Fuller, Sarah Margaret, Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 23, 1810—July 16, 1850, in a shipwreck south of New York. In 1847 she married the Marchese Ossoli in Rome. She did educational work in Boston and in Providence, Rhode Island, editedThe Dialin 1840, and was noted locally for her intellectual brilliance. Memorials of her by R. W. Emerson, W. H. Channing and J. F. Clarke appeared in 1851, herWorksin 1874.Her hymn beginningJesus, a child his course began,(Christ the Pattern of Childhood)fromLife Without and Life Within, 1859, p. 404, had some use in Great Britain as well as in America.J. 1585H.W.F.
Fuller, Sarah Margaret, Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 23, 1810—July 16, 1850, in a shipwreck south of New York. In 1847 she married the Marchese Ossoli in Rome. She did educational work in Boston and in Providence, Rhode Island, editedThe Dialin 1840, and was noted locally for her intellectual brilliance. Memorials of her by R. W. Emerson, W. H. Channing and J. F. Clarke appeared in 1851, herWorksin 1874.
Her hymn beginning
Jesus, a child his course began,(Christ the Pattern of Childhood)
Jesus, a child his course began,(Christ the Pattern of Childhood)
fromLife Without and Life Within, 1859, p. 404, had some use in Great Britain as well as in America.
J. 1585H.W.F.
Gannett, Rev. William Channing, D.D., Boston, Massachusetts, March 13, 1840—December 15, 1923, Rochester, New York. He graduated from Harvard College in 1860; taught school in Newport, Rhode Island one year; and spent four years on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, as agent for the New England Freedmen’s Society doing relief and educational work with the thousands of Negro refugees gathered there. In 1865 he studied for a year in Europe, then entered the Harvard Divinity School from which he graduated in 1868. His first pastorate was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1868-1871. He then spent several years writing a biography of his father, Ezra Stiles Gannett, who had been William Ellery Channing’s successor as minister of the Federal Street Church, Boston. He was minister of Unity Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, 1877-1883; served the Western Unitarian Conference for four years; was minister at Hinsdale, Illinois, 1887-1889; and of the Unitarian Church in Rochester, New York, 1889-1908, where he remained as minister-emeritus until his death. Throughout his professional career he was closely associated with Frederick Lucian Hosmer,q.v.Together they published three small collections entitledThe Thought of God in Hymns and Poems, the first in 1885, the second in 1894, the third in 1918; and together they also editedUnity Hymns and Chorals, 1880, revised edition in 1911.James Vila Blake,q.v., was co-editor of the first edition. This little hymn book is a markedly individualistic production with many of the older hymns altered to conform to the beliefs of the editors.In these publications, in which most of their own hymns were first published, and in the careful workmanship with which their thought was brought to a perfection of poetic utterance, Gannettand Hosmer may be compared to Samuel Longfellow and Samuel Johnson whoseBook of Hymns, 1846, andHymns of the Spirit, 1864, had appeared a generation earlier.Dr. Gannett’s hymns are listed, with annotations “based upon ms. notes kindly supplied by the author” in Julian’sDictionary of Hymnology, pp. 1638-9, as follows:1.Bring, O morn thy music! Night thy starlit silence!(God Everlasting)Written in 1892, and printed inA Chorus of Faith, being an account and resumé of the Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago, 1893. Included inThe Thought of God, 2ndSeries, 1894, and again in several hymnals.2.Clear in memory’s silent reaches,(Memory)Written in 1877 for a Free Religious Association Festival, and published inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885.3.From heart to heart, from creed to creed,(Faith)Written in 1875 for 150thanniversary of the First Religious Society of Newburyport, and given inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885.4.He hides within the lily,(Divine Providence)“Consider the lilies, how they grow.” Written in 1873, and printed for use at the Free Religious Association Festival, May 30, 1873. Published inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885, in 4 st. of 8 l. The most widely used of the author’s hymns.5.I hear it often in the dark,(The Voice of God)Written at Milwaukee in 1870, and published inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885. Sometimes it begins with St. iii, “O God within, so close to me,” as inHys. for Church and Home, Boston, 1895.6.Praise to God and Thanksgiving,(Harvest)Written in 1882 for a Harvest Festival at St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was then a pastor, and included inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885. In the BostonPilgrim Hymnal, 1904, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, it beginsPraise to God, and thanks we bring,7.Sleep, my little Jesus,(Christmas Carol)Written for the Sunday School, St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1882, and given inThe Thought of God, 2ndSeries, 1894, as “Mary’s Manger Song.”8.The Lord is in His holy place(Dedication of a Place of Worship)Written for the Dedication of the Rev. C. W. Wendte’s Church, Chicago, April 24, 1873, and published inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885. It is one of the most popular and widely used of the author’s hymns.9.The morning hangs its signal,(Morning)This is dated by the author “Chicago, July 30, 1886,” and printed inLove to God and Love to Man, being no. 28 of the Chicago “Unity Mission” series of hymns, n.d. It is also included inThe Thought of God, 2ndSeries, 1894. Although a morning hymn it is adapted for use in Advent. It is usually known as “The Crowning Day.”Of the hymns thus listed in Julian’sDictionaryNos. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9 have been widely used and are included inHymns of the Spirit, 1937. No. 1 was written to be set to J. B. Dykes’ tuneNicaea, to which it is usually sung. No. 4 is probably the earliest hymn in the English language to give a religious interpretation of the then novel and controversial doctrine of evolution. No. 9, as included inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, is attributed to “William Channing Gannett and others”, being an arrangement from one of his poems.Another fine hymn by Dr. Gannett beginning,10.God laid his rocks in courses,is unaccountably missing from the above list in Julian’sDictionary. It is dated 1888 and was written for the dedication of the church in Hinsdale which was erected shortly before his pastorate there came to an end.Hymns of the Spirit, 1937, also includes as a hymn beginning,11.It sounds along the ages,an arrangement of stanzas from one of Dr. Gannett’s poems entitled “The Word of God.”Finally, mention should be made of his part in giving form to the great hymn beginning12.Praise to the living God! All praiséd be his name!This is a metrical version of the Yigdal, a summary of the Jewish faith attributed to Daniel Ben Judah who lived about the 14thcentury A.D. About 1760 Thomas Olivers, a Methodist preacher visiting a Jewish synagogue in London, heard it chanted in Hebrew by thecantor Leoni (Meyer Lyon) to a traditional melody. Much impressed he secured a prose translation which he turned into the hymn beginningThe God of Abraham praise,to be sung to the same tune, to which he gave the name Leoni. His version, however, did not follow the original text at all closely, for he gave it a Christian interpretation. (A detailed account of this episode will be found in Julian’sDictionary, pp. 1149-1151.) This hymn soon became, and has remained, widely popular. In the 1880’s Rabbi Max Landsberg of Temple Berith Kodesh in Rochester, New York, a friend ofRev. Newton Mann,q.v.then minister of the Unitarian Church in Rochester, asked Mr. Mann if he could not make a metrical version of the Yigdal in English which would be a more exact translation. Mr. Mann did so, but not in the metre of the tune to which the Hebrew text was sung. After Dr. Gannett had succeeded Mr. Mann in Rochester, Rabbi Landsberg asked him to recast Mr. Mann’s version in the same metre as the tune. Dr. Gannett did so, and his version in 5 stas. was included in the JewishUnion Hymnal, 1910, from which, with one stanza omitted and some other alterations which in most cases are not improvements, it has come into a number of Christian hymn books. The unchanged version in 4 stas. will be found inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, where it is recorded as “Revised version of the Yigdal of Daniel Ben Judah” and the tune is called “Yigdal (Leoni)” and is described as “Jewish Melody, arr. by Meyer Lyon.” Dr. Gannett never claimed this version as his, and it isnow impossible to discover how much of its wording is due to Mr. Mann’s earlier verse, but its poetic perfection is highly suggestive of Dr. Gannett’s craftsmanship, which assuredly has contributed much to its present form.H.W.F
Gannett, Rev. William Channing, D.D., Boston, Massachusetts, March 13, 1840—December 15, 1923, Rochester, New York. He graduated from Harvard College in 1860; taught school in Newport, Rhode Island one year; and spent four years on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, as agent for the New England Freedmen’s Society doing relief and educational work with the thousands of Negro refugees gathered there. In 1865 he studied for a year in Europe, then entered the Harvard Divinity School from which he graduated in 1868. His first pastorate was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1868-1871. He then spent several years writing a biography of his father, Ezra Stiles Gannett, who had been William Ellery Channing’s successor as minister of the Federal Street Church, Boston. He was minister of Unity Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, 1877-1883; served the Western Unitarian Conference for four years; was minister at Hinsdale, Illinois, 1887-1889; and of the Unitarian Church in Rochester, New York, 1889-1908, where he remained as minister-emeritus until his death. Throughout his professional career he was closely associated with Frederick Lucian Hosmer,q.v.Together they published three small collections entitledThe Thought of God in Hymns and Poems, the first in 1885, the second in 1894, the third in 1918; and together they also editedUnity Hymns and Chorals, 1880, revised edition in 1911.James Vila Blake,q.v., was co-editor of the first edition. This little hymn book is a markedly individualistic production with many of the older hymns altered to conform to the beliefs of the editors.
In these publications, in which most of their own hymns were first published, and in the careful workmanship with which their thought was brought to a perfection of poetic utterance, Gannettand Hosmer may be compared to Samuel Longfellow and Samuel Johnson whoseBook of Hymns, 1846, andHymns of the Spirit, 1864, had appeared a generation earlier.
Dr. Gannett’s hymns are listed, with annotations “based upon ms. notes kindly supplied by the author” in Julian’sDictionary of Hymnology, pp. 1638-9, as follows:
1.Bring, O morn thy music! Night thy starlit silence!(God Everlasting)Written in 1892, and printed inA Chorus of Faith, being an account and resumé of the Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago, 1893. Included inThe Thought of God, 2ndSeries, 1894, and again in several hymnals.2.Clear in memory’s silent reaches,(Memory)Written in 1877 for a Free Religious Association Festival, and published inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885.3.From heart to heart, from creed to creed,(Faith)Written in 1875 for 150thanniversary of the First Religious Society of Newburyport, and given inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885.4.He hides within the lily,(Divine Providence)“Consider the lilies, how they grow.” Written in 1873, and printed for use at the Free Religious Association Festival, May 30, 1873. Published inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885, in 4 st. of 8 l. The most widely used of the author’s hymns.5.I hear it often in the dark,(The Voice of God)Written at Milwaukee in 1870, and published inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885. Sometimes it begins with St. iii, “O God within, so close to me,” as inHys. for Church and Home, Boston, 1895.6.Praise to God and Thanksgiving,(Harvest)Written in 1882 for a Harvest Festival at St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was then a pastor, and included inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885. In the BostonPilgrim Hymnal, 1904, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, it beginsPraise to God, and thanks we bring,7.Sleep, my little Jesus,(Christmas Carol)Written for the Sunday School, St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1882, and given inThe Thought of God, 2ndSeries, 1894, as “Mary’s Manger Song.”8.The Lord is in His holy place(Dedication of a Place of Worship)Written for the Dedication of the Rev. C. W. Wendte’s Church, Chicago, April 24, 1873, and published inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885. It is one of the most popular and widely used of the author’s hymns.9.The morning hangs its signal,(Morning)This is dated by the author “Chicago, July 30, 1886,” and printed inLove to God and Love to Man, being no. 28 of the Chicago “Unity Mission” series of hymns, n.d. It is also included inThe Thought of God, 2ndSeries, 1894. Although a morning hymn it is adapted for use in Advent. It is usually known as “The Crowning Day.”
