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John Wesley

1703 - 1791 Person Name: J. Wesley, 1703-91 Translator of "Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me" in Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary John Wesley, the son of Samuel, and brother of Charles Wesley, was born at Epworth, June 17, 1703. He was educated at the Charterhouse, London, and at Christ Church, Oxford. He became a Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, and graduated M.A. in 1726. At Oxford, he was one of the small band consisting of George Whitefield, Hames Hervey, Charles Wesley, and a few others, who were even then known for their piety; they were deridingly called "Methodists." After his ordination he went, in 1735, on a mission to Georgia. The mission was not successful, and he returned to England in 1738. From that time, his life was one of great labour, preaching the Gospel, and publishing his commentaries and other theological works. He died in London, in 1791, in his eighty-eighth year. His prose works are very numerous, but he did not write many useful hymns. It is to him, however, and not to his brother Charles, that we are indebted for the translations from the German. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872 ====================== John Wesley, M.A., was born at Epworth Rectory in 1703, and, like the rest of the family, received his early education from his mother. He narrowly escaped perishing in the fire which destroyed the rectory house in 1709, and his deliverance made a life-long impression upon him. In 1714 he was nominated on the foundation of Charterhouse by his father's patron, the Duke of Buckingham, and remained at that school until 1720, when he went up, with a scholarship, from Charterhouse to Christ Church, Oxford. Having taken his degree, he received Holy Orders from the Bishop of Oxford (Dr. Potter) in 1725. In 1726 he was elected Fellow of Lincoln College, and remained at Oxford until 1727, when he returned into Lincolnshire to assist his father as curate at Epworth and Wroot. In 1729 he was summoned back to Oxford by his firm friend, Dr. Morley, Rector of Lincoln, to assist in the College tuition. There he found already established the little band of "Oxford Methodists" who immediately placed themselves under his direction. In 1735 he went, as a Missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, to Georgia, where a new colony had been founded under the governorship of General Oglethorpe. On his voyage out he was deeply impressed with the piety and Christian courage of some German fellow travellers, Moravians. During his short ministry in Georgia he met with many discouragements, and returned home saddened and dissatisfied both with himself and his work; but in London he again fell in with the Moravians, especially with Peter Bohler; and one memorable night (May 24, 1738) he went to a meeting in Aldersgate Street, where some one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. There, "About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." From that moment his future course was sealed; and for more than half a century he laboured, through evil report and good report, to spread what he believed to be the everlasting Gospel, travelling more miles, preaching more sermons, publishing more books of a practical sort, and making more converts than any man of his day, or perhaps of any day, and dying at last, March 2, 1791, in harness, at the patriarchal age of 88. The popular conception of the division of labour between the two brothers in the Revival, is that John was the preacher, and Charles the hymnwriter. But this is not strictly accurate. On the one hand Charles was also a great preacher, second only to his brother and George Whitefield in the effects which he produced. On the other hand, John by no means relegated to Charles the exclusive task of supplying the people with their hymns. John Wesley was not the sort of man to depute any part of his work entirely to another: and this part was, in his opinion, one of vital importance. With that wonderful instinct for gauging the popular mind, which was one element in his success, he saw at once that hymns might be utilized, not only for raising the devotion, but also for instructing, and establishing the faith of his disciples. He intended the hymns to be not merely a constituent part of public worship, but also a kind of creed in verse. They were to be "a body of experimental and practical divinity." "In what other publication," he asks in his Preface to the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780 (Preface, Oct. 20,1779), "have you so distinct and full an account of Scriptural Christianity; such a declaration of the heights and depths of religion, speculative and practical; so strong cautions against the most plausible errors, particularly those now most prevalent; and so clear directions for making your calling and election sure; for perfecting holiness in the fear of God?" The part which he actually took in writing the hymns, it is not easy to ascertain; but it is certain that more than thirty translations from the German, French and Spanish (chiefly from the German) were exclusively his; and there are some original hymns, admittedly his composition, which are not unworthy to stand by the side of his brother's. His translations from the German especially have had a wide circulation. Although somewhat free as translations they embody the fire and energy of the originals. It has been the common practice, however for a hundred years or more to ascribe all translations from the German to John Wesley, as he only of the two brothers knew that language; and to assign to Charles Wesley all the original hymns except such as are traceable to John Wesley through his Journals and other works. The list of 482 original hymns by John and Charles Wesley listed in this Dictionary of Hymnology have formed an important part of Methodist hymnody and show the enormous influence of the Wesleys on the English hymnody of the nineteenth century. -- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) =================== See also in: Hymn Writers of the Church

