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Ralph Vaughan Williams

1872 - 1958 Person Name: Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872-1958 Topics: Affirmation of Baptism Harmonizer of "AR HYD Y NOS" in Hymnal Supplement 1991 Through his composing, conducting, collecting, editing, and teaching, Ralph Vaughan Williams (b. Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, England, October 12, 1872; d. Westminster, London, England, August 26, 1958) became the chief figure in the realm of English music and church music in the first half of the twentieth century. His education included instruction at the Royal College of Music in London and Trinity College, Cambridge, as well as additional studies in Berlin and Paris. During World War I he served in the army medical corps in France. Vaughan Williams taught music at the Royal College of Music (1920-1940), conducted the Bach Choir in London (1920-1927), and directed the Leith Hill Music Festival in Dorking (1905-1953). A major influence in his life was the English folk song. A knowledgeable collector of folk songs, he was also a member of the Folksong Society and a supporter of the English Folk Dance Society. Vaughan Williams wrote various articles and books, including National Music (1935), and composed numerous arrangements of folk songs; many of his compositions show the impact of folk rhythms and melodic modes. His original compositions cover nearly all musical genres, from orchestral symphonies and concertos to choral works, from songs to operas, and from chamber music to music for films. Vaughan Williams's church music includes anthems; choral-orchestral works, such as Magnificat (1932), Dona Nobis Pacem (1936), and Hodie (1953); and hymn tune settings for organ. But most important to the history of hymnody, he was music editor of the most influential British hymnal at the beginning of the twentieth century, The English Hymnal (1906), and coeditor (with Martin Shaw) of Songs of Praise (1925, 1931) and the Oxford Book of Carols (1928). Bert Polman