1.Bring, O morn thy music! Night thy starlit silence!(God Everlasting)
Written in 1892, and printed inA Chorus of Faith, being an account and resumé of the Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago, 1893. Included inThe Thought of God, 2ndSeries, 1894, and again in several hymnals.
2.Clear in memory’s silent reaches,(Memory)
Written in 1877 for a Free Religious Association Festival, and published inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885.
3.From heart to heart, from creed to creed,(Faith)
Written in 1875 for 150thanniversary of the First Religious Society of Newburyport, and given inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885.
4.He hides within the lily,(Divine Providence)
“Consider the lilies, how they grow.” Written in 1873, and printed for use at the Free Religious Association Festival, May 30, 1873. Published inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885, in 4 st. of 8 l. The most widely used of the author’s hymns.
5.I hear it often in the dark,(The Voice of God)
Written at Milwaukee in 1870, and published inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885. Sometimes it begins with St. iii, “O God within, so close to me,” as inHys. for Church and Home, Boston, 1895.
6.Praise to God and Thanksgiving,(Harvest)
Written in 1882 for a Harvest Festival at St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was then a pastor, and included inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885. In the BostonPilgrim Hymnal, 1904, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, it begins
Praise to God, and thanks we bring,
Praise to God, and thanks we bring,
7.Sleep, my little Jesus,(Christmas Carol)
Written for the Sunday School, St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1882, and given inThe Thought of God, 2ndSeries, 1894, as “Mary’s Manger Song.”
8.The Lord is in His holy place(Dedication of a Place of Worship)
Written for the Dedication of the Rev. C. W. Wendte’s Church, Chicago, April 24, 1873, and published inThe Thought of God, 1stSeries, 1885. It is one of the most popular and widely used of the author’s hymns.
9.The morning hangs its signal,(Morning)
This is dated by the author “Chicago, July 30, 1886,” and printed inLove to God and Love to Man, being no. 28 of the Chicago “Unity Mission” series of hymns, n.d. It is also included inThe Thought of God, 2ndSeries, 1894. Although a morning hymn it is adapted for use in Advent. It is usually known as “The Crowning Day.”
Of the hymns thus listed in Julian’sDictionaryNos. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9 have been widely used and are included inHymns of the Spirit, 1937. No. 1 was written to be set to J. B. Dykes’ tuneNicaea, to which it is usually sung. No. 4 is probably the earliest hymn in the English language to give a religious interpretation of the then novel and controversial doctrine of evolution. No. 9, as included inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, is attributed to “William Channing Gannett and others”, being an arrangement from one of his poems.
Another fine hymn by Dr. Gannett beginning,
10.God laid his rocks in courses,is unaccountably missing from the above list in Julian’sDictionary. It is dated 1888 and was written for the dedication of the church in Hinsdale which was erected shortly before his pastorate there came to an end.
10.God laid his rocks in courses,
is unaccountably missing from the above list in Julian’sDictionary. It is dated 1888 and was written for the dedication of the church in Hinsdale which was erected shortly before his pastorate there came to an end.
Hymns of the Spirit, 1937, also includes as a hymn beginning,
11.It sounds along the ages,an arrangement of stanzas from one of Dr. Gannett’s poems entitled “The Word of God.”
11.It sounds along the ages,
an arrangement of stanzas from one of Dr. Gannett’s poems entitled “The Word of God.”
Finally, mention should be made of his part in giving form to the great hymn beginning
12.Praise to the living God! All praiséd be his name!This is a metrical version of the Yigdal, a summary of the Jewish faith attributed to Daniel Ben Judah who lived about the 14thcentury A.D. About 1760 Thomas Olivers, a Methodist preacher visiting a Jewish synagogue in London, heard it chanted in Hebrew by thecantor Leoni (Meyer Lyon) to a traditional melody. Much impressed he secured a prose translation which he turned into the hymn beginningThe God of Abraham praise,to be sung to the same tune, to which he gave the name Leoni. His version, however, did not follow the original text at all closely, for he gave it a Christian interpretation. (A detailed account of this episode will be found in Julian’sDictionary, pp. 1149-1151.) This hymn soon became, and has remained, widely popular. In the 1880’s Rabbi Max Landsberg of Temple Berith Kodesh in Rochester, New York, a friend ofRev. Newton Mann,q.v.then minister of the Unitarian Church in Rochester, asked Mr. Mann if he could not make a metrical version of the Yigdal in English which would be a more exact translation. Mr. Mann did so, but not in the metre of the tune to which the Hebrew text was sung. After Dr. Gannett had succeeded Mr. Mann in Rochester, Rabbi Landsberg asked him to recast Mr. Mann’s version in the same metre as the tune. Dr. Gannett did so, and his version in 5 stas. was included in the JewishUnion Hymnal, 1910, from which, with one stanza omitted and some other alterations which in most cases are not improvements, it has come into a number of Christian hymn books. The unchanged version in 4 stas. will be found inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, where it is recorded as “Revised version of the Yigdal of Daniel Ben Judah” and the tune is called “Yigdal (Leoni)” and is described as “Jewish Melody, arr. by Meyer Lyon.” Dr. Gannett never claimed this version as his, and it isnow impossible to discover how much of its wording is due to Mr. Mann’s earlier verse, but its poetic perfection is highly suggestive of Dr. Gannett’s craftsmanship, which assuredly has contributed much to its present form.
12.Praise to the living God! All praiséd be his name!
This is a metrical version of the Yigdal, a summary of the Jewish faith attributed to Daniel Ben Judah who lived about the 14thcentury A.D. About 1760 Thomas Olivers, a Methodist preacher visiting a Jewish synagogue in London, heard it chanted in Hebrew by thecantor Leoni (Meyer Lyon) to a traditional melody. Much impressed he secured a prose translation which he turned into the hymn beginning
The God of Abraham praise,
The God of Abraham praise,
to be sung to the same tune, to which he gave the name Leoni. His version, however, did not follow the original text at all closely, for he gave it a Christian interpretation. (A detailed account of this episode will be found in Julian’sDictionary, pp. 1149-1151.) This hymn soon became, and has remained, widely popular. In the 1880’s Rabbi Max Landsberg of Temple Berith Kodesh in Rochester, New York, a friend ofRev. Newton Mann,q.v.then minister of the Unitarian Church in Rochester, asked Mr. Mann if he could not make a metrical version of the Yigdal in English which would be a more exact translation. Mr. Mann did so, but not in the metre of the tune to which the Hebrew text was sung. After Dr. Gannett had succeeded Mr. Mann in Rochester, Rabbi Landsberg asked him to recast Mr. Mann’s version in the same metre as the tune. Dr. Gannett did so, and his version in 5 stas. was included in the JewishUnion Hymnal, 1910, from which, with one stanza omitted and some other alterations which in most cases are not improvements, it has come into a number of Christian hymn books. The unchanged version in 4 stas. will be found inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, where it is recorded as “Revised version of the Yigdal of Daniel Ben Judah” and the tune is called “Yigdal (Leoni)” and is described as “Jewish Melody, arr. by Meyer Lyon.” Dr. Gannett never claimed this version as his, and it isnow impossible to discover how much of its wording is due to Mr. Mann’s earlier verse, but its poetic perfection is highly suggestive of Dr. Gannett’s craftsmanship, which assuredly has contributed much to its present form.
H.W.F
H.W.F
Gilman, Mrs. Caroline(Howard), Boston, Massachusetts, October 8, 1794—September 18, 1888, Washington D. C. She marriedRev. Samuel Gilman,q.v., on October 14, 1819, and after his death in 1858 lived for a time in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and later in Tiverton, Long Island, New York.She began to write stories and poems at an early age, many of which were published in “The Rosebud,” later called “The Southern Rose,” a juvenile weekly paper published in Charleston, South Carolina, which she edited for several years, beginning in 1832. Her book entitled “Verses of a Lifetime” was published in 1854, as were a number of other books which gave her a considerable reputation as an author. Five of her poems are included in Putnam’sSingers and Songs, etc. Two of her hymns had considerable use,1.Is there a lone and dreary hour,(Providence)This was contributed to Sewall’sCollection, 1820, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, to which in 1867 she added a fifth stanza for inclusion in the CharlestonServices and Hymns. This hymn had wide use in both British and American collections in the 19thcentury.2.We bless Thee for this sacred day(Sunday)Also contributed to Sewall’sCollection, 1820, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, to which she added a fifth stanza, when included in the CharlestonServices and Hymns, 1867.Neither of these hymns is in current use.J. 423Revised by H.W.F.
Gilman, Mrs. Caroline(Howard), Boston, Massachusetts, October 8, 1794—September 18, 1888, Washington D. C. She marriedRev. Samuel Gilman,q.v., on October 14, 1819, and after his death in 1858 lived for a time in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and later in Tiverton, Long Island, New York.
She began to write stories and poems at an early age, many of which were published in “The Rosebud,” later called “The Southern Rose,” a juvenile weekly paper published in Charleston, South Carolina, which she edited for several years, beginning in 1832. Her book entitled “Verses of a Lifetime” was published in 1854, as were a number of other books which gave her a considerable reputation as an author. Five of her poems are included in Putnam’sSingers and Songs, etc. Two of her hymns had considerable use,
1.Is there a lone and dreary hour,(Providence)This was contributed to Sewall’sCollection, 1820, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, to which in 1867 she added a fifth stanza for inclusion in the CharlestonServices and Hymns. This hymn had wide use in both British and American collections in the 19thcentury.2.We bless Thee for this sacred day(Sunday)Also contributed to Sewall’sCollection, 1820, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, to which she added a fifth stanza, when included in the CharlestonServices and Hymns, 1867.
1.Is there a lone and dreary hour,(Providence)
This was contributed to Sewall’sCollection, 1820, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, to which in 1867 she added a fifth stanza for inclusion in the CharlestonServices and Hymns. This hymn had wide use in both British and American collections in the 19thcentury.
2.We bless Thee for this sacred day(Sunday)
Also contributed to Sewall’sCollection, 1820, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, to which she added a fifth stanza, when included in the CharlestonServices and Hymns, 1867.
Neither of these hymns is in current use.