Frederick C. Maker

1844 - 1927 Composer of "ST. CHRISTOPHER" in Elmhurst Hymnal Frederick C. Maker (b. Bristol, England, August 6, 1844; d. January 1, 1927) received his early musical training as a chorister at Bristol Cathedral, England. He pursued a career as organist and choirmaster—most of it spent in Methodist and Congregational churches in Bristol. His longest tenure was at Redland Park Congregational Church, where he was organist from 1882-1910. Maker also conducted the Bristol Free Church Choir Association and was a long-time visiting professor of music at Clifton College. He wrote hymn tunes, anthems, and a cantata, Moses in the Bulrushes. Bert Polman

E. R. Latta

1839 - 1915 Person Name: Eden R. Latta, 1839-? Author of "Blessed Be the Fountain" in Revival Hymns and Choruses Rv Eden Reeder Latta USA 1839-1915. Born at Haw Patch, IN, the son of a Methodist minister, (also a boyhood friend of hymn writer Willam A Ogden) he became a school teacher. During the American Civil War he preached for the Manchester Methodist Church and other congregations (possibly as a circuit rider filling empty pulpits). In 1863 he married Mary Elizabeth Wright, and they had five children: Arthur, Robert, Jennie, two others. He taught for the public schools of Manchester, and later Colesburg, IA. He moved to Guttenberg, IA, in the 1890s, and continued writing song lyrics for several major gospel composers, including William Ogden, James McGranahan, James Fillmore, and Edmund Lorenz. He wrote 1600+ songs and hymns, many being widely popular in his day. His older brother, William, composed hymn tunes. He died at Guttenbert, IA. John Perry

St. Joseph the Hymnographer

810 - 886 Author of "O happy band of pilgrims" in The Hymnal Joseph, St., the Hymnographer. A native of Sicily, and of the Sicilian school of poets is called by Dr. Neale (in his Hymns of the Eastern Church), Joseph of the Studium, in error. He left Sicily in 830 for a monastic life at Thessalonica. Thence he went to Constantinople; but left it, during the Iconoclastic persecution, for Rome. He was for many years a slave in Crete, having been captured by pirates. After regaining his liberty, he returned to Constantinople. He established there a monastery, in connection with the Church of St. John Chrysostom, which was filled with inmates by his eloquence. He was banished to the Chersonese for defence of the Icons, but was recalled by the empress Theodora, and made Sceuophylax (keeper of the sacred vessels) in the Great Church of Constantinople, through the favour of the patriarch Ignatius. He stood high also in the favour of Photius, the rival and successor of Ignatius, and accompanied him into banishment. He died at an advanced age in 883. He is commemorated in the Calendars of the Greek Church on April 3rd. He is the most voluminous of the Greek hymnwriters. There are more than two hundred Canons under the acrostic of his name, in the Menaea. Cardinal Pitra says he is reported to have composed a thousand. There is some difficulty in distinguishing his works from those of the brother of Theodore of the Studium, Joseph of Thessalonica. This latter poet, and not the more celebrated Joseph the Hymnographer, was named Joseph of the Studium. [Rev. H. Leigh Bennett, M.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) See also in: Wikipedia