Angelus Silesius

1624 - 1677 Person Name: Johann Scheffler, 1624-16577 Topics: Affirmation of Baptism; Affirmation of Baptism Author of "Come, Follow Me, the Savior Spake" in Evangelical Lutheran Worship Pen name of Johann Scheffler ======================================= Angelus Silesius, born in Selisia, in 1624, was the son of a Polish nobleman, and his true name was John Scheffler; but he adopted the name Angelus from a Spanish mystic of the 16th century--John ab Angelis--and added the name Silesius, because of his own country. He studied medicine, and obtained his degree of M.D. at Padua. While physician to the Duke Sylvius Nimrod--from 1649 to 1652--he had contention with the Lutheran clergy, and in 1653 entered the Romish Church. Subsequently he was physician to the Emperor Ferdinand III., but at length entered the priesthood and retired to the Jesuit monastery of S. Matthias, in Breslau, where he died in 1677. His hymns were mostly written before he joined the Romish Church, and were intended for private devotion; some, however, have been very acceptable for public use. "Several of them are among the deepest and most tender in the German language, and breathe a glowing love to the Saviour." --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872. ================================================= Scheffler, Johann (Angelus Silesius), was born in 1624 at Breslau in Silesia. His father, Stanislaus Scheffler, was a member of the Polish nobility, but had been forced to leave his fatherland on account of his adherence to Lutheranism, and had then settled in Breslau. The son was thus educated as a strict Lutheran. After passing through the St. Elisabeth's Gymnasium at Breslau, he matriculated at the University of Strassburg, on May 4, 1643, as a student of medicine. In the next year he went to Leyden, and in 1647 to Padua, where he graduated PH. D. and M.D. on July 9, 1648. Thereafter he returned to Silesia, and, on Nov. 3, 1649, was appointed private physician, at Oels, to Duke Sylvius Nimrod of Württemberg-Oels. The Duke was a staunch Lutheran, and his court preacher, Christoph Freitag, administered the ecclesiastical affairs of the district according to the strictest Lutheran churchly orthodoxy. Scheffler, who in Hollaud had become acquainted with the writings of Jakob Böhme, and had become a personal friend of Abraham von Frankenberg, the editor of Böhme's works, soon found that the spiritual atmosphere of Oels did not suit him. His own leanings at this time were distinctly to Mysticism and Separatism. He was at no pains to conceal his sentiments, and withdrew himself from public worship, from confession, and from the Holy Communion. When he wished to publish his poems, and submitted them for this purpose to Freitag, he was refused permission to print them on the ground of their mystical tendencies. He resigned his post in the end of 1652, and went to Breslau. Here he became acquainted with the Jesuits, who in that place were earnest students of the mystical works of Tauler (q.v.), and through them was introduced to the study of the mediaeval mystics of the Roman Catholic Church. On June 12, 1653, he was formally received into the Roman Catholic communion, and at his confirmation on that day at St. Matthias's Church in Breslau, he took the name of Angelus, probably after a Spanish mystic of the 16th cent, named John ab Angelis.* On March 24, 1654, the Emperor Ferdinand III. conferred on him the title of Imperial Court Physician, but this title was purely honorary, and Scheffler remained still at Breslau. On Feb. 27,1661, he entered the order of St. Francis; on May 21, 1661, was ordained priest at Neisse in Silesia, and in 1664 was appointed Rath and Hofmarschall to his friend Sebastian von Rostock, the newly created Prince Bishop of Breslau. After the Bishop's death in 1671 Scheffler retired to the monastery of St. Matthias in Breslau, where he died July 9, 1677, from a wasting sickness, during which he used this characteristic prayer, "Jesus and Christ, God and Man, Bridegroom and Brother, Peace and Joy, Sweetness and Pleasure, Refuge and Redemption, Heaven and Earth, Eternity and Time, Love and All, receive my soul." Of Scheffler, as a Convert and as a Controversialist, not much need be said. He certainly became more Roman than the Romans; and in his more than 50 controversial tractates, shows little of the sweetness and repose for which some have thought that he left the Lutheran church. In his Ecclesiologia, published at Glatz in 1677 [British Museum has the 2nd edition, published at Oberammergau and Kempten in 1735], he collected 39 of these treatises, of which e.g. No. 34 is entitled, "The Lutheran and Calvinistic Idol of the Understanding exhibited, laid bare, as well as the Likeness of the True God. In which also, at the same time, the attacks aud objections of adversaries are repelled. 1 Cor. viii. 4, Idolum nihil est, an idol is nothing." At an early age Scheffler had begun to write poems, and some of these occasional pieces were printed in 1641 and 1642. His most famous non-hymnological work is his Geistreiche Sinn- und Schlussreime, &c, published at Vienna in 1657, but better known by the title prefixed in the 2nd edition published at Glatz in 1675, viz. the Cherubinischer Wandersmann, [Both eds. in the British Museum]…. Scheffler's latest poetical work was the Sinnliche Beschreibung der vier letzten Dinge, zu heilsamen Schröken und Auffmunterung aller Menschen inn Druck gegeben. Mit der himmlischen Procession vermehrt, &c. Schweidnitz, 1675. [British Museum]… Scheffler's most important hymnological work is his Heilige Seelenlust, oder geistliche Hirten-Lieder, der in ihren Jesum verliebten Psyche, gesungen von Johann Angelo Silesio, und von Herrn Georgio Josepho mit aussbündig schönen