J. 423Revised by H.W.F.
Gilman, Rev. Samuel, D.D., Gloucester, Massachusetts, February 16, 1791—February 9, 1858, Kingston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1811, served the College as tutor in mathematics for two years, and studied in the Harvard Divinity School. On December 1, 1819, he was ordained minister of the Unitarian Church in Charleston, South Carolina, which he served with great distinction until his death, which occurred while on a visit to Massachusetts. His wife,Caroline Howard Gilman,q.v., was a writer noted in her day. He wrote a good many poems and essays, published in magazines; a book, “Memoirs of a New England Village Choir,” 1829, which ran to three editions; and in 1856 a volume of his miscellaneous essays, entitled “Contributions to Literature, Descriptive, Critical, Humorous, Biographical, Philosophical and Poetical.” His two best known songs wereThe Union Ode, composed for the Union party of South Carolina and sung there on July 4, 1831, during the Nullification excitement, and later in the North during the Civil War; and the college hymnFair Harvard, which he wrote in 1836. He had come to Cambridge for the twenty-fifth anniversary of his graduation and the 200thanniversary of the founding of the College. On the eve of the celebration, having already an established reputation as a poet, he was asked to write a song for the occasion and it was sung at the meeting on September 8, 1836, to a tune popular at the time, composed for the song “Believe me, if all those endearing young charms.” Harvard gave him the honorary degree of D.D. in 1837.He wrote a number of hymns of minor importance.1.O God, accept this sacred hour(Communion)was contributed to Rev. Thaddeus Mason Harris’sHymns for the Lord’s Supper, 1820, and was republished in Sewall’s New York Collection of thesame year, in Hedge and Huntington’sHymns for the Church of Christ, 1853, and other collections.2.This child we dedicate to Thee(Christening)In Hedge and Huntington’sHymns for the Church of Christthe author’s name is not given and the piece is attributed to theWest Boston Collection, 1823. Putnam, inSingers and Songs, etc., p. 73, gives four of its original stanzas, and says that it is a translation from the German, but the original has not been traced.3.We sing Thy mercy, God of love,(Communion)Contributed toHymns of the Lord’s Supperand included in Sewall’s New YorkCollection.4.Who would sever freedom’s shrine?A song supporting the Union cause, of which Gilman was a strong advocate, written at the time of the Nullification agitation. Several stanzas from it, beginning as above, were included inThe Soldier’s Companion, 1861.5.Yes, to the [that] last command(Communion)Like no. 1 and 3 included inHymns for the Lord’s Supperand in Sewall’sCollection.All these hymns have long since passed out of use.Gilman (with C. M. Taggart) edited theCharleston Collectionin 1854, under the titleServices and Hymns for the use of the Unitarian Church of Charleston, S.C., a second and enlarged edition of which appeared in 1867. It included three of his hymns, nos. 1, 3 and 5, listed above, and the two by his wife,Caroline Gilman,q.v., listed under her name.J. 423, 1592revised—H.W.F.
Gilman, Rev. Samuel, D.D., Gloucester, Massachusetts, February 16, 1791—February 9, 1858, Kingston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1811, served the College as tutor in mathematics for two years, and studied in the Harvard Divinity School. On December 1, 1819, he was ordained minister of the Unitarian Church in Charleston, South Carolina, which he served with great distinction until his death, which occurred while on a visit to Massachusetts. His wife,Caroline Howard Gilman,q.v., was a writer noted in her day. He wrote a good many poems and essays, published in magazines; a book, “Memoirs of a New England Village Choir,” 1829, which ran to three editions; and in 1856 a volume of his miscellaneous essays, entitled “Contributions to Literature, Descriptive, Critical, Humorous, Biographical, Philosophical and Poetical.” His two best known songs wereThe Union Ode, composed for the Union party of South Carolina and sung there on July 4, 1831, during the Nullification excitement, and later in the North during the Civil War; and the college hymnFair Harvard, which he wrote in 1836. He had come to Cambridge for the twenty-fifth anniversary of his graduation and the 200thanniversary of the founding of the College. On the eve of the celebration, having already an established reputation as a poet, he was asked to write a song for the occasion and it was sung at the meeting on September 8, 1836, to a tune popular at the time, composed for the song “Believe me, if all those endearing young charms.” Harvard gave him the honorary degree of D.D. in 1837.
He wrote a number of hymns of minor importance.
1.O God, accept this sacred hour(Communion)was contributed to Rev. Thaddeus Mason Harris’sHymns for the Lord’s Supper, 1820, and was republished in Sewall’s New York Collection of thesame year, in Hedge and Huntington’sHymns for the Church of Christ, 1853, and other collections.2.This child we dedicate to Thee(Christening)In Hedge and Huntington’sHymns for the Church of Christthe author’s name is not given and the piece is attributed to theWest Boston Collection, 1823. Putnam, inSingers and Songs, etc., p. 73, gives four of its original stanzas, and says that it is a translation from the German, but the original has not been traced.3.We sing Thy mercy, God of love,(Communion)Contributed toHymns of the Lord’s Supperand included in Sewall’s New YorkCollection.4.Who would sever freedom’s shrine?A song supporting the Union cause, of which Gilman was a strong advocate, written at the time of the Nullification agitation. Several stanzas from it, beginning as above, were included inThe Soldier’s Companion, 1861.5.Yes, to the [that] last command(Communion)Like no. 1 and 3 included inHymns for the Lord’s Supperand in Sewall’sCollection.
1.O God, accept this sacred hour(Communion)
was contributed to Rev. Thaddeus Mason Harris’sHymns for the Lord’s Supper, 1820, and was republished in Sewall’s New York Collection of thesame year, in Hedge and Huntington’sHymns for the Church of Christ, 1853, and other collections.
2.This child we dedicate to Thee(Christening)
In Hedge and Huntington’sHymns for the Church of Christthe author’s name is not given and the piece is attributed to theWest Boston Collection, 1823. Putnam, inSingers and Songs, etc., p. 73, gives four of its original stanzas, and says that it is a translation from the German, but the original has not been traced.
3.We sing Thy mercy, God of love,(Communion)
Contributed toHymns of the Lord’s Supperand included in Sewall’s New YorkCollection.
4.Who would sever freedom’s shrine?
A song supporting the Union cause, of which Gilman was a strong advocate, written at the time of the Nullification agitation. Several stanzas from it, beginning as above, were included inThe Soldier’s Companion, 1861.
5.Yes, to the [that] last command(Communion)
Like no. 1 and 3 included inHymns for the Lord’s Supperand in Sewall’sCollection.
All these hymns have long since passed out of use.
Gilman (with C. M. Taggart) edited theCharleston Collectionin 1854, under the titleServices and Hymns for the use of the Unitarian Church of Charleston, S.C., a second and enlarged edition of which appeared in 1867. It included three of his hymns, nos. 1, 3 and 5, listed above, and the two by his wife,Caroline Gilman,q.v., listed under her name.
J. 423, 1592revised—H.W.F.
Goldsmith, Rev. Peter Hair, D.D. (1865-1926) was born in Greenville, South Carolina. He was educated at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, and served several Baptist churches before transferring his membership to the Unitarian denomination, after which he served as minister to the First Church in Salem, Massachusetts, 1903-1910, and to the church in Yonkers, New York, 1910-1917.In 1912 he wrote a hymn beginning,Holy, holy Lord,We with one accord,which was included inThe New Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, but has not passed into other collections.H.W.F.
Goldsmith, Rev. Peter Hair, D.D. (1865-1926) was born in Greenville, South Carolina. He was educated at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, and served several Baptist churches before transferring his membership to the Unitarian denomination, after which he served as minister to the First Church in Salem, Massachusetts, 1903-1910, and to the church in Yonkers, New York, 1910-1917.
In 1912 he wrote a hymn beginning,
Holy, holy Lord,We with one accord,
Holy, holy Lord,
We with one accord,
which was included inThe New Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, but has not passed into other collections.
H.W.F.
Greenough, James Bradstreet, Portland, Maine, 1833-1901, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1856, was appointed tutor in 1865, assistant professor in 1873, and professor of Latin in 1883. In 1884 he wrote the Latin hymn in four stanzas beginningDeus omnium creator,for the tuneHarvard Hymnwhich his friend, John Knowles Paine, professor of music at Harvard, had composed in 1883 for use at the Harvard Commencement dinner.It is included inThe University Hymn Book, 1896, and inThe Harvard University Hymn Book, 1926.H.W.F.
Greenough, James Bradstreet, Portland, Maine, 1833-1901, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1856, was appointed tutor in 1865, assistant professor in 1873, and professor of Latin in 1883. In 1884 he wrote the Latin hymn in four stanzas beginning
Deus omnium creator,
Deus omnium creator,
for the tuneHarvard Hymnwhich his friend, John Knowles Paine, professor of music at Harvard, had composed in 1883 for use at the Harvard Commencement dinner.
It is included inThe University Hymn Book, 1896, and inThe Harvard University Hymn Book, 1926.
H.W.F.
Greenwood, Helen Woodward, Leominster, Massachusetts, April 18, 1880—April 2, 1959, Leominster. She was for many years engaged in secretarial work for the General Alliance of Unitarian Women at 25 Beacon Street, Boston. A hymn by her, beginningAs once again we gather hereis included in theIsles of Shoals Hymn Book, 1908.H.W.F.
Greenwood, Helen Woodward, Leominster, Massachusetts, April 18, 1880—April 2, 1959, Leominster. She was for many years engaged in secretarial work for the General Alliance of Unitarian Women at 25 Beacon Street, Boston. A hymn by her, beginning
As once again we gather here
As once again we gather here
is included in theIsles of Shoals Hymn Book, 1908.
H.W.F.
Hale, Rev. Edward Everett, D.D., Boston, Massachusetts, April 3, 1822—June 10, 1909, Roxbury, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1839, the youngest member of his class. He did not go to the Divinity School, but taught in the Boston Latin School and studied for the ministry under the direction of Rev. S. K. Lothrop and Rev. J. G. Palfrey. He was licensed to preach by the Boston Association and in 1846 was ordained as minister of the Church of the Unity (now the First Unitarian Church), Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1856 he moved to Boston, where he served the South Congregational Church (Unitarian) as minister and minister emeritus until his death. He was a voluminous writer. One of his stories entitled “A Man Without A Country,” and another, “In His Name,” brought him wide reputation. He was a distinguished preacher and a greatly beloved pastor, an ardent advocate of peace who as early as 1871 proposed a “United States of Europe,” and in 1889 outlined a plan for an “International Tribunal.” In 1858 he wrote a hymn “For the dedication of a Church” beginning,O Father, take this new-built shrine,which was included in Longfellow and Johnson’sHymns of the Spirit, 1864, from which Martineau took it for hisHymns of Praise and Prayer, London, 1873.J. 481H.W.F.
Hale, Rev. Edward Everett, D.D., Boston, Massachusetts, April 3, 1822—June 10, 1909, Roxbury, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1839, the youngest member of his class. He did not go to the Divinity School, but taught in the Boston Latin School and studied for the ministry under the direction of Rev. S. K. Lothrop and Rev. J. G. Palfrey. He was licensed to preach by the Boston Association and in 1846 was ordained as minister of the Church of the Unity (now the First Unitarian Church), Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1856 he moved to Boston, where he served the South Congregational Church (Unitarian) as minister and minister emeritus until his death. He was a voluminous writer. One of his stories entitled “A Man Without A Country,” and another, “In His Name,” brought him wide reputation. He was a distinguished preacher and a greatly beloved pastor, an ardent advocate of peace who as early as 1871 proposed a “United States of Europe,” and in 1889 outlined a plan for an “International Tribunal.” In 1858 he wrote a hymn “For the dedication of a Church” beginning,
O Father, take this new-built shrine,
O Father, take this new-built shrine,
which was included in Longfellow and Johnson’sHymns of the Spirit, 1864, from which Martineau took it for hisHymns of Praise and Prayer, London, 1873.