Francis H. Rowley

1854 - 1952 Author of "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story" in Yes, Lord! Rv Francis Harold Rowley DD USA 1854-1952. Born at Hilton, NH, the son of a doctor, he graduated from Rochester University in 1875 and Rochester Theological Seminary of NY in 1878. He married Ida Amelia Babcock in 1878, and they had four children: John, Alice, Charles, and Esmond. He became a Baptist minister, animal welfare campaigner, and hymn writer. He pastored for over 30 years at Titusville, PA, North Adams, MA (1884-1892), Oak Park, IL, Fall River, MA, and the First Baptist Church at Boston, MA, until 1910. He preached at Appleton Chapel, Harvard University. He was also a trustee of the University of Chicago Divinity School (1894-1896). While at North Adams, MA, Peter Bilhorn, a fine musician and his assistant minister, asked him to write a hymn for Bilhorn to set to music. He wrote the hymn text overnight. The hymn was presented to Ira Sankey and he altered the text some before publishing it. Visiting in London, he once heard a Salvation Army band playing his hymn. They had no idea he was nearby. Rowley became aware of dismemberment of animals in slaughter houses across the country and lobbied for the animals to be rendered unconscious before being cut open. From 1892-1900 he was Secretary of the American Humane Association. In 1915, through his influence, a building was made to house the MA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He was president of that organization and of the American Humane Education Society from 1908-1945, and the Angell Memorial Animal Hospital. He was also Chairman of the Animal Protection Committee for the MA Committee on Public Safety and VP of the American Society for the Humane Regulation of Vivisection. In 1947 the Rowley School of Human Understanding was established in his honor. In 1948 the MA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals named the Rowley Memorial Hospital in Springfield, MA, for him. A humanitarian, he also worked with hospitals: Robert Brigham Hospital (for incurables) and N E Baptist Hospital of Boston. He was a member of the advisory council at Yenching University, China; a member of the alumni committee, University of Rochester, NY; member Alpha Delta Phi, Phi Beta Kappa. Rochester University gave him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. He died at Boston, MA. Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, GA, named the Rowley School of Humanities after him. John Perry

Jean Sibelius

1865 - 1957 Person Name: Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) Composer of "FINLANDIA" in Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise Johann Julius Christian [Jean] Sibelius DM Finland 1865-1957. Born at Hameenlinna, Finland, the son of a Swedish-speaking medical doctor, he lost his father to typhoid in 1868, leaving the family in substantial debt. His mother, again pregnant, had to sell their property and move in with her widowed mother. His aunt Julia gave him piano lessons when he was seven on the family upright piano, wrapping him on the knuckles when he played a wrong note. He learned to improvise as he played. His uncle, Pehr Ferdinand Sibelius, was interested in music, especially the violin, and gave Jean a violin when he was 10. As his musical advisor his uncle encouraged him to play and compose music. He played music with sister on piano, brother on cello, and himself on violin. He attended a Finnish-speaking prep school in 1874 and continued his education at the Hameenlinna Normal Lyceum thereafter. Jean also showed a strong interest in nature, frequently walking around the countryside when the family moved to the Loviisa coast for the summer months. In 1881 he took violin lessons from the local bandmaster, and developed a strong interest in violin. He became an accomplished player, and thought of becoming a virtuoso, but realizing he began study too late in life for that, instead opted to compose. He often played music in quartets with neighboring families, adding to his chamber music experience. He took the French form of his name, Jean. He studied law at the Imperial Alexander University in Finland, but showed far more interest in music. He then studied music at the Helsinki Music Institute (now Sibelius Academy) from 1885-1889. The school’s founder, Martin Wegelius, did much to support education development in Finland and gave Sibelius his first lessons in composition. Another teacher,,Ferruccio Busoni, a pianist-composer, helped him as well and became a life-long friend. Other friends, pianist Adolf Paul, and conductor-to-be, Armas Jarnefelt, also helped him. In 1892 he married Armas ‘s sister, Aino Jarnefelt, daughter of General Alexander Jarnefelt, governor of Vaasa. They had six daughters, Eva, Ruth, Kirsti, Katarina, Margareta, and Heidi. He continued his musical studies in Berlin (1889-1890) with Albert Becker, and in Vienna (1890-1891) with Robert Fuchs and Karl Goldmark. In Berlin he had opportunity to attend concerts and operas. In Vienna he turned to orchestral composition and had much success, although he had gallstone surgery during that period. He also traveled to the UK, France, Germany, and the USA during this time in his life, composing, conducting, and socializing. In 1892 he took on teaching assignments at the Music Institute and at Kajanus’s conducting school, but this left him with little time for composing. Sibelius’ works were more and more appreciated in Helsinki concert halls as he composed and conducted symphonies in the mid-1890s. In 1898 he was awarded a substantial grant, initially for 10 years, and later extended for life, allowing him to concentrate on composition. Much of his music became popular in Finland and in Germany. In 1899 he began work on his first symphony. It went well, but other patriotic music hehad composed did even better, since Russia was trying to restrict the powers of the Grand Duchy of Finland. In 1900 Sibelius went on an international tour with Kajanus and his orchestra, presenting his recent works. In 1901 he wrote his second symphony, which received rave reviews. He continued to compose as he became popular and well-known. In 1903 he had a new home built near Lake Tuusula north of Helsinki, calleed Ainola (after his wife). He gave concerts in and around Finland, spending more and more time away from home, to the chagrin of his wife. After a time he returned home and composed from there. He spent much time wining and dining in Helsinki, and it had a disastrous effect on his wife, who finally entered a sanitorium. He resolved again to give up drinking and concentrate on composing his 3rd symphony. He met Gustav Mahler in Helsinki and they became friends. He performed his 3rd symphony in St Petersburg, Russia. In 1907 he underwent a serious operation for suspected throat cancer, and spent time in the hospital in 1908. His smoking and drinking had now become life-threatening. He cancelled concerts for Rome, Warsaw, and Berlin, but kept one in London. His health deteriorated further, And his brush with death inspired him to compose his 4th symphony. In 1909 his successful throat operation resulted in renewed happiness for him and his wife, Aino. He continued conducting concerts, and met Claude Debussy, who further encouraged his musical efforts. He began working on his 4th symphony in 1910, but had to write other music to compensate for dwindling funds. He finished his 4th symphony in Berlin and conducted concerts in Sweden in 1911. In 1912 he completed short orchestral works. Over the next several years he continued producing a variety of pieces of music, well-received, especially in America. He was given an honorary DM degree from Yale University and also another from the University of Helsinki about the same time. WW1 interrupted his music royalties in 1915, and he was forced to compose smaller works for publication to make ends meet. He completed his 5th symphony at age 50, but he was dissatisfied with it and reworked it three times In 1917 he starting drinking again, triggering arguments with his wife. The Russian Revolution in 1917 caused an improvement in their personal relationship, and he wrote his ‘Jager March’ to celebrate Finnish independence from Russia. The next year the Finnish Civil War began, putting a damper on his march. In 1919, after the war, he completed his 6th symphony. In 1920 George Eastman , of Eastman Kodak, asked him to teach for a year in New York, but he declined. He did enjoy a trip conducting several concerts in England in 1921. He premiered his 6th symphony in 1923. In 1924 he completed his 7th symphony. The next year he composed a number of small pieces. He began drinking again. He did write a few more major works, but for the last thirty years of his life he avoided publicly talking about his music. He tried to write an 8th symphony, but was unsatisfied with it and burned the scores. In fact, he burned a laundry basket full of music he had written, to the chagrin of his wife. But, afterward, he became calmer and gradually had a lighter mood. In 1935 he was awarded the Goethe-Metal, with a certificate signed by Adolf Hitler. A Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939 was repelled, but Finland gave up territory to Russia as a result. In 1941 Sibelius and his wife returned to their Finland home, Ainola, after a long absence. He did not compose much the last few years, and died at Ainola. His wife outlived him by 12 years. John Perry

