foreign. Another of her well-known translations is “My Jesus, as Thou
wilt” (250) from the original by Benjamin Schmolke.
_MUSIC._ FINLANDIA is from the pen of Jean Sibelius, born December 8,
1865, in Finland, and undoubtedly the greatest living composer. At this
writing, 1948, he is still living, but, through the misfortunes of war,
reduced to penury and poverty. Besides seven symphonies, he wrote many
smaller orchestral works. This tune is from the tone poem “Finlandia,”
the arrangement having been made for the _Hymnal of the Presbyterian
Church_ in 1932. It is included in a number of recent hymn books and has
become a favorite with worshipping congregations wherever introduced.
55. God is love; His mercy brightens _John Bowring_, 1792-1872
A bright, joyful hymn which we owe to a layman, Sir John Bowring, born
at Exeter, England, 1792. Though a member of the Unitarian Church, his
faith was apparently that of an evangelical. On his tombstone are
engraved the words of another great hymn which he himself wrote, “In the
Cross of Christ I glory” (See 110). Bowring was the son of a
manufacturer of woolen goods and he spent his early years travelling in
all parts of the world in the interest of his father’s business. Though
he left school at the age of 14, he became an outstanding linguist and
scholar and writer. At the age of 16, he had acquired five languages and
late in life he is said to have known 200 languages and spoken 100. One
of his primary interests was politics. He was elected to the British
Parliament and later became the British consul at Canton and the
governor of Hong Kong. He published a book of _Hymns_ with the desire
that they might be useful in strengthening the religious faith of others
who under suffering and disheartening circumstances might chance to read
them.
The hymn is constructed to emphasize in each stanza the idea of God as
wisdom (I Cor. 1:30) and love (I John 4:8).
_MUSIC._ STOCKWELL, a very useful tune, appeared in Lowell Mason’s
popular collection of hymns, _New Carmina Sacra_, in 1850, set to the
words, “Silently the shades of evening,” written by Christopher Cox.
The composer, Darius Eliot Jones, 1815-81, was born at Carroll, N. Y.
His father, Abner Jones, was a well-known music teacher in New York.
Darius spent twenty years of his adult life in business. He served for a
time as assistant editor of the _Choral Advocate_, published by Mason
Brothers, New York, and at the same time conducted the music in Plymouth
Church, Brooklyn, where Henry Ward Beecher was pastor. At Beecher’s
suggestion, Jones prepared a new hymn book, _Temple Melodies_, 1861, for
use in Plymouth Church. Feeling a call to the Christian ministry, Jones
entered Iowa College, at Davenport, as a student and at the age of 43
was ordained as a Congregational minister. He served churches at
Columbia City and Newton Center, Ia., until 1863, when he became
treasurer of the Iowa General Association. For a year, he was agent for
the American Bible Society; and for four years, 1866-70, he was agent
for Iowa College, later located at Grinnell and known as Grinnell
College. Here Jones published a second hymn book, _Songs for the New
Life_, in 1869. From that time on, he served various churches in Iowa
until his death in 1881.
56. How gentle God’s commands _Philip Doddridge_, 1702-51
This hymn, beautiful in poetic imagery, is based on I Peter 5:7,
“Casting all your care upon Him: for He careth for you.” When it first
appeared, posthumously, in a book of hymns by the author, it bore the
title, “God’s care a remedy for ours.”
Philip Doddridge was born in London, the youngest of a family of twenty,
most of whom died in childhood. His father was an oil merchant. Before
he could read, he had learned from his mother the stories of the Bible
by the aid of Bible pictures on the Dutch tiles that covered a portion
of the living room. Doddridge became a minister in the Congregational
Church and devoted his life not only to preaching, but to writing books
and teaching young men for the ministry. In 1751, he went to Lisbon to
seek relief from tuberculosis but died there. He is the author of over
400 hymns, a few of which have survived, and are found in most hymn
books. The _Hymnary_ contains six of his compositions.
_MUSIC._ DENNIS. For comments on this tune see Hymn 41.
57. Thou Grace Divine, encircling all _Eliza Scudder_, 1821-96
The hymn was written by Eliza Scudder, an American hymn writer of the
middle nineteenth century. She was born in Boston, and died in Weston,
Massachusetts. She was a niece of Edmund H. Sears, author of “It came
upon a midnight clear” (No. 75). Miss Scudder was a person of deep
religious insight and lived a quiet, retiring life. She published a book
of religious verse, _Hymns and Sonnets_, in 1880. During most of her
active life she was a Unitarian, but in later life joined the Episcopal
Church.