J. 481H.W.F.
Hale, Mary Whitwell, Boston, Massachusetts, January 29, 1810—November 17, 1862, Keene, New Hampshire. Most of her life she was a school teacher in Boston, later in Taunton, Massachusetts, and, for her last 20 years, in Keene. She wrote a good deal of verse. Two of her poems, one on “Home,” and the second on “Music” were written for a juvenile concert in the Unitarian Church at Taunton, April, 1834. A number of her later hymns and poems appeared inThe Christian Register, signed by Y.L.E. (the final letters of her name), and in 1840 a volume entitledPoemswas published in Boston. Several of her poems are included in Putnam’sSingers and Songs, etc.Four of her hymns were included in theCheshire Collection, 1844, viz:1.Praise for the glorious light,Written for a Temperance meeting.2.This day let grateful praise ascend(Sunday)3.Whatever dims the sense of truthIn Putnam, Singers and Songs, this is entitled “A Mother’s Counsel,” with a quotation from John Wesley’s mother.4.When in silence o’er the deep(Christmas)Of these nos. 2 and 3 were taken from herPoems, and nos. 1 and 4 were written for theCheshire Collection. No. 4 is inChurch Harmonies. 1895, but none of her hymns are in current use.J. 481H.W.F.
Hale, Mary Whitwell, Boston, Massachusetts, January 29, 1810—November 17, 1862, Keene, New Hampshire. Most of her life she was a school teacher in Boston, later in Taunton, Massachusetts, and, for her last 20 years, in Keene. She wrote a good deal of verse. Two of her poems, one on “Home,” and the second on “Music” were written for a juvenile concert in the Unitarian Church at Taunton, April, 1834. A number of her later hymns and poems appeared inThe Christian Register, signed by Y.L.E. (the final letters of her name), and in 1840 a volume entitledPoemswas published in Boston. Several of her poems are included in Putnam’sSingers and Songs, etc.
Four of her hymns were included in theCheshire Collection, 1844, viz:
1.Praise for the glorious light,Written for a Temperance meeting.2.This day let grateful praise ascend(Sunday)3.Whatever dims the sense of truthIn Putnam, Singers and Songs, this is entitled “A Mother’s Counsel,” with a quotation from John Wesley’s mother.4.When in silence o’er the deep(Christmas)
1.Praise for the glorious light,
Written for a Temperance meeting.
2.This day let grateful praise ascend(Sunday)
3.Whatever dims the sense of truth
In Putnam, Singers and Songs, this is entitled “A Mother’s Counsel,” with a quotation from John Wesley’s mother.
4.When in silence o’er the deep(Christmas)
Of these nos. 2 and 3 were taken from herPoems, and nos. 1 and 4 were written for theCheshire Collection. No. 4 is inChurch Harmonies. 1895, but none of her hymns are in current use.
J. 481H.W.F.
Hall, Harriet Ware, Boston, Massachusetts, September 15, 1841—March 18, 1889, Boston. She was a lifelong resident of Boston, a member of King’s Chapel. Two small books by her were privately printed, one a collection of poems entitledA Book for Friends, 1888, the other entitledEssays, printed posthumously in 1890. The first book contains a hymn beginningLord, beneath thine equal hand,in three stanzas, 7.7.7.7.D., dated February 10, 1869, and written for the installation of Rev. E. H. Hall at Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1869. It is included in theIsles of Shoals Hymn Book, 1908, the first line altered to read,Lord, beneath whose equal hand.H.W.F.
Hall, Harriet Ware, Boston, Massachusetts, September 15, 1841—March 18, 1889, Boston. She was a lifelong resident of Boston, a member of King’s Chapel. Two small books by her were privately printed, one a collection of poems entitledA Book for Friends, 1888, the other entitledEssays, printed posthumously in 1890. The first book contains a hymn beginning
Lord, beneath thine equal hand,
Lord, beneath thine equal hand,
in three stanzas, 7.7.7.7.D., dated February 10, 1869, and written for the installation of Rev. E. H. Hall at Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1869. It is included in theIsles of Shoals Hymn Book, 1908, the first line altered to read,
Lord, beneath whose equal hand.
Lord, beneath whose equal hand.
H.W.F.
Ham, Rev. Marion Franklin, D.D., Harveysburg, Ohio, February 18, 1867—July 23, 1956, Arlington, Massachusetts. He was educated in the public schools at Harveysburg, but as a youth moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to find employment. There he joined the Unitarian Church and, after serving it as a lay reader for several years, was ordained in 1898 as its minister, serving it until 1904. He later served Unitarian churches in Dallas, Texas, 1904-1909; in Reading, Massachusetts, 1909-1934; and in Waverley, Massachusetts, 1934-1939. He began to write verse in 1888, and many of his poems appeared in newspapers and periodicals, some of them being widely reprinted. His collected poems were published in book form in 1896, entitledThe Golden Shuttle, which reached a fourth edition in 1910. He then turned to hymn writing, and four of his earliest hymns were included inThe New Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, viz:—1.I hear Thy voice, within the silence speaking,(1913)2.O Lord of life, Thy kingdom is at hand,(1912)3.O Thou whose gracious presence shone(Communion) (1912)4.Touch Thou mine eyes, the sombre shadows falling,(1911)These are also included inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, as are five later hymns by him, viz:—5.As tranquil streams that meet and merge(1933)6.From Bethany the Master,(Palm Sunday) (1935)7.Heir of all the waiting ages,(Advent) (1937)8.Ring, O ring, ye Christmas bells(1932)9.The builders, toiling through the days(Church dedication) (1925)In April, 1936, he wrote an Easter hymn10.Oh, who shall roll the stone away?which first appeared in the BostonTranscript. It is included inThe Hymnal, 1940.In his later years he published, or had privately printed, several small booklets containing these and other poems by him:Songs of the Spirit, 1932;Songs of Faith and Hope, 1940;Songs at Sunset, 1951;Songs of a Lifetime, 1953; andIn a Rose Garden, 1956. Of these,Songs of a Lifetimecontains what he regarded as his best poems, as well as his latest hymns, among them one widely used on United Nations Sunday, beginning,11.Freedom, thy holy light,and a fine national hymn,12.O my country, land of promise,A number of his hymns have been included in the hymnals of several denominations, and No. 2 was translated into Japanese.Dr. Ham’s hymns manifest a deep spiritual insight expressed with literary craftsmanship of a high order, which make them among the most notable contributions to American hymnody in the first half of the 20thcentury.H.W.F.
Ham, Rev. Marion Franklin, D.D., Harveysburg, Ohio, February 18, 1867—July 23, 1956, Arlington, Massachusetts. He was educated in the public schools at Harveysburg, but as a youth moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to find employment. There he joined the Unitarian Church and, after serving it as a lay reader for several years, was ordained in 1898 as its minister, serving it until 1904. He later served Unitarian churches in Dallas, Texas, 1904-1909; in Reading, Massachusetts, 1909-1934; and in Waverley, Massachusetts, 1934-1939. He began to write verse in 1888, and many of his poems appeared in newspapers and periodicals, some of them being widely reprinted. His collected poems were published in book form in 1896, entitledThe Golden Shuttle, which reached a fourth edition in 1910. He then turned to hymn writing, and four of his earliest hymns were included inThe New Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, viz:—
1.I hear Thy voice, within the silence speaking,(1913)2.O Lord of life, Thy kingdom is at hand,(1912)3.O Thou whose gracious presence shone(Communion) (1912)4.Touch Thou mine eyes, the sombre shadows falling,(1911)
1.I hear Thy voice, within the silence speaking,(1913)
2.O Lord of life, Thy kingdom is at hand,(1912)
3.O Thou whose gracious presence shone(Communion) (1912)
4.Touch Thou mine eyes, the sombre shadows falling,(1911)
These are also included inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, as are five later hymns by him, viz:—
5.As tranquil streams that meet and merge(1933)6.From Bethany the Master,(Palm Sunday) (1935)7.Heir of all the waiting ages,(Advent) (1937)8.Ring, O ring, ye Christmas bells(1932)9.The builders, toiling through the days(Church dedication) (1925)
5.As tranquil streams that meet and merge(1933)
6.From Bethany the Master,(Palm Sunday) (1935)
7.Heir of all the waiting ages,(Advent) (1937)
8.Ring, O ring, ye Christmas bells(1932)
9.The builders, toiling through the days(Church dedication) (1925)
In April, 1936, he wrote an Easter hymn
10.Oh, who shall roll the stone away?
10.Oh, who shall roll the stone away?
which first appeared in the BostonTranscript. It is included inThe Hymnal, 1940.
In his later years he published, or had privately printed, several small booklets containing these and other poems by him:Songs of the Spirit, 1932;Songs of Faith and Hope, 1940;Songs at Sunset, 1951;Songs of a Lifetime, 1953; andIn a Rose Garden, 1956. Of these,Songs of a Lifetimecontains what he regarded as his best poems, as well as his latest hymns, among them one widely used on United Nations Sunday, beginning,
11.Freedom, thy holy light,
11.Freedom, thy holy light,
and a fine national hymn,
12.O my country, land of promise,
12.O my country, land of promise,
A number of his hymns have been included in the hymnals of several denominations, and No. 2 was translated into Japanese.
Dr. Ham’s hymns manifest a deep spiritual insight expressed with literary craftsmanship of a high order, which make them among the most notable contributions to American hymnody in the first half of the 20thcentury.
H.W.F.
Harris, Florence, (Mrs. Robert G. Hooke) (1891-1933) wrote in 1907, for the tenth anniversary of Unity Church (Unitarian), Montclair, New Jersey, of which she was a member a hymn entitled “The Founders,” beginning,Like pilgrims sailing through the night,which was included inThe New Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.H.W.F.
Harris, Florence, (Mrs. Robert G. Hooke) (1891-1933) wrote in 1907, for the tenth anniversary of Unity Church (Unitarian), Montclair, New Jersey, of which she was a member a hymn entitled “The Founders,” beginning,
Like pilgrims sailing through the night,
Like pilgrims sailing through the night,
which was included inThe New Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.
H.W.F.
Harris, Rev. Thaddeus Mason, D.D. (1768-1842). He graduated from Harvard in 1787, entered the ministry and served the First Church in Dorchester, Massachusetts (Unitarian) from 1793 until his resignation in 1836. Librarian of the Massachusetts Historical Society. In 1801 he printed a leaflet with a few hymns, which formed the basis for a larger collection ofHymns for the Lord’s Supper, original and selected, [edited]by Thaddeus Mason Harris. D.D. Boston; printed by Sewall Phelps, No. 5 Court Street, 1820. A second edition was printed in 1821. This booklet contains original hymns byRev. John Pierpont,q.v.,Rev. Samuel Gilman,q.v., and others, none of them in use today.H.W.F.
Harris, Rev. Thaddeus Mason, D.D. (1768-1842). He graduated from Harvard in 1787, entered the ministry and served the First Church in Dorchester, Massachusetts (Unitarian) from 1793 until his resignation in 1836. Librarian of the Massachusetts Historical Society. In 1801 he printed a leaflet with a few hymns, which formed the basis for a larger collection ofHymns for the Lord’s Supper, original and selected, [edited]by Thaddeus Mason Harris. D.D. Boston; printed by Sewall Phelps, No. 5 Court Street, 1820. A second edition was printed in 1821. This booklet contains original hymns byRev. John Pierpont,q.v.,Rev. Samuel Gilman,q.v., and others, none of them in use today.
