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Charles Wesley

1707 - 1788 Person Name: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788 Author (st.1-4) of "Jesus, the Light of the World" in African American Heritage Hymnal Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepened, and he became one of the first band of "Oxford Methodists." In 1735 he went with his brother John to Georgia, as secretary to General Oglethorpe, having before he set out received Deacon's and Priest's Orders on two successive Sundays. His stay in Georgia was very short; he returned to England in 1736, and in 1737 came under the influence of Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians, especially of that remarkable man who had so large a share in moulding John Wesley's career, Peter Bonier, and also of a Mr. Bray, a brazier in Little Britain. On Whitsunday, 1737, [sic. 1738] he "found rest to his soul," and in 1738 he became curate to his friend, Mr. Stonehouse, Vicar of Islington, but the opposition of the churchwardens was so great that the Vicar consented that he "should preach in his church no more." Henceforth his work was identified with that of his brother John, and he became an indefatigable itinerant and field preacher. On April 8, 1749, he married Miss Sarah Gwynne. His marriage, unlike that of his brother John, was a most happy one; his wife was accustomed to accompany him on his evangelistic journeys, which were as frequent as ever until the year 1756," when he ceased to itinerate, and mainly devoted himself to the care of the Societies in London and Bristol. Bristol was his headquarters until 1771, when he removed with his family to London, and, besides attending to the Societies, devoted himself much, as he had done in his youth, to the spiritual care of prisoners in Newgate. He had long been troubled about the relations of Methodism to the Church of England, and strongly disapproved of his brother John's "ordinations." Wesley-like, he expressed his disapproval in the most outspoken fashion, but, as in the case of Samuel at an earlier period, the differences between the brothers never led to a breach of friendship. He died in London, March 29, 1788, and was buried in Marylebone churchyard. His brother John was deeply grieved because he would not consent to be interred in the burial-ground of the City Road Chapel, where he had prepared a grave for himself, but Charles said, "I have lived, and I die, in the Communion of the Church of England, and I will be buried in the yard of my parish church." Eight clergymen of the Church of England bore his pall. He had a large family, four of whom survived him; three sons, who all became distinguished in the musical world, and one daughter, who inherited some of her father's poetical genius. The widow and orphans were treated with the greatest kindness and generosity by John Wesley. As a hymn-writer Charles Wesley was unique. He is said to have written no less than 6500 hymns, and though, of course, in so vast a number some are of unequal merit, it is perfectly marvellous how many there are which rise to the highest degree of excellence. His feelings on every occasion of importance, whether private or public, found their best expression in a hymn. His own conversion, his own marriage, the earthquake panic, the rumours of an invasion from France, the defeat of Prince Charles Edward at Culloden, the Gordon riots, every Festival of the Christian Church, every doctrine of the Christian Faith, striking scenes in Scripture history, striking scenes which came within his own view, the deaths of friends as they passed away, one by one, before him, all furnished occasions for the exercise of his divine gift. Nor must we forget his hymns for little children, a branch of sacred poetry in which the mantle of Dr. Watts seems to have fallen upon him. It would be simply impossible within our space to enumerate even those of the hymns which have become really classical. The saying that a really good hymn is as rare an appearance as that of a comet is falsified by the work of Charles Wesley; for hymns, which are really good in every respect, flowed from his pen in quick succession, and death alone stopped the course of the perennial stream. It has been the common practice, however for a hundred years or more to ascribe all translations from the German to John Wesley, as he only of the two brothers knew that language; and to assign to Charles Wesley all the original hymns except such as are traceable to John Wesley through his Journals and other works. The list of 482 original hymns by John and Charles Wesley listed in this Dictionary of Hymnology have formed an important part of Methodist hymnody and show the enormous influence of the Wesleys on the English hymnody of the nineteenth century. -- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================== Charles Wesley, the son of Samuel Wesley, was born at Epworth, Dec. 18, 1707. He was educated at Westminster School and afterwards at Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated M.A. In 1735, he took Orders and immediately proceeded with his brother John to Georgia, both being employed as missionaries of the S.P.G. He returned to England in 1736. For many years he engaged with his brother in preaching the Gospel. He died March 29, 1788. To Charles Wesley has been justly assigned the appellation of the "Bard of Methodism." His prominence in hymn writing may be judged from the fact that in the "Wesleyan Hymn Book," 623 of the 770 hymns were written by him; and he published more than thirty poetical works, written either by himself alone, or in conjunction with his brother. The number of his separate hymns is at least five thousand. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872.

