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Charles F. Gounod

1818 - 1893 Person Name: Charles F. Gounod, 1818-1893 Scripture: Psalm 43:3 Composer of "LUX FIAT" in Psalter Hymnal (Gray) Charles F. Gounod (b. Paris, France, 1818; d. St. Cloud, France, 1893) was taught initially by his pianist mother. Later he studied at the Paris Conservatory, won the "Grand Prix de Rome" in 1839, and continued his musical training in Vienna, Berlin, and Leipzig. Though probably most famous for his opera Faust (1859) and other instrumental music (including his Meditation sur le Prelude de Bach, to which someone added the Ave Maria text for soprano solo), Gounod also composed church music-four Masses, three Requiems, and a Magnificat. His smaller works for church use were published as Chants Sacres. When he lived in England (1870-1875), Gounod became familiar with British cathedral music and served as conductor of what later became the Royal Choral Society. Bert Polman

John Henry Newman

1801 - 1890 Person Name: J. H. Newman Scripture: Psalm 43:3 Author of "Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom" in The Presbyterian Book of Praise Newman, John Henry , D.D. The hymnological side of Cardinal Newman's life and work is so small when compared with the causes which have ruled, and the events which have accompanied his life as a whole, that the barest outline of biographical facts and summary of poetical works comprise all that properly belongs to this work. Cardinal Newman was the eldest son of John Newman, and was born in London, Feb. 21, 1801. He was educated at Ealing under Dr. John Nicholas, and at Trinity College, Oxford, where he graduated in honours in 1820, and became a Fellow of Oriel in 1822. Taking Holy Orders in 1824, he was for a short time Vice-Principal of St. Alban's Hall, and then Tutor of Oriel. His appointment to St. Mary's, Oxford, was in the spring of 1828. In 1827 he was Public Examiner, and in 1830 one of the Select University Preachers. His association with Keble, Pusey, and others, in what is known as "The Oxford Movement," together with the periodical publication of the Tracts for the Times, are matters of history. It is well known how that Tract 90, entitled Bernards on Certain Passages in the Thirty-nine Articles, in 1841, was followed by his retirement to Littlemore; his formal recantation, in February, 1843, of all that he had said against Rome; his resignation in September of the same year of St. Mary's and Littlemore; and of his formal application to be received into the communion of the Church of Rome, Oct. 8, 1845. In 1848 he became Father Superior of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, at Birmingham; in 1854 Rector of the newly founded Roman Catholic University at Dublin; and in 1858 he removed to the Edgbaston Oratory, Birmingham. In 1879 he was created a Cardinal, and thus received the highest dignity it is in the power of the Pope to bestow. Cardinal Newman's prose works are numerous, and his Parochial Sermons especially being very popular. His Apologia pro Vita Sua, 1864, is a lucid exposition and masterly defence of his life and work. Cardinal Newman's poetical work began with poems and lyrical pieces which he contributed to the British Magazine, in 1832-4 (with other pieces by Keble and others), under the title of Lyra Apostolica. In 1836 these poems were collected and published under the same title, and Greek letters were added to distinguish the authorship of each piece, his being δ. Only a few of his poems from this work have come into use as hymns. The most notable is, "Lead, kindly Light". His Tract for the Times, No. 75, On the Roman Breviary, 1836, contained translations of 14 Latin hymns. Of these 10 were repeated in his Verses on Religious Subjects, 1853, and his Verses on Various Occasions, 1865, and translations of 24 additional Latin hymns were added. Several of these translations are in common use, the most widely known being "Nunc Sancte nobis" ("Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One"). His collection of Latin hymns from the Roman and Paris Breviaries, and other sources was published as Hymni Ecclesiae, in 1838, and again in 1865. His Dream of Gerontius, a poem from which his fine hymn, "Praise to the Holiest in the height," is taken, appeared in his Verses on Various Occasions, in 1868. Cardinal Newman's influence on hymnology has not been of a marked character. Two brilliant original pieces, and little more than half a dozen translations from the Latin, are all that can claim to rank with his inimitable prose. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================= Newman, John Henry, p. 822, ii. He died at Edgbaston, Birmingham, Aug. 11, 1890. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) ============== Newman, Card. J. H., pp. 802, ii.; 1581, ii. The following are also in use at the present time, but, except No. 13, almost exclusively in R. C. collections. The dates in brackets are those given in Newman's Verses, 1868; all thus marked were composed in the Birmingham Oratory at these dates:— i. In the Rambler, 1850. 1. In the far North our lot is cast. [S. Philip Neri.] (1850.) March, 1850, p. 250. In the Birmingham Oratory Hymn Book, 1857 and 1906, it begins, " On Northern coasts," and in the Parochial Hymn Book, 1880, with st. ii. " Founder and Sire! to mighty Rome." 2. The Angel-lights of Christmas morn. [Candlemas.] (1849.) March, 1850, p. 251. 3. There sat a Lady all on the ground. [B. V. M.] (1849.) May, 1850, p. 425. ii. Verses, 1853. 4. All is Divine which the Highest has made. [For an inclement May.] (1850.) 1853, p. 128. 5. Green are the leaves, and sweet the flowers. [May.] (1850.) 1853, p. 125. 6. My oldest friend, mine from the hour. [Guardian Angel] (1853.) 1853, p. 12. 7. The holy monks conceal'd from men. [S. Philip Neri.] (1850.) 1853, p. 134. 8. The one true Faith, the ancient Creed. [The Catholic Faith.] 1853, p. 140. 9. This is the saint of sweetness and compassion. [S. Philip Neri.] 1853, p. 136. Rewritten (1857) as "This is the saint of gentleness and kindness" in the Birmingham Oratory Hymn Book, 1857, No. 49. iii. Birmingham Oratory Hymn Book, 1857. 10. Help, Lord, the souls which Thou hast made. [The Faithful Departed.] (1857.) 1857, No. 76. iv. Birmingham Oratory H. Book, 1862. 11. I ask not for fortune, for silken attire. [S. Philip Neri.] (1857.) 1862, No. 54. 12. Thou champion high. [S. Michael.] (1862.) 1862, No. 41. v. Dream of Gerontius, 1866. 13. Firmly I believe and truly. [The Faith of a Christian.] 1866, p. 9; Verses, 1868, p. 318; The English Hymnal 1906. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907) ----- John Henry Newman was born in London, in 1801. He studied at Trinity College, Oxford, graduating B.A. in 1820, and was subsequently Fellow of Oriel College. In 1825, he became Vice Principal of S. Alban's Hall, and was Tutor of his college for several years. In 1828, he became incumbent of S. Mary's, Oxford, with the chaplaincy of Littlemore. In 1842, he went to preside over a Brotherhood he had established at Littlemore. He was the author of twenty-four of the "Tracts for the Times," amongst them the celebrated Tract No. 90, which brought censure upon its author. In 1845, he left the Church of England and entered the Church of Rome. He was appointed Father Superior of the Oratory of S. Philip Neri, at Birmingham, and in 1854, Rector of the new Roman Catholic University at Dublin, an office he filled till 1858. He has published a large number of works. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872. ====================