Melodeyen geziert, &c. Of this the first edition appeared at Breslau, apparently in 1657, in three books, with Hymns 1-123, and a fourth—-separately paged—-book, with 32 hymns, apparently also at Breslau, 1657. In the 2nd ed., pub. at Breslau in 1668, the paging and numbering are consecutive; and a fifth book is added, with Hymns 166-205. [Both eds. in Royal Library, Breslau; 2nd ed. in British Museum] The first three books form a cycle of hymns, principally on the person and work of Our Lord, arranged according to the Christian Year, from Advent to Whitsuntide, and seem mostly to have been written before Scheffler left the Lutheran church. Those of the fourth book were probably written 1653 to 1656, and those of the fifth book between 1656 and 1668. In the first three books he is most clearly under the influence of his predecessors. That is, so far as the style and form are concerned, he was greatly influenced by the Pastorals of the Nürnberg Pegnitz Shepherds, and of Friedrich von Spee (q.v.) ; and in the substance of his poems—their longings for mystical union with Christ, and their clinging love to the Saviour—he was influenced on the one side by Böhme, and on the other by the earnest inner religious life which he had found in Holland. In his later hymns the tone is more manly, and the defects and excesses of his earlier style have, in great measure, disappeared. Scheffler's hymns were gladly received by the Lutheran Church as a welcome addition to the store of "Jesus Hymns," but many long passed current as anonymous; the I. A., for Johann Angelus, being often interpreted as Incerti Autoris, and vice versa. Through the Nürnberg Gesang-Buch, 1676; Freylinghausen's Gesang-Buch 1704 and 1714; Porst's Gesang-Buch, 1713; and Burg's Gesang-Buch, Breslau, 1746, a large number came into use among the Lutherans, more indeed than among the Roman Catholics. They were great favourites among the Moravians, after Zinzendorf had included 79 of them in his Christ-Catholisches Singe-und Bet-Büchlen, 1727 ; and, unfortunately, preciscly the worst were selected for imitation, so that Scheffler has the doubtful honour of being the model of tli8 spiritual-fleshly productions which disfigured the Moravian hymn-books between 1740 and 1755. Judging Scheffler's hymns as a whole one must give them a very high place in German hymnody. Only a small proportion of the hymns bear a distinctively Roman Catholic character. Of the rest, after setting on one side those in which Christ is set forth as the Bridegroom of the soul, with an excessive use of the imagery of Canticles; and those disfigured by the mannerisms of the Pastoral School, there remain a large number which are hymns of the first rank. These finer hymns are the work of a true poet, almost perfect in style and in beauty of rhythm, concise and profound; the fruits indeed it may be said of Mysticism, but of Mysticism chastened and kept in bounds by deep reverence and by a true and fervent love to the Saviour. Scheffler holds a high place in the first rank of German sacred poets, and is much the finest of the Post-Reformation Roman Catholic hymn-writers. A number of Scheffler's hymns are translations from the Latin…which have passed into English, are as follows. i. Ach Gott, was hat vor Herrlichkeit. God's Majesty. First published as No. 110 in Bk. iii., 1657, of his Heilige Seelenlust , in 6 st. of 8 1., entitled, "She [the soul] rejoices herself on the glory of Jesus." In the Herrnhut Gesang-Buch, 1735, No. 67. The translation in common use is:— Thy Majesty, how vast it is. This is a free translation of st. i.-iv. as part of No. 189 in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1789 (1886, No. 225). Another tr. is: "My God! how vast a Glory has," as No. 310 in the Moravian Hymn Book, pt. ii., 1743. ii. Der edle Schäfer, Gottes Sohn. The Good Shepherd . Translated as:— The true good Shepherd, God's own Son. This is a translation of st. i., v., by P. H. Molther, as No. 18 in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1789. In the 1826 and later eds. (1886, No. 22) it begins, "Christ the good Shepherd.” iii. Grosser König, dem ich diene. Love to God. First published as No. 161 in Bk. v., 1668, of his Heilige Seelenlust in 10 stanzas of 8 lines, entitled, "She presents to her Beloved her heart in diverse fashion as a morning gift." The translation in common use is:— Make my heart a garden fair. This is a tr. of st. viii., as st. ii. of No. 439 in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1789. Other trs. are: (1) "Lord, I come, Thy grace adoring," by J. D. Burns, 1869, p. 227. (2) "Almighty King, Eternal Sire," by G. Moultrie, in his Espousals of S. Dorothea, 1870, p. 69. iv. Jesus ist der schönste Nam'. Love to Christ. First published as No. 35 in Bk. i., 1657, of his Heilige Seelenlust in 9 stanzas of 6 lines, entitled, "She praises the excellency of the Name of Jesus." Tr. as:— Jesus is the highest name. This is a good tr. of st. i., ii., viii., ix., by A. T. Russell, as No. 69 in his Psalms & Hymns, 185. Another tr. is: "Jesus is the sweetest Name, Unto mortals," by J. C. Earle, in O. Shipley's Annus Sanctus, 1884, pt. ii. p. 43. v. Keine Schönheit hat die Welt. Love to Christ. A beautiful hymn on Christ in Nature. First published as No. 109 in Bk. iii., 1657, of his Heilige Seelenlust, in 16 stanzas of 4 lines, entitled, "She ponders His charmingness to the creatures." The trs. in common use are :— 1. Earth has nothing sweet or fair. This is a very good translation, omitting st. vi.—viii., x., xi., by Miss Cox in her Sacred Hymns from the German, 1841, p. 165 2. Nothing fair on earth I see. This is a somewhat free tr. of st. i.-v., ix., xii.