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Samuel Webbe

1740 - 1816 Person Name: Samuel Webbe, the elder, 1740-1816 Scripture: Genesis 18:1-10 Composer of "MELCOMBE" in Singing the Faith Samuel Webbe (the elder; b. London, England, 1740; d. London, 1816) Webbe's father died soon after Samuel was born without providing financial security for the family. Thus Webbe received little education and was apprenticed to a cabinetmaker at the age of eleven. However, he was determined to study and taught himself Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, German, and Italian while working on his apprenticeship. He also worked as a music copyist and received musical training from Carl Barbant, organist at the Bavarian Embassy. Restricted at this time in England, Roman Catholic worship was freely permitted in the foreign embassies. Because Webbe was Roman Catholic, he became organist at the Portuguese Chapel and later at the Sardinian and Spanish chapels in their respective embassies. He wrote much music for Roman Catholic services and composed hymn tunes, motets, and madrigals. Webbe is considered an outstanding composer of glees and catches, as is evident in his nine published collections of these smaller choral works. He also published A Collection of Sacred Music (c. 1790), A Collection of Masses for Small Choirs (1792), and, with his son Samuel (the younger), Antiphons in Six Books of Anthems (1818). Bert Polman

William Henry Monk

1823 - 1889 Person Name: William Henry Monk, 1823-1889 Scripture: Genesis 18:1-10 Harmonizer of "MELCOMBE" in Singing the Faith William H. Monk (b. Brompton, London, England, 1823; d. London, 1889) is best known for his music editing of Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861, 1868; 1875, and 1889 editions). He also adapted music from plainsong and added accompaniments for Introits for Use Throughout the Year, a book issued with that famous hymnal. Beginning in his teenage years, Monk held a number of musical positions. He became choirmaster at King's College in London in 1847 and was organist and choirmaster at St. Matthias, Stoke Newington, from 1852 to 1889, where he was influenced by the Oxford Movement. At St. Matthias, Monk also began daily choral services with the choir leading the congregation in music chosen according to the church year, including psalms chanted to plainsong. He composed over fifty hymn tunes and edited The Scottish Hymnal (1872 edition) and Wordsworth's Hymns for the Holy Year (1862) as well as the periodical Parish Choir (1840-1851). Bert Polman

Timothy Dudley-Smith

1926 - 2024 Person Name: Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926-) Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15 Author of "He Comes to Us As One Unknown" in Common Praise (1998) Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926) Educated at Pembroke College and Ridley Hall, Cambridge, Dudley-Smith has served the Church of England since his ordination in 1950. He has occupied a number of church positions, including parish priest in the diocese of Southwark (1953-1962), archdeacon of Norwich (1973-1981), and bishop of Thetford, Norfolk, from 1981 until his retirement in 1992. He also edited a Christian magazine, Crusade, which was founded after Billy Graham's 1955 London crusade. Dudley-Smith began writing comic verse while a student at Cambridge; he did not begin to write hymns until the 1960s. Many of his several hundred hymn texts have been collected in Lift Every Heart: Collected Hymns 1961-1983 (1984), Songs of Deliverance: Thirty-six New Hymns (1988), and A Voice of Singing (1993). The writer of Christian Literature and the Church (1963), Someone Who Beckons (1978), and Praying with the English Hymn Writers (1989), Dudley-Smith has also served on various editorial committees, including the committee that published Psalm Praise (1973). Bert Polman

Albert Schweitzer

1875 - 1965 Person Name: Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15 Author, first line of "He Comes to Us As One Unknown" in Common Praise (1998) Medical missionary in Africa, and organist