_MUSIC._ BALLERMA (misspelled Balerma in some editions of the _Hymnary_)
is a very simple tune, the second pair of lines varying only slightly
from the first pair. The origin of the tune is uncertain. It is thought
to be an old Spanish melody, arranged by F. H. Barthélémon.
For comments on Barthélémon see Hymn 2.
58. There’s a wideness in God’s mercy _F. W. Faber_, 1814-63
The original of this poem has thirteen stanzas, the first of which
reads:
Souls of men! why will ye scatter
Like a crowd of frightened sheep?
Foolish hearts! why will ye wander
From a love so true and deep?
The five stanzas selected for use here make an impressive and coherent
hymn with no trace of the author’s strong Roman Catholic bias which
characterizes nearly all of his hymns.
For comments on F. W. Faber see Hymn 44.
_MUSIC._ WELLESLEY was written, by request, for the graduation hymn of
the Newton (Mass.) high school class of which Miss Tourjee was then a
member. The original tune had a slight fault in voice leading which was
corrected, with her permission, by Dr. Hamilton C. Macdougall, then
Professor of Music at Wellesley College.
Lizzie S. Tourjee, 1858-1913, was a student at Wellesley College during
the year 1877-78. In 1883, she married Frank Estabrook. Her father, Dr.
Eben Tourjee, encouraged her in the writing of the tune, and named it
for the new college nearby where she became a student for one year.
59. Father Almighty, bless us with Thy blessing _Anonymous_
A prayer of invocation seeking the blessing and guidance of Almighty
God. The authorship is anonymous.
_MUSIC._ INTEGER VITAE (or FLEMMING) was composed by Flemming for a
chorus of men’s voices. It was set to “Integer Vitae,” an ode by Horace.
The tune became a great favorite with college men not only in this
country but also in England and Germany. It was introduced as a hymn
tune through the hymnals of Dr. Charles R. Robinson, _Songs of the
Sanctuary_, and _Laudes Domine_, and has since been widely used and
accepted as one of our most satisfactory hymn tunes. It is one of the
favorite tunes in the _Gesangbuch mit Noten_ where it is set to the
words, “_Ach mein Herr Jesu_.”
The composer, Frederick Ferdinand Flemming, M. D., 1778-1813, received
his training in medicine and was a successful practitioner in Berlin. He
is known to posterity, however, as a composer of part songs for men’s
choruses, and more particularly as the composer of this tune.
60. God moves in a mysterious way _William Cowper_, 1731-1800
There is no basis, according to most hymnologists, for the story that
this hymn was written after Cowper was mysteriously prevented from
committing suicide by drowning. The hymn was published by John Newton in
the _Olney Hymns_, 1779, and rapidly became popular. It is still found
in nearly all the hymnals. Its original title was “Light shining out of
darkness.” Its central thought is that God is working His sovereign will
even in the mystery and perplexity of human life, bringing light, not
_after_ darkness, but _out of_ darkness.
William Cowper, 1731-1800, was the greatest English poet of his age. He
had been trained for the law and was called to the bar at the age of
twenty-three but had to retire on account of ill health. He lost his
mental balance and became deeply melancholic, a misfortune which is
attributed to cruelty received at the hands of older and stronger lads
while he attended preparatory school. After treatment in a private
asylum, and living for a time in the home of Rev. Morley Unwin, he moved
to Olney where his devoted friend, the Rev. John Newton was curate. Here
he assisted Newton in his parochial and evangelistic work and
collaborated with him in the production of what became known as the
_Olney Hymns_. In spite of efforts at literary work, his depression of
spirit returned and never left him, except for brief intervals, until
his death in 1800.
_MUSIC._ DUNDEE (or FRENCH) is one of the twelve Common Tunes appearing
in the _Scottish Psalter, The CL Psalms of David &_, Edinburgh, 1615,
where it is named “French Tune.” Its first appearance in an English
Psalter is in Ravencroft’s _Whole Book of Psalms_, 1621, where it is
called “Dundy.” It is one of the best known of the psalm tunes and its
smooth, flowing melody has enjoyed great popularity.
For comments on the _Scottish Psalter_ see Hymn 575.
