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Bernard Barton

1784 - 1849 Person Name: B. Barton Author of "Lamp of our feet, whereby we trace" in The Church Hymnal Barton, Bernard, commonly known as the "Quaker Poet," was born in London Jan. 31, 1784, and educated at a Quaker school at Ipswich. In 1798 he was apprenticed to Mr. S. Jesup, a shopkeeper at Halstead, Essex, with whom he remained until 1806, when he removed to Woodbridge, Suffolk, and entered into business with his brother, as a coal and corn merchant. On the death of his wife at the end of the first year of their married life, he proceeded to Liverpool, where he acted as a private tutor for a short time. He returned to Woodbridge in 1810, where he secured an engagement in the local bank of the Messrs. Alexander. This appointment he held for 40 years. He died at Woodbridge, Feb. 19, 1849. During the same year his daughter published his Poems and Letters, with a Memoir. His poetical works were numerous, including:— (1) Metrical Effusions , 1812; (2) Poems by an Amateur, 1818; (3) Poems , 1820; (4) Napoleon, and other Poems, 1822; (5) Poetic Vigils, 1824; (6) Devotional Verses founded on Select Texts of Scripture, 1826; (7) A Widow's Tale, 1S27; (8) New Year's Eve, 1829; (9) The Reliquary, 1836; (10) Household Verses, 1845. A complete list of his works is given in Joseph Smith's Descriptive Catalogue of Friends' Books, Lond., J. Smith, 1867, vol. i. pp. 196-200. From these works about 20 pieces have come into common use as hymns. These are found principally in the Scottish Evangelical Union Hymnal, on the one hand, and various American Unitarian collections on the other. The best known are, “Lamp of our feet, whereby we trace," and "Walk in the light, so shalt thou know." From his Devotional Poems, &c, 1826, the following have passed into the Scottish Evangelical Union Hymnal, 1878:— 1. Fear not, Zion's sons and daughters. Gracious Promises. This is part of a poem on Isaiah xliii. 1, “Fear not, Jacob, tabulated." 2. Hath the invitation ended? Invitation. 3. See we not beyond the portal? Present vision Imperfect. This is part of the poem on 1 Cor. xiii. 12, “Dim and dark our present vision." 4. Those who live in love shall know. Peace. 5. Would'st thou share this benediction! Poor in Spirit. In addition, there are also in various collections:— 6. Around Bethesda's healing wave. Consolation. This is on pp. 182-185, in his Napoleon, and other Poems, 1822, in 10 stanzas of 6 lines. A cento therefrom is given in a few American hymnals, including Mr. Beecher's Plymouth Collection, No. 746, as, "The waters of Bethesda's pool." 7. There is a life more dear. Spiritual Life. From the Devotional Verses, 1826, p. 96, into Kennedy, 1863, No. 1177, with the omission of stanza v. 8. Say not the law divine. Spiritual Law. Also from the Devotional Verses, 1826, p. 34, into various American hymnals, generally Unitarian, as the Hymn and Tune Book, Boston, 1868, No. 342, &c, where, however, it is rewritten from an irregular metre to S.M. This had previously appeared in Hedge and Huntington's Hymns for the Church of Christ, Boston, U.S., 1853. Other hymns, given in great part in American Unitarian collections, are annotated under their respective first lines. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ====================== Barton, Bernard, p. 116, i. Other hymns in common use:— 1. God made the country, yet in scenes. Country Life. This begins with stanza iii. of a poem "Addressed to a Friend in London" in The Reliquary, 1836, p. 83. 2. Lamp of our feet! whereby we trace. Holy Scriptures, published in The Reliquary, 1836, p. 116, in 11 stanzas of 4 lines. It is in common use in its full form, and also abbreviated as (1) "Word of the ever-living God"; and (2) "Word of the everlasting God." In extensive use. 3. There is a Friend more tender, true. Jesus, the Friend. This begins with stanza iii. of "But yet, however cheerless seem," in his Poems & Letters, 1853, p. 254. 4. Walk in the light! So shalt thou know. (Walking in the Light.) Published in his Devotional Verses, 1826, p. 242, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines. It is found in many modern collections, and is one of the most popular of his hymns. 5. We journey through a vale of tears. Heaven Anticipated. In his Poems & Letters, 1853, p. 193. Of these hymns, Nos. 3, 5, are of an earlier date than the Poems & Letters of 1853; but we have failed to find them in Barton's earlier works. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