John Bacchus Dykes

1823 - 1876 Person Name: J. B. Dykes Scripture: Psalm 43:3 Composer of "LUX BENIGNA" in The Presbyterian Book of Praise As a young child John Bacchus Dykes (b. Kingston-upon-Hull' England, 1823; d. Ticehurst, Sussex, England, 1876) took violin and piano lessons. At the age of ten he became the organist of St. John's in Hull, where his grandfather was vicar. After receiving a classics degree from St. Catherine College, Cambridge, England, he was ordained in the Church of England in 1847. In 1849 he became the precentor and choir director at Durham Cathedral, where he introduced reforms in the choir by insisting on consistent attendance, increasing rehearsals, and initiating music festivals. He served the parish of St. Oswald in Durham from 1862 until the year of his death. To the chagrin of his bishop, Dykes favored the high church practices associated with the Oxford Movement (choir robes, incense, and the like). A number of his three hundred hymn tunes are still respected as durable examples of Victorian hymnody. Most of his tunes were first published in Chope's Congregational Hymn and Tune Book (1857) and in early editions of the famous British hymnal, Hymns Ancient and Modern. Bert Polman

Bob Hurd

b. 1950 Person Name: Bob Hurd (b. 1950) Scripture: Psalm 43:1 Paraphraser of "As the deer longs for running streams" in Church Hymnary (4th ed.)

Louis Bourgeois

1510 - 1561 Scripture: Psalm 43 Composer of "GENEVAN 42" in Psalter Hymnal (Gray) Louis Bourgeois (b. Paris, France, c. 1510; d. Paris, 1561). In both his early and later years Bourgeois wrote French songs to entertain the rich, but in the history of church music he is known especially for his contribution to the Genevan Psalter. Apparently moving to Geneva in 1541, the same year John Calvin returned to Geneva from Strasbourg, Bourgeois served as cantor and master of the choristers at both St. Pierre and St. Gervais, which is to say he was music director there under the pastoral leadership of Calvin. Bourgeois used the choristers to teach the new psalm tunes to the congregation. The extent of Bourgeois's involvement in the Genevan Psalter is a matter of scholarly debate. Calvin had published several partial psalters, including one in Strasbourg in 1539 and another in Geneva in 1542, with melodies by unknown composers. In 1551 another French psalter appeared in Geneva, Eighty-three Psalms of David, with texts by Marot and de Beze, and with most of the melodies by Bourgeois, who supplied thirty four original tunes and thirty-six revisions of older tunes. This edition was republished repeatedly, and later Bourgeois's tunes were incorporated into the complete Genevan Psalter (1562). However, his revision of some older tunes was not uniformly appreciated by those who were familiar with the original versions; he was actually imprisoned overnight for some of his musical arrangements but freed after Calvin's intervention. In addition to his contribution to the 1551 Psalter, Bourgeois produced a four-part harmonization of fifty psalms, published in Lyons (1547, enlarged 1554), and wrote a textbook on singing and sight-reading, La Droit Chemin de Musique (1550). He left Geneva in 1552 and lived in Lyons and Paris for the remainder of his life. Bert Polman