61. O God, our help in ages past _Isaac Watts_, 1674-1748
Based on Psalm 90:1-6: “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all
generations,” etc., this is Watt’s greatest hymn and one of the greatest
in the English language. It is found in all English hymn books and has
been translated into many languages. Its smoothness, simple dignity, and
faithfulness to Scripture give it the marks of a true church hymn, and
it has probably been chosen more than any other for use upon important
occasions. It is an indispensable New Year’s hymn.
A press dispatch related how the hymn was used during the Second World
War by a group of eleven doomed Norwegians as they faced a Nazi firing
squad in the village of Selbu outside of Trondheim, Norway, for “general
hostility” to German occupiers. “Despite the torture to which they had
been subjected to earlier,” writes an eye-witness, “the group of
prisoners, linked hand in hand, proudly and firmly faced their
executioners. One of the men, Peter Morseth, who for years led the
singing in the local church, read a short prayer and was joined by his
companions in singing the hymn, ‘O God our help in ages past.’ Then the
shots rang out.”
John Wesley printed the hymn in his _Collection of Psalms and Hymns_,
1734, altering the opening line from “Our God, our help,” to “O God, our
help.”
For comments on Isaac Watts see Hymn 11.
_MUSIC._ ST. ANNE appeared anonymously, in two parts—treble and bass—in
_A Supplement to the New Version of Psalms by Dr. Brady and Mr.
Tate. ... the sixth edition, corrected and much enlarged_, 1708, where
it was set to Psalm 42. It is attributed upon good authority to William
Croft, 1678-1727, who was interested in the production of the Tate and
Brady _New Version_. Croft is one of the greatest names in English
musical history.
For further comments on Croft, see Hymn 6.
62. The Lord is my Shepherd _James Montgomery_, 1771-1854
One of the fine metrical versions that have been made of the
Twenty-third Psalm. It Is found in Montgomery’s _Songs of Zion, being
Imitations of Psalms_, 1822. Another much-loved and widely used version
of the same Psalm is that in the _Scottish Psalter_ (See 579).
James Montgomery, greatest of Moravian hymn writers, was born in
Ayrshire, Scotland, near the birthplace of Robert Burns. His father
became a minister in the Moravian Church and finally went as a
missionary to the West Indies where both he and his wife died. After
spending a part of his youth in precarious and doubtful ways of living,
and failing in several business ventures, James became the editor of
_The Sheffield Register_, a position he held with honor and distinction
for thirty-one years. He was twice imprisoned for expressing liberal
political views in his paper. He is classed by the _literati_ as a minor
English poet, but in the writing of hymns he ranks with Wesley, Watts,
and Doddridge. Of his 400 hymns, 100 are still in use. Eleven of his
hymns are found in the _Hymnary_, exceeded in number only by those of
Hosmer, Wesley and Watts. All of Montgomery’s hymns show a marvelous
knowledge of the Scriptures on the part of their author. He found in the
Psalms an inexhaustible source of devotional material and made metrical
versions of many of them.
_MUSIC._ POLAND. The tune is unique in the _Hymnary_ in that the melody
in the first three lines is found in the alto. To bring the melody out
with sufficient clearness, the altos might well be reenforced by some
sopranos, or men’s voices, or both.
Thomas Koschat, 1845-1914, was an Austrian composer and singer. While a
student of natural science at Vienna University he sang in the Court
Opera Chorus, and soon became its leader. In 1875, Koschat organized the
Kärnthner Quintet which became famous for its singing of Carinthian folk
songs. He is known for his harmonization of Carinthian melodies and
original songs in their style, for which he wrote the texts.
63. Father and Friend, Thy light, thy love _John Bowring_, 1792-1872
A hymn on the omnipresence of God who reigns as Lord of life and cares
for His children.
For comments on John Bowring see Hymn 55.
_MUSIC._ ILLA, a simple long-meter tune within easy compass of the
voices, is by the American composer, Lowell Mason, 1792-1872, an exact
contemporary of Bowring. Mason’s tunes were popular at first and then
for a time they were frowned upon by some of the “highbrow” musicians
but in late years are returning with new favor into the hymn books.
Mason’s name appears 24 times in our collection.
For further comments on Mason see Hymn 12.
64. Let us with a gladsome mind _John Milton_, 1608-74
This delightful lyric is the result of John Milton’s paraphrasing of
Psalm 136 when he was a boy of 15 years. The original has 26 stanzas.