Henry Kirke White

1785 - 1806 Person Name: H. K. White Author of "Thro' sorrow's night, and danger's path" in The Christian Hymnal White, Henry Kirke, a gifted English poet who died early in life, was born in Nottingham, England, March 21, 1785. Very early he manifested a remarkable love for books and a decided talent for composition. But his parents were poor, and he was apprenticed in early boyhood to a stocking weaver, from which uncongenial servitude he escaped as soon as he could and began the study of law; but later he was converted and felt called to the ministry. The story of his conversion from deism to Christianity is briefly but beautifully told in the poem titled "The Star of Bethlehem." He entered St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1805 as a servitor; but died October 19, 1806, in the second year of his college course, when only twenty-one years of age. In 1803 he published a small volume of poems. Some of them are very fine, but no doubt he would have produced others far better if he had lived to the ordinary age of man. His rare poetic genius, his victory over skepticism and subsequent faith and piety, his hard struggle with poverty and early death invest the story of his life with more than ordinary pathos. His hymns, ten in number, appeared in Collyer's Collection, 1812. Oft in danger, oft in woe 412 The Lord our God is clothed with 99 When marshaled on the mighty 124 Hymn Writers of the Church, 1911 ============================ White, Henry Kirk, remarkable both for the early development of his genius and for the untimely termination of his brief life of splendid promise, was born at Nottingham, March 21, 1785. His father was a butcher, but his mother must have been a superior woman, since for a number of years she successfully conducted a boarding-school for girls. The writing-master in her establishment was for some time Henry's teacher, and under his instruction he made remarkable progress in Latin and other subjects. At the age of 13 he composed the lines "To an early Primrose," which were subsequently printed with his poems. At 14 he left school, and was put to the stocking-frame in order to learn prac¬tically the business of a hosier; but, disliking the employment, he was removed to an attorney's office in Nottingham, with a view to the legal profession. All his spare time was now devoted to literary pursuits, the acquisition of languages, and the composition of poetical and other contributions for the periodicals of the day. At the age of 15 he obtained from the Monthly Preceptor a silver medal for a translation from Horace, and a pair of globes for the best description of an imaginary tour from London to Edinburgh. When only 17 he was encouraged to publish his Clifton Grove and other Poems, which were certainly excellent as the compositions of a mere boy. About this time he was inclined to scepticism, but. through the perusal of Scott's Force of Truth and the arguments and appeals of a young friend, R. W. Almond (afterwards Rector of St. Peter's, Nottingham), he was led to earnest faith in Christianity. His well-known hymn "When marshall'd on the nightly plain" is understood to be a figurative description of his spiritual experience at this period. He now desired to become a Christian minister, and through the generosity of his employers he was released from his articles in 1804. With the help of the Rev. C. Simeon and other friends, he became a student of St. John's College, Cambridge. There he speedily distinguished himself, and the highest honours seemed within his grasp; but over application to study destroyed his health, and he fell ill and died Oct. 19, 1806, in the 22nd year of his age. Universal regret was expressed at his untimely end. Southey published his Remains, accompanied by a short memoir. Lord Byron composed some beautiful lines on the sad event. Josiah Conder and others wrote commemorative verses. The entire literary young manhood of England and America seemed moved with sympathy. A monumental tablet, with a medallion by Chantrey, was erected in All Saints Church, Cambridge, at the expense of a citizen of Boston, in the United States. Ten hymns are ascribed to H. K. White, which were printed by the Rev. Dr. W. B. Collyer in his Supplement to Dr. Watts's Psalms & Hymns, London, 1812. Of these four of the most popular are annotated as follows: "Awake, sweet harp of Judah, wake"; "Christians, brethren, ere we part"; "Much in sorrow, oft in woe"; “When marshalled on the nightly plain." These are all in extensive use. The rest, all in common use at the present time, are:— 1. 0 Lord, another day has flown. Evening. From this the hymn "0 let Thy grace perform its part" is taken. 2. 0 Lord, my God, in mercy turn. Penitence and Faith. 3. The Lord our God is full [clothed in] of might. Divine Sovereignty. 4. The Lord our God is Lord of all. Divine Sovereignty. 5. Through sorrow's night and danger's path. The Resurrection. Sometimes given as "When sorrow's path and danger's road." 6. What is this passing scene? Human Frailty. This hymn consists of selected stanzas from his “Ode on Disappointment." [Rev. W. R. Stevenson, M.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