George P. Simmonds

1890 - 1991 Person Name: George P. Simmonds, 1890-1991 Translator of "Tell Me the Story of Jesus (Dime la historia de Cristo)" in Santo, Santo, Santo Used pseudonyms G Paul S., J. Paul Simon, and J. Pablo Símon

William Gardiner

1770 - 1853 Person Name: William Gardiner, 1770-1853 Composer (attributed to) of "FULDA" in Together in Song William Gardiner (b. Leicester, England, 1770; d. Leicester, 1853) The son of an English hosiery manufacturer, Gardiner took up his father's trade in addition to writing about music, composing, and editing. Having met Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven on his business travels, Gardiner then proceeded to help popularize their compositions, especially Beethoven's, in England. He recorded his memories of various musicians in Music and Friends (3 volumes, 1838-1853). In the first two volumes of Sacred Melodies (1812, 1815), Gardiner turned melodies from composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven into hymn tunes in an attempt to rejuvenate the singing of psalms. His work became an important model for American editors like Lowell Mason (see Mason's Boston Handel and Haydn Collection, 1822), and later hymnbook editors often turned to Gardiner as a source of tunes derived from classical music. Bert Polman

Carl Maria von Weber

1786 - 1826 Person Name: C. M. von Weber Composer of "JEWETT" in Evangelical Lutheran hymnal Carl Maria von Weber; b. 1786, Oldenburg; d. 1826, London Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal, 1908