H.W.F.
Hedge, Rev. Frederic Henry, Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 12, 1805—August 21, 1890, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Son of Professor Levi Hedge of Harvard, he was a very precocious child, ready to enter college at 12 years of age, but his father wisely sent him to Germany, with a tutor, George Bancroft, later a noted historian, where he studied in German schools for 5 years. He then returned to Harvard College, graduating in 1825, followed by a period of study in Harvard Divinity School, where he became an intimate friend of R. W. Emerson. He was ordained minister of the First Congregational Parish (Unitarian) in West Cambridge (now Arlington) Massachusetts in 1829. In 1835 he moved to Bangor, Maine, where he served the Independent Congregational Society until 1850, then serving the Westminster Congregational Church, Providence, Rhode Island, 1850-1856. In the latter year he was called to the First Parish in Brookline, Massachusetts, which he served until 1872. His removal to Brookline enabled him to serve as a nonresident professor of ecclesiastical history in the Harvard Divinity School. He retired from the ministry in 1872 and moved to Cambridge, where he was appointed professor of German language and literature, retiring in 1882. He was a man of extraordinary intellectual ability, one of the most learned of his time, and a pioneer in bringing to this country an acquaintance with German literature and metaphysics. Harvard gave him the degree of D.D. in 1852, and that of LL.D. in 1886. He was one of the editors of theChristian Examiner, author ofThe Prose Writers of Germany, 1848, ofReason in Religion, 1865, of a volume ofMetrical Translations and Poemsin 1888, and of a large number of essays and sermons. He was president of the American Unitarian Association 1860-1863. He collaborated withDr. F. D. Huntington,q.v., in editingHymns for the Church of Christ, Boston, 1853, to which he contributed three translations from the German:1.A mighty fortress is our God,(Ein’ feste Burg)2.Christ hath arisen!(Goethe’s Faust)3.The sun is still forever sounding(Goethe’s Faust)The UnitarianHymn and Tune Book for Church and Home, 1868, includes his translation from the Latin,4.Holy Spirit, Fire Divine,(Veni, Sancte Spiritus)Translated 1862.His original hymns included inHymns for the Church of Christ, 1853, are,5.Beneath thine hammer, Lord, I lie,Undated but “Written at a time of severe trial and deep depression.”6.Sovereign and Transforming Grace,Written for the ordination of H. D. Barlow at Lynn, Massachusetts, December 9, 1829. This fine hymn is appropriate to a service of worship and, with the omission of one stanza, has been widely used.7.’Twas in the East, the mystic East,A Christmas hymn, written about 1853.8.’Twas the day when God’s anointed,Written for a service in Bangor, Maine, held on Good Friday, 1843, in six stanzas, the last three of which, beginningIt is finished, Man of sorrows!had considerable use in Great Britain and this country. The whole six stanzas were included inLongfellow and Johnson’sBook of Hymns, 1846, as “Anonymous.” The last three stanzas are in Martineau’sHymnsand in many other collections.He also wrote a hymn beginning9.Lo! another offering,To Thy courts this day we bring,for his own ordination at West Cambridge in 1829, which was also used at the ordination of F. A. Whitney, at Brighton, Massachusetts, on February 24, 1844, but which passed into no collections.All these hymns, and two other religious poems, are included in Putnam’s Singers andSongs of the Liberal Faith. Most of them had gone out of use by the end of the 19thcentury, but nos. 1, 6 and 8 (beginningIt is finished, Man of sorrows,) are inThe New Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.By far the best known of Hedge’s hymns is his fine and accurate translation of Luther’s great choraleEin’ feste Burg(no. 1). This is the version accepted by almost all the Protestant denominations in this country, whereas in Great Britain Thomas Carlyle’s earlier translation (1831) is generally used, although James Martineau included Hedge’s version in hisHymns of Praise and Prayer, 1873, mistakenly attributing it to Samuel Longfellow. Putnam,op. cit., 214, says that it was first printed in W. H. Furness’sGems of German Verse, which appeared in Philadelphia, without date but undoubtedly in the latter part of 1853, a second edition following in 1859. That Hedge should have sent his translationof the chorale to Furness without delay was natural, because the two men were close friends with a common interest in German literature, and Putnam was the younger contemporary of both, in a position to know that Furness’s little book had appeared on the market a few days, or weeks, ahead of the collection of hymns which Hedge and F. D. Huntington were editing and which they published late in 1853 asHymns for the Church of Christ.The earliest record of the hymn, however, is to be found in the autograph letter (now in the Harvard University Library) which Hedge wrote to Rev. Joseph H. Allen, his successor in the pulpit at Bangor, Maine, asking him to recommend hymns for inclusion in the book on which he and Huntington were working. This letter is dated “Providence, March 27th, 1853.” In the course of it Hedge wrote, “I have made a new translation of Luther’s splendid psalm ‘Eine feste Burg ist unser Gott’ Carlyle’s translation not being available.” This statement is followed by the four stanzas of his translation. That book contained no printed tunes, only citing the metre at the head of each hymn as a guide to the organist, but in his letter Hedge goes on with the surprizing statement, “The original is much sung in Germany and therefore I suppose that it will not be difficult to find a tune for it.” Since he must have become familiar with both the words and the music of the famous chorale when he was a youthful student in Germany this remark indicates that the tune was still unknown in America, and that he took little interest in introducing it.J. 504, 1647Revised by H.W.F.
Hedge, Rev. Frederic Henry, Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 12, 1805—August 21, 1890, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Son of Professor Levi Hedge of Harvard, he was a very precocious child, ready to enter college at 12 years of age, but his father wisely sent him to Germany, with a tutor, George Bancroft, later a noted historian, where he studied in German schools for 5 years. He then returned to Harvard College, graduating in 1825, followed by a period of study in Harvard Divinity School, where he became an intimate friend of R. W. Emerson. He was ordained minister of the First Congregational Parish (Unitarian) in West Cambridge (now Arlington) Massachusetts in 1829. In 1835 he moved to Bangor, Maine, where he served the Independent Congregational Society until 1850, then serving the Westminster Congregational Church, Providence, Rhode Island, 1850-1856. In the latter year he was called to the First Parish in Brookline, Massachusetts, which he served until 1872. His removal to Brookline enabled him to serve as a nonresident professor of ecclesiastical history in the Harvard Divinity School. He retired from the ministry in 1872 and moved to Cambridge, where he was appointed professor of German language and literature, retiring in 1882. He was a man of extraordinary intellectual ability, one of the most learned of his time, and a pioneer in bringing to this country an acquaintance with German literature and metaphysics. Harvard gave him the degree of D.D. in 1852, and that of LL.D. in 1886. He was one of the editors of theChristian Examiner, author ofThe Prose Writers of Germany, 1848, ofReason in Religion, 1865, of a volume ofMetrical Translations and Poemsin 1888, and of a large number of essays and sermons. He was president of the American Unitarian Association 1860-1863. He collaborated withDr. F. D. Huntington,q.v., in editingHymns for the Church of Christ, Boston, 1853, to which he contributed three translations from the German:
1.A mighty fortress is our God,(Ein’ feste Burg)2.Christ hath arisen!(Goethe’s Faust)3.The sun is still forever sounding(Goethe’s Faust)The UnitarianHymn and Tune Book for Church and Home, 1868, includes his translation from the Latin,4.Holy Spirit, Fire Divine,(Veni, Sancte Spiritus)Translated 1862.
1.A mighty fortress is our God,(Ein’ feste Burg)
2.Christ hath arisen!(Goethe’s Faust)
3.The sun is still forever sounding(Goethe’s Faust)
The UnitarianHymn and Tune Book for Church and Home, 1868, includes his translation from the Latin,
4.Holy Spirit, Fire Divine,(Veni, Sancte Spiritus)
Translated 1862.
His original hymns included inHymns for the Church of Christ, 1853, are,
5.Beneath thine hammer, Lord, I lie,Undated but “Written at a time of severe trial and deep depression.”6.Sovereign and Transforming Grace,Written for the ordination of H. D. Barlow at Lynn, Massachusetts, December 9, 1829. This fine hymn is appropriate to a service of worship and, with the omission of one stanza, has been widely used.7.’Twas in the East, the mystic East,A Christmas hymn, written about 1853.8.’Twas the day when God’s anointed,Written for a service in Bangor, Maine, held on Good Friday, 1843, in six stanzas, the last three of which, beginningIt is finished, Man of sorrows!had considerable use in Great Britain and this country. The whole six stanzas were included inLongfellow and Johnson’sBook of Hymns, 1846, as “Anonymous.” The last three stanzas are in Martineau’sHymnsand in many other collections.He also wrote a hymn beginning9.Lo! another offering,To Thy courts this day we bring,for his own ordination at West Cambridge in 1829, which was also used at the ordination of F. A. Whitney, at Brighton, Massachusetts, on February 24, 1844, but which passed into no collections.
5.Beneath thine hammer, Lord, I lie,
Undated but “Written at a time of severe trial and deep depression.”
6.Sovereign and Transforming Grace,
Written for the ordination of H. D. Barlow at Lynn, Massachusetts, December 9, 1829. This fine hymn is appropriate to a service of worship and, with the omission of one stanza, has been widely used.
7.’Twas in the East, the mystic East,
A Christmas hymn, written about 1853.
8.’Twas the day when God’s anointed,
Written for a service in Bangor, Maine, held on Good Friday, 1843, in six stanzas, the last three of which, beginning
It is finished, Man of sorrows!
It is finished, Man of sorrows!
had considerable use in Great Britain and this country. The whole six stanzas were included inLongfellow and Johnson’sBook of Hymns, 1846, as “Anonymous.” The last three stanzas are in Martineau’sHymnsand in many other collections.
He also wrote a hymn beginning
9.Lo! another offering,To Thy courts this day we bring,
9.Lo! another offering,
To Thy courts this day we bring,
for his own ordination at West Cambridge in 1829, which was also used at the ordination of F. A. Whitney, at Brighton, Massachusetts, on February 24, 1844, but which passed into no collections.
All these hymns, and two other religious poems, are included in Putnam’s Singers andSongs of the Liberal Faith. Most of them had gone out of use by the end of the 19thcentury, but nos. 1, 6 and 8 (beginningIt is finished, Man of sorrows,) are inThe New Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.
By far the best known of Hedge’s hymns is his fine and accurate translation of Luther’s great choraleEin’ feste Burg(no. 1). This is the version accepted by almost all the Protestant denominations in this country, whereas in Great Britain Thomas Carlyle’s earlier translation (1831) is generally used, although James Martineau included Hedge’s version in hisHymns of Praise and Prayer, 1873, mistakenly attributing it to Samuel Longfellow. Putnam,op. cit., 214, says that it was first printed in W. H. Furness’sGems of German Verse, which appeared in Philadelphia, without date but undoubtedly in the latter part of 1853, a second edition following in 1859. That Hedge should have sent his translationof the chorale to Furness without delay was natural, because the two men were close friends with a common interest in German literature, and Putnam was the younger contemporary of both, in a position to know that Furness’s little book had appeared on the market a few days, or weeks, ahead of the collection of hymns which Hedge and F. D. Huntington were editing and which they published late in 1853 asHymns for the Church of Christ.