William Cowper

1731 - 1800 Person Name: William Cowper, 1731-1800 Author of "KA'A MAU KE AKUA E HANA E" in Na Himeni Haipule Hawaii William Cowper (pronounced "Cooper"; b. Berkampstead, Hertfordshire, England, 1731; d. East Dereham, Norfolk, England, 1800) is regarded as one of the best early Romantic poets. To biographers he is also known as "mad Cowper." His literary talents produced some of the finest English hymn texts, but his chronic depression accounts for the somber tone of many of those texts. Educated to become an attorney, Cowper was called to the bar in 1754 but never practiced law. In 1763 he had the opportunity to become a clerk for the House of Lords, but the dread of the required public examination triggered his tendency to depression, and he attempted suicide. His subsequent hospitalization and friendship with Morley and Mary Unwin provided emotional stability, but the periods of severe depression returned. His depression was deepened by a religious bent, which often stressed the wrath of God, and at times Cowper felt that God had predestined him to damnation. For the last two decades of his life Cowper lived in Olney, where John Newton became his pastor. There he assisted Newton in his pastoral duties, and the two collaborated on the important hymn collection Olney Hymns (1779), to which Cowper contributed sixty-eight hymn texts. Bert Polman ============ Cowper, William, the poet. The leading events in the life of Cowper are: born in his father's rectory, Berkhampstead, Nov. 26, 1731; educated at Westminster; called to the Bar, 1754; madness, 1763; residence at Huntingdon, 1765; removal to Olney, 1768; to Weston, 1786; to East Dereham, 1795; death there, April 25, 1800. The simple life of Cowper, marked chiefly by its innocent recreations and tender friendships, was in reality a tragedy. His mother, whom he commemorated in the exquisite "Lines on her picture," a vivid delineation of his childhood, written in his 60th year, died when he was six years old. At his first school he was profoundly wretched, but happier at Westminster; excelling at cricket and football, and numbering Warren Hastings, Colman, and the future model of his versification. Churchill, among his contemporaries or friends. Destined for the Bar, he was articled to a solicitor, along with Thurlow. During this period he fell in love with his cousin, Theodora Cowper, sister to Lady Hesketh, and wrote love poems to her. The marriage was forbidden by her father, but she never forgot him, and in after years secretly aided his necessities. Fits of melancholy, from which he had suffered in school days, began to increase, as he entered on life, much straitened in means after his father's death. But on the whole, it is the playful, humorous side of him that is most prominent in the nine years after his call to the Bar; spent in the society of Colman, Bonnell Thornton, and Lloyd, and in writing satires for The Connoisseur and St. James's Chronicle and halfpenny ballads. Then came the awful calamity, which destroyed all hopes of distinction, and made him a sedentary invalid, dependent on his friends. He had been nominated to the Clerkship of the Journals of the House of Lords, but the dread of appearing before them to show his fitness for the appointment overthrew his reason. He attempted his life with "laudanum, knife and cord,"—-in the third attempt nearly succeeding. The dark delusion of his life now first showed itself—a belief in his reprobation by God. But for the present, under the wise and Christian treatment of Dr. Cotton (q. v.) at St. Albans, it passed away; and the eight years that followed, of which the two first were spent at Huntingdon (where he formed his lifelong friendship with Mrs. Unwin), and the remainder at Olney in active piety among the poor, and enthusiastic devotions under the guidance of John Newton (q. v.), were full of the realisation of God's favour, and the happiest, most lucid period of his life. But the tension of long religious exercises, the nervous excitement of leading at prayer meetings, and the extreme despondence (far more than the Calvinism) of Newton, could scarcely have been a healthy atmosphere for a shy, sensitive spirit, that needed most of all the joyous sunlight of Christianity. A year after his brother's death, madness returned. Under the conviction that it was the command of God, he attempted suicide; and he then settled down into a belief in stark contradiction to his Calvinistic creed, "that the Lord, after having renewed him in holiness, had doomed him to everlasting perdition" (Southey). In its darkest form his affliction lasted sixteen months, during which he chiefly resided in J. Newton's house, patiently tended by him and by his devoted nurse, Mrs. Unwin. Gradually he became interested in carpentering, gardening, glazing, and the tendance of some tame hares and other playmates. At the close of 1780, Mrs. Unwin suggested to him some serious poetical work; and the occupation proved so congenial, that his first volume was published in 1782. To a gay episode in 1783 (his fascination by the wit of Lady Austen) his greatest poem, The Task, and also John Gilpin were owing. His other principal work was his Homer, published in 1791. The dark cloud had greatly lifted from his life when Lady Hesketh's care accomplished his removal to Weston (1786): but the loss of his dear friend William Unwin lowered it again for some months. The five years' illness of Mrs. Unwin, during which his nurse of old became his tenderly-watched patient, deepened the darkness more and more. And her death (1796) brought “fixed despair," of which his last poem, The Castaway, is the terrible memorial. Perhaps no more beautiful sentence has been written of him, than the testimony of one, who saw him after death, that with the "composure and calmness" of the face there “mingled, as it were, a holy surprise." Cowper's poetry marks the dawn of the return from the conventionality of Pope to natural expression, and the study of quiet nature. His ambition was higher than this, to be the Bard of Christianity. His great poems show no trace of his monomania, and are full of healthy piety. His fame as a poet is less than as a letter-writer: the charm of his letters is unsurpassed. Though the most considerable poet, who has written hymns, he has contributed little to the development of their structure, adopting the traditional modes of his time and Newton's severe canons. The spiritual ideas of the hymns are identical with Newton's: their highest note is peace and thankful contemplation, rather than joy: more than half of them are full of trustful or reassuring faith: ten of them are either submissive (44), self-reproachful (17, 42, 43), full of sad yearning (1, 34), questioning (9), or dark spiritual conflict (38-40). The specialty of Cowper's handling is a greater plaintiveness, tenderness, and refinement. A study of these hymns as they stood originally under the classified heads of the Olney Hymns, 1779, which in some cases probably indicate the aim of Cowper as well as the ultimate arrangement of the book by Newton, shows that one or two hymns were more the history of his conversion, than transcripts of present feelings; and the study of Newton's hymns in the same volume, full of heavy indictment against the sins of his own regenerate life, brings out the peculiar danger of his friendship to the poet: it tends also to modify considerably the conclusions of Southey as to the signs of incipient madness in Cowper's maddest hymns. Cowper's best hymns are given in The Book of Praise by Lord Selborne. Two may be selected from them; the exquisitely tender "Hark! my soul, it is the Lord" (q. v.), and "Oh, for a closer walk with God" (q. v.). Anyone who knows Mrs. Browning's noble lines on Cowper's grave will find even a deeper beauty in the latter, which is a purely English hymn of perfect structure and streamlike cadence, by connecting its sadness and its aspiration not only with the “discord on the music" and the "darkness on the glory," but the rapture of his heavenly waking beneath the "pathetic eyes” of Christ. Authorities. Lives, by Hayley; Grimshaw; Southey; Professor Goldwin Smith; Mr. Benham (attached to Globe Edition); Life of Newton, by Rev. Josiah Bull; and the Olney Hymns. The numbers of the hymns quoted refer to the Olney Hymns. [Rev. H. Leigh Bennett, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================ Cowper, W. , p. 265, i. Other hymns are:— 1. Holy Lord God, I love Thy truth. Hatred of Sin. 2. I was a grovelling creature once. Hope and Confidence. 3. No strength of nature can suffice. Obedience through love. 4. The Lord receives His highest praise. Faith. 5. The saints should never be dismayed. Providence. All these hymns appeared in the Olney Hymns, 1779. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) ===================== Cowper, W., p. 265, i. Prof. John E. B. Mayor, of Cambridge, contributed some letters by Cowper, hitherto unpublished, together with notes thereon, to Notes and Queries, July 2 to Sept. 24, 1904. These letters are dated from Huntingdon, where he spent two years after leaving St. Alban's (see p. 265, i.), and Olney. The first is dated "Huntingdon, June 24, 1765," and the last "From Olney, July 14, 1772." They together with extracts from other letters by J. Newton (dated respectively Aug. 8, 1772, Nov. 4, 1772), two quotations without date, followed by the last in the N. & Q. series, Aug. 1773, are of intense interest to all students of Cowper, and especially to those who have given attention to the religious side of the poet's life, with its faint lights and deep and awful shadows. From the hymnological standpoint the additional information which we gather is not important, except concerning the hymns "0 for a closer walk with God," "God moves in a mysterious way," "Tis my happiness below," and "Hear what God, the Lord, hath spoken." Concerning the last three, their position in the manuscripts, and the date of the last from J. Newton in the above order, "Aug. 1773," is conclusive proof against the common belief that "God moves in a mysterious way" was written as the outpouring of Cowper's soul in gratitude for the frustration of his attempted suicide in October 1773. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