Nikolaus Herman

1500 - 1561 Person Name: Nikolaus Herman (1480?-1561) Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15 Composer of "LOBT GOTT, IHR CHRISTEN" in Common Praise (1998) Herman, Nicolaus, is always associated with Joachimsthal in Bohemia, just over the mountains from Saxony. The town was not of importance till the mines began to be extensively worked about 1516. Whether Herman was a native of this place is not known, but he was apparently there in 1518, and was certainly in office there in 1524. For many years he held the post of Master in the Latin School, and Cantor or Organist and Choirmaster in the church. Towards the end of his life he suffered greatly from gout, and had to resign even his post as Cantor a number of years before his death. He died at Joachimsthal, May 3, 1561. (Koch, i. 390-398; Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, xii. 186-188, &c.) He was a great friend and helper of J. Mathesius (q.v.) (who in 1532 became rector of the school, but in 1541 diaconus and in 1545 pastor of the church), and it was said that whenever Mathesius preached a specially good sermon Herman straightway embodied its leading ideas in a hymn. His hymns, however, were not primarily written for use in church, but were intended for the boys and girls in the schools, to supplant profane songs in the mouths of the young men and women, or for the daily life of the “housefathers and housemothers" in Joachimsthal, at home, and in their work in the mines. He is a poet of the people, homely, earnest, and picturesque in style; by his naiveté reminding us of Hans Sachs. He was an ardent lover of music and a very good organist. The chorales which he published with his hymns are apparently all of his own composition, and are among the best of the Reformation period. Many of Herman's hymns soon passed into Church use in Germany, and a number are found in almost all books in present use. About 190 in all, they appeared principally in:— (1) Die Sontags Evangelia uber des gantze Jar, in Gesenge verfasset, für die Kinder und christlichen Haussvetter, &c, Wittenberg, 1560 (dedication by Herman dated Trinity Sunday, 1559), with 101 hymns and 17 melodies. The best are those interspersed specially meant for children and not directly founded on the Gospel for the day. (2) Die Historien von der Sindfludt, Joseph, Mose, Helia, Elisa und der Susanna, sampt etlichen Historien aus den Evangelisten, &c., Wittenberg, 1562 (preface by Herman dated St. Bartholomew's Day, 1560), with 73 hymns and 20 melodies. In this case also the general hymns are the best. A selection of 60 (really 61) of his hymns, with a memoir by K. F. Ledderhose, was published at Halle, 1855. One of Herman's hymns is noted under “Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist." The others which have passed into English are:— i. Bescher uns, Herr, das täglioh Brod. Grace before Meat. 1562, as above, and thence in Wackernagel, iii. p. 1228, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines; in Ledderhose, p. 70; and in the Berlin Geistliche Lieder, ed. 1863, No. 1133. Translated as:— 1. Thou art our Father and our God. This, by P. H. Molther, a translation of stanza vi., as No. 180 in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1789 (1849, No. 220, st. v.). 2. As children we are owned by Thee, a translation of stanza vi., as st. iii. of No. 191 in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1801 (1849, No. 220, stanza iii.). ii. Die helle Sonn leucht jetzt herfür. Morning. 1560, as above, and thence in Wackernagel, iii. p. 1184, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, in Ledderhose, p. 87; and in the Unverfälschter Liedersegen, 1851, No. 450. Translated as:— The morning beam revives our eyes, a good and full translation by. A. T. Russell, as No. 71 in the Dalston Hospital Hymn Book 1848. iii. Erschienen ist der herrliche Tag. Easter. 