The Psalm tells the story of Israel’s history, ending each verse with
the refrain, “For his mercy endureth forever.” The selections here are
his renderings of verses 1, 2, 7, and 25. The closing stanza returns to
verse 1.
John Milton, the poet, was born in London, the son of the John Milton,
who had turned from the Roman Catholic Church to become a Protestant.
The future poet went to Christ’s College, Cambridge, where he received
his B.A. in 1628 and M.A. in 1632. His short poems and paraphrases were
written at an early age and constitute some of his best work. The second
period of his literary career was given almost entirely to writings on
political subjects for he lived in the day of the controversies which
led to Civil War and the establishment of the Commonwealth in England.
Milton joined Oliver Cromwell as his secretary for foreign tongues to
the Council of State, a position he held until the eve of the
Restoration, when he barely escaped the scaffold. For years he had
suffered from poor eyesight and became totally blind in his forty-fourth
year. The third period of his life, after the Restoration of the
Monarchy, was lived in close retirement. During this time he produced
his greatest writings: _Paradise Lost_, _Paradise Regained_, and _Samson
Agonistes_, all of them dictated to others. He ranks second only to
Shakespeare among English poets. He translated 19 psalms into meter.
Being the scholar’s rather than the people’s poet, he, however, had no
great influence on hymnology. His version of Psalm 84 is found at No.
592.
_MUSIC._ INNOCENTS appeared, anonymously, in the _Parish Choir_, 1850, a
publication issued by members of the Oxford Movement in England who went
by the name of “The Society for Promoting Church Music.” The “Society”
laid down the following principles for singing:
1. Congregational singing should be in unison.
2. The melody should be clearly marked.
3. The compass should be within the natural limits of the human voice.
4. Metrical psalmody should be confined to tunes in common time, as
being more simple and solemn than triple time.
After three years of precarious existence, 1846-49, the _Parish Choir_
was discontinued. INNOCENTS appeared at the end of Volume III amongst a
number of old psalm tunes, appointed to be sung to a hymn for Innocents
Day, hence the name. Lightwood attributes the tune to Joseph Smith, born
in 1800, near Birmingham, England. Smith was not a professional musician
but very fond of music, an excellent singer, and composer of many hymn
tunes and other pieces. The editor of the _Parish Choir_ altered the
original to the present form. It made its way into _Hymns Ancient and
Modern_, 1861, and is now found in many modern hymn books.
JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD—HIS ADVENT
65. Hail to the Lord’s Anointed _James Montgomery_, 1771-1854
A rendering of Psalm 72, made in 1821 for the Christmas worship of a
Moravian settlement. The original has eight stanzas. Montgomery was
greatly interested in missions and this hymn, generally esteemed his
finest composition, is a good missionary hymn as well as a splendid one
for the Advent season. Dr. Adam Clarke gave it wide publicity by
publishing it in his famous _Bible Commentary_, 1822, at the end of his
exposition of Psalm 72, adding this note:
I need not tell the intelligent reader that he has seized the spirit,
and exhibited some of the principal beauties, of the Hebrew bard;
though (to use his own words in a letter to me) his “hand trembled to
touch the harp of Zion.” I take the liberty here to register a wish,
which I have strongly expressed to himself, that he would favor the
Church of God with a metrical version of the whole book.
It is interesting to compare this hymn with Isaac Watts’ rendering of
the same psalm (341).
For comments on James Montgomery see Hymn 62.
_MUSIC._ WEBB, also known as “Morning Light,” was composed for a secular
song, “’Tis dawn, the lark is singing,” and first published in _Odeon: A
Collection of Secular Melodies_, by G. J. Webb and Lowell Mason, 1837.
It first appeared as a hymn tune in _The Wesleyan Psalmist_, 1842, and
later it was used for the hymn “The morning Light is breaking,” in books
by Mason and Webb.
The composer, George James Webb, 1803-87, a member of the Swedenborgian
Church, was born near Salisbury, England; studied theology and music;
came to the United States and became associated with Lowell Mason in
editing and publishing music books. He was married to Mason’s daughter,
Mary. He played the organ at Old South Church, Boston, and was Professor
of Secular Music in the Boston Academy of Music.