Anonymous

Person Name: Anon. Translator of "Jesus the Light of the World" in The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal In some hymnals, the editors noted that a hymn's author is unknown to them, and so this artificial "person" entry is used to reflect that fact. Obviously, the hymns attributed to "Author Unknown" "Unknown" or "Anonymous" could have been written by many people over a span of many centuries.

Johann Sebastian Bach

1685 - 1750 Person Name: J S Bach Arranger of "WE'LL WALK IN THE LIGHT" in The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal Johann Sebastian Bach was born at Eisenach into a musical family and in a town steeped in Reformation history, he received early musical training from his father and older brother, and elementary education in the classical school Luther had earlier attended. Throughout his life he made extraordinary efforts to learn from other musicians. At 15 he walked to Lüneburg to work as a chorister and study at the convent school of St. Michael. From there he walked 30 miles to Hamburg to hear Johann Reinken, and 60 miles to Celle to become familiar with French composition and performance traditions. Once he obtained a month's leave from his job to hear Buxtehude, but stayed nearly four months. He arranged compositions from Vivaldi and other Italian masters. His own compositions spanned almost every musical form then known (Opera was the notable exception). In his own time, Bach was highly regarded as organist and teacher, his compositions being circulated as models of contrapuntal technique. Four of his children achieved careers as composers; Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, and Chopin are only a few of the best known of the musicians that confessed a major debt to Bach's work in their own musical development. Mendelssohn began re-introducing Bach's music into the concert repertoire, where it has come to attract admiration and even veneration for its own sake. After 20 years of successful work in several posts, Bach became cantor of the Thomas-schule in Leipzig, and remained there for the remaining 27 years of his life, concentrating on church music for the Lutheran service: over 200 cantatas, four passion settings, a Mass, and hundreds of chorale settings, harmonizations, preludes, and arrangements. He edited the tunes for Schemelli's Musicalisches Gesangbuch, contributing 16 original tunes. His choral harmonizations remain a staple for studies of composition and harmony. Additional melodies from his works have been adapted as hymn tunes. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

P. P. Bilhorn

1865 - 1936 Person Name: P. B. Words arranged by of "Jesus is the Light" in Crowning Glory No. 2 Pseudonyms: W. Ferris Britcher, Irene Durfee; C. Ferris Holden, P. H. Roblin (a anagram of his name) ================ Peter Philip Bilhorn was born, in Mendota, IL. His father died in the Civil War 3 months before he was born. His early life was not easy. At age 8, he had to leave school to help support the family. At age 15, living in Chicago, he had a great singing voice and sang in German beer gardens there. At this time, he and his brother also formed the Eureka Wagon & Carriage Works in Chicago, IL. At 18 Peter became involved in gospel music, studying under George F. Root and George C. Stebbins. He traveled to the Dakotas and spent some time sharing the gospel with cowboys there. He traveled extensively with D. L. Moody, and was Billy Sunday's song leader on evangelistic endeavors. His evangelistic work took him into all the states of the Union, Great Britain, and other foreign countries. In London he conducted a 4000 voice choir in the Crystal Palace, and Queen Victoria invited him to sing in Buckinghm Palace. He wrote some 2000 gospel songs in his lifetime. He also invented a folding portable telescoping pump organ, weighing 16 lbs. It could be set up in about a minute. He used it at revivals in the late 19th century. He founded the Bilhorn Folding Organ Company in Chicago. IL, and his organ was so popular it was sold all over the world. He edited 10 hymnals and published 11 gospel songbooks. He died in Los Angeles, CA, in 1936. John Perry

Evelyn Simpson-Curenton

b. 1953 Person Name: Evelyn Simpson-Curenton, b. 1953 Arranger of "WE'LL WALK IN THE LIGHT" in African American Heritage Hymnal Evelyn Simpson Curenton (born 1953) is a leading African-American composer, pianist, organist, and vocalist. Simpson Curenton began piano lessons at age 5, began to perform with the Singing Simpsons of Philadelphia, a family group, and earned a B.M., Music Education and Voice from Temple University. She has been commissioned to write works for the American Guild of Organists, George Shirley, the late Duke Ellington, and her sister, the late Joy Simpson, arranged music for Kathleen Battle, Jessye Norman, and the Porgy and Bess Chorus of the New York Metropolitan Opera, and has performed with musical organizations such as Philadelphia's National Opera Ebony (later renamed Opera North). Based in the Washington, D.C., area, Curenton is Music Director of the Washington Performing Arts Society's Men and Women of the Gospel and an associate of the Smithsonian Institution. She has given lectures and participated in workshops on early 18th-century black religious music and the music of African-Americans during the Civil Rights era. --en.wikipedia.org

