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John Cennick

1718 - 1755 Person Name: Cennick Author of "Come, ye sinners, poor and needy" in Offices of Worship and Hymns John Cennick was born at Reading, Berkshire, in the year 1717. He became acquainted with Wesley and Whitefield, and preached in the Methodist connection. On the separation of Wesley and Whitefield he joined the latter. In 1745, he attached himself to the Moravians, and made a tour in Germany to fully acquaint himself with the Moravian doctrines. He afterwards ministered in Dublin, and in the north of Ireland. He died in London, in 1755, and was buried in the Moravian Cemetery, Chelsea. He was the author of many hymns, some of which are to be found in every collection. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872. ======================= Cennick, John, a prolific and successful hymnwriter, was descended from a family of Quakers, but brought up in the Church of England. He assisted J. Wesley and then G. Whitefield in their labours for a time, and then passed over to, and died as a minister of, the Moravian Church. Born at Reading, Dec. 12, 1718, he was for some time a land surveyor at Reading, but becoming acquainted with the Wesleys in 1739, he was appointed by J. Wesley as a teacher of a school for colliers' children at Kingswood in the following year. This was followed by his becoming a lay preacher, but in 1740 he parted from the Wesleys on doctrinal grounds. He assisted Whitefield until 1745, when he joined the Mora¬vians, and was ordained deacon, in London, in 1749. His duties led him twice to Germany and also to the North of Ireland. He died in London, July 4, 1755. In addition to a few prose works, and some sermons, he published:— (1) Sacred Hymns, for the Children of God in the Days of their Pilgrimage, Lond., J. Lewis, n.d. (2nd ed. Lond., B. Milles, 1741), Pts. ii., iii., 1742; (2) Sacred Hymns for the Use of Religious Societies, &c, Bristol, F. Farley, 1743; (3) A Collection of Sacred Hymns, &c, Dublin, S. Powell, 3rd ed., 1749; (4) Hymns to the honour of Jesus Christ, composed for such Little Children as desire to be saved. Dublin, S. Powell, 1754. Additional hymns from his manuscripts were published by his son-in-law, the Rev. J. Swertner, in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1789, of which he was the editor. There are also 16 of his hymns in his Sermons, 2 vols., 1753-4, some being old hymns rewritten, and others new. Many of Cennick's hymns are widely known, as, "Lo, He cometh, countless trumpets;" “Brethren, let us join to bless;" "Jesus, my all, to heaven is gone;" "Children of the heavenly King;" "Ere I sleep, for every favour;" "We sing to Thee, Thou Son of God;" and the Graces: " Be present at our table, Lord;" and "We thank Thee, Lord;" &c. Some of the stanzas of his hymns are very fine, but the hymns taken as a whole are most unequal. Some excellent centos might be compiled from his various works. His religious experiences were given as a preface to his Sacred Hymns, 1741. In addition to the hymns named, and others annotated under their first lines, the following are in common use:— 1. Be with me [us] Lord, where'er I [we] go. Divine Protection. [1741.] 2. Cast thy burden on the Lord. Submission. [1743.] 3. Not unto us, but Thee alone. Praise to Jesus. [1743.] 4. Thou dear Redeemer, dying Lamb. Priesthood of Christ. [1743.] 5. We sing to Thee, Thou Son of God. Praise to Jesus. [1743.] 6. When, 0 dear Jesus, when shall I? Sunday Evening. [1743.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Robert Lowry