The earliest record of the hymn, however, is to be found in the autograph letter (now in the Harvard University Library) which Hedge wrote to Rev. Joseph H. Allen, his successor in the pulpit at Bangor, Maine, asking him to recommend hymns for inclusion in the book on which he and Huntington were working. This letter is dated “Providence, March 27th, 1853.” In the course of it Hedge wrote, “I have made a new translation of Luther’s splendid psalm ‘Eine feste Burg ist unser Gott’ Carlyle’s translation not being available.” This statement is followed by the four stanzas of his translation. That book contained no printed tunes, only citing the metre at the head of each hymn as a guide to the organist, but in his letter Hedge goes on with the surprizing statement, “The original is much sung in Germany and therefore I suppose that it will not be difficult to find a tune for it.” Since he must have become familiar with both the words and the music of the famous chorale when he was a youthful student in Germany this remark indicates that the tune was still unknown in America, and that he took little interest in introducing it.
J. 504, 1647Revised by H.W.F.
Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 12, 1822—May 9, 1911, Cambridge. He graduated from Harvard College in 1841 and from the Harvard Divinity School in 1847. Entering the Unitarian ministry he served churches in Newburyport, Massachusetts, 1847-1850, and in Worcester, Massachusetts, 1852-1858. He was an ardent Abolitionist and when the Civil War came he entered the Union Army, in which he rose to the command of a Negro regiment. After the war he became a man of letters and published several books and numerous essays. While still a student in the Divinity School he contributed to theBook of Hymns, 1846, which his friends Longfellow and Johnson were preparing, four hymns, which they marked with an asterisk, viz:1.No human eyes Thy face may see(God known through love)2.The land our fathers left to us(American Slavery)3.The past is dark with sin and shame,(Hope)4.To thine eternal arms, O God,(Lent)The last two have had considerable use. Both express the pessimistic mood with which the young man viewed the evils of the time.One of his later poems of social justice has also had some use as a hymn,5.From street and square, from hill and glen,Of this vast world beyond my door.His four hymns in theBook of Hymns, with other poems by him, are included in Putnam’sSingers and Songs, of the Liberal Faith, 1875. Of the above hymns those listed as 3 and 5 are included inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.J. 521, 1711H.W.F.
Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 12, 1822—May 9, 1911, Cambridge. He graduated from Harvard College in 1841 and from the Harvard Divinity School in 1847. Entering the Unitarian ministry he served churches in Newburyport, Massachusetts, 1847-1850, and in Worcester, Massachusetts, 1852-1858. He was an ardent Abolitionist and when the Civil War came he entered the Union Army, in which he rose to the command of a Negro regiment. After the war he became a man of letters and published several books and numerous essays. While still a student in the Divinity School he contributed to theBook of Hymns, 1846, which his friends Longfellow and Johnson were preparing, four hymns, which they marked with an asterisk, viz:
1.No human eyes Thy face may see(God known through love)2.The land our fathers left to us(American Slavery)3.The past is dark with sin and shame,(Hope)4.To thine eternal arms, O God,(Lent)
1.No human eyes Thy face may see(God known through love)
2.The land our fathers left to us(American Slavery)
3.The past is dark with sin and shame,(Hope)
4.To thine eternal arms, O God,(Lent)
The last two have had considerable use. Both express the pessimistic mood with which the young man viewed the evils of the time.
One of his later poems of social justice has also had some use as a hymn,
5.From street and square, from hill and glen,Of this vast world beyond my door.
5.From street and square, from hill and glen,
Of this vast world beyond my door.
His four hymns in theBook of Hymns, with other poems by him, are included in Putnam’sSingers and Songs, of the Liberal Faith, 1875. Of the above hymns those listed as 3 and 5 are included inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.
J. 521, 1711H.W.F.
Hill, Rev. Thomas, D.D., L.L.D., New Brunswick, New Jersey, January 7, 1818—November 21, 1891, Portland, Maine.He graduated from Harvard College in 1843 and from the Harvard Divinity School in 1845. He served as minister of the First Parish (Unitarian) in Waltham, Massachusetts from 1845 to 1859; was president of Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, 1859-1862; president of Harvard University, 1862-1868; and minister of the First Parish of Portland, Maine, 1873 to 1891. He was distinguished as a mathematician.In the earlier part of his career he wrote or translated many hymns which found publication in current periodicals, usually anonymously or signed only with cryptic initials. One by him, beginning,All holy, ever living One,was included in a few hymn books of the 19thcentury, but has dropped out of use. A few others, mostly written for special occasions, are in Putnam’sSingers and Songs of the Liberal Faith, but none have found other use.J. 524H.W.F.
Hill, Rev. Thomas, D.D., L.L.D., New Brunswick, New Jersey, January 7, 1818—November 21, 1891, Portland, Maine.
He graduated from Harvard College in 1843 and from the Harvard Divinity School in 1845. He served as minister of the First Parish (Unitarian) in Waltham, Massachusetts from 1845 to 1859; was president of Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, 1859-1862; president of Harvard University, 1862-1868; and minister of the First Parish of Portland, Maine, 1873 to 1891. He was distinguished as a mathematician.
In the earlier part of his career he wrote or translated many hymns which found publication in current periodicals, usually anonymously or signed only with cryptic initials. One by him, beginning,
All holy, ever living One,
All holy, ever living One,
was included in a few hymn books of the 19thcentury, but has dropped out of use. A few others, mostly written for special occasions, are in Putnam’sSingers and Songs of the Liberal Faith, but none have found other use.
J. 524H.W.F.
Holland, Joseph Gilbert, Belchertown, Massachusetts, July 24, 1819—October 12, 1881. A newspaper man on the staff of theSpringfield Republicanwho became editor ofScribner’s Magazinein 1870. Author of several books and some poetical pieces. One of the latter, beginningFor summer’s bloom, and autumn’s blight,(Praise in and through all things)from hisBitter Sweet, 1858, was included in the UnitarianHymn and Tune Book for Church and Home, Boston, 1868.J. 529H.W.F.
Holland, Joseph Gilbert, Belchertown, Massachusetts, July 24, 1819—October 12, 1881. A newspaper man on the staff of theSpringfield Republicanwho became editor ofScribner’s Magazinein 1870. Author of several books and some poetical pieces. One of the latter, beginning
For summer’s bloom, and autumn’s blight,(Praise in and through all things)
For summer’s bloom, and autumn’s blight,(Praise in and through all things)
from hisBitter Sweet, 1858, was included in the UnitarianHymn and Tune Book for Church and Home, Boston, 1868.
J. 529H.W.F.
Holmes, Rev. John Haynes, D.D.; Litt. D.; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 29, 1879—still living. He graduated from Harvard,summa cum laudein 1902, and from the Harvard Divinity School in 1904. He received the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from the Jewish Institute of Religion in 1930, from St. Lawrence University in 1931, and from Meadville Theological School in 1945; Doctor of Letters from Benares Hindu University, India, in 1947, and Doctor of Humanities from Rollins College, Florida, in 1951. He was installed as minister of the Third Religious Society (Unitarian), Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1904, and went to New York in 1907 as associate and successor toRev. Robert Collyer,q.v., minister of the Second Congregational Unitarian Society, (Church of the Messiah, now called the Community Church of New York) of which he became pastor emeritus in 1949. He withdrew from the Unitarian fellowship in 1919, not on theological grounds but because he preferred a position independent of any denominational label. Throughout his career in New York he has been an outspoken leader in many causes for social betterment, and a prolific author in prose and verse who has published a large number of books, religious and biographical, and of printed sermons. No other American author of his period has written so many fine hymns which have been widely used in this country, in England, and in Japan.1.Accept, O Lord, this precious gift8.6.8.6.3 stas.Written for dedication on October 31, 1943, of Chapel in the rebuilt Community Church.2.Accept, O Lord, this temple,7.6.7.6.7.6.3 stas.Written on the occasion of the rededication of the Community Church, December 31, 1922.3.All hail the pageant of the years,8.6.8.6.8.8.5 stas.UndatedIncluded inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.4.Almighty God, beneath whose eyeC.M.D.4 stas.An early hymn written for Labor Day Sunday in 1910.5.Almighty God, to whom the darkC.M.D.3 stas.8 l.A Vesper hymn written in 1906.6.America triumphant! Brave land of pioneers.7.6.7.6.D.5 stas.Written during World War I, inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.7.Behold, O God! our holy house,C.M.5 stas.September, 1919Written on the occasion of the burning of the Community Church, September 11, 1919.8.Be with us, Father, in this place.Dated 1945.9.Bless, thou, O God, this fellowship8.6.8.6.D.3 stas.Written for the Installation of Rev. Dana McLean Greeley, B.D., D.D. as President of the American Unitarian Association on October 7, 1958.10.Bright visions glow across the sky,8.6.8.6.8.6.8.6.3 stas.Written by Mr. Holmes in 1947 on the occasion of his 40thanniversary as Minister of the Community Church.11.God of the nations, near and far.C.M.6 stas.Written before this country entered World War I, for a hymn contest sponsored by the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, for use on Peace Sunday. This hymn was widely sung in churches of many denominations.Included inNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, with alteration in 2ndsta.12.God save the people’s cause.6.6.4.6.6.6.4.3 stas.Written in 1939.13.Great Spirit of the speeding spheres,L.M.6 stas.Written in 1932 on the occasion of the 25thanniversary of Mr. Holmes as minister of the Community Church.14.Joy to our hearts! Again we meet!8.6.8.8.6.6.6.4.3 stas.8 l.A Hymn of reunion, 1920, set to the tune of Antioch.15.O blessed isle of quiet,7.6.8.6.D.3 stas.Written at the Isles of Shoals in the summer of 1930, and set to an original tune by Robert B. Buxton.16.O Father, Thou who givest allL.M.4 stas.Written forThe Beacon Song and Service Book, Beacon, 1908; included inNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, andHymns of the Spirit, 1937.17.O God of field and city,7.6.7.6.7.6.7.6.3 stas.Prompted, in 1917, by the darkly unfolding experiences of World War I.18.O God of light and darkness,7.6.7.6.D.3 stas.8 l.Undated.19.O God, whose law from age to age8.6.8.6.D.4 stas.1910.20.O God, whose love is over all,8.6.8.6.D.3 stas.1909.21.O God, whose smile is in the sky8.6.8.6.D.4 stas.Written in 1907 for theIsles of Shoals Hymn Book, 1908, in 4 stas., C.M.D. Included in theNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, in 5 stas. of 4 l. with revisions approved by the author, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.22.Old Jubal twanged the bow-string7.6.7.6.D.3 stas.Written for the 25thanniversary of Clifford Demarest as organist of the Community Church, May 10, 1936, based on Genesis 4.21. “Jubal,—father of all such as handle the harp and the pipe.” An interestingtour de forceon the rise of music in praise of God.23.Onward still and upward6.5.6.5.D.3 stas.Written in 1950, and dedicated to the American Unitarian Association in celebration of the 125thanniversary (1825-1950) of its founding.24.O Thou who in chaotic night,8.8.8.8.8.8.4 stas.Written in war time, 1918.25.O Thou, whose presence moved beforeC.M.D.6 stas.Written for use on the 10thanniversary of his installation as Minister of the Community Church, February 4, 1917.26.O’er continent and ocean7.6.8.6.D.3 stas.Written for a “Service of Commemoration of a Century of British American Peace,” held in the Church of the Messiah, Montreal, Canada, at a meeting of Unitarian General Conference on September 25, 1917. InHymns of the Spirit, 1937.27.Show us thy way, O God!6.6.8.6.4 stas.Printed inThe Christian Centuryin 1936, included inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, with a correction by the author.28.The Bethlehem stars are dim tonight8.6.8.6.D.3 stas.Dated 192529.The voice of God is calling7.6.7.6.D.4 stas.Written in September, 1913 for the Young People’s Religious Union of Boston. InNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914. InHymns of the Spirit, 1937; widely used in the United States, England, translated into German, Japanese and Spanish.30.Thou God of all, whose presence dwells8.8.8.8.4 stas.Written some time after World War I. Intended as a protest against nationalistic theism which induced both belligerent nations to claim a monopoly of God.31.Thou God of all, whose Spirit moves8.6.8.6.D3 stas.Printed inThe Christian Century, May 29, 1940 and inThe Christian Register, August, 1940.32.Thy voice, O God, in every age8.6.8.6.D.3 stas.Written for the Installation of Rev. Donald Harrington at the Community Church of New York on November 19, 1944.33.To earth’s remote horizons7.6.7.6.D.4 stas.Written in 1949 and first sung on November 27th of that year at a special service in commemoration of the retirement of Mr. Holmes from the active ministry.34.To Thee, O God, be homage7.6.7.6.D.3 stas.1945.35.When darkness, brooding o’er the deep8.6.8.6.D.4 stas.Written in 1925 on the occasion of the 100thanniversary of the founding of the Community Church of New York.36.Why trust we not our God?6.6.8.6.5 stas.Of the hymns listed above, Nos. 3, 6, 11, 18, 20, 23 and 29 have had the most widespread use.H.W.F. in collaboration with J.H.H.
