One of our Fanny Crosby favorites is JESUS KEEP ME NEAR THE CROSS. She lived from 1820 – 1915. She became blind at an early age and her father died when she was six months old. She is known as a poet, writing more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs as well as 1,000 secular poems. She learned to play the piano, organ, harp and guitar. The music for this hymn was written by her collaborator William H. Doane (1830-1915). He was also very accomplished as a composer, inventor and manufacturer.
BENEATH THE CROSS OF JESUS was written by Elizabeth Clephane who lived in Scotland (1830 – 1869). It is thought she wrote this after the tragic death of her brother in Canada. The music version we use is by Frederick Maker (1944-1927) who lived in Bristol, England. Some of our hymns can be sung to different melodies. There is a sort of code in the hymnals showing the number of syllables in each line and if they match up, an alternate melody will work. It’s on the lower right corner of the page for each hymn. The musical title is given as well as the syllable system. Look for it sometime when you are sitting in church.
IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST I GLORY The text is by John Bowring (1792 – 1872) who had a very interesting life. Born in England, he later served as the 4th governor of Hong Kong. He was fluent in many languages. The music is by Ithamar (now that’s an unusual name) Conkey (1815-1867). He was a musician in New England. It’s a mystery how the words and music to this hymn came together.
Two newer songs for Lent are TREE OF LIFE AND AWESOME MYSTERY by Marty Haugen (b. 1950) and LAMB OF GOD by Twila Paris (b. 1958). In each case they did both the words and the music. Mr. Haugen was born in Wanamingo, MN, and now lives in the Twin Cities. We know him also as the creator of the Holden Evening Service. And we have sung his SHEPHERD ME, OH GOD based on the twenty third Psalm. Ms. Paris is from Springdale, Arkansas where her father founded Ecclesia College. She is well known as a composer and award winning recording artist.
Several of our hymns for Lent come from the African American tradition. They tend to have melodies that are easy to sing, and words that are repeated. Most slaves were not allowed to learn to read. They often waited outside during church services while their masters were inside, so they remembered and repeated what they heard. So obviously, we cannot credit anyone with the words or music. Sort of like recipes that are passed on – we don’t always know where they originated.
Spirituals included in our hymnal are I WANT JESUS TO WALK WITH ME, JESUS IS A ROCK IN A WEARY LAND. WERE YOU THERE is in the Holy Week section, a traditional song for Good Friday.
Regarding blind musicians, when I was in high school, we toured the school for the blind in Vinton, Iowa. And when I was teaching in Minnesota, at contest we heard the band from the then Braille and Sight Saving School in Faribault. The music had been learned by Braille, and was memorized for the performance. Their “conductor” counted off the starting tempo, then sat down. The judge was a friend of mine and later when we gathered for coffee, he commented on his dilemma as a judge. One could not wish for more blind students so they could have more people playing specific instruments.
BENEATH THE CROSS OF JESUS was written by Elizabeth Clephane who lived in Scotland (1830 – 1869). It is thought she wrote this after the tragic death of her brother in Canada. The music version we use is by Frederick Maker (1944-1927) who lived in Bristol, England. Some of our hymns can be sung to different melodies. There is a sort of code in the hymnals showing the number of syllables in each line and if they match up, an alternate melody will work. It’s on the lower right corner of the page for each hymn. The musical title is given as well as the syllable system. Look for it sometime when you are sitting in church.
IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST I GLORY The text is by John Bowring (1792 – 1872) who had a very interesting life. Born in England, he later served as the 4th governor of Hong Kong. He was fluent in many languages. The music is by Ithamar (now that’s an unusual name) Conkey (1815-1867). He was a musician in New England. It’s a mystery how the words and music to this hymn came together.
Two newer songs for Lent are TREE OF LIFE AND AWESOME MYSTERY by Marty Haugen (b. 1950) and LAMB OF GOD by Twila Paris (b. 1958). In each case they did both the words and the music. Mr. Haugen was born in Wanamingo, MN, and now lives in the Twin Cities. We know him also as the creator of the Holden Evening Service. And we have sung his SHEPHERD ME, OH GOD based on the twenty third Psalm. Ms. Paris is from Springdale, Arkansas where her father founded Ecclesia College. She is well known as a composer and award winning recording artist.
Several of our hymns for Lent come from the African American tradition. They tend to have melodies that are easy to sing, and words that are repeated. Most slaves were not allowed to learn to read. They often waited outside during church services while their masters were inside, so they remembered and repeated what they heard. So obviously, we cannot credit anyone with the words or music. Sort of like recipes that are passed on – we don’t always know where they originated.
Spirituals included in our hymnal are I WANT JESUS TO WALK WITH ME, JESUS IS A ROCK IN A WEARY LAND. WERE YOU THERE is in the Holy Week section, a traditional song for Good Friday.
Regarding blind musicians, when I was in high school, we toured the school for the blind in Vinton, Iowa. And when I was teaching in Minnesota, at contest we heard the band from the then Braille and Sight Saving School in Faribault. The music had been learned by Braille, and was memorized for the performance. Their “conductor” counted off the starting tempo, then sat down. The judge was a friend of mine and later when we gathered for coffee, he commented on his dilemma as a judge. One could not wish for more blind students so they could have more people playing specific instruments.
