March 10, 2013: The Fourth Sunday in Lent

Mar 10 2013 

Hymn: When Morning Gilds the Skies

First published in 1828 in a German Catholic songbook, this hymn was titled “A Christian Greeting.” Edward Caswall, who organized it into six four-line stanzas with a double refrain, translated it to English in 1854. He later added eight more stanzas for an 1858 publication. Robert Bridges said this hymn “is of great merit, and I have tried to give a better version of it than the current one [Caswall’s], keeping the original meter, and preserving the old translation, since it is by them that the hymn is known.” The tune LAUDES DOMINI was written by Joseph Barnby for Caswall’s translation.

Hymn: My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less
When speaking of his hymn, author Edward Mote said, "one day it came into my mind as I went to labor to write a hymn on the 'Gracious Experience of a Christian.'" The firstfruits of his labor were four stanzas and the refrain of this hymn. After leaving a meeting, he visited a sick parishioner, where they sang the original four stanzas. He then returned home and penned the final two. The hymn was published in 1836 under the title "The Immutable Basis of a Sinner's Hope," and originally began, "Nor earth nor hell my soul can move." The tune SOLID ROCK was penned by William Bradbury, who also wrote "Jesus Loves Me."

Hymn: Take My Life

We take our information on the origin of this “consecration hymn” from the author’s manuscripts. She wrote: “I went for a little visit of five days. There were ten persons in the house, some unconverted and long-prayed-for, some converted but not rejoicing Christians. He gave me the prayer, ‘Lord, give me all in this house!’ And [God] just did. The last night of my visit… I was too happy to sleep, and passed most of the night in renewal of my own consecration, and these little couplets formed themselves and chimed in my heart one after another till they finished with ‘Ever, only, all for Thee.’”

Anthem: When Jesus Wept

LindaJo McKim writes, “Both the text and the music of this canon were composed by William Billings and appeared in the New England Psalm Singer (1770), a collection of one hundred twenty vocal compositions. This completely American collection was the first of its type and also the first music book to contain tunes by a single American composer.” The “fuguing tune” that Billings wrote became one of the most popular musical forms of the era, and remained in vogue some seventy-five years until more instrumental music began to inundate the musical culture.