Richard Mant

1776 - 1848 Translator of "At the cross her station keeping" in The Hymnal Mant, Richard D.D., son of the Rev. Richard Mant, Master of the Grammar School, Southampton, was born at Southampton, Feb. 12, 1776. He was educated at Winchester and Trinity, Oxford (B.A. 1797, M.A., 1799). At Oxford he won the Chancellor's prize for an English essay: was a Fellow of Oriel, and for some time College Tutor. On taking Holy Orders he was successively curate to his father, then of one or two other places, Vicar of Coggeshall, Essex, 1810; Domestic Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury, 1813, Rector of St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, London. 1816, and East Horsley, 1818, Bishop of Killaloe, 1820, of Down and Connor, 1823, and of Dromore, 1842. He was also Bampton Lecturer in 1811. He died Nov. 2, 1848. His prose works were numerous, and although now somewhat obsolete, they were useful and popular in their day. His poetical works, and other works which contain poetical pieces, are:— (1) The Country Curate, 1804; (2) Poems in three Parts, 1806; (3) The Slave, 1807; (4) The Book of Psalms in an English Metrical Version, &c, 1824; (5) The Holydays of the Church; or Scripture Narratives of Our Blessed Lord's Life and Ministry, and Biographical Notices of the Apostles, Evangelists, and Other Saints, with Reflections, Collects, and Metrical Sketches, vol. i., 1828; vol. ii., 1831; (6) The Gospel Miracles in a series of Poetical Sketches, &c., 1832; (7) The British Months, 2 vols., 1836; (8) Ancient Hymns from the Roman Breviary, for Domestick Use. . . .To which are added Original Hymns, principally of Commemoration and Thanksgiving for Christ's Holy Ordinances, 1837: new ed., 1871. (9) The Happiness of the Blessed Dead, 1847. Bishop Mant is known chiefly through his translations from the Latin. He was one of the earliest of the later translators, I. Williams and J. Chandler being his contemporaries. Concerning his translations, Mr. Ellerton, in his Notes on Church Hymns, 1881, p. xlviii. (folio ed.), says justly that:— "Mant had little knowledge of hymns, and merely took those of the existing Roman Breviary as he found them: consequently he had to omit many, and so to alter others that they have in fact become different hymns: nor was he always happy in his manipulation of them. But his book has much good taste and devout feeling, and has fallen into undeserved neglect." His metrical version of the Psalms has yielded very few pieces to the hymnals, the larger portion of his original compositions being from his work of 1837. The most popular of these is "Come Holy Ghost, my soul inspire, Spirit of," &c, and its altered forms; "Bright the vision that delighted," and its altered form of "Round the Lord in glory seated;" and "For all Thy saints, O Lord." His hymns in common use which are not annotated under their respective first lines are:— i. From his Metrical Version of the Psalms, 1824. 1. God, my King, Thy might confessing. Ps. cxlv. 2. Lord, to Thee I make my vows. Ps. xxvii. 3. Blessed be the Lord most High. Ps. xxviii. Pt. ii. 4. My trust is in the highest Name. Ps. xi. 5. Reign, Jehovah, King supreme. Ps. xcix. 6. Thy listening ear, O Lord, incline. Ps. Ixxxvi. 7. To God my earnest voice I raise. Ps. cxlii. 8. To Jehovah hymn the lay. Ps. cxviii. Two centos in Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book, 1866. (1) st. i., ii., v.; and (2) "Thee, Jehovah, will I bless" from st. vii.-x. ii. From his Holydays of the Church, &c, 1828-31. 9. Lo, the day the Lord hath made. Easter. 10. There is a dwelling place above. All Saints. iii. From his Ancient Hymns, &c, 1837. 11. Before Thy mercy's throne. Lent. 12. Father of all, from Whom we trace. Unity. 13. For these who first proclaimed Thy word. Apostles. 14. No! when He bids me seek His face. Holy Communion. 15. Oft as in God's own house we sit. Divine Worship. 16. Put off thy shoes, 'tis holy ground. The House of God . 17. Saviour of men, our Hope [Life] and Rest. The Greater Festivals. 18. Thy House each day of hallowed rest. Holy Communion. 19. We bless Thee for Thy Church, 0 Lord. Thanksgiving for the Church. 26. We deem and own it, Lord, a proof. Divine Grace. When all Bishop Mant's translations of original hymns, and versions of the Psalms in common use are taken into account, it is found that he is somewhat strongly represented in modern hymnody. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ==================== http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Mant