Holmes, Rev. John Haynes, D.D.; Litt. D.; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 29, 1879—still living. He graduated from Harvard,summa cum laudein 1902, and from the Harvard Divinity School in 1904. He received the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from the Jewish Institute of Religion in 1930, from St. Lawrence University in 1931, and from Meadville Theological School in 1945; Doctor of Letters from Benares Hindu University, India, in 1947, and Doctor of Humanities from Rollins College, Florida, in 1951. He was installed as minister of the Third Religious Society (Unitarian), Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1904, and went to New York in 1907 as associate and successor toRev. Robert Collyer,q.v., minister of the Second Congregational Unitarian Society, (Church of the Messiah, now called the Community Church of New York) of which he became pastor emeritus in 1949. He withdrew from the Unitarian fellowship in 1919, not on theological grounds but because he preferred a position independent of any denominational label. Throughout his career in New York he has been an outspoken leader in many causes for social betterment, and a prolific author in prose and verse who has published a large number of books, religious and biographical, and of printed sermons. No other American author of his period has written so many fine hymns which have been widely used in this country, in England, and in Japan.
1.Accept, O Lord, this precious gift8.6.8.6.3 stas.Written for dedication on October 31, 1943, of Chapel in the rebuilt Community Church.2.Accept, O Lord, this temple,7.6.7.6.7.6.3 stas.Written on the occasion of the rededication of the Community Church, December 31, 1922.3.All hail the pageant of the years,8.6.8.6.8.8.5 stas.UndatedIncluded inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.4.Almighty God, beneath whose eyeC.M.D.4 stas.An early hymn written for Labor Day Sunday in 1910.5.Almighty God, to whom the darkC.M.D.3 stas.8 l.A Vesper hymn written in 1906.6.America triumphant! Brave land of pioneers.7.6.7.6.D.5 stas.Written during World War I, inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.7.Behold, O God! our holy house,C.M.5 stas.September, 1919Written on the occasion of the burning of the Community Church, September 11, 1919.8.Be with us, Father, in this place.Dated 1945.9.Bless, thou, O God, this fellowship8.6.8.6.D.3 stas.Written for the Installation of Rev. Dana McLean Greeley, B.D., D.D. as President of the American Unitarian Association on October 7, 1958.10.Bright visions glow across the sky,8.6.8.6.8.6.8.6.3 stas.Written by Mr. Holmes in 1947 on the occasion of his 40thanniversary as Minister of the Community Church.
1.Accept, O Lord, this precious gift
8.6.8.6.3 stas.
Written for dedication on October 31, 1943, of Chapel in the rebuilt Community Church.
2.Accept, O Lord, this temple,
7.6.7.6.7.6.3 stas.
Written on the occasion of the rededication of the Community Church, December 31, 1922.
3.All hail the pageant of the years,
8.6.8.6.8.8.5 stas.Undated
Included inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.
4.Almighty God, beneath whose eye
C.M.D.4 stas.
An early hymn written for Labor Day Sunday in 1910.
5.Almighty God, to whom the dark
C.M.D.3 stas.8 l.
A Vesper hymn written in 1906.
6.America triumphant! Brave land of pioneers.
7.6.7.6.D.5 stas.
Written during World War I, inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.
7.Behold, O God! our holy house,
C.M.5 stas.September, 1919
Written on the occasion of the burning of the Community Church, September 11, 1919.
8.Be with us, Father, in this place.
Dated 1945.
9.Bless, thou, O God, this fellowship
8.6.8.6.D.3 stas.
Written for the Installation of Rev. Dana McLean Greeley, B.D., D.D. as President of the American Unitarian Association on October 7, 1958.
10.Bright visions glow across the sky,
8.6.8.6.8.6.8.6.3 stas.
Written by Mr. Holmes in 1947 on the occasion of his 40thanniversary as Minister of the Community Church.
11.God of the nations, near and far.C.M.6 stas.Written before this country entered World War I, for a hymn contest sponsored by the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, for use on Peace Sunday. This hymn was widely sung in churches of many denominations.Included inNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, with alteration in 2ndsta.12.God save the people’s cause.6.6.4.6.6.6.4.3 stas.Written in 1939.13.Great Spirit of the speeding spheres,L.M.6 stas.Written in 1932 on the occasion of the 25thanniversary of Mr. Holmes as minister of the Community Church.14.Joy to our hearts! Again we meet!8.6.8.8.6.6.6.4.3 stas.8 l.A Hymn of reunion, 1920, set to the tune of Antioch.15.O blessed isle of quiet,7.6.8.6.D.3 stas.Written at the Isles of Shoals in the summer of 1930, and set to an original tune by Robert B. Buxton.16.O Father, Thou who givest allL.M.4 stas.Written forThe Beacon Song and Service Book, Beacon, 1908; included inNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, andHymns of the Spirit, 1937.17.O God of field and city,7.6.7.6.7.6.7.6.3 stas.Prompted, in 1917, by the darkly unfolding experiences of World War I.18.O God of light and darkness,7.6.7.6.D.3 stas.8 l.Undated.19.O God, whose law from age to age8.6.8.6.D.4 stas.1910.20.O God, whose love is over all,8.6.8.6.D.3 stas.1909.21.O God, whose smile is in the sky8.6.8.6.D.4 stas.Written in 1907 for theIsles of Shoals Hymn Book, 1908, in 4 stas., C.M.D. Included in theNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, in 5 stas. of 4 l. with revisions approved by the author, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.22.Old Jubal twanged the bow-string7.6.7.6.D.3 stas.Written for the 25thanniversary of Clifford Demarest as organist of the Community Church, May 10, 1936, based on Genesis 4.21. “Jubal,—father of all such as handle the harp and the pipe.” An interestingtour de forceon the rise of music in praise of God.23.Onward still and upward6.5.6.5.D.3 stas.Written in 1950, and dedicated to the American Unitarian Association in celebration of the 125thanniversary (1825-1950) of its founding.24.O Thou who in chaotic night,8.8.8.8.8.8.4 stas.Written in war time, 1918.25.O Thou, whose presence moved beforeC.M.D.6 stas.Written for use on the 10thanniversary of his installation as Minister of the Community Church, February 4, 1917.26.O’er continent and ocean7.6.8.6.D.3 stas.Written for a “Service of Commemoration of a Century of British American Peace,” held in the Church of the Messiah, Montreal, Canada, at a meeting of Unitarian General Conference on September 25, 1917. InHymns of the Spirit, 1937.27.Show us thy way, O God!6.6.8.6.4 stas.Printed inThe Christian Centuryin 1936, included inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, with a correction by the author.28.The Bethlehem stars are dim tonight8.6.8.6.D.3 stas.Dated 192529.The voice of God is calling7.6.7.6.D.4 stas.Written in September, 1913 for the Young People’s Religious Union of Boston. InNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914. InHymns of the Spirit, 1937; widely used in the United States, England, translated into German, Japanese and Spanish.30.Thou God of all, whose presence dwells8.8.8.8.4 stas.Written some time after World War I. Intended as a protest against nationalistic theism which induced both belligerent nations to claim a monopoly of God.31.Thou God of all, whose Spirit moves8.6.8.6.D3 stas.Printed inThe Christian Century, May 29, 1940 and inThe Christian Register, August, 1940.32.Thy voice, O God, in every age8.6.8.6.D.3 stas.Written for the Installation of Rev. Donald Harrington at the Community Church of New York on November 19, 1944.33.To earth’s remote horizons7.6.7.6.D.4 stas.Written in 1949 and first sung on November 27th of that year at a special service in commemoration of the retirement of Mr. Holmes from the active ministry.34.To Thee, O God, be homage7.6.7.6.D.3 stas.1945.35.When darkness, brooding o’er the deep8.6.8.6.D.4 stas.Written in 1925 on the occasion of the 100thanniversary of the founding of the Community Church of New York.36.Why trust we not our God?6.6.8.6.5 stas.
11.God of the nations, near and far.
C.M.6 stas.
Written before this country entered World War I, for a hymn contest sponsored by the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, for use on Peace Sunday. This hymn was widely sung in churches of many denominations.
Included inNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, with alteration in 2ndsta.
12.God save the people’s cause.
6.6.4.6.6.6.4.3 stas.
Written in 1939.
13.Great Spirit of the speeding spheres,
L.M.6 stas.
Written in 1932 on the occasion of the 25thanniversary of Mr. Holmes as minister of the Community Church.
14.Joy to our hearts! Again we meet!
8.6.8.8.6.6.6.4.3 stas.8 l.
A Hymn of reunion, 1920, set to the tune of Antioch.
15.O blessed isle of quiet,
7.6.8.6.D.3 stas.
Written at the Isles of Shoals in the summer of 1930, and set to an original tune by Robert B. Buxton.
16.O Father, Thou who givest all
L.M.4 stas.
Written forThe Beacon Song and Service Book, Beacon, 1908; included inNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, andHymns of the Spirit, 1937.
17.O God of field and city,
7.6.7.6.7.6.7.6.3 stas.Prompted, in 1917, by the darkly unfolding experiences of World War I.
18.O God of light and darkness,
7.6.7.6.D.3 stas.8 l.Undated.
19.O God, whose law from age to age
8.6.8.6.D.4 stas.1910.