66. Watchman, tell us of the night _John Bowring_, 1792-1872
An Advent and missionary hymn, unique in that it consists of a dialog
(between a watchman and a traveller). The hymn is based on Isaiah 21:11,
12: “Watchman, what of the night? watchman, what of the night? The
watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will
enquire, enquire ye: return, come.” The meaning of the passage is not
evident from the context. Dr. C. S. Robinson describes the setting as
follows:
The image it presents is singularly dramatic and picturesque. The
scene is laid in the midst of the Babylonian Captivity. A lonely
watchman is represented as standing on the ramparts of some tower
along the defenses of the citadel. He seems to be anxiously looking
for the issues of the siege leveled against it. The time is midnight.
Calamity is over the land. The people are afflicted. Their enemies are
pressing them hard. That solitary sentinel sadly remains at his post,
peering into the unlit gloom, trying to discern signs of deliverance.
But the heavens are starless, and the impenetrable clouds keep rolling
on. Suddenly an unknown voice pierces the air. Whether in wailing
sorrow or in bitter taunt, is not evident; but out of the stillness
already grown oppressive breaks the question with repetitious
pertinacity: “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the
night?” The sentinel waits through a moment of surprised meditation
and then tranquilly answers: “The morning cometh and also the night;
if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come.” Then the dialog lapses
into silence again, and the night gathers its unbroken shadows deeper
than ever.
For comments on John Bowring see Hymn 55.
_MUSIC._ WATCHMAN is by Lowell Mason who wrote the tune in 1830 in 3-4
time. He intended it as a duet between soprano and tenor, with the
congregation repeating the last line of each stanza (the reply of the
watchman). The tune also lends itself well to antiphonal singing.
For comments on Mason see Hymn 12.
67. O come, O come, Emmanuel _From the Latin, 12th Century_
_Stanza 1, Tr. John M. Neale_, 1818-66
_Stanzas 2, 3, Henry Sloan Coffin_, 1877—
Veni, veni, Emmanuel
captivum solve Israel,
qui gemit in exilio,
privatus Dei Filio.
Gaude, gaude; Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.
The hymn comes from the Latin, being a translation of the first of the
seven greater _Antiphons_ (short anthems-verses) sung in the Roman
Church at Vespers on the seven days before Christmas. The refrain,
“Rejoice, rejoice,” etc., added to the hymn during the 13th century, is
the answer to the longing for Christ expressed in each stanza.
The translation of Stanza 1 is by John M. Neale, 1818-66, a Cambridge
scholar and the most noted hymnologist and liturgist of his time. He was
a minister and author of books on biblical and historical subjects, but
his fame rests chiefly on his translations of Greek and Latin hymns. The
_Hymnary_ contains ten of his works.
The second and third stanzas were translated in 1916 by Henry Sloan
Coffin, eminent Presbyterian minister, formerly of the Madison Avenue
Church in New York City, and then for many years president of Union
Theological Seminary. He is a recognized leader in contemporary American
church life.
_MUSIC._ VENI EMMANUEL, written in the first Gregorian mode, is an
adaptation by Thomas Helmore, in 1856, of a melody said to have been
found in a French manuscript in Lisbon, which has since disappeared. The
original is believed to have been a 12th century “Kyrie.” The harmony in
the minor mode gives the tune its quaint flavor. It should be sung with
spirit, in keeping with the joyful anticipation embodied in the words.
It is effective with men’s voices singing the first part in unison, then
all the voices in harmony on the refrain. The tune also lends itself to
interesting effects in antiphonal singing.
68. Veiled in darkness Judah lay _Douglas LeTell Rights_, 1891—
Written in 1915, while World War I was raging in Europe and the clouds
were gathering thick over the United States. The hymn is an appeal for
the Spirit of Christ to bring peace and light to a troubled world. It
was composed while the author, a Moravian, was a student at the Divinity
School of Harvard University. It was the custom at that institution to
have students of the School submit original compositions of hymns, one
of which would be selected to be sung at the annual Christmas service of
the school. This hymn was selected for the Christmas of 1915.
Douglas LeTell Rights, born in Winston-Salem, N. C., received his A. B.
degree from the University of North Carolina and then prepared for the
ministry at the Moravian Theological Seminary, Bethlehem, Pa., and at
Harvard University. A member of the Moravian Church, anciently called
the _Unitas Fratrum_, his first pastorate was at the First Moravian
Church, Greensboro, N. C., 1916-18. In 1918-19, he was chaplain in the
army in World War I. Since 1919, he has been pastor of Trinity Moravian
Church, Winston-Salem, N. C. Rights is the author of _A Voyage Down the
Yadkin-Great Peedee River_, 1928, and has written numerous articles on
historical and archaeological subjects pertaining to his native state.
