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James R. Murray
1841 - 1905 Person Name: James Ramsey Murray Composer of "[Onward roll the ages, full of grace to men]" in The Cyber Hymnal L.P.M. (1905, April 12). Obituary. New Church Messenger, p.209.
Murray.--At Cincinnati, March 10, 1905, James Ramsey Murray. Funeral services in the Church of the New Jersualem, March 13th.
James R. Murray was widely known in the musical world as the author of many songs and song books, and in the New Church in Chicago and Cincinnati as an affectionate, intelligent, and loyal New Churchman.
He was born in Andover (Ballard Vale), Mass., March 17, 1841. In early life he developed musical talent, and composed many minor pieces for local and special occasions. Later at North Reading, Mass., he attended Dr. George F. Root's School of Music, and was associated with William Bradbury and Dr. Lowell Mason. He enlisted in the Fourteenth Regiment of infantry, commonly known as the Essex County Regiment, and afterwards was changed to the First Regiment, Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, which was engaged in most of the battles fought by the Second Army Corps up to the surrender of General Lee.
"Daisy Deane," the first and most popular of his early song successes, was composed in 1863 in Virginia while in camp, words by his cousin, Thomas F. Winthrop. This song is known all over the world, and the Salvation Army is using an arrangement of it for one of their war cry songs.
In 1868 Mr. Murray married Isabella Maria Taylor of Andover; and they removed to Chicago. Here three children were born to them, two passing early to their heavenly home, the youngest, Winthrop Root Murray, is still living. It was during these first years in Chicago that Mr. and Mrs. Murray became interested in the New Church, while he was engaged with Root and Cady as editor of the Long Visitor, afterwards merged with the Musical Visitor. After the great fire of 1871 Mr. and Mrs. Murray returned East, where he was engaged in teaching in Lawrence and Andover, and as organist at the Old South Church in Andover. In 1881 they removed to Cincinnati and Mr. Murray became the editor of the Musical Viistor [sic] and head of the publication department of the John Church Company. Among the most popular of his books are "Pure Diamonds," "Royal Gems," "The Prize" and "Murray's Sacred Songs." The following titles will recall some of his best loved sacred songs: "At Last," "Calm on the Listening Ear of Night," "I Shall Be Satisfied," "There Shall No Evil Befall Thee," "Thine, O Lord, Is the Greatness," "The Way Was Mine," "How Beautiful Upon the Mountains," "Angels from the Realms of Glory."
His last great labor in the publishing department of the John Church Company was the seeing through the press five volumes of Wagner's music dramas, with full score and original German text, and an English translation. The immense and careful labor involved in the preparation of these volumes, with a really smooth and excellent English translation, had perhaps, as it was done under pressure, something to do with Mr. Murray's breakdown. Although for some reason Mr. Murray's name does not appear on the title page of these volumes, his friends knew of the place the work held in his affections and ambition.
Mr. Murray was a member of the Church Council of the Cincinnati Society for the last four years and took a deep interest in the building of the New Church, and in the inauguration of services, with all the changes looking to the improvement of the musical part of the service. The vested choir, organized by Mr. and Mrs. Lawson, which Mr. Murray as councilman had urged from the beginning, in their entrance to the church each Sunday singing the processional hymn participated in the funeral service, with a congregation of brethren and friends, all moved by deep love and profound respect for the consistent life and faith of a worthy Churchman and beloved friend.
--DNAH Archives
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For a discussion of Murray and the tune MUELLER, see: Stulken, M.K. (1981). Hymnal companion to the Lutheran Book of Worship. Philadelphia : Fortress Press, p.170.
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Also available in the DNAH Archives:
1. An excerpt from Christie, George A. (1927). New Free Church. In Music in Andover. Papers read at "Fagot Party" of the Andover Natural History Society.
2. Unsourced essay about Murray written soon after his death, likely from Andover, Mass., perhaps authored by Charlotte Helen Abbott.
James R. Murray
Henry Melville King
1838 - 1919 Author of "Onward Roll The Ages" in The Cyber Hymnal King, Henry Melville, D.D., an American Baptist minister, born at Oxford, Maine, Sept. 3, 1838; educated at Bowdoin College, (1859) and Newton Theo. Institution (1862), and entered the ministry in 1862. He was from 1863 to 1882 Pastor of Dudley Street Bap. Church, Roxbury, Mass., and since of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Albany, N.Y. Besides several prose productions, he is the author of the following hymns in common use:—
1. Christ, our Shepherd, leads us still. [Christ the Divine Leader] Dated 1886.
2. Holy Babe, Mary's Son, Calm the night, &c. [Christmas.] Dated 1886, and revised 1891.
3. O Thou, with Whom a thousand years Are but as yesterday. [For Anniversaries]. Dated 1871.
These hymns were included in Sursum Corda, 1898. [Rev. L. F. Benson, D.D.]
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)
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King, Henry Melville. (Oxford, Maine, September 3, 1838--June 16, 1919, Providence, Rhode Island). Baptist. Bowdoin College, 1859 with highest honors; Newton Theological Institution, 1862; Honorary D.Div. from Colby Univeristy, 1877. Pastorates long, few, and conspicuous: 1863-1882, Boston, Massachusetts; 1882-1891, Albany, New York; 1891-1906, at the historic First Baptist Church, Providence, R.I. where he continued as pastor-emeritus until his death. Served as President of the Board of Managers of American Baptist Missionary Union, 1884-1887, and served four years as President of the Rhode Island Baptist Convention.
King, an eighth-generation descendant of John Alden of Plymouth and of Francis Eaton, also of the Mayflower group, loved his native New England. With a great interest in history and biographies, he authored a number of historical papers, pamphlets, sermons, and discourses and was a frequent contributor to denominational journals and reviews, including a history of the First Baptist Church of Providence, R.I.
King wrote a number of occasional hymns, several of which were published by Pond and Co. of New York. These include an Easter hymn, "Sing, O Heavens and Earth Rejoice" and a Christmas hymn, "Angels Sand the Natal Day." The Sursum Corda (1898) included three hymns by king: "Christ, our Shepherd, Leads Us Still" (1886); "Holy Babe, Mary's Son, Calm the Night" (1886) and "O Thou, with Whom a Thousand Years Are But as Yesterday" (1871).
King was also the pastor of another Baptist hymn writer, John M. Hewes.
--Donald A. Spencer, DNAH Archives
Henry Melville King