-xiv., xvi., by Miss Winkworth in her Lyra Germanica, 1st Ser., 1855, p. 48; repeated, abridged and altered, in her Chorale Book for England, 1863, No. 158. Other translations are : (l) All the beauty we can find," as No. 457, in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book 1754. (2) "Would you view the glorious face," in J. A. Latrobe's Psalms & Hymns ., 1841, No. 437. (3) "Whate'er of beauty I behold," by Lady E. Fortescue, 1843, p. 35. (4) " Earth has nothing bright for me," by Miss Manington, 1863, p. 168. (5) "The world with broadcast beauties sown," by E. Massie, 1867, p. 14. vi. Morgenstern der finstern Nacht. Love to Christ. First published as No. 26 in Bk. i., 1657, of his Heilige Seelenlust, in 6 st. of 5 1., entitled, "She wishes to have the little Jesus as the true Morning Star in the heaven of her heart." Another tr. is: "Morning Star in darksome night”, by Miss Winkworth, 1869, p. 250. vii. Nun nimm mein Herz, und alles was ich bin. Self-surrender to Christ. First published as No. 102 in Bk. iii., 1657, of his Heilige Seelenlust, in 4 stanzas of 6 lines, entitled, "She gives herself to her Bridegroom." The translation in common use is:— O take my heart, and whatsoe'er is mine. This is a tr. of st. i., iv., by F. W. Foster, as No. 267 in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1789. Another tr. is: "Now take my heart and all that is in me," by Miss Winkworth, 1858, p. 98. viii. Wollt ihr den Herren finden. Seeking of Christ. First published in Bk. iv., 1657, of his Heilige Seelenlust, entitled, "She gives notice where Jesus is to be found.” Translated as:— If you would find the Saviour. This is a free version, condensing st. iii., iv., as st. iii. in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754, pt. i., No. 657. Included, greatly altered, and beginning, "Would you find the Saviour?" in J. A. Latrobe's Psalms & Hymns, 1841 and 1852. ix. Wo willt du hin, weils Abend ist. Evening. A beautiful hymn founded on the Narrative of Christ at Emmaus. The translation in common use is:— Where wilt Thou go! since night draws near. By A. Crull, in full, as No. 93 in the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal 1880. Another translation is: "Where wilt Thou go? the eve draws nigh," by Miss Manington; 1863, p. 154. Other hymns by Scheffler which have been rendered into English are:— x. Ach, sagt mir nicht von Gold und Schätzen. Love to Christ. The translations are (1) "Tell me no more of golden treasures," in the Supplement to German Psalmody, ed. 1765, p. 53; and Select Hymns from German Psalmody , Tranquebar, 1754, p. 84. (2) "0 tell me not of glitt'ring treasure," by Dr. H. Mills, 1845, p. 75. (3) "0 tell me not of gold and treasure," by Miss Burlingham, in the British Herald, August, 1865, p. 121, repeated as "Ah, tell me not," &c, in Reid's Praise Book, 1872. xi. Ach, was steh'st du auf der Au. Love to Christ. This form is tr. as "Jesus, end of my desires." xii. ‘Auf, auf, 0 Seel', auf, auf, zum Streit. Christian Warfare. The translations are (1) "Up! Christian man, and join the fight," by Miss Manington, 1863, p. 44. (2) "Up, Christian! gird thee to the strife," by Miss Burlingham, in the British Herald, July, 1865, p. 106. xiii, Dein' eigne Liebe zwinget mich. Love to Christ. Tr. as, "Thine own love doth me constrain," by J. Kelly, in the Family Treasury, 1878, p. 716. xiv. Die Sonne kommt heran. Morning. Translated as "The sun will soon appear," by J. Kelly, in the Family Trea¬sury, 1878, p. 716. xv. Ihr Engel, die das höchste Gut. Love to Christ. This form is tr. as, "Ye Seraphim, who prostrate fall," as No. 649 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754. xvi. Jesu, ew'ge Sonne. Love to Christ. Translated as "Christ the spring of endless joys," by J. Kelly, in the Family Treasury, 1878, p. 716. xvii. Kommt, meine Freund, und höret an. Eternal Life. Tr. as: "Come hither, friends, and hear me say," by J. Kelly, in the Family Treasury , 1879, p. 271. xviii. Meine Seele willt du ruh'n. Love to God. This form is tr. as "O my soul, desir'st thou rest." In the Supplement to German Psalmody, ed. 1765, p. 56. xix. Mein Lieb ist mir und ich bin ihm. Love to Christ. This is tr. as, "My Friend's to me, and I'm to Him," as No; 467 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754. xx. 0 du allerliebster Gott. Christ in Gethsemane. This form is tr. as "Jesus, O my Lord and God," by J. C. Earle, in O. Shipley's Annus Sanctus, 1884, p. 73. xxi. Schau', Braut, wie hängt dein Bräutigam. Passiontide. Tr. as, "O Bride! behold thy Bridegroom hangs," as No. 460 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754. xxii. Tritt hin, o Seel', und dank' dem Herrn. Thanksgiving. Tr. as "Come, O my soul, with thankful voice," by Dr. G. Walker, 1860, p. 70. xxiii. Weil ich schon seh' die gold'nen Wangen. Morning. The trs. are (1) "Because I see red tints adorning," by Miss Manington, 1863, p. 119. (2) "I see the golden light of morn," in the Family Treasury, 1877, p. 603. xxiv. Wie lieblich sind die Wohnungen. Eternal Life. Translated as "How lovely are the mansions fair," by J. Kelly, in the Family Treasury, 1879, p. 270. xxv. Zeuch mich nach dir, so laufen wir. Love to Christ. Translated as "Draw us to Thee, then will we flee," as No. 137 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754. It may be added that in some English books Scheffler appears as a composer of hymn-tunes. This is however a mistake, for the melodies in the Heilige Seelenlust are, as the title distinctly says, by Georg Joseph, a musician living at that time in Breslau. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] * In his later writings he styled himself Johann Angelus Silesius, adding this designation—the Silesian—in order to distinguish himself from the Lutheran theologian, Johann Angelus, of Darmstadt. --Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Cesáreo Gabarain