1826 - 1899 Author of "Come ye [you] sinners, poor and wretched [needy], Weak and wounded" in The New Baptist Psalmist and Tune Book Robert Lowry was born in Philadelphia, March 12, 1826. His fondness for music was exhibited in his earliest years. As a child he amused himself with the various musical instruments that came into his hands. At the age of seventeen he joined the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia, and soon became an active worker in the Sunday-school as teacher and chorister. At the age of twenty-two he gave himself to the work of the ministry, and entered upon a course of study at the University of Lewisburg, Pa. At the age of twenty-eight he was graduated with the highest honors of his class. In the same year of his graduation, he entered upon the work of the ministry. He served as pastor at West Chester, Pa., 1851-1858; in New York City, 1859-1861; in Brooklyn, 1861-1869; in Lewisburg, Pa., 1869-1875. While pastor at Lewisburg, he was also professor of belles lettres in the University, and received the honorary degree of D. D. in 1875. He then went to Plainfield, N. J., where he became pastor of Park Avenue Church. In each of these fields his work was crowned with marked success. Dr. Lowry was a man of rare administrative ability, a most excellent preacher, a thorough Bible student, and whether in the pulpit or upon the platform, always a brilliant and interesting speaker. He was of a genial and pleasing disposition, and a high sense of humor was one of his most striking characteristics. Very few men had greater ability in painting pictures from the imagination. He could thrill an audience with his vivid descriptions, inspiring others with the same thoughts that inspired him. His melodies are sung in every civilized land, and many of his hymns have been translated into foreign tongues. While preaching the Gospel, in which he found great joy, was his life-work, music and hymnology were favorite studies, but were always a side issue, a recreation. In the year 1880, he took a rest of four years, visiting Europe. In 1885 he felt that he needed more rest, and resigned his pastorate at Plainfield, and visited in the South and West, also spending some time in Mexico. He returned, much improved in health, and again took up his work in Plainfield. On the death of Wm. B. Bradbury, Messrs. Biglow & Main, successors to Mr. Bradbury in the publishing business, selected Dr. Lowry for editor of their Sunday-school book, Bright Jewels, which was a great success. Subsequently Dr. W. Doane was associated with him in the issue of the Sunday-school song book, Pure Gold, the sales of which exceeded a million copies. Then came Royal Diadem, Welcome Tidings, Brightest and Best, Glad Refrain, Good as Gold, Joyful Lays, Fountain of Song, Bright Array, Temple Anthems, and numerous other volumes. The good quality of their books did much to stimulate the cause of sacred song in this country. When he saw that the obligations of musical editorship were laid upon him, he began the study of music in earnest, and sought the best musical text-books and works on the highest forms of musical composition. He possessed one of the finest musical libraries in the country. It abounded in works on the philosophy and science of musical sounds. He also had some musical works in his possession that were over one hundred and fifty years old. One of his labors of love some years ago was an attempt to reduce music to a mathematical basis. On the established fact that Middle C has two hundred and fifty-six vibrations per second, he prepared a scale and went to work on the rule of three. After infinite calculation and repeated experiments, he carried it far enough to discover that it would not work. A reporter once asked him what was his method of composition — "Do you write the words to fit the music, or the music to fit the words?" His reply was, "I have no method. Sometimes the music comes and the words follow, fitted insensibly to the melody. I watch my moods, and when anything good strikes me, whether words or music, and no matter where I am, at home or on the street, I jot it down. Often the margin of a newspaper or the back of an envelope serves as a notebook. My brain is a sort of spinning machine, I think, for there is music running through it all the time. I do not pick out my music on the keys of an instrument. The tunes of nearly all the hymns I have written have been completed on paper before I tried them on the organ. Frequently the words of the hymn and the music have been written at the same time." The Doctor frequently said that he regarded "Weeping Will Not Save Me" as the best and most evangelistic hymn he ever wrote. The following are some of his most popular and sweetest gospel melodies: "Shall We Gather at the River?," "One More Day's Work for Jesus," "Where is My Wandering Boy To-night?," "I Need Thee Every Hour," "The Mistakes of My Life," "How Can I Keep from Singing?," "All the Way My Saviour Leads Me," "Saviour, Thy Dying Love," "We're Marching to Zion," etc. "Shall We Gather at the River?" is perhaps, without question, the most widely popular of all his songs. Of this Mr. Lowry said: "It is brass band music, has a march movement, and for that reason has become popular, though for myself I do not think much of it." Yet he tells us how, on several occasions, he had been deeply moved by the singing of that hymn, "Going from Harrisburg to Lewisburg once I got into a car filled with half-drunken lumbermen. Suddenly one of them struck up, "Shall We Gather at the