W. O. Perkins

1831 - 1902 Person Name: William O. Perkins Scripture: Psalm 43 Composer of "AMARA" in Psalter Hymnal (Blue) William Oscar Perkins DMus USA 1831-1902. Born at Stockbridge, VT, older brother of Henry, and the son of musical parents (both singers) he was trained musically, primarly by his father. He attended the Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, NH, then studied music in Boston, MA, London, England, and Milan, Italy. He settled in Boston, MA, and founded a music academy, where he taught music. He published a number of hymnals in Boston, then moved to New York City. He was awarded an honorary doctorate of music degree in 1879 by Hamilton College. He wrote 19 books (1861-1897), including a history of the war in South Africa (1900). He published 33 hymnals 1859-1882). In 1870 he published ”The Chorister”, his 400-page music collection for choirs, schools, and conventions. He was an author, composer, editor, compiler, and originator. He died at Boston, MA. John Perry

Craig S. Kingsbury

b. 1952 Person Name: Craig S. Kingsbury b. 1952 Scripture: Psalm 43:1 Arranger of "[Athirst my soul for you, the God who is my life]" in Church Hymnary (4th ed.)

Joseph Gelineau

1920 - 2008 Person Name: JG Scripture: Psalm 43 Composer (Antiphon and Tone) of "[I will go to the altar of God]" in Worship (3rd ed.) Joseph Gelineau (1920-2008) Gelineau's translation and musical settings of the psalms have achieved nearly universal usage in the Christian church of the Western world. These psalms faithfully recapture the Hebrew poetic structure and images. To accommodate this structure his psalm tones were designed to express the asymmetrical three-line/four-line design of the psalm texts. He collaborated with R. Tournay and R. Schwab and reworked the Jerusalem Bible Psalter. Their joint effort produced the Psautier de la Bible de Jerusalem and recording Psaumes, which won the Gran Prix de L' Academie Charles Cros in 1953. The musical settings followed four years later. Shortly after, the Gregorian Institute of America published Twenty-four Psalms and Canticles, which was the premier issue of his psalms in the United States. Certainly, his text and his settings have provided a feasible and beautiful solution to the singing of the psalms that the 1963 reforms envisioned. Parishes, their cantors, and choirs were well-equipped to sing the psalms when they embarked on the Gelineau psalmody. Gelineau was active in liturgical development from the very time of his ordination in 1951. He taught at the Institut Catholique de Paris and was active in several movements leading toward Vatican II. His influence in the United States as well in Europe (he was one of the founding organizers of Universa Laus, the international church music association) is as far reaching as it is broad. Proof of that is the number of times "My shepherd is the Lord" has been reprinted and reprinted in numerous funeral worship leaflets, collections, and hymnals. His prolific career includes hundreds of compositions ranging from litanies to responsories. His setting of Psalm 106/107, "The Love of the Lord," for assembly, organ, and orchestra premiéred at the 1989 National Association of Pastoral Musicians convention in Long Beach, California. --www.giamusic.com

Robert Archibald Smith

1780 - 1829 Person Name: R. A. Smith Scripture: Psalm 43:3-5 Composer of "INVOCATION" in The Presbyterian Book of Praise Although largely self-taught, Robert A. Smith (b. Reading, Berkshire, England, 1780; d. Edinburgh, Scotland, 1829) was an excellent musician. By the age of ten he played the violin, cello, and flute, and was a church chorister. From 1802 to 1817 he taught music in Paisley and was precentor at the Abbey; from 1823 until his death he was precentor and choirmaster in St. George's Church, Edinburgh. He enlarged the repertoire of tunes for psalm singing in Scotland, raised the precentor skills to a fine art, and greatly improved the singing of the church choirs he directed. Smith published his church music in Sacred Harmony (1820, 1825) and compiled a six-volume collection of Scottish songs, The Scottish Minstrel (1820-1824). Bert Polman

Iona Community

Scripture: Psalm 43 Author of "Psalm 43 (A Responsorial Setting)" in Psalms for All Seasons Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian group of men and women based on the small island of Iona off the coast of Scotland. The community began in 1938 when the Rev. George MacLeod of the Church of Scotland began a ministry among the unemployed poor who had been neglected by the church. He took a handful of men to the island to rebuild the ruins of a thousand-year-old abbey church. That rebuilding became a metaphor for the rebuilding of the common life, a return to the belief that daily activity is the stuff of godly service – work, and worship. The Community has since grown to include a group of members, associates, and friends all over the United Kingdom and many other countries. In addition to many conferences that attract people to Iona from around the world, the Community is known for its publishing of new songs and prayers for worship, both developed in community and gathered from around the world. For more information on the Iona Community, check their website: www.iona.org.uk. John Bell is probably the community’s most well-known member, having composed and arranged much of the community’s music. Sing! A New Creation