1936 - 1991 Person Name: Cesáreo Gabaraín, 1936-1991 Topics: Affirmation of Baptism Author of "You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore " in With One Voice Cesáreo Gabaráin, a Spanish priest involved in liturgical renewal following Vatican II. Bert Polman

Marty Haugen

b. 1950 Person Name: Marty Haugen, b. 1950 Topics: Affirmation of Baptism Author of "Gather Us In" in Hymnal Supplement 1991 Marty Haugen (b. 1950), is a prolific liturgical composer with many songs included in hymnals across the liturgical spectrum of North American hymnals and beyond, with many songs translated into different languages. He was raised in the American Lutheran Church, received a BA in psychology from Luther College, yet found his first position as a church musician in a Roman Catholic parish at a time when the Roman Catholic Church was undergoing profound liturgical and musical changes after Vatican II. Finding a vocation in that parish to provide accessible songs for worship, he continued to compose and to study, receiving an MA in pastoral studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul Minnesota. A number of liturgical settings were prepared for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and more than 400 of his compositions are available from several publishers, especially GIA Publications, who also produced some 30 recordings of his songs. He is composer-in-residence at Mayflower Community Congregational Church in Minneapolis and continues to compose and travel to speak and teach at worship events around the world. Emily Brink

Catherine Winkworth

1827 - 1878 Person Name: Catherine Winkworth, 1827-1878 Topics: Affirmation of Baptism Translator of "Baptized into Your Name Most Holy" in Lutheran Book of Worship Catherine Winkworth (b. Holborn, London, England, 1827; d. Monnetier, Savoy, France, 1878) is well known for her English translations of German hymns; her translations were polished and yet remained close to the original. Educated initially by her mother, she lived with relatives in Dresden, Germany, in 1845, where she acquired her knowledge of German and interest in German hymnody. After residing near Manchester until 1862, she moved to Clifton, near Bristol. A pioneer in promoting women's rights, Winkworth put much of her energy into the encouragement of higher education for women. She translated a large number of German hymn texts from hymnals owned by a friend, Baron Bunsen. Though often altered, these translations continue to be used in many modern hymnals. Her work was published in two series of Lyra Germanica (1855, 1858) and in The Chorale Book for England (1863), which included the appropriate German tune with each text as provided by Sterndale Bennett and Otto Goldschmidt. Winkworth also translated biographies of German Christians who promoted ministries to the poor and sick and compiled a handbook of biographies of German hymn authors, Christian Singers of Germany (1869). Bert Polman ======================== Winkworth, Catherine, daughter of Henry Winkworth, of Alderley Edge, Cheshire, was born in London, Sep. 13, 1829. Most of her early life was spent in the neighbourhood of Manchester. Subsequently she removed with the family to Clifton, near Bristol. She died suddenly of heart disease, at Monnetier, in Savoy, in July, 1878. Miss Winkworth published:— Translations from the German of the Life of Pastor Fliedner, the Founder of the Sisterhood of Protestant Deaconesses at Kaiserworth, 1861; and of the Life of Amelia Sieveking, 1863. Her sympathy with practical efforts for the benefit of women, and with a pure devotional life, as seen in these translations, received from her the most practical illustration possible in the deep and active interest which she took in educational work in connection with the Clifton Association for the Higher Education of Women, and kindred societies there and elsewhere. Our interest, however, is mainly centred in her hymnological work as embodied in her:— (1) Lyra Germanica, 1st Ser., 1855. (2) Lyra Germanica, 2nd Ser., 1858. (3) The Chorale Book for England (containing translations from the German, together with music), 1863; and (4) her charming biographical work, the Christian Singers of Germany, 1869. In a sympathetic article on Miss Winkworth in the Inquirer of July 20, 1878, Dr. Martineau says:— "The translations contained in these volumes are invariably faithful, and for the most part both terse and delicate; and an admirable art is applied to the management of complex and difficult versification. They have not quite the fire of John Wesley's versions of Moravian hymns, or the wonderful fusion and reproduction of thought which may be found in Coleridge. But if less flowing they are more conscientious than either, and attain a result as poetical as severe exactitude admits, being only a little short of ‘native music'" Dr. Percival, then Principal of Clifton College, also wrote concerning her (in the Bristol Times and Mirror), in July, 1878:— "She was a person of remarkable intellectual and social gifts, and very unusual attainments; but what specially distinguished her was her combination of rare ability and great knowledge with a certain tender and sympathetic refinement which constitutes the special charm of the true womanly character." Dr. Martineau (as above) says her religious life afforded "a happy example of the piety which the Church of England discipline may implant.....The fast hold she retained of her discipleship of Christ was no example of ‘feminine simplicity,' carrying on the childish mind into maturer years, but the clear allegiance of a firm mind, familiar with the pretensions of non-Christian schools, well able to test them, and undiverted by them from her first love." Miss Winkworth, although not the earliest of modern translators from the German into English, is certainly the foremost in rank and popularity. Her translations are the most widely used of any from that language, and have had more to do with the modern revival of the English use of German hymns than the versions of any other writer. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ============================ See also in: Hymn Writers of the Church