River?" and they sang it over and over again, repeating the chorus in a wild, boisterous way. I did not think so much of the music then as I listened to those singers, but I did think that perhaps the spirit of the hymn, the words so flippantly uttered, might somehow survive and be carried forward into the lives of those careless men, and ultimately lift them upward to the realization of the hope expressed in my hymn." "A different appreciation of it was evinced during the Robert Raikes' Centennial. I was in London, and had gone to meeting in the Old Bailey to see some of the most famous Sunday-school workers in the world. They were present from Europe, Asia, and America. I sat in a rear seat alone. After there had been a number of addresses delivered in various languages, I was preparing to leave, when the chairman of the meeting announced that the author of "Shall We Gather at the River?" was present, and I was requested by name to come forward. Men applauded and women waved their handkerchiefs as I went to the platform. It was a tribute to the hymn; but I felt, when it was over, that, after all, I had perhaps done some little good in the world, and I felt more than ever content to die when God called." On Children's Day in Brooklyn, in 1865, this song was sung by over forty thousand voices. While Dr. Lowry said, "I would rather preach a gospel sermon to an appreciative, receptive congregation than write a hymn," yet in spite of his preferences, his hymns have gone on and on, translated into many languages, preaching and comforting thousands upon thousands of souls, furnishing them expression for their deepest feelings of praise and gratitude to God for His goodness to the children of men. What he had thought in his inmost soul has become a part of the emotions of the whole Christian world. We are all his debtors. Rev. Robert Lowry, D. D., died at his residence in Plainfield, K J., November 25, 1899. Dead, yet he lives and his sermons in gospel song are still heard and are doing good. Dr. Lowry was a great and good man, and his life, well spent, is highly worthy of a place among the world's greatest gospel song and hymn writers. -- Biography of Gospel Song and Hymn Writers ------- Lowry, Robert, D.D., son of Crozier Lowry, was born at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 12, 1826, and educated at Lewisburg University. Having received ordination as a Baptist Minister, his first charge was at West Chester, Pennsylvania. From thence he passed to New York City, and then to Brooklyn, N. Y. In 1876 he was appointed Professor of Rhetoric in his University. On resigning his Professorship he undertook the charge of the 2nd Baptist Church, New Jersey. Dr. Lowry has been associated with some of the most popular Sunday School hymn-books published in the States, including Happy Voices, 1865; Chapel Melodies, 1868; Bright Jewels, 1869; Pure Gold, 1871; Royal Diadem, 1873; Tidal Wave, 1874; Fountain of Song1877; Welcome Tidings, 1877, &c. Of Dr. Lowry's hymns those which have attained the widest circulation are:— 1. Jerusalem, for ever bright. Heaven. Appeared in the American Tract Society's Happy Voices, 1865, with music by the author. 2. Low in the grave He lay. Resurrection of Christ. Written in 1874 and published in Brightest and Best, 1875. 3. Marching on, marching on. Sunday School Battle Song. Appeared, with music by the author, in Happy Voices, 1865. 4. My home is in heaven, my rest is not here. In Happy Voices, 1865, with music by the author. 5. My life flows on in endless song. Joy in God. In Bright Jewels, 1869; the Royal Diadem, 1873, and others in America and Great Britain, with music by the author. 6. One more day's work for Jesus. Work for Christ. Published, with music by the author, in Bright Jewels, 1869. 7. Shall we gather at the river? Mutual recognition in the Hereafter. The origin of this hymn is thus set forth in E. W. Long's Illustrated History of Hymns and their Authors, Philadelphia, 1876, p. 64:— ”On a very hot summer day, in 1864, a pastor was seated in his parlour in Brooklyn, N. Y. It was a time when an epidemic was sweeping through the city, and draping many persons and dwellings in mourning. All around friends and acquaintances were passing away to the spirit land in large numbers. The question began to arise in the heart, with unusual emphasis, ‘Shall we meet again? We are parting at the river of death, shall we meet at the river of life?' ‘Seating myself at the organ,’ says he, ‘simply to give vent to the pent up emotions of the heart, the words and music of the hymn began to flow out, as if by inspiration:— ‘Shall we gather at the river, Where bright angel feet have trod?’" In 1865 the hymn and music were given in Happy Voices, No. 220, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines and a chorus. The hymn has since passed into a great number of hymnals in Great Britain and America. 8. Take the wings of the morning; speed quickly thy flight. Exhortation to Repentance. Written for, and published with music by the author in, the Royal Diadem, 1873. 9. Weeping will not save me. Salvation through Faith. Published in the Chapel Melodies, 1868. 10. What can wash away my stain? Precious Blood of Jesus. Given in the Welcome Tidings, 1877, with music by the author. 11. Where is my wandering boy tonight! The absent Child. In the Fountain of Song, 1877, together with music by the author. Most of these hymns are given in Mr. I. D. Sankey's Sacred Songs & Solos, Pts. i., ii. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Friedrich Filitz