His latest book is the _American Indian in North Carolina_.
_MUSIC._ EBELING. For comments on the composer of this tune, Johann
Georg Ebeling, 1620-76, see Hymn 555.
69. Come, Thou long-expected Jesus _Charles Wesley_, 1707-88
A dignified, yet stirring Advent hymn, based on Haggai 2:7: “The desire
of all nations shall come.” One of the first hymns of Wesley, it
appeared in a small book of 24 pages. _Hymns for the Nativity of our
Lord_, published in 1744. It is found in nearly all the modern hymn
books in England and America.
For comments on Charles Wesley see Hymn 6.
_MUSIC._ HYFRYDOL is a Welsh tune composed by Rowland Hugh Prichard,
1811-87, of Bala, Wales, who was active in the church as song leader,
soloist, and composer of tunes. This tune is a composition of his youth,
while he was still under twenty. It is characterized by its length,
smoothness, and utter simplicity, the whole melody moving throughout,
except for one note, within the compass of the fifth.
HIS BIRTH
70. Joy to the world! the Lord is come _Isaac Watts_, 1674-1748
This hymn, which has such an important place in the yearly celebration
of the Nativity, is a free rendering of the latter part of Psalm 98:
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise,
and rejoice, and sing praise.” Watts entitled it, “Messiah’s Coming and
Kingdom.” His effort to put the New Testament gospel into the Psalm
resulted in a great hymn of the Advent and Nativity, though his free
rendering nearly lost sight of the Psalm itself. He feels all nature
thrilling with joy at the Saviour’s birth.
For comments on Isaac Watts see Hymn 11.
_MUSIC._ ANTIOCH is an arrangement, credited by some authorities to
Lowell Mason, from Handel’s _Messiah_. The opening phrase resembles the
first bar of the chorus, “Lift up your heads,” and the four measures set
to “and heaven and nature sing” are reminiscent of the introduction to
the tenor recitative, “Comfort ye my people.” It is a stirring tune well
fitted to the words. It may be sung antiphonally to good effect, the
congregation singing lines 1 and 2 (1st score), the choir, lines 3 and 4
(2d and 3d scores), and both choir and congregation the refrain (last
score).
71. Christians, awake! salute the happy morn _John Byrom_, 1692-1763
From a longer poem of 48 lines, written about 1749, by Dr. John Byrom
for his daughter Dolly who, when asked what she would like to have for a
Christmas present, replied, “Please write me a poem.” On Christmas
morning she found on her plate at the breakfast table a sheet of paper
on which was written this poem, entitled, “Christmas Day. For Dolly.” It
is based on Luke 2.
John Byrom was born in Manchester, England, graduated from Cambridge,
studied medicine but gave up its practice in order to teach a system of
shorthand he himself had invented, and which became the chief system of
shorthand in his time. He was a friend of Charles and John Wesley and
taught them shorthand, which Charles especially put to good use in
dashing down hymns as they flashed into his mind. Byrom was a man of
learning and piety and also was given to wit and humor. He coined the
phrase “tweedledum and tweedledee” when the friends of Handel and
Buononcini were debating the relative merits of the two composers:
Some say, compared to Buononcini
That Mynheer Handel is a ninny.
Others aver that he to Handel
Is scarcely fit to hold a candle.
Strange all this difference should be
Twixt tweedledum and tweedledee.
_MUSIC._ YORKSHIRE was composed by a musician and organist, John
Wainwright, of whom little is known. He is remembered principally by
this tune. Musically and emotionally, the tune is completely
satisfactory and well deserves its great popularity. It has been a
favorite among English speaking people for nearly a century.
72. Today be joy in every heart _Frederick L. Hosmer_, 1840-1929
A hymn of Christmas peace.
The author, Frederic L. Hosmer, one of America’s foremost hymn writers,
was born in Framingham, Mass., and died in Berkeley, Calif. He was
educated at Harvard University and Divinity School and served as
minister of Unitarian churches in Northboro, Mass., Quincy, Ill.,
Cleveland, O., St. Louis, Mo., and Berkeley, Calif. At least 35 of his
hymns have come into more or less use in this country and in England.