George P. Simmonds

1890 - 1991 Person Name: Geo. P. Simmonds Translator of "Oeste y Este en Cristo No Hay" in El Himnario Used pseudonyms G Paul S., J. Paul Simon, and J. Pablo Símon

John Morison

1750 - 1798 Person Name: Dr. J. Morison, 1749-1798 Author of "Come, let us to the Lord our God" in Methodist Hymn and Tune Book Morison, John, D.D., was born in Aberdeenshire in 1749. He studied at the University of Aberdeen (King's College), where he graduated M.A. in 1771. In 1780 he became parish minister of Canisbay, Caithness. He received the degree of D.D. from the University of Edinburgh in 1792. He died at Canisbay, June 12, 1798. He was one of the members added on May 26, 1781, to the Committee appointed by the General Assembly of 1775 to revise the Translations and Paraphrases of 1745. To him are ascribed Nos. 19, 21, 29, 30 and 35, in the 1781 collection, and he is said to have been joint author with John Logan of Nos. 27 and 28. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

John Milton

1608 - 1674 Author of "How lovely are Thy dwellings, Lord" in Christian Science Hymnal (Rev. and enl.) Milton, John, was born in London, Dec. 9, 1608, and died there Nov. 8, 1674. His poetical excellences and his literary fame are matters apart from hymnology, and are fully dealt with in numerous memoirs. His influence on English hymn-writing has been very slight, his 19 versions of various Psalms having lain for the most part unused by hymnal compilers. The dates of his paraphrases are:— Ps. cxiv. and cxxxvi., 1623, when he was 15 years of ago. These were given in his Poems in English and Latin 1645. Ps. lxxx.-lxxxviii., written in 1648, and published as Nine Psalmes done into Metre, 1645. Ps. i., 1653; ii., “Done August 8, 1653;" iii., Aug. 9, 1653; iv. Aug. 10, 1653; v., Aug. 12, 1653; vi., Aug. 13, 1653; vii.Aug. 14, 1653; viii., Aug. 14, 1653. These 19 versions were all included in the 2nd ed. of his Poems in English and Latin, 1673. From these, mainly in the form of centos, the following have come into common use:— 1. Cause us to see Thy goodness, Lord. Ps. lxxxv. 2. Defend the poor and desolate. Ps. lxxxii. 3. God in the great assembly stands. Ps. lxxxii. 4. How lovely are Thy dwellings fair. Ps. lxxxiv. From this, "They pass refreshed the thirsty vale," is taken. 5. Let us with a gladsome [joyful] mind. Ps. cxxxvi. 6. O let us with a joyful mind. Ps. cxxxvi. 7. The Lord will come and not be slow. Ps. lxxxv. Of these centos Nos. 4 and 5 are in extensive use. The rest are mostly in Unitarian collections. There are also centos from his hymn on the Nativity, "This is the month, and this the happy morn" (q.v.). --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