20.O God, whose love is over all,
8.6.8.6.D.3 stas.1909.
21.O God, whose smile is in the sky
8.6.8.6.D.4 stas.
Written in 1907 for theIsles of Shoals Hymn Book, 1908, in 4 stas., C.M.D. Included in theNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, in 5 stas. of 4 l. with revisions approved by the author, and inHymns of the Spirit, 1937.
22.Old Jubal twanged the bow-string
7.6.7.6.D.3 stas.
Written for the 25thanniversary of Clifford Demarest as organist of the Community Church, May 10, 1936, based on Genesis 4.21. “Jubal,—father of all such as handle the harp and the pipe.” An interestingtour de forceon the rise of music in praise of God.
23.Onward still and upward
6.5.6.5.D.3 stas.
Written in 1950, and dedicated to the American Unitarian Association in celebration of the 125thanniversary (1825-1950) of its founding.
24.O Thou who in chaotic night,
8.8.8.8.8.8.4 stas.
Written in war time, 1918.
25.O Thou, whose presence moved before
C.M.D.6 stas.
Written for use on the 10thanniversary of his installation as Minister of the Community Church, February 4, 1917.
26.O’er continent and ocean
7.6.8.6.D.3 stas.
Written for a “Service of Commemoration of a Century of British American Peace,” held in the Church of the Messiah, Montreal, Canada, at a meeting of Unitarian General Conference on September 25, 1917. InHymns of the Spirit, 1937.
27.Show us thy way, O God!
6.6.8.6.4 stas.
Printed inThe Christian Centuryin 1936, included inHymns of the Spirit, 1937, with a correction by the author.
28.The Bethlehem stars are dim tonight
8.6.8.6.D.3 stas.Dated 1925
29.The voice of God is calling
7.6.7.6.D.4 stas.
Written in September, 1913 for the Young People’s Religious Union of Boston. InNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914. InHymns of the Spirit, 1937; widely used in the United States, England, translated into German, Japanese and Spanish.
30.Thou God of all, whose presence dwells
8.8.8.8.4 stas.
Written some time after World War I. Intended as a protest against nationalistic theism which induced both belligerent nations to claim a monopoly of God.
31.Thou God of all, whose Spirit moves
8.6.8.6.D3 stas.
Printed inThe Christian Century, May 29, 1940 and inThe Christian Register, August, 1940.
32.Thy voice, O God, in every age
8.6.8.6.D.3 stas.
Written for the Installation of Rev. Donald Harrington at the Community Church of New York on November 19, 1944.
33.To earth’s remote horizons
7.6.7.6.D.4 stas.
Written in 1949 and first sung on November 27th of that year at a special service in commemoration of the retirement of Mr. Holmes from the active ministry.
34.To Thee, O God, be homage
7.6.7.6.D.3 stas.1945.
35.When darkness, brooding o’er the deep
8.6.8.6.D.4 stas.
Written in 1925 on the occasion of the 100thanniversary of the founding of the Community Church of New York.
36.Why trust we not our God?
6.6.8.6.5 stas.
Of the hymns listed above, Nos. 3, 6, 11, 18, 20, 23 and 29 have had the most widespread use.
H.W.F. in collaboration with J.H.H.
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, M.D., LL.D., Cambridge, Massachusetts, August 29, 1809—October 7, 1894, Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in the famous Class of 1829, studied medicine and became a practitioner in Boston, and was appointed Professor of Anatomy in the Harvard Medical School in 1847. Although distinguished as a physician his fame is that of a man of letters gifted with a sense of humor which made him one of the wittiest men of his time. Besides important medical treatises he wrote essays, novels, biographical sketches, and poetry which brought him a great reputation in this country and in Great Britain. Much of his poetry is occasional verse, which he was often called upon to write, such as his “International Ode” to be sung to the tune “America” (“God Save the Queen”) on the occasion of the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1860. Oxford University gave him the honorary degree of D.C.L. in 1886. He was a member of Kings’ Chapel, (Unitarian) Boston, and two of his poems are about that church. He contributed TheAutocrat at the Breakfast Tableto the opening issues ofThe Atlantic Monthly, 1857-58, publishedThe Professor at the Breakfast Tablein 1859,The Poet at the Breakfast Tablein 1872. He wroteElsie Venner, 1861, and two other novels. His poetry was published inSongs in Many Keys, 1861;Humorous Poems, 1865;Before the Curfew, 1888; and in hisComplete Poetical Works, in 1895.Although he made a greater contribution to American hymnody than did any other of the “New England poets” of his era, except Bryant and Whittier, his hymns were incidental literary by-products, for he was not primarily a hymn writer. They include:1.Angel of peace, thou hast tarried too longWritten in 1869.2.Father of mercies, heavenly Friend,A prayer in time of war. Undated but between 1861 and 1865.3.Lead where the banners wave last to the sea,Written as an American national anthem. It appeared in hisSongs in Many Keys, 1861, entitled “Freedom, our Queen.”4.Lord of all being, throned afar,(God’s Omnipotence)Included inThe Autocrat at the Breakfast Table, 1848, under the title of “A Sun-day Hymn.” This is his finest hymn and has had widespread use in many collections.5.O Lord of hosts, Almighty King,Entitled “Army Hymn,” and published inThe Soldier’s Companion, a hand-book of hymns and scripture readings issued in the fall of 1861, by the American Unitarian Association, for use by soldiers in the Union Army. It is a fine hymn, but with several lines directly referring to the immediate situation which make it unsuitable for present use and which cannot be altered or dropped without mutilating the hymn. In the same collection he wrote an “Additional Verse” appended to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” beginningWhen our land is illumined with Liberty’s smile,6.O Love Divine, that stooped to share,Written in 1859, a hymn of trust in time of doubt and sorrow.7.Our Father, while our hearts unlearn,The creeds that wrong thy name,Written for the 25thAnniversary of the Boston Young Men’s Christian Union, May 31, 1893.8.Thou gracious Power whose mercy lends,Written in 1869 for the 40thanniversary meeting of the Harvard Class of 1829. In the Methodist Hymn Book, 1904, altered to readThou gracious God, etc.Of these hymns nos. 4 and 6 have had the most widespread use. Those two, and no. 1 are included inThe Pilgrim Hymnal, 1935, and nos. 4, 6, 7 and 8 are in the UnitarianNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, and InHymns of the Spirit, 1937.J. 530, 1649, 1713, rewritten byH.W.F.
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, M.D., LL.D., Cambridge, Massachusetts, August 29, 1809—October 7, 1894, Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in the famous Class of 1829, studied medicine and became a practitioner in Boston, and was appointed Professor of Anatomy in the Harvard Medical School in 1847. Although distinguished as a physician his fame is that of a man of letters gifted with a sense of humor which made him one of the wittiest men of his time. Besides important medical treatises he wrote essays, novels, biographical sketches, and poetry which brought him a great reputation in this country and in Great Britain. Much of his poetry is occasional verse, which he was often called upon to write, such as his “International Ode” to be sung to the tune “America” (“God Save the Queen”) on the occasion of the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1860. Oxford University gave him the honorary degree of D.C.L. in 1886. He was a member of Kings’ Chapel, (Unitarian) Boston, and two of his poems are about that church. He contributed TheAutocrat at the Breakfast Tableto the opening issues ofThe Atlantic Monthly, 1857-58, publishedThe Professor at the Breakfast Tablein 1859,The Poet at the Breakfast Tablein 1872. He wroteElsie Venner, 1861, and two other novels. His poetry was published inSongs in Many Keys, 1861;Humorous Poems, 1865;Before the Curfew, 1888; and in hisComplete Poetical Works, in 1895.
Although he made a greater contribution to American hymnody than did any other of the “New England poets” of his era, except Bryant and Whittier, his hymns were incidental literary by-products, for he was not primarily a hymn writer. They include:
1.Angel of peace, thou hast tarried too longWritten in 1869.2.Father of mercies, heavenly Friend,A prayer in time of war. Undated but between 1861 and 1865.3.Lead where the banners wave last to the sea,Written as an American national anthem. It appeared in hisSongs in Many Keys, 1861, entitled “Freedom, our Queen.”4.Lord of all being, throned afar,(God’s Omnipotence)Included inThe Autocrat at the Breakfast Table, 1848, under the title of “A Sun-day Hymn.” This is his finest hymn and has had widespread use in many collections.5.O Lord of hosts, Almighty King,Entitled “Army Hymn,” and published inThe Soldier’s Companion, a hand-book of hymns and scripture readings issued in the fall of 1861, by the American Unitarian Association, for use by soldiers in the Union Army. It is a fine hymn, but with several lines directly referring to the immediate situation which make it unsuitable for present use and which cannot be altered or dropped without mutilating the hymn. In the same collection he wrote an “Additional Verse” appended to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” beginningWhen our land is illumined with Liberty’s smile,6.O Love Divine, that stooped to share,Written in 1859, a hymn of trust in time of doubt and sorrow.7.Our Father, while our hearts unlearn,The creeds that wrong thy name,Written for the 25thAnniversary of the Boston Young Men’s Christian Union, May 31, 1893.8.Thou gracious Power whose mercy lends,Written in 1869 for the 40thanniversary meeting of the Harvard Class of 1829. In the Methodist Hymn Book, 1904, altered to readThou gracious God, etc.
1.Angel of peace, thou hast tarried too long
Written in 1869.
2.Father of mercies, heavenly Friend,
A prayer in time of war. Undated but between 1861 and 1865.
3.Lead where the banners wave last to the sea,
Written as an American national anthem. It appeared in hisSongs in Many Keys, 1861, entitled “Freedom, our Queen.”
4.Lord of all being, throned afar,(God’s Omnipotence)
Included inThe Autocrat at the Breakfast Table, 1848, under the title of “A Sun-day Hymn.” This is his finest hymn and has had widespread use in many collections.
5.O Lord of hosts, Almighty King,
Entitled “Army Hymn,” and published inThe Soldier’s Companion, a hand-book of hymns and scripture readings issued in the fall of 1861, by the American Unitarian Association, for use by soldiers in the Union Army. It is a fine hymn, but with several lines directly referring to the immediate situation which make it unsuitable for present use and which cannot be altered or dropped without mutilating the hymn. In the same collection he wrote an “Additional Verse” appended to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” beginning
When our land is illumined with Liberty’s smile,
When our land is illumined with Liberty’s smile,
6.O Love Divine, that stooped to share,
Written in 1859, a hymn of trust in time of doubt and sorrow.
7.Our Father, while our hearts unlearn,The creeds that wrong thy name,
7.Our Father, while our hearts unlearn,
The creeds that wrong thy name,
Written for the 25thAnniversary of the Boston Young Men’s Christian Union, May 31, 1893.
8.Thou gracious Power whose mercy lends,
Written in 1869 for the 40thanniversary meeting of the Harvard Class of 1829. In the Methodist Hymn Book, 1904, altered to read
Thou gracious God, etc.
Thou gracious God, etc.
Of these hymns nos. 4 and 6 have had the most widespread use. Those two, and no. 1 are included inThe Pilgrim Hymnal, 1935, and nos. 4, 6, 7 and 8 are in the UnitarianNew Hymn and Tune Book, 1914, and InHymns of the Spirit, 1937.
J. 530, 1649, 1713, rewritten byH.W.F.