John (born Johann Ludwig) Vanderhoven (b. Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 1887; d. Grand Rapids, MI, 1974) immigrated to the United States in 1912 and worked at various vocations. He concluded his career as owner of the Sterling Sponge and Chamois Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan (1951-1962). Vanderhoven served as organist in several Christian Reformed congregations, including Burton Heights Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids from 1931 to 1942. A frequent improviser of preludes and offertory music for church, he also composed a number of hymn tunes and anthems.
CRYSTAL is a sturdy melody distinguished by occasional dotted rhythms and a fine climax in the last line (where the harmonization has a moment of Victorian chromaticism). Sing in parts on stanzas 1 and 2 and in unison with the support of bright organ tones on stanza 3. Organists might want to play in the original key of A major as found in earlier editions of the Psalter Hymnal.
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook