Naida Hearn › Texts

Naida Anita O’Hara Hearn New Zealand 1931-2001. Born in north New Zealand (town not found), she was the daughter of a music conductor and learned to play piano, teaching it through most of her life. She was raised Methodist when young, but in later life attended the New Life Pentecostal Church at Palmerston North, Manawatu-Whanganui, New Zealand. An accomplished pianist, she played piano for the large church and directed a small choir. She married Henry William (Bill) Edward Hearn (1933-1999), and they had two children: Tony and Warick. They lived at Autearoa, Oceania, NZ. The marriage was not a happy one, especially after her husband joined the Jehovah’s Witnesses. She was treated poorly in the marriage. In 1974, while doing laundry, she was contemplating the various names of Jesus, and had listed some of them. Suddenly she just started singing, the words and music coming together. She stopped and wrote the words down, then went to her piano and played the tune, stating the Holy Spirit had given her both. She insisted that the song should be sung slowly, softly, and reverently.. that God wanted it that way. Later in life, she managed to leave her husband and live on her own at a retirement community after receiving royalties from her song. She was an important part of that retirement community. She composed several other songs as well.

John Perry