1804 - 1876 Person Name: F. Filitz Composer of "MANNHEIM" in Mirfield Mission Hymn Book Friedrich Filitz PhD Germany 1804-1876. Born at Arnstadt. Thuringia, he was a German composer and musicologist. He collected church music. He also studied philosophy. In 1833 he worked in Berlin as a music critic and at other employment. He was also a music historian. With Ludwig Erck, he published a collection of 15th & 17th Century chorales in 1845. He moved to Munich and published a chorale book in 1847. His legacy of vauable church music was donated to the Bavarian State Library, where it has made many forgotten works available once again. He died in Bonn, Germany. John Perry

I. Baltzell

1832 - 1893 Composer of "[Come, ye sinners, poor and needy]" in Singing by the Way (Rev. ed.) Baltzell, Isaiah. (near Frederick, Maryland, November 26, 1832--January 16, 1893, Frederick). He was educated in the common schools, and at New Windsor Academy, Carroll County, Maryland. In 1859 he married Cecilia Caroline James at Mountain Jackson, Virginia. Originally a Lutheran, he joined the United Brethren Church in 1847, was licensed to preach by the Virginia Conference in 1854, and ordained in 1856. In 1862 he joined the Pennsylvania Conference. He was presiding elder from 1875 to 1880, and from 1883 to 1889. He was a delegate to three General Conferences, and was a trustee of Otterbein University. In 1873 he was appointed by the General Conference a member of the committee to superintend the publication of Hymns for the Sanctuary. His first compilation was Revival Songster (Baltimore, 1859). He was joint editor, with G.W.M. Rigor, or Choral Gems (1871); joint editor, with E.S. Lorenz, of Heavenly Carols, Songs of Grace, Gates of Praise, Songs of Cheer, Songs of the Kingdom, Holy Voices, Songs of Refreshing, Notes of Triumph, Garnered Sheaves, Songs of the Morning, and The Master's Praise. He was also author of music and services for special occasions, and the editor and publisher of Carols of Praise. See: Shuey, W.A. (1892). Manual of the United Brethren Publishing House; Historical and Descriptive: 243-244. Some of his hymns bear the pseudonym Amicus. --Harry Eskew, DNAH Archives

Ronald A. Nelson

b. 1927 Harmonizer of "BEACH SPRING" in The United Methodist Hymnal Ronald A. Nelson With degrees from St. Olaf College and the University of Wisconsin Madison, Ronald A. Nelson served for 37 years as Director of Music at Westwood Lutheran Church in suburban Minneapolis, where he has been named Cantor Emeritus and now serves as choir member. Since his retirement he devotes his time to composing, guest conducting, and serving as organist for Chapel Services at Becketwood, the Senior Cooperative where he and his wife Betty Lou reside. In 1999, he was one of 50 composers chosen to write music for the "Continental Harmony" project of the American Composers Forum and National Endowment for the Arts to celebrate the new millennium. That composition, "Building Bridges," received Honorable Mention in the Waging Peace Through Singing competition of the University of Oregon. For a 2001 Composers Forum "Faith Partners" Commission he wrote music for three Wisconsin parishes of different denominations, and is now doing a second "Faith Partners" for two parishes in Hutchinson, Minnesota. He is the recipient of a Distinguished Alumnus Award from St. Olaf College, the F. Melius Christiansen Award from Minnesota ACDA, and the Faithful Servant Award from the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, which last year made available a CD of his compositions. In 2007 the book "With A Voice of Singing - Essays on Children, Choirs and Music in the Church" was published in his honor. --www.giamusic.com

Jack Boyd

b. 1932 Arranger of "ARISE" in Great Songs of the Church (Revised) Jack Arthur Boyd (b. Indianapolis, Indiana, February 9, 1932) was the music editor of *Great Songs of the Church, Revised*, published by ACU Press in 1986. He earned a B.S. degree in music education from Abilene Christian University, a masters degree in music composition and theory from the University of North Texas, and a Ph.D. in choral literature from the University of Iowa. Boyd edited *Children, Rejoice!* (Sweet, 1979) and he authored *Rehearsal Guide for the Choral Director* (Parker, 1970) and *Leading the Lord's Singing* (Quality, 1981). He is a member of Churches of Christ and lives in Abilene, Texas. Monty Lynn