A. Cleveland Coxe

1818 - 1896 Person Name: Arthur C. Coxe Author of "O where are kings and empires now" in Songs for the Lord's House Coxe, Arthur Cleveland, D.D. LL.D. One of the most distinguished of American prelates, and son of an eminent Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Samuel H. Cox, D.D., was born at Mendham, New Jersey, May 10,1818. Graduating at the University of New York in 1838, and taking Holy Orders in 1841, he became Rector of St. John's, Hartford, Connecticut, in the following year. In 1851 he visited England, and on his return was elected Rector of Grace Church, Baltimore, 1854, and Calvary, New York, 1863. His consecration as Bishop of the Western Diocese of New York took place in 1865. His residence is at Buffalo. Bishop Coxe is the author of numerous works. His poetical works were mostly written in early life, and include Advent, 1837; Athanasion, &c, 1842; Christian Ballads, 1840 (Preface to the English edition, April, 1848); Hallowe'en and Other Poems, 1844; Saul, a Mystery, 1845, &c. Some of Bishop Coxe's hymns are found in the collections of every religious body in America, except the official collections of his own. This is accounted for by his too scrupulous modesty. As a member of the Hymnal Committee, in 1869-71, he refused to permit the insertion of his own lyrics. As he has not preserved memoranda, and has no precise recollection of dates, several dates here given are somewhat uncertain. 1. Behold an Israelite indeed. St. Bartholomew. First appeared in "Poems," published with his Christian Ballads, 1840, and found in an altered form in the People's H. and the Hymnary. 2. Body of Jesus, 0 sweet Food. Holy Communion. Written at St. James's College, Maryland (since broken up by the Civil War), Ascension Day, 1858. It was first printed for private use, and then published in the Cantate Domino, Boston, 1859, No. 53, and again in other American collections. It is also in Schaff’s Christ in Song, 1869, and in The Churchman's Altar Manual, 2nd ed., 1883. 3. Breath of the Lord, 0 Spirit blest.Whitsuntide. Bishop Coxe considers this more worthy of being called a hymn than anything else from his pen. It was written long before it appeared in the New York Independent, Whitsuntide, 1878. It is in the Schaff-Gilman Library of Religious Poetry, 1881, and Brooke's Churchman's Manual of Private and Family Devotion, 1883. 4. Christ is arisen. Easter. This is suggested by, and partly translated from, the famous Easter Chorus in Goethe's Faust, "Christ ist erstanden" (see Goethe), and appeared in Hallowe'en, 1844. 5. He who for Christ hath left behind. St. Matthew. From his Christian Ballads, &c, 1840. 6. In the silent midnight watches. Christ knocking. From his Athanasion, &c, 1842; an impressive moral poem rather than a hymn on Christ knocking at the door, extensively used in America, and sometimes in England. Original text, Schaff's Christ in Song, 1869. 7. Lord, when Thou didst come from heaven. A hymn for Epiphany, on behalf of Western Missions, appeared among the "Lays "appended to Hallowe'en, 1844, and again in later editions of the Christian Ballad. It is sometimes abbreviated, as in Lyra Sac. Amer., " Westward, Lord, the world alluring." 8. Now pray we for our country. National Hymn. A stanza from Chronicles, or meditations on events in the history of England, called up by visiting her abbeys and cathedrals, and appeared in Christian Ballads, 1840. Originally it began, "Now pray we for our mother," and, with the succeeding stanza, was a call upon Americans to pray for their mother country. It is adopted by Dr. Martineau in his Hys., 1873. 9. 0 walk with God, and thou shalt find. Holiness. Appeared in his Hallowe’en, &c, 1844, and is found in Lyra Sac. Amer. 10. 0 where are kings and empires now! Church of God. The 6th stanza of his ballad "Chelsea," which appeared in the Churchman, 1839, and again in his Christian Ballads, 1840. 11. Saviour, sprinkle many nations. Missions. “Begun on Good Friday, 1850, and completed 1851, in the grounds of Magdalen College, Oxford." 1st published. in Verses for 1851, in Commemoration of the third Jubilee of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, edited by the Rev. Ernest Hawkins, 1851. It was subsequently appended to the English edition of his Christian Ballads. It is regarded as Bishop Coxe's best piece, and to many minds it is the loveliest of missionary hymns. Its use in England is very extensive. It is not found in the American Episcopal hymnal for the reason given above. 12. Still as our day our strength shall be. Temptation. Appeared in his Hallowe'en, &c, 1844, and Lyra Sac. Amer. 13. Soldier, to the contest pressing. Christian Conflict. From his Hallowe'en, &c, 1844, and Lyra Sac. Amer. It was written in 1834. 14. There is a land like Eden fair. From Hallowe'en, &c, into a few collections. 15. We are living, we are dwelling. Christian Soldiers. An impressive moral poem rather than a hymn, but extensively used. It appeared in his Athanasion, &c, 1840, and Lyra &xc. 16. Who is this, with garments gory. Passiontide. From his “Lays" appended to Hallowe'en, 1844, and again in his Christian Ballads. It is found in the Child's Christian Year, 4th ed. N.D., the People's Hymns, and other collections. It is in 4 stanza of 8 1. The last stanza is sometimes given as a separate hymn:—"Hail, all hail, Thou Lord of Glory." 17. When o'er Judea's vales and hills. Written cir. 1840, and published in his Hallowe'en, &c, 1844, and again, with the author's final corrections, made in 1869, in Schaff's Christ in Song (1870 ed. p. 112). Also in the English edition of his Christian Ballads. From this "Hymn to the Redeemer," two shorter hymns have been com¬piled : (1) " How beauteous were the marks divine." This is in almost universal American and occasional English use. (2) "O who like Thee, so calm, so bright," in the Hymnary, 1872. Bishop Coxe has also translated the Pange lingua gloriosi corporis (q. v.), and is the author of the beautiful Christmas Carol, "Carol, carol, Christians," given in his Christian Ballads, &c. [Rev. F. M. Bird] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Alan Gray