Horatius Bonar

1808 - 1889 Person Name: Horatius Bonar, 1808-1889 Topics: Affirmation of Baptism; Affirmation of Baptism Author of "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say" in Evangelical Lutheran Worship Horatius Bonar was born at Edinburgh, in 1808. His education was obtained at the High School, and the University of his native city. He was ordained to the ministry, in 1837, and since then has been pastor at Kelso. In 1843, he joined the Free Church of Scotland. His reputation as a religious writer was first gained on the publication of the "Kelso Tracts," of which he was the author. He has also written many other prose works, some of which have had a very large circulation. Nor is he less favorably known as a religious poet and hymn-writer. The three series of "Hymns of Faith and Hope," have passed through several editions. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872 ================================ Bonar, Horatius, D.D. Dr. Bonar's family has had representatives among the clergy of the Church of Scotland during two centuries and more. His father, James Bonar, second Solicitor of Excise in Edinburgh, was a man of intellectual power, varied learning, and deop piety. Horatius Bonar was born in Edinburgh, Dec. 19th, 1808; and educated at the High School and the University of Edinburgh. After completing his studies, he was "licensed" to preach, and became assistant to the Rev. John Lewis, minister of St. James's, Leith. He was ordained minister of the North Parish, Kelso, on the 30th November, 1837, but left the Established Church at the "Disruption," in May, 1848, remaining in Kelso as a minister of the Free Church of Scotland. The University of Aberdeen conferred on him the doctorate of divinity in 1853. In 1866 he was translated to the Chalmers Memorial Church, the Grange, Edinburgh; and in 1883 he was chosen Moderator of the General Assembly of of the Free Church of Scotland. Dr. Bonar's hymns and poems were, he tells us, composed amid a great variety of circumstances; in many cases he cannot himself recall these circumstances; they also appeared in several publications, but nearly all have boen published or republished in the following:— (i) Songs for the Wilderness, 1843-4. (2) The Bible Hymn Book, 1845. (3) Hymns, Original and Selected, 1846. (4) Hymns of Faith and Hope, First Series, 1857; Second Series, 1861; Third Series, 1866. (5) The Song of the New Creation, 1872. (6) My Old Letters, a long poem, 1877. (7) Hymns of the Nativity, 1879. (8) Communion Hymns, 1881. In addition to numerous prose works, he has also edited The New Jerusalem; a Hymn of the Olden Time, 1852, &c. Dr. Bonar's poems—-including many beautiful lyrics, several psalm versions, and translations from the Greek and Latin, a large number of hymns, and a long meditative poem—-are very numerous, too numerous, perhaps, for their permanent fame as a whole. Dr. Bonar's scholarship is thorough and extensive; and his poems display the grace of style and wealth of allusion which are the fruit of ripe culture. Affected very slightly by current literary moods, still less by the influence of other religious poetry, they reveal extreme susceptibility to the emotional power which the phases of natural and of spiritual life exercise; the phases of natural life being recognised chiefly as conveying and fashioning spiritual life, used chiefly for depicting spiritual life, and handled for this purpose with greater delicacy of touch than in the Olney Hymns, and with less conscious purpose than in the Christian Year. As a result of this susceptibility, and from habitual contemplation of the Second Advent as the era of this world's true bliss, his hymns and poems are distinguished by a tone of pensive reflection, which some might call pessimism. But they are more than the record of emotion; another element is supplied by his intellectual and personal grasp of Divine truth, these truths particularly:—The gift of a Substitute, our Blessed Saviour; Divine grace, righteous, yet free and universal in offer; the duty of immediate reliance upon the privilege of immediate assurance through that grace; communion with God, especially in the Lord's Supper, respecting which he insists on the privilege of cherishing the highest conceptions which Scripture warrants; and finally, the Second Advent of our Lord: by his vigorous celebration of these and other truths as the source and strength of spiritual life, his hymns are protected from the blight of unhealthy, sentimental introspection. To sum up: Dr. Bonar's hymns satisfy the fastidious by their instinctive good taste; they mirror the life of Christ in the soul, partially, perhaps, but with vivid accuracy; they win the heart by their tone of tender sympathy; they sing the truth of God in ringing notes; and although, when taken as a whole, they are not perfect ; although, in reading them, we meet with feeble stanzas, halting rhythm, defective rhyme, meaningless Iteration; yet a singularly large number have been stamped with approval, both in literary circles and by the Church. In Great Britain and America nearly 100 of Dr. Bonar's hymns are in common use. They are found in almost all modern hymnals from four in Hymns Ancient & Modern to more than twenty in the American Songs for the Sanctuary, N. Y., 1865-72. The most widely known are, "A few more years shall roll;" "Come, Lord, and tarry not;" "Here, O my Lord, I see Thee face to face;" "I heard the Voice of Jesus say;" "The Church has waited long;" and "Thy way, not mine, O Lord." In addition to these and others which are annotated under their respective first lines, the following are also in common use:— From Songs for the Wilderness, No. 1, 1843. 1. For Thee we long and pray. Sunday Morning. 2. Holy Father, hear my cry. A Child's Prayer. 3. I thought upon my sins and I was sad. Christ our Peace. 4. Peace to the world, our Lord is come. A Millennial Song. 5. Spirit of everlasting grace. The Vision of Dry Bones. ii. From Songs for the Wilderness, No. 2,1844. 6. Ho, ye thirsty, parched and fainting. Invitation. 7. 0 'tis not what we fancied it. The world renounced. 8. Sing them, my children, sing them still. Children exhorted to Praise. 9. Time's sun is fast setting. Advent. 10. Weep, pilgrim, weep, yet 'tis not for the sorrow. Faith. 11. Yes, for me, for me He careth. Christ the Elder Brother . iii. From The Bible Hymn Book, 1845. 12. Jesus, my sorrow lies too deep. Jesus, the Great High Priest. 13. There is a Morning Star, my soul. The Morning Star. 14. This is not my place of resting. Pressing towards heaven. iv. From Hymns, Original and Selected, 1845. 15. Let there be light, Jehovah said. Creation. v. From Hymns of Faith and Hope, 1st series, 1857. 16. Be brave, my brother. The Fight of Faith. 17. Blessed be God, our God. Good Friday. 18. Everlasting praises. Doxology. 19. Go up, go up, my heart. Heavenly aspirations desired. 20. I close my heavy eye. Evening. Sometimes given as "We close our heavy eyes." 21. I see the crowd in Pilate's hall. Good Friday. 22. Jesus, while this rongh desert soil. Strength by the Way. 23. Jesus, Whom angel-hosts adore. The Word made Flesh. From "The Son of God, in mighty love." 24. Make haste, 0 man, to live. Exhortation to lay hold of Life. 25. No seas again shall sever. Heaven. 26. Oppressed with noonday's scorching heat. Shadow of the Cross. 