The _Hymnary_ includes thirteen, a larger number than of any other
writer except Wesley and Watts.
_MUSIC._ DORKING, an English folk tune of anonymous composition, as all
folk tunes are, has characteristic grace of melody and strength of
rhythm.
73-74. While shepherds watched their flocks _Nahum Tate_, 1652-1715
This carol is the work of Nahum Tate, poet laureate and co-author with
Nicholas Brady of the _New Version_ of the psalms in meter, to which was
added a supplement in 1770 containing this hymn. The quaint and
picturesque paraphrase of Luke 2:9-11, closing with the doxology, was
one of the few hymns permitted to be sung in the English churches along
with the metrical psalms. It became very popular and has been translated
into the Latin and nearly all the living languages. The words have been
set to many tunes.
For comments on Nahum Tate, see Hymn 18.
_MUSIC._ CHRISTMAS is an adaptation of a melody from Handel’s opera,
_Siroe_. Geo. F. Handel was born in Prussia in 1685 (the same year as J.
S. Bach) and died in 1759. He lived in England 50 years and became a
naturalized English citizen. He wrote many forms of music but is chiefly
known and loved for his oratorio, _The Messiah_.
_MUSIC._ ST. MARTIN’S (74), by William Tans’ur, is less joyful than
“Christmas,” but the tune fits the words perfectly. Its quiet, mystic
melody suggests the serenity of the Judean hillside where shepherds
watched their flocks.
William Tans’ur, 1706-85, was the son of a laborer, whose name is
spelled “Tanzer” in the church register. He became a teacher of
psalmody, moved from town to town to conduct singing classes, and did
much to improve psalm-singing in the Church of England. He published a
number of books on music. An eccentric man, given to self-advertisement,
he described his first volume _The Harmony of Sion_, 1734, as “The most
curiosest Book that ever was published.”
75. It came upon a midnight clear _Edmund H. Sears_, 1810-76
Published by the _Christian Register_ in 1860, the hymn quickly attained
wide popularity. Edmund H. Sears was minister of a Unitarian Church at
Wayland, Mass. He wrote, “Though I was educated in the Unitarian
denomination, I believe and preach the divinity of Christ.” A careful
reading of the hymn reveals a fine social message. The author was
writing at a time of extraordinary unrest throughout the world, caused
in America by the passing of the Fugitive Slave Law, the great
forty-niner gold rush to California, and in Europe by the aftermath of
the revolution in France and Germany. In the stillness of the first
Christmas night, the author finds a message of healing for our
restlessness, and with Isaiah looks forward to a golden age when peace
shall reign on earth. But when will that time come? The Civil War,
tragic irony, followed in ten years! The hope, however, abides and is
valid, for peace is in the ultimate plan of God.
_MUSIC._ CAROL was composed by Richard Storrs Willis, brother of the
American poet, N. P. Willis. It is a graceful, popular tune, and is
often set to “While shepherds watched their flock by night,” for which
it is admirably adapted.
76. The first Noel the angel did say _Traditional_
“Noel” is a French word which came to mean several things—a “song of the
Birthday,” or “Christmas,” or “Carol.” A carol is a religious song
telling the story of a place or person or event. It is less formal and
solemn than an ordinary church hymn and was originally intended to be
sung outside rather than within the church walls. The words and music of
this carol are traditional, which means that no one knows who composed
them or when. They are known to have existed as early as the 17th
century. It is a very popular carol even though not quite true to the
gospel account in verse 2, for it was the wise men, not the shepherds,
that saw the star. Since most of the words have to do with the coming of
the wise men, the carol is fully as suitable for Epiphany as for
Christmas.
_MUSIC._ The tune THE FIRST NOEL is one of the best-known of all English
carol airs, especially in the west of England.
77. The stars were silent and the hills _E. Royce_
The poem was published in the _Presbyterian_ about 1939. No specific
information is at hand concerning the author. Bixel, composer of the
music, is under the impression that E. Royce was a missionary to China
who sent this poem to her church paper for publication.
_MUSIC._ SILENT was composed for this carol by James W. Bixel, who was
born at Bluffton, Ohio, November 7, 1913. After graduating from Bluffton
College, Bixel studied music in Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, where
he received his Master of Music degree in composition. He taught music
in the public schools of Mt. Gilead, Ohio, and then spent nearly four
years in Civilian Public Service. In the fall of 1947 he became a
teacher of harmony and piano in the music department of Bethel College.