1855 - 1935 Person Name: Dr. Alan Gray Composer (Descant) of "ST. PETER" in The Book of Common Praise Born: December 23, 1855, York, England. Died: September 27, 1935, Cambridge, England. Buried: Trinity College, Cambridge, England. Alan Gray (23 December 1855, York – 27 September 1935, Cambridge) was a British organist and composer. Born in York, he attended St Peter's School in York and Trinity College, Cambridge. From 1883 until 1893 he was Director of Music at Wellington College. In 1893 he returned to Cambridge to be organist at Trinity College, and remained organist there until 1930. Among his compositions are liturgical music for Morning and Evening Prayer and the Office of Holy Communion for use in the Church of England according to the Book of Common Prayer, including an Evening Service in f minor, a setting of Holy Communion in G, several anthems, including 'What are these that glow from afar?', and a collection of descants to various hymn tunes, several of which are still in use today (Common Praise (2000) includes four). He also composed a number of items for organ, for violin solo, and for voice and orchestra to religious and secular texts. --en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

John Ellerton

1826 - 1893 Author of "The Lord be with us as we bend" in The Beacon Song and Service book John Ellerton (b. London, England, 1826; d. Torquay, Devonshire, England, 1893) Educated at King William's College on the Isle of Man and at Trinity College, Cambridge, England, he was ordained in the Church of England in 1851. He served six parishes, spending the longest time in Crewe Green (1860-1872), a church of steelworkers and farmers. Ellerton wrote and translated about eighty hymns, many of which are still sung today. He helped to compile Church Hymns and wrote its handbook, Notes and Illustrations to Church Hymns (1882). Some of his other hymn texts were published in The London Mission Hymn Book (1884). Bert Polman ========================= Ellerton, John, M.A., son of George Ellerton, was born in London, Dec. 16, 1826, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A. 1849; M.A. 1854). Taking Holy Orders he was successively Curate of Easebourne, Sussex, 1850; Brighton, and Lecturer of St. Peter's, Brighton, 1852; Vicar of Crewe Green, and Chaplain to Lord Crewe, 1860; Rector of Hinstock, 1872; of Barnes, 1876; and of White Roding, 1886. Mr. Ellerton's prose writings include The Holiest Manhood, 1882; Our Infirmities, 1883, &c. It is, however, as a hymnologist, editor, hymnwriter, and translator, that he is most widely known. As editor he published: Hymns for Schools and Bible Classes, Brighton, 1859. He was also co-editor with Bishop How and others of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Church Hymns, 1871. His Notes and Illustrations of Church Hymns, their authors and translators, were published in the folio edition of 1881. The notes on the hymns which are special to the collection, and many of which were contributed thereto, are full, accurate, and of special value. Those on the older hymns are too general for accuracy. They are written in a popular form, which necessarily precludes extended research, fulness, and exactness of detail. The result is acceptable to the general public, but disappointing to the hymnological expert. Mr. Ellerton's original hymns number about fifty, and his translations from the Latin ten or more. Nearly every one of these are in common use and include:— 1. Before the day draws near its ending. Afternoon. Written April 22, 1880, for a Festival of Choirs at Nantwich, and first published in the Nantwich Festival Book, 1880. In 1883 it passed into the Westminster Abbey Hymn Book. 2. Behold us, Lord, a little space. General for Weekdays. Written in 1870 for a mid-day service in a City Church, and published in Church Hymns in 1871. It has passed into several collections. 3. Come forth, 0 Christian brothers. Processional for Choral Festival. Written for a Festival of Parochial Choirs held at Chester, May, 1870, and 1st printed in the Service-book of the same. In 1871 it passed into Church Hymns. 4. Father, Name of love and fear. Confirmation. Written in 1871 for a Confirmation in the North of England, and published in Church Hymns, 1871, and other collections. 5. God, Creator and Preserver. In Time of Scarcity. Written for and first published in The Hymnary, 1870; and again in the revised edition, 1872, and other hymnbooks. 6. Hail to the Lord Who comes. Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Written Oct. 6, 1880, for Mrs. Brock's Children's Hymn Book, and published therein, 1881. 7. In the Name which earth and heaven. Foundation of a Church. Written for and first published in Church Hymns, 1871, and repeated in several collections. The hymn sung at the re-opening of the Nave of Chester Cathedral, January 25, 1872, was compiled by Mr. Ellerton from this hymn, and his "Lift the strain of high thanksgiving.” 8 King Messiah, long expected. The Circumcision. Written Jan. 14, 1871, and first published in Church Hymns, 1871. It has passed into other collections. 9. King of Saints, to Whom the number. St. Bartholomew. Written for and first published in Church Hymns., 1871. It is very popular, and has been repeated in many hymnals. 10. Mary at the Master's feet. Catechizing. Written for and first published in Church Hymns, 1871. 11. O Father, all-creating. Holy Matrimony. Written Jan. 29, 1876, at the request of the Duke of Westminster, for the marriage of his daughter to the Marquess of Ormonde. It was published in Thring's Collection, 1880 and 1882. 12 O! how fair the morning broke. Septuagesima. Written March 13, 1880, for Mrs. Brock's Children's Hymn Book, and included therein, 1881. 13. O Lord of life and death, welcome. In Time of Pestilence. Written for and first published in Church Hymns, 1871. 14. O shining city of our God. Concerning the Hereafter. First published in the Rev. R. Brown-Borthwick's Sixteen Hymns with Tunes, &c, 1870; and again in Church Hymns, 1871. 15. O Son of God, our Captain of Salvation. St. Barnabas. Written April 5, 1871, and first published in Church Hymns, 1871; and again in Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1875, Thring's Collection, 1882, and others. 