27. Rest for the toiling hand. Burial. From "Lie down, frail body, here." 28. Shall this life of mine be wasted? Exhortation to Duty. 29. These are the crowns that we shall wear. Heaven. 30. Thy works, not mine, O Christ [Lord]. The Sin-bearer. 31. Where the faded flower shall freshen. Heaven. vi. From Hymns of Faith and Hope. 2nd series, 1861. 32. Be still, my soul, Jehovah loveth Thee. Rest in the Love of God. 33. Christ has done the mighty work. Good Friday. 34. Come, mighty Spirit, penetrate. Whitsuntide. 35. Deep down beneath the unresting surge. Burial at Sea. 36. Fear not the foe, thou flock of God [thou little flock]. Battle-Song of the Church. 37. For lack of love I languish. Lent. 38. From this bleak hill of storms. Eternal Rest desired. 39. He liveth long who liveth well. The True Life. 40. Here shall death's triumph end: the rock-barred door. Easter. From "The tomb is empty: wouldst thou have it full." 41. Jesus, Sun and Shield art Thou. Jesus the First and Last. 42. Jesus, the Christ of God. Praise to Christ. 43. Light of the world, for ever, ever shining. Christ the Light of the World. From "Why walk in darkness? Has the dear light vanished?" 44. Make use of me, my God. Duty desired. 45. Not what I am, 0 Lord, but what Thou art. The Love of God. 46. 0 Light of Light, shine in. Cry of the Weary. 47. 0 love of God, how strong and true. Love of God. 48. 0 love that casts out fear. Love of God. 49. 0 strong to save and bless. Lent. 50. 0 this soul, how dark and blind. Lent. 51. Safe across the waters. Thanksgiving at end of a journey. 52. Silent, like men in solemn haste. Pressing onwards. 53. Speak, lips of mine. Exhortation to Praise. 54. The Bridegroom comes. Advent. vii. From Hymns of Faith and Hope. 3rd series, 1866. 55. Bear Thou my burden, Thou Who bar'st my sin. Lent or Passiontide. 56. Done is the work that saves. Easter. 57. Father, our children keep. Prayer on behalf of Children. 58. Fill Thou my life, 0 Lord my God. Life's Praise. 59. Finish Thy work, the time is short. Earnest labour to the end. 60. From the Cross the blood is falling. Good Friday. 61. He called them, and they left. Obedience. 62. Help me, my [0] God to speak. Truth desired. 63. Holy Father, Mighty God. Holy Trinity. 64. How are my troubles multiplied. Ps. iii. 65. How sweetly doth He show His face Flower Service. 66. Light hath arisen, we walk in its brightness. Sustaining power of Faith. 67. Lo, God, our God has come. Christmas. 68. Lord, give me light to do Thy work. Divine guidance desired. 69. No, not despairingly. Lent. 70. Not to ourselves again. Life in Christ, or, Living unto God. 71. Now in parting, Father, bless us. Post Communion. 72. Sounds the trumpet from afar. Battle-Song of the Church. 73. Thee in the loving bloom of morn. God in all. 74. Through good report and evil, Lord. Faithfulness. 75. To Jehovah, God of might. Praise to the Father. 76. To the name of God on high. Doxology. 77. Upward, where the stars are burning. Heavenward Aspirations. 78. We take the peace which He hath won. The Gift of Peace. 79. When the weary, seeking rest. Intercession for all Conditions of Men. viii. From The Song of the New Creation,1872. 80. For the Bread and for the Wine. Holy Communion. 81. Light of life so softly shining. Light of Life. 82. Yet there is room. The Lamb's bright hall of song. Home Missions. ix. From Hymns of the Nativity, 1879. 83. Great Ruler of the land and sea. Sailors' Liturgy. From Communion Hymns, 1881. 84. Beloved, let us love. Brotherly Love. In several instances these hymns are given in an abbreviated form, and sometimes alterations are also introduced. In this latter respect however Dr. Bonar has suffered less than most modern hymn-writers. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ==================== Bonar, Horatius, p. 161, i. He died at Edinburgh, July 31, 1889. In 1890 his son published a posthumous volume of his poetical pieces as Until the Day Break and other Hymns and Poems left behind. The following additional hymns are in common use:— 1. Almighty Comforter and Friend. (1866.) Whitsuntide. 2. Father, make use of me. An altered form of No. 44, p. 162, ii. 3. I ask a perfect creed. (1861.) Creed not Opinions. From this is also taken "O True One, give me truth." 4. Long, long deferred, now come at last. Marriage of the Lamb. Part of "Ascend, Beloved, to the joy." (1861.) 5. Nay 'tis not what we fancied it. (1857.) Vanity of the World. 6. No blood, no altar now. (1861.) The Finished Sacrifice. 7. No shadows yonder. (1857.) Heaven Anticipated. 8. Not with the light and vain. (1857.) Godly Companionship. 9. O Love invisible, yet infinite. (1866.) Divine Love. 10. On the great love of God I lean. (1866.) Love of God our Resting-place. 11. On Thee, O Jesus, strongly leaning. (1866.) Fellowship with Christ. 12. Peace upon peace, like wave on wave. (1866.) Divine Peace. 13. Sower divine, sow the good seed in me. (1857.) Heavenly Sowing. 14. Speaketh the sinner's sin within my heart. (1866.) Ps. xxxvi. 15. Still one in life and one in death. (1857.) Communion of Saints. Part of "'Tis thus they press the hand and part." 16. Surely, yon heaven, where angels see God's face. (1857.) Heaven Anticipated. 17. That city with the jewelled crest. (1857.) Heaven. Part of "These are the crowns that we shall wear." Another cento from the same is "Yon city, with the jewelled crest." 18. That clime is not like this dull clime of ours. (1843.) Heaven. 19. The Free One makes you free: He breaks the rod. (1857.) Freedom in Christ. From "Of old they sang the song of liberty." 20. There is a Morning-star, my soul. (1357.) Christ the Morning Star. 21. This is the day of toil. (1866.) Pressing Onwards. 22. Thy thoughts are here, my God. (1866.) Holy Scripture. 23. Till the day dawn. (1857.) Life's Journey. 24. To Him Who spread the skies. (1866.) Creation's Song. 25. Trustingly, trustingly. (1866.) Trust. 26. Unto th' eternal hills. (1866.) Ps. cxxi. The above dates are: 1843, Songs in the Wilderness; 1857, Hymns of Faith and Hope, 1st Series; 1861, same, 2nd Ser. (not 1864); 1866, same, 3rd Ser. (not 1867), The dates 1857, 1864,1867, were given by Dr. Bonar, but the British Museum copies are 1857, 1861, 1866 respectively. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) ============== Bonar, H., pp. 161, i.; 1554, i. The Rev. H. N. Bonar, Dr. Bonar's son, published in 1904, Hymns by Horatius Bonar, Selected and Arranged by his Son H. N. Bonar, With a brief History of some of the Hymns, &c. (London: H. Frowde). From this work we must correct the date of his Song of the New Creation to 1872. We have also enriched our pages by additional and expanded notes on several of Dr. Bonar's most widely used hymns. In his biographical notes, Mr. Bonar refers to Dr. Bonar's work as editor of the Quarterly Journal of Prophecy, begun in 1848, to which he contributed a hymn for each number. We find that the number of hymns contributed thereto is 101. With Dr. Bonar's poetical productions great difficulty has been encountered by the historian and annotator because of his absolute indifference to dates and details. It was enough for him that he had written, and that the Church of Christ approved and gladly used what, out of the fulness of his heart, he had given her. --Excerpt from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