1560, as above, in 14 stanzas of 4 lines, entitled, "A new Spiritual Song of the Joyful Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ; for the maidens of the girls' school in Joachimsthal”; and thence in Wackernagel, iii. p. 1175; in Ledderhose p. 23, and Unverfälschter Liedersegen, 1851, No. 134. It has reminiscences of the "Erstanden ist der heil'ge Christ". Translated as:— The day hath dawn'd—-the day of days, a good translation by A. T. Russell of stanzas i., ii., xiii., xiv., as No. 113 in his Psalms & Hymns, 1851. Another tr. is, "At length appears the glorious day," by Dr. G. Walker, 1860, p. 28. iv. Hinunter ist der Sonnen Schein. Evening. 1560, as above, and thence in Wackernagel, iii. p. 1184, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines; in Ledderhose, p. 88; and in the Unverfälschter Liedersegen1851, No. 523. Some of the phrases may have been suggested by the "Christe qui lux es et dies" (q. v.). Translated as:— 1. Sunk is the sun's last beam of light, a full and good translation by Miss Cox in her Sacred Hymns from the German, 1841, p. 57. Included in Alford's Psalms & Hymns, 1844, and Tear of Praise, 1867; in Dale's English Hymn Book, 1875; in the Pennsylvania Lutheran Church Book, 1868, and others. It is also given considerably altered and beginning, "Sunk is the Sun! the daylight gone," in W. J. Blew's Church Hymn and Tune Book, 1851-55. 2. The happy sunshine all is gone, in full, by Miss Winkworth in her Lyra Germanica, 1st Ser., 1855, p. 225; repeated in her Chorale Book for England, 1863, and the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal, 1880. Other translations are: (1) "Did I perhaps Thee somewhat grieve," a translation of stanza iii. in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1789, No. 756. In the 1801 and later eds. (1886, No. 1181, st. iii.), it begins, "Where'er I Thee this day did grieve." (2) "The sun’s fair sheen is past and gone," by H. J. Buckoll, 1842, p. 68. (3) "The sun hath run his daily race," by Lady E. Fortescue, 1843, p. 14. v. Lobt Gott, ihr Christen alle gleich. Christmas. Written c. 1554, but first published 1560 as above, as the first of "Three Spiritual Christmas Songs of the new-born child Jesus, for the children in Joachimsthal." Thence in Wackernagel iii. p. 1169, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines; in Ledderhose, p. 1; and in the Unverfälschter Liedersegen, 1851, No. 47. It is one of the most popular German Christmas hymns. The melody set to it in 1560 is also by Herman; in 1554 to his "Kommt her ihr liebsten Schwesterlein" [in the Hymnal Companioncalled "St. George's (old)"]. Translated as :— 1. Let all together praise our God, a good translation of stanzas i., iii., vi., viii., by A. T. Russell, as No. 52 in his Psalms & Hymns, 1851. Repeated in Kennedy, 1863, adding a translation of st. ii., and beginning, "Let all creation praise our God." 2. Praise ye the Lord, ye Christians I yea, in full, by E. Cronenwett, as No. 31 in the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal 1880. Other translations are: (1) "A wondrous change He with us makes," a tr. of stanza viii., ix. as No. 438 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754, repeated 1789-1826. (2) "Come, brethren, lets the song arise," by Dr. G. Walker, 1860, p. 26. (3) "Praise God, now Christians, all alike," by Miss Manington, 1864, p. 9. (4) "Praise God, upon His throne on high," in the Sunday Magazine, 1874, p. 384, signed "P. J." The hymn “Shepherds rejoice, lift up your eyes," given by J. C. Jacobi in his Psalmodia Germanica, 1722, p. 8, to Herman's melody (which was first published 1554) is, as stated in his Preface, taken from Bk. i. of Isaac Watts's Horse Lyricae vi. So wahr ich leb, spricht Gott der Herr. Absolution. 1560, as above, in 11 stanzas of 4 lines, entitled "A hymn on the power of the keys and the virtue of holy absolution; for the children in Joachimsthal." Thence in Wackernagel, iii. p. 1183; in Ledderhose, p. 47; and the Unverfälschter Liedersegen, 1851, No. 429. It probably suggested the better known hymn, "So wahr ich lebe," q. v., by Johann Heermann. Translated as:— Yea, as I live, Jehovah saith, I do not wish the sinner's death, in full, by Dr. M. Loy, as No. 245, in the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal, 1880. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Johann Sebastian Bach