16. O Thou in Whom Thy saints repose. Consecration of a Burial Ground. Written for the consecration of an addition to the Parish Churchyard of Tarporley, Cheshire, 1870, and published in Church Hymns, 1871. 17. O Thou Whose bounty fills the earth. Flower Services. Written for a Flower Service at St. Luke's Church, Chelsea, June 6, 1880, and published in Mrs. Brock's Children's Hymn Book, 1881. 18. Praise to our God, Whose bounteous hand. National Thanksgiving. Written in 1870 for Church Hymns, but first published in the Rev. R. Brown-Borthwick's Select Hymns, &c., 1871, and then in Church Hymns later the same year. 19. The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended. The darkness, &c. Evening. Written in 1870 for A Liturgy for Missionary Meetings (Frome, Hodges), and revised for Church Hymns, 1871. The revised form has passed into other collections. 20. The Lord be with us when we bend. Close of Afternoon Service. Written [in 1870] at the request of a friend for use at the close of Service on Sunday afternoons when (as in summer) strictly Evening hymns would be unsuitable. It was published in Church Hymns, 1871, Thring's Collection, 1882, and others. 21. This day the Lord's disciples met. Whitsuntide. "Originally written in 1855 for a class of children, as a hymn of 8 verses of 5 lines each, beginning, 'The Fiftieth day was come at last.’ It was abridged, revised, and compressed into C.M. for Mrs. Brock's Children's Hymn Book, 1880," and published therein, 1881. 22. Thou in Whose Name the two or three. Wednesday. Appeared in the Parish Magazine, May, 1871, as a hymn for Wednesday. After revision it was included in Church Hymns, 1871, and repeated in other collections. 23. Thou Who sentest Thine Apostles. SS. Simon and Jude. Written in June, 1874, for the revised edition of Hymns Ancient & Modern, and published in the same in 1875. 24. We sing the glorious conquest. Conversion of St. Paul. Written Feb. 28, 1871, for and published later the same year in Church Hymns. It was repeated in Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1875. 25. When the day of toil is done. Eternal Best. Written in Jan., 1870, and first published in the Rev. R. Brown-Borthwick's Sixteen Hymns with Tunes, &c. 1870, Church Hymns, 1871, and subsequently in several Scottish hymn-books. The tune "Preston," in Church Hymns was written for this hymn. To these hymns must be added those which are annotated under their respective first lines, and the translations from the Latin. The grandest of his original compositions is, "Throned upon the awful tree," and the most beautiful and tender, "Saviour, again to Thy dear Name we raise"; and of his translations, "Sing Alleluia forth in duteous praise," and "Welcome, happy morning, age to age shall say," are the most successful and popular. The subjects of Mr. Ellerton's hymns, and the circumstances under which they were written, had much to do with the concentration of thought and terseness of expression by which they are characterized. The words which he uses are usually short and simple; the thought is clear and well stated; the rhythm is good and stately. Ordinary facts in sacred history and in daily life are lifted above the commonplace rhymes with which they are usually associated, thereby rendering the hymns bearable to the cultured, and instructive to the devout. His antitheses are frequent and terse, almost too much so for devotional verse, and are in danger of interrupting the tranquil flow of devotion. His sympathy with nature, especially in her sadder moods, is great; he loves the fading light and the peace of eve, and lingers in the shadows. Unlike many writers who set forth their illustrations in detail, and then tie to them the moral which they are to teach, he weaves his moral into his metaphor, and pleases the imagination and refreshes the spirit together. Now and again he falls into the weakness of ringing changes on words; but taken as a whole his verse is elevated in tone, devotional in spirit, and elegant in diction. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ===================== Ellerton, John, p. 326, i. Other hymns are:— 1. O Father, bless the children. Holy Baptism. Written in 1886, and published in his Hymns, &c, 1888, in 4 stanzas of 8 lines. Also in the 1889 Suppl. Hymns to Hymns Ancient & Modern. 2. O Thou Who givest food to all. Temperance. Written Aug. 30, 1882, and printed in the Church of England Temperance Chronicle, Sept. 1882. Also in his Hymns, &c, 1888. 3. Praise our God for all the wonders. St. Nicholas's Day. Dated in his Hymns, 1888, "December 1882." It was written for the Dedication Festival of St. Nicholas's Church, Brighton, and first printed as a leaflet in 1882. 4. Praise our God, Whose open hand. Bad Harvest. Written as a hymn for the bad harvest of 1881, and printed in the Guardian in August of that year. Also in his Hymns, &c, 1888. 5. Praise to the Heavenly Wisdom. St. Matthias's Day. Dated in his Hymns, &c, 1888, "January, 1888." Also in the 1889 Suppl. Hymns to Hymns Ancient & Modern. 6. Shine Thou upon us, Lord. For a Teachers' Meeting. Contributed to the 1889 Suppl. Hymns to Hymns Ancient & Modern. 7. Thou Who wearied by the well. Temperance. Written for the Opening of a Workmen's Coffee Tavern, and dated in his Hymns, &c, 1888, "September 23, 1882." It was printed in the Church of England Temperance Chronicle the same year. 8. Throned upon the awful Tree. Good Friday. Written in 1875, and published in the 1875 ed. of Hymns Ancient & Modern. It has passed into many collections, and is one of the finest of Mr. Ellerton's productions. Mr. Ellerton's original and translated hymns to the number of 76 were collected, and published by Skeffington & Son in 1888, as Hymns, Original and Translated. By John Ellerton, Rector of White Roding. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) =================== Ellerton, J., pp. 326, ii.; 1561, ii. He was appointed Hon. Canon of St. Albans in 1892. and died June 15, 1893. His Life and Works, by H. Housman, was published in 1896. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

