1841 - 1927 Person Name: William M. H. Aitken Scripture: Psalm 14 Composer of "BLACKBURN" in The Psalter Aitken, William Hay Macdowall Hunter, M.A., youngest son of Robert Aitken, sometime Vicar of Pendeen, was born at Liverpool Sep. 21, 1841, and educated at Wadham College, Oxford; B.A. in honours in 1865. He was ordained to the Curacy of St. Jude's, Mildmay Park, N., in 1865; became Incumbent of Christ Church, Everton, Liverpool, in 1871, but he resigned in 1875 in order to devote himself entirely to parochial mission work. He became General Superintendent of the Church Parochial Mission Society in 1877, and Canon Residentiary of Norwich in 1900. He has published twelve volumes of sermons, together with other works. His hymns in common use, mainly in Home Mission Hymn Books, include:—
1. Bow down Thine ear, in mercy hearken. [Penitence.] Canon Aitkens account of the origin of this hymn is:—"Mr. Stephens (q.v.), who for long years assisted me in my mission work, shewed me a manuscript of a hymn in this metre that he had written, and asked my criticism. I was pleased with the general character of the hymn, but it seemed to me to be spoilt by the absence of rhyme in the first and third lines of each verse ... I rewrote it, and hence it bears the initials of both of us. It has proved a most useful hymn in our work."
2. Come, ye loyal hearts and true. [Christmas.] Written circ. 1877 at Holmeside, Derby.
3. Father of lights, again these newborn rays. [Morning.] No. 2 in the Home Hymn Book, 1885, was written at Bedford for that work.
4. I have sinned, Thou know'st how deeply. [Repen-tance.] Written at Holmeside, Derby, for Hymns for a Parochial Mission, originally published as the special hymn-book of the Liverpool Mission in 1873, and enlarged in 1877. It was contributed to this second edition.
5. Let it be now! too long hast thou delayed. [Entreaty.) Also written at Holmeside, Derby, for the 2nd ed. of the Hymns for a Parochial Mission, 1877.
6. Look to Jesus and be saved. [Invitation.] Written at Bedford for the new ed. of Hymns for a Parochial Mission, 1888.
7. 0 leave we all for Jesus. [Confirmation.] Canon Aitken's history of this hymn is:—" I was pressed by my dear father, the late Rev. Robert Aitken, to come and help him in his well-remembered mission at St. Paul's, Newport, in 1871. I was reluctant to do so, as I had a very large number of Confirmation candidates at my parish in Everton, Liverpool, and was much interested in them. But there was no escape from his orders, and I had to come to his help. He made me preach when I am sure that the people would have much preferred to hear him, and I retired to my room that night with so much on my mind in connection with my work at home and the fresh responsibilities of the mission that I found it impossible to sleep. At last I got up, struck a light, and wrote this hymn for my candidates to sing at the ensuing Confirmation. It was sung then, and subsequently printed in my Supplement to the Hymnal Companion used at Christ Church, Everton."
8. Once more, my soul. [Deciding for Christ.] Written at Bedford for the 1888 ed. of Hys. for a Parochial Mission. It was composed for a special tune.
9. Pitiful Saviour, mighty and tender. [Resting in Jesus.] Written for the 1888 ed. of Hys. for a Parochial Mission, to an old air attributed to the Crusaders and known as "Crusaders"; but it cannot be traced earlier than 1842. See "Schonster Herr Jesu," p. 1016, i.
10. Quit you like men! Life's battle. [Confession of Christ.] Written at the Rectory, Southampton, in 1887, after preaching to a large congregation of men on the words 'Quit you like men." Printed as a leaflet, and then included in the 1888 ed. of Hymns for a Parochial Mission, and later in other collections.
11. Stricken by the tyrant dread. [Ezekiel’s Vision.] Written at Holmeside, Derby, for the 1877 ed. of Hymns for a Parochial Mission.
Canon Aitken edited the two editions of the Hymns for a Parochial Mission, 1873 and 1877, and was also the composer of twenty-four tunes set to Mission Hymns in that collection.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)
W. Hay M. H. Aitken
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