The tune, begun and completed in one evening, has the distinction of
being the only one in the _Hymnary_ composed by a Mennonite. Which leads
one to observe that our hymns and tunes, like many other elements in our
culture, are “ours” by appreciation and use rather than by invention or
creation. It may be the future will find us less “practical” minded than
heretofore and that poetic and musical gifts will yet come to fruition
to make our contribution to the stream of hymns and tunes that have
enriched the worship of the Visible Church of all places and ages.
78. What child is this _William C. Dix_, 1837-98
One of numerous carols written by William Dix about 1865.
William Chatterton Dix was the son of a Bristol surgeon. He was educated
for a business career and became the manager of a marine insurance
company in Glasgow. He maintained, however, his literary interests and
wrote the _Life of Chatterton_, the poet; a book of _Pen Pictures of
Popular English Preachers_; and other works, including several volumes
of devotional poetry. He had been ill in bed on Epiphany Day, and after
reading the Gospel for the day, he wrote this hymn, finishing it by
evening. It became very popular and is found in nearly all English
hymnals. The accuracy of the second verse may be questioned—“To that
lowly manger bed.” For it is not likely that the babe Jesus was still in
the manger when the wise men appeared.
_MUSIC._ CHRIST THE KING, known in many hymnals as “Greensleeves,” is an
old English melody of the 17th century, mentioned somewhere by
Shakespeare. It is a joyous tune which may be sung as a solo, or with
the sopranos singing the words of the stanzas, while the other parts hum
the accompaniment, then all parts singing the refrain in harmony or in
unison.
79. Come, all ye shepherds _Traditional_
A shepherd carol from Bohemia.
The words and music are traditional.
_MUSIC._ The tune was arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes, b. 1887,
American organist and composer who received his musical education at
Yale and in Paris. He now lives at Santa Monica, California. His
personal counsel was solicited and secured in the compilation and
editing of the _Hymnary_.
80. O come, all ye faithful _Latin_
Adeste, fideles,
Laeti triumphantes;
Venite, venite in Bethlehem;
Natum videte
Regem Angelorum:
Venite, adoremus Dominum.
Deum de Deo;
Lumen de Lumine,
Gestant puellae viscera
Deum Verum,
Genitum, non factum:
Venite, adoremus Dominum.
Ergo Qui natus
Die hodierna,
Iesu, Tibi sit gloria:
Patris Aeterni
Verbum Caro factum!
Venite, adoremus Dominum.
A priceless legacy from the Latin Church and one of the most popular of
Christmas hymns. It has been translated into at least 125 languages. The
origin of the text and tune is obscure. The original poem may have been
German or French of the 17th or 18th century.
From the lengthy (and on the whole profitless) discussions of the
possible origins of the hymn, it may be concluded that the hymn and tune
came into use together, in the services of the Roman Church, during the
first part of the 18th century; that they were circulated first in
manuscript form and later appeared in print, the earliest known book
containing them being a small volume, _An Essay on the Church Plain
Chant_, published in London, 1782. Nothing definite can be stated as to
the authors of either words or music.
The translation was made in 1841 by Frederick Oakeley, 1802-80, Church
of England minister who later joined the Roman Catholics.
_MUSIC._ ADESTE FIDELES belongs by long association to this hymn, its
name being derived from the first words of the Latin. It is also widely
used with “How firm a foundation.” The present arrangement is credited
to Vincent Novello, organist in the Portuguese Chapel in London about
1785.
81. Angels from the realms of glory _James Montgomery_, 1771-1854
A graceful lyric presenting to the imagination a series of pictures—the
Angels, the Shepherds, the Wise Men, and the Saints who like Simeon and
Anna, were waiting for the consolation of Israel. The fourth verse is
reminiscent of the prophetic words of Malachi: “The Lord whom ye seek
shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant
whom ye delight in: behold he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts”
(3:1).
It is widely used for the Christmas season.
For comments on James Montgomery see Hymn 62.
_MUSIC._ REGENT SQUARE is a jubilant, vigorous tune, composed for the
English _Presbyterian Hymnal_ of 1867 in which it was set to Bonar’s
hymn, “Glory be to God the Father.”