1685 - 1750 Person Name: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15 Adapter and Harmonizer of "LOBT GOTT, IHR CHRISTEN" in Common Praise (1998) 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)

Judith Fetter

Person Name: Judith Fetter (1937-) Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15 Author of "To Abraham and Sarah" in Common Praise (1998) This text was written by Judith Fetter in 1984 for the anniversary service of the United Church congregation of which her husband, Lawrence Fetter, was pastor. Hymnologist Paul Richardson states “This balladlike call to go to another culture, a summons to Sarah as well as to Abraham, anticipated by several years their acceptance of a ministry in Brazil.” The setting, THORNBURY, was written in 1898 by Basil Harwood, English organist and composer. --www.trinitystpauls.ca/

Basil Harwood

1859 - 1949 Person Name: Basil Harwood (1859-1949) Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15 Composer of "THORNBURY" in Common Praise (1998) Basil Harwood (11 April 1859 – 3 April 1949) was an English organist and composer. Basil Harwood was born in Woodhouse, Gloucestershire (the second youngest of 12 children) on 11 April 1859. His mother died in 1867 when Basil was eight. His parents were Quakers but his elder sister Ada, on reaching 21 in 1867, converted to the Anglican Church. Basil was allowed to attend the ceremony at the Church of England in Almondsbury and this is where he was first drawn to organ music and choral singing. His father, Edward, remarried two years later in 1869 to a lady from an Anglican family. Basil was now sent to the Montpellier School in Weston-super-Mare for a year. In 1871, at 12 he was enrolled in Clevedon, the preparatory school for Charterhouse where he was first to formally study music. He went up to Charterhouse in 1874 and left in 1876 having won a leaving Exhibition to Trinity College, Oxford where he initially studied Classics (1879) and Modern History (1880). He then studied for a further two years, 1881–1882, at the Leipzig Conservatory under Carl Reinecke and Salomon Jadassohn. It was here in 1882, Basil composed his first anthem for chorus and organ "O Saving Grace." He returned from Leipzig to realise that he had now passed the age limit to study music formally. In 1883, Basil became organist of St. Barnabas Church, Pimlico completing his Sonata in C# Minor here in 1885, selling the copyright to the publisher Schott for one shilling a year or two later. After this success, he then moved to Ely Cathedral in 1887 where he wrote the bulk of Dithyramb, possibly his greatest organ work. His final appointment was as organist at Christ Church, Oxford and as precentor of Keble College, Oxford from 1892 to 1909. Whilst there he co-founded and conducted the Oxford Bach Choir which helped to earn him his degree as Doctor of Music. He conducted the Oxford Orchestral Association (1892–1898). He was musical editor of the 1908 Oxford Hymn Book and Examiner for Musical Degrees (1900–1925). During this time, he met and married Mabel Ada Jennings (the daughter of George Jennings) (who had become a pupil of his in 1896) at All Souls St. Marylebone, London (27 December 1899). Mabel had studied music herself, piano and composition, and was also a writer. She may well have composed lyrics for some of his lesser known tunes. At an advanced age she wrote a small volume of collected poems named Questing Soul. He retired early at 50 (in 1909) after the death of his father, Edward Harwood, from whom he inherited the family estate of Woodhouse having outlived his seven older brothers. Soon after moving in he had a three manual chamber organ built in the library by Bishop & Sons of Ipswich (now in Minehead Parish Church), on which he promptly finished his Sonata in F# Minor. He continued to compose prolifically. He was a keen walker, and named many of his hymn tunes after local places that he loved to visit, the most notable being the hymn tunes such as Tockington, Olveston, Almondsbury and Thornbury. In 1936 advancing in years, he let the Woodhouse estate and moved to Bournemouth. Part of the estate, Woodhouse Down, was later sold to his contemporary Robert Baden-Powell who was two years older than he was and who had also attended Charterhouse School, and is used as a Scout Camp to this day. In 1939, at eighty, he moved to London, taking a flat in Fleet Street. After a long life, he died on 3 April 1949, eight days short of his 90th birthday, at Courtfield Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington, London. A memorial service was held in St Paul's Cathedral on 22 April 1949. Mabel survived him, dying shortly before her 103rd birthday on 20 July 1974. He was survived by two sons; Major John Edward Godfrey Harwood (1900–1996) and Basil Antony Harwood (1903–1990) Senior Master of the Supreme Court, Q.B.D. and Queen's Remembrancer. His remains are interred in St. Barnabas Church, Pimlico and marked by a plaque inset in floor of the chancel, close to where he would have stood to conduct the choir. He composed cantatas, church music and works for the organ; his Service in A flat, the anthem O how Glorious and the hymn tunes LUCKINGTON ("Let all the world in every corner sing") and THORNBURY ("Thy hand O God has guided"), first used during a festival of the London Church Choir Association, remain in the Anglican repertory. --en.wikipedia.org/wiki

David A. Hoekema

b. 1950 Scripture: Genesis 18:10-12 Author of "You Are Our God; We Are Your People" in Lift Up Your Hearts David A. Hoekema (b. Paterson, NJ, 1950) is currently a professor of philosophy at his alma mater, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. He received a Ph.D. from Princeton University, taught philosophy at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota (1977-1984), and was executive director of the American Philosophical Association while teaching philosophy at the University of Delaware (1984-1993). In addition to many journal articles on philosophical issues, he has published Rights and Wrongs: Coercion, Punishment and the State (1986). Bert Polman