D. Emlyn Evans

1843 - 1913 Arranger of "CARESALEM" in Gipsy Smith's Mission Hymnal Born: September 21, 1843, Penralltwen, near Castellnewydd Emlyn (Castle Emlyn), Carmarthenshire, Wales. Died: January 19, 1913, Cemmaes, Montgomeryshire. Buried: Llandyfriog (near Newcastle Emlyn), Wales. Evans was a composer, adjudicator, conductor, editor, critic, music historian and entrepreneur. Frequently irascible, especially in his last years which he spent in severe and immobilizing pain, he was one of the foremost figures in Welsh musical life in the period leading up to World War I. He was self taught, via the most popular of all Welsh music publications, John Mills’ Gramadeg Cerddoriaeth, and the two parts of Thomas Williams’ Ceinion Cerddoriaeth (Musical Gems, 1852) with its 200 hymn tunes and seventy anthems and choruses. Later, formal lessons by a music teacher, Mr. Hughes of Llechryd, a few miles from his home, gave him a firmer grounding in the old notation used until 1858. The same year, in Bridgend, he sang his first song in public, conducted his first choir and won his first prize for composition. In 1863 he moved to Cheltenham, where he worked as a shop assistant and received further lessons in piano and organ. He became a commercial traveler in 1871, and traveled in this capacity for the next 20 years the length and breadth of Wales, making contacts and observing the growth of music throughout Wales. It was probably during his overnight stays in hotels that most of his musical compositions were created at the end of his working day. Throughout this period, 66 of his pieces won prizes in competitions in Wales, England and America. Evans’s works include: Y Caniedydd Cynulleidfaol, 1895 (editor) --www.hymntime.com/tch

C. R. Dunbar

1830 - 1895 Composer of "[Come, ye sinners, poor and needy]" in The Old Story in Song Rv Charles R Dunbar USA 1830-1895. Born in Pulaski,NY, he became a minister. He died in Columbus, OH. John Perry

John M. Whyte

1850 - 1927 Person Name: J. M. Whyte Composer of "[Come, ye sinners, poor and needy]" in Songs of Calvary John M. (Marchant) Whyte. Evangelist, hymn writer, singer, b Paris, Canada West (Ontario), 8 Jun 1850, d Toronto 17 Mar 1927. He studied at the University of Toronto and devoted himself to evangelistic and temperance work. Typical of several hundred songs for which he wrote the words or the music, or both, are 'Canada Shall Yet Be Free,' 'Toronto the Good,' and 'Song of Trust.' Many songs appeared in separate editions published by Toronto News Co or Briggs. With his brother David Albert Whyte he edited Sing Out the Glad News (Briggs 1885) and Songs of Calvary (Briggs 1889). The Great Redemption (Briggs 1894), Nuggets of Gold (Briggs 1898) and Battle Songs of the Cross (1901) contain many of his own melodies. Eight of his hymns are reprinted in CMH vol 5. The editor of the reprint, John Beckwith, has concluded that 'Come Away to Jesus Now' and 'Jesus Is Calling You Now' may have enjoyed a measure of popularity. Author Helmut Kallmann Bibliography: Beckwith, John. 'Tunebooks and hymnals in Canada, 1801-1939,'. American Music, summer 1988. --http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/john-m-whyte-emc/

A. Royce Eckhardt

b. 1937 Composer of the harmony of "BEACH SPRING" in Hymns for the Family of God Royce Eckhardt has served as a director of music, organist, conductor, composer, arranger, hymnal editor, teacher, and hymnologist for over fifty years. He has served Evangelical Covenant churches as minister of music and organist in Seattle, New Britain (CT), Winnetka, and Hinsdale, Illinois, and also the Winnetka Presbyterian Church. Mr. Eckhardt earned a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance in 1960 from North Park College, Chicago, and a Master of Music degree in liturgical music at Hartt College of Music, University of Hartford in 1972. Royce joined the music faculty at Seattle Pacific College in 1961, teaching organ, music theory and literature courses and directing small choral ensembles. He served as adjunct professor of church music at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, specializing in hymnology and also serving as chapel organist. Mr. Eckhardt was a member of the Covenant Hymnal Commission that produced The Covenant Hymnal (1973). In 1990 he was appointed to the Special Hymnal Commission that compiled and published The Covenant Hymnal: A Worshipbook (1996), serving as music editor. He is represented in the hymnal with 47 arrangements, original tunes, and descants. His many hymn arrangements, harmonizations and tunes appear in eight American hymnals. Royce also served as music director of the Covenant Ministers Chorus from 1985 to 2005, leading the Chorus on a concert tour to Sweden and Germany in 1990 and on a second concert tour in 2001 to Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Germany. He has led many workshops and seminars throughout the country on worship and church music related topics, is a published composer of organ and choral works, a board member of North Shore American Guild of Organists, board member of The Bach Week Festival, and a member of The Hymn Society. Royce Eckhardt