Carl Schalk

1929 - 2021 Person Name: Carl F. Schalk, 1929- Topics: Affirmation of Baptism Composer of "DONATA" in Lutheran Book of Worship Carl F. Schalk (b. Des Plaines, IL, 1929; d. 2021) is professor of music emeritus at Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois, where he taught church music since 1965. He completed graduate work at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri. From 1952 to 1956 he taught and directed music at Zion Lutheran Church in Wausau, Wisconsin, and from 1958 to 1965 served as director of music for the International Lutheran Hour. Honored as a Fellow of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada in 1992, Schalk was editor of the Church Music journal (1966-1980), a member of the committee that prepared the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), and a widely published composer of church music. Included in his publications are The Roots of Hymnody in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (1965), Key Words in Church Music (1978), and Luther on Music: Paradigms of Praise (1988). His numerous hymn tunes and carols are collected in the Carl Schalk Hymnary (1989) and its 1991 Supplement. Bert Polman

Henry Thomas Smart

1813 - 1879 Person Name: Henry T. Smart Topics: The Church at Worship Affirmation of Faith; God's Church The Church at Worship: Affirmation of Faith; Affirmation of Faith; Baptism; Justice; Lord's Supper; Mission Composer of "LANCASHIRE" in Chalice Hymnal Henry Smart (b. Marylebone, London, England, 1813; d. Hampstead, London, 1879), a capable composer of church music who wrote some very fine hymn tunes (REGENT SQUARE, 354, is the best-known). Smart gave up a career in the legal profession for one in music. Although largely self taught, he became proficient in organ playing and composition, and he was a music teacher and critic. Organist in a number of London churches, including St. Luke's, Old Street (1844-1864), and St. Pancras (1864-1869), Smart was famous for his extemporizations and for his accompaniment of congregational singing. He became completely blind at the age of fifty-two, but his remarkable memory enabled him to continue playing the organ. Fascinated by organs as a youth, Smart designed organs for important places such as St. Andrew Hall in Glasgow and the Town Hall in Leeds. He composed an opera, oratorios, part-songs, some instrumental music, and many hymn tunes, as well as a large number of works for organ and choir. He edited the Choralebook (1858), the English Presbyterian Psalms and Hymns for Divine Worship (1867), and the Scottish Presbyterian Hymnal (1875). Some of his hymn tunes were first published in Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861). Bert Polman

Bartholomäus Gesius

1555 - 1613 Person Name: Bartholomäus Gesius, 1555-1613 Topics: Affirmation of Baptism; Affirmation of Baptism Composer of "MACHS MIT MIR, GOTT" in Evangelical Lutheran Worship Bartholomaeus Gesius; b. 1555, Muencheberg, near Frankfort; d. 1613 or 14, Wittenberg Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal, 1908

Jean Janzen

b. 1933 Person Name: Jean Janzen, b. 1933 Topics: Affirmation of Baptism; Affirmation of Baptism Paraphaser of "Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth" in Evangelical Lutheran Worship Jean Janzen was born on December 5, 1933, the seventh of Henry Peter Wiebe and Anna Schultz Wiebe's eventual eight children (Three Mennonite Poets 5). For the first five years of her life, Janzen lived in Dalmeny, Saskatchewan (A Cappella 25). In 1938, she moved to Mountain Lake, Minnesota when her schoolteacher father began his second ministry as a pastor (“Coming into Voice”). A year later, the family moved to Kansas (“Coming into Voice”). Janzen says she cannot remember when she wrote her first poem, but the first evidence of her work is a handwritten book of five poems that she made in third or fourth grade, which was saved by her mother through the family’s many moves (E-mail Interview). She had very little exposure to poetry and literature as a child, except for hymns and Bible stories. She values these elements of her childhood and “treasure[s] the artful rhythms of the King James [Bible]” (E-mail Interview). Janzen attended Meade Bible Academy, Tabor College, and Grace College (A Cappella 25). It was in college that she had her first real exposure to literature. She was “thrilled, and became a literature major.” She remembers being “enamored” with Emily Dickinson and writing papers about her whenever given the chance. However, she never considered writing poetry as a possible career (E-mail Interview). Janzen--then Jean Wiebe--married Louis Janzen, a medical student, and the couple moved to Chicago where she worked as a medical secretary while taking courses at Northwestern University (Hostetler, A Cappella 25). Janzen cites this period of her life as the beginning of her love for visual art, calling the Chicago Art Institute the “open gate” for her and her husband where they “became hooked” (Mennonite Life Interview). In 1961, they moved to Fresno, Cal., where Louis worked as a pediatrician in a private practice. Here they raised their two daughters and two sons. When her youngest child was in school, Janzen “joined a writer’s group at the encouragement of [her] husband and nephew after they read some poems [she] had written as a gift to [her] husband” (E-mail Interview). As her children became older, Janzen went back to college, earning a BA in English from Fresno Pacific College and an MA in Creative Writing and English from California State University at Fresno in 1982. There she studied with poets Peter Everwine, Philip Levine, and C.G. Hanzlicek. Janzen says that after one semester of writing poetry in college, she took the work “seriously” and “imagined the possibility of growing into a poet,” but it took her several years “to be willing to say that out loud” (E-mail Interview). Rudy Wiebe, a Mennonite novelist, served as a mentor who influenced Janzen's writing career. She received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1995 (“Coming into Voice”). Janzen grew up in the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church and many of her relatives, including her father, were pastors (“Coming into Voice”). This strong connection with the church has had a significant influence on her poetry. Music has also played an important role in Janzen’s life. Her mother loved music and music was an important part of worship in her church. She learned to play the piano when she was young, later studying music in college and teaching piano for many years (“Coming into Voice”). Janzen finds harmony between the religious and artistic elements of her life, integrating them in a way that enriches both. She also uses her gifts in the church, serving as a minister of worship at the College Community Mennonite Brethren Church in Clovis, Cal., as well as writing hymn texts, which have been set to music and are included in several hymn books. Other prominent themes in her work include art, history, family, the earth, and her Russian Mennonite ancestors (“Coming into Voice”). Janzen says that “the sensual and spiritual are inevitably intertwined” (Mennonite Life Interview) and it is this element of her work that has attracted the most attention from critics and readers. She emphasizes “the presence of spirit in the flesh,” using rich description of physical objects to reveal deeper emotions and truths. Janzen has taught poetry writing at Fresno Pacific University and Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia. --www.goshen.edu/mennonitepoetry/