George Whitefield

1714 - 1770 Person Name: George Whitefield, 1714-1770 Alterer of "Jesus, the Light of the World (We'll Walk in the Light)" in African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal

Johann Schop

1590 - 1667 Composer of "WE'LL WALK IN THE LIGHT" in The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal Johann Schop Germany 1590-1667. Born at lower Saxony, Germany, he became a Lutheran composer and violinist, much admired for his virtuoso and technical ability. In 1614 Duke Friedrich Ulrich made him a probationary musician in the Hofkapelle at Wolfenbuttel. He performed playing various instruments, but excelled as a violinist. He was engaged permanently in 1615, but the same year he responded to a summons to join the flourishing musical establishment of King Christian IV of Denmark in Copenhagen. There he met English viol player, William Brade, who had earlier been in service to Hamburg, Germany (and may have taught Schop there). Schops compositions for the violin set impressive demands for that area at that time. He also played other instruments, including the violi, lute, cornet, trombon, trumpet, zinke, and violin (virtuoso). In 1619 Schop and Brade left Copenhagen to escape the plague. He then went to Iburg, where he worked at the courtof the Osnabruck bishop, Philipp Sigismund. Schop had such a reputation that he soon acquired a post as Kapellmeister at an establishment in Hamburg and was the first member of the council music. In 1621 he was its director and the leading municipal violinist in that city, which offered him a substantial income for his participation in the church music program. He also was organist at the Jacobikirche. In 1634 he again traveled to Copenhagen with Heinrich Schutz and Heinrich Albert for the wedding of Crown Prince Christian. He won a violin contest there. Few German violinists were of his caliber musically. He returned to Hamburg, and the Danish king tried several times to woo him back to Denmark, but he stayed in Hamburg, becoming a director of music. He published books of violin music in 4 to 6 parts. He wrote two books of well-loved dance pieces and sacred concertos. He co-founded a school of song writing there in Hamburg with Thomas Selle. Many of his tunes were writtten for fellow townsmen and friend Johann Rist. Some of his music was performed at the Peace of Westphalia celebrations. Some of his tunes were used by chants in a cantata. Schop was married (wife’s name not found) and they had two sons, Johann II, and Albert, who also became musicians. He died in Hamburg. John Perry

Geo. D. Elderkin

1845 - 1928 Person Name: G. D. E. Arranger of "Jesus, The Light of the World" in Christ in Song Almost nothing is known about George D. Elderkin (b. 1845; d. 1928). There was a George D. Elderkin Publishing Company in Chicago which published four collections of gospel hymns entitled The Finest of the Wheat. Book Three (1904) includes 259 songs, including music by both George D. and George W. Elderkin, “for prayer and evangelistic meetings, church and missionary services, Sunday schools and young people’s societies,” and was edited by Geo. D. Elderkin, C. C. McCabe, Wm. J. Kirkpatrick, H. L. Gilmour, G. W. Elderikn, and F. A. Hardon.” It was hardbound, and sold for 30 cents per copy, postpaid. Emily Brink

Martin Janus

1620 - 1682 Author of "Jesus the Light of the World" in The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal Janus, Martin, seems to have been a native of Silesia, and to have been born about 1620. After receiving his license in theology, he became Precentor of the two churches at Sorau, in Silesia, then, about 1653, was appointed Rector of the Evangelical School at Sagan, and Precentor at the church near the Eckersdorf gate. He became Pastor at Eckersdorf about 1664, but was expelled by the Imperial Edict of March 13, 1668, by which all Evangelical pastors and teachers were driven out of the principality. He is said to have become Precentor at Ohlau, in Silesia, and died there about 1682. The only hymn by him translation into English is:— Jesu meiner Seelen Wonne. Love to Christ. Included in the Christlich Herzens Andacht, Nürnberg, 1665 [Wolfenbüttel], No. 24, in 18 stanzas, repeated with his name in the Nürnberg Gesang-Buch, 1676, &c, and in Porst's Gesang-Buch, ed. 1855, No. 715. Sometimes erroneously ascribed to J. Scheffler. The translation is, "0! at last I did discover," beginning with stanza v. as No. 464 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754. In the 1789 and later eds. (1886, No. 338) it begins "0! at last I've found my Saviour." [Rev. James Mearns, M. A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Jeffrey Radford

1953 - 2002 Arranger of "ELDERKIN" in The New Century Hymnal Jeffrey Radford (b. 1953; d. Chicago, Illinois, August 12, 2002), music director at Trinity United Church of Christ (UCC) in Chicago, the largest UCC congregation in the United States. Sing! A New Creation