Jessie Seymour Irvine

Jessie Seymour Irvine United Kingdom 1836-1887. Born at Dunnottar, Kincardineshire, Scotland, the daughter of a parish minister of the Church of Scotland who served at Dunottar, Peterhead, and Crimond in Aberdeenshire, she became an organist, in training at the town of Banff. In 1871, while living in Crimond, she composed a tune for the metrical version of Psalm 23 as an exercise for a composition class. It was first performed at evening worship at Auchterless Parish Church. Not satisfied with her own work, she asked for help to reharmonize it from musician, David Grant, from Aberdeen. At the time, Grant was collaborating with associates compiling hymns and metrical Psalms from across north Scotland intending to publish them in a new hymnal. “The Northern Psalter” was published in 1872, became popular, and over 70,000 copies were sold. For years the hymn tune was credited to Grant, but Jessie’s sister wrote a letter to the hymnal editors claiming her sister wrote the tune, harmonized by Grant. She is now credited by most as the original composer. She died in Aberdeen, Scotland. She is commemorated by a set of four etched glass panels installed inside Crimond Parish Church in 2002. The hymn was played at Princess Elizabeth’s wedding (later Queen Elizabeth) to Philip Mountbatten in 1947.

John Perry