P. H. Brown

1783 - 1861 Person Name: Mrs. P. H. Brown (1783-1861) Author of "We come, O Lord, before Thy throne" in Hymns of the Ages Brown, Phoebe, née Hinsdale. A member of the Congregational body, born at Canaan, Columbia County, New York, May 1, 1783, she was left an orphan when two years old. At nine she fell into the hands of a relative who kept a county gaol. These, says her son, "were years of intense and cruel suffering. The tale of her early life which she has left her children is a narrative of such deprivations, cruel treatment, and toil, as it breaks my heart to read." Escaping from this bondage at 18, she was sought by kind people, and sent for three months to a common school at Claverack, N.Y., where she learned to write, and made profession of faith in Christ. In 1805 she was married to Timothy H. Brown, a painter, and subsequently lived at East Windsor and Ellington, Connecticut, Monison, Mass., and at Marshall, Henry County, Illinois. She died at the last-named place, Oct 10, 1861. Most of her hymns were written at Monison, Mass. Through a life of poverty and trial she was "a most devoted mother, wife, and Christian." Her son, the Rev. S. R. Brown, D.D. became the first American Missionary to Japan, and two of her grandchildren are now in the same mission. In addition to her hymns, two or more volumes of prose by her have been published. Her Autobiography and Poems were being prepared for publication, when the editor died, and they are yet to appear. Despite all her disadvantages, Mrs. Brown's talents and work are superior to those of any other early female hymnist of America. It is hoped that her manuscript may some day be competently examined, and selected portions from them be published. Four of her hymns appeared in Nettleton's Village Hymns, 1824, with the signature "B." 1. As once the Saviour took His seat. Penitence. 2. Go, messenger of love, and bear. Missions. 3. I love to steal awhile away. Retirement. 4. Welcome, ye hopeful heirs of heaven. Young Converts. Of these No. 2 is a Missionary hymn, written in 1817, but first published in the Village Hymns, 1824; No. 3 was written in 1818, and few hymns have a more pathetic history. It is this:— Mrs. Brown was living at Ellington with "four little children, in a small unfinished house, a sick sister in the only finished room, and not a place above or below where I could retire for devotion." Not far off stood the finest house in the neighbourhood, with a large garden. To-wards this the poor woman used to bend her steps at dusk, loving, as she writes, “to smell the fragrance of fruits and flowers, though I could not see them," and commune with Nature and God. This she did, never dreaming that she was intruding, her habits watched, or her motives misconstrued, till one day the lady of the mansion turned rudely upon her with "Mrs. Brown, why do you come up at evening so near our house, and then go back without coming in? If you want anything, why don't you come in and ask for it?" Mrs. B. adds, "There was something in her manner more than her words, that grieved me. I went home, and that evening was left alone. After my children were all in bed, except my baby, I sat down in the kitchen with my child in my arms, when the grief of my heart burst forth in a flood of tears. I took pen and paper, and gave vent to my oppressed heart." The Poem then written is headed "An Apology for my Twilight Rambles, addressed to a Lady, Aug. 1818.” The original has nine stanzas, the second beginning “I love to steal awhile away.” Years after, when Nettleton was seeking original matter for his Village Hymns (1824), this piece was abridged and altered into the present familiar form, either by Mrs. Brown herself, her pastor (Mr. Hyde), or Nettleton. Its popularity was great from the first. In 1853 it was included in the Leeds Hymn Book, and thus became known to English collections. It is found in Lyra Sacra Americana, p. 29. In 1819 Mrs. Brown wrote two hymns which were strangely overlooked by Nettleton, and did not appear till 1831 in Hastings's Spiritual Songs. These are:— 5. How sweet the melting lay. Morning. 6. 0 Lord, Thy work revive. For a Revival. Both are found in Lyra Sacra Americana, pp. 28-30. No. 6 was altered by the author for Nason's Congregational Hymn Book, 1857. This, according to Nason, is her authorized text. It is widely used in America, and is also found in a few English collections, including Reed's Hymn Book and the New Congregational Hymn Book, and sometimes is attributed in error to Hastings. 7. Great God, we would to Thee make known. This appeared in the Mother's Hymn Book, 1834. 8. We come, 0 Lord, before Thy throne. For Sailors. 9. Grant the abundance of the sea. For Sailors. Two hymns for sailors, which appeared in Linsley and Davis's Select Hymns, 1836. 10. Assembled at [round] Thine altar, Lord. Holy Communion. This also appeared in the Select Hymns, 1836, and was altered for Nason's Congregational Hymn Book, 1857. It is a good hymn, and deserves wider adoption. 11. Jesus, this mid-day hour. Noon. "Written by special request for the Fulton Street [Noon] Prayer Meeting," about 1857. In addition to the foregoing there are four hymns by her in Parish Hymns (Phila.), 1843, to which they were contributed; and there may be many others in various collections which are uncredited. [Rev. F. M. Bird, M.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)