THE GREEN HILL (Stebbins)

Composer: George C. Stebbins

Stebbins studied music in Buffalo and Rochester, New York, then became a singing teacher. Around 1869, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, to join the Lyon and Healy Music Company. He also became the music director at the First Baptist Church in Chicago. It was in Chicago that he met the leaders in the Gospel music field, such as George Root, Philip Bliss, & Ira Sankey. At age 28, Stebbins moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he became music director at the Claredon Street Baptist Church; the pastor there was Adoniram Gordon. Two years later, Stebbins became music director at Tremont Temple in Boston. Shortly thereafter, he became involved in evangelism campaigns with Moody and others. Around 1900, Stebbins spent a year as an evangelist in I… Go to person page >

^ top

Tune Information

Title:	THE GREEN HILL (Stebbins)
Composer:	George C. Stebbins (1878)
Meter:	8.6.8.6 with refrain
Incipit:	33343 32135 55433
Key:	E Major
Copyright:	Public Domain

^ top

Texts

There Is a Green Hill Far Away

All texts published with THE GREEN HILL (Stebbins)^ top

Alternative Tunes

More tunes with meter 8.6.8.6 with refrain ^ top

Notes

George Coles Stebbins (b. East Carlton, NY, 1846; d. Catskill, NY, 1945) composed THE GREEN HILL in 1877 to accompany Cecil F. Alexander's hymn “There Is a Green Hill Far Away.” The tune was published in Gospel Hymns No.3 (1878). The slow harmonic rhythm and mostly stepwise melody build to a climax in the last line. This music bears an animated tempo, but organists must be sure to tie over many of the bass tones.

Stebbins grew up on a farm and attended a small country school. At the age of thirteen he enrolled in a singing school and became so enthralled with music that he decided to make it his career. In 1869 he moved to Chicago, where he worked at the Lyon and Healy Music Company and became music director at the First Baptist Church. There he also became acquainted with famous gospel musicians Root (PHH 93), Bliss (PHH 479), and Sankey (PHH 73). In 1874 he moved to Boston and became music director of the Clarendon Baptist Church and later of Tremont Temple Baptist Church.

Associated with Dwight L. Moody and Ira D. Sankey from 1876 until 1899, Stebbins traveled on their evangelism campaigns throughout England and the United States as well as in India, Egypt, and Palestine. Along with Sankey and McGranahan, he edited and published three editions of Gospel Hymns (1878-1891). He also edited The Northfield Hymnal (1904) for Moody's Bible Conference in Massachusetts. Stebbins composed some fifteen hundred songs, many of them under the pseudonym "George Coles." His Reminiscences and Gospel Hymn Stories (1924) are a helpful account of gospel music in the urban revivals of the late nineteenth century.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988

^ top

Timeline

^ top

Piano/Organ

More Piano/Organ...

PowerPoint

More PowerPoint...

Harmonizations, Introductions, Descants, Intonations

Two Hundred One Hymn Tune Prelude Miniatures
Composer/Editor Mark Winchester
Published By: Frog Music (2005) pp. 59

Organ Solo

The Organist's Library Volume 55
Composer/Editor Brian Glyncannon
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (2014) pp. 29
O Sacred head: An Organ Collection for Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter
Composer/Editors Michael Shea; Lucy Ann Warriner
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (2010) pp. 18
Communion Call: Meditations for Organ
Composer/Editors Eugene McCluskey; Brian Glyncannon
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1996) pp. 39
Easy Organ Library Volume 15: A Collection of Organ Voluntaries for Church Use
Composer/Editor Lucy Ann Warriner
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1994) pp. 24
The Organist Volume 97 Number 1 March 1993: A Bi-Monthly Publication for Church Organists
Composer/Editors James Mansfield; Lucy Ann Warriner
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1993) pp. 24
Let Us Break Bread Together: Organ Arrangements for Communion Service
Composer/Editor Harold H. DeCou
Published By: Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc. (1992) pp. 34
The Organ Portfolio Volume 55 Number 3 February 1992: A Bi-Monthly Anthology for Church Organists
Composer/Editors Dorothy Wells; Lucy Ann Warriner
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1992) pp. 9
The Organist's Easter Companion
Composer/Editor Geoffrey R. Lorenz
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1984) pp. 10
The Organ Portfolio Volume 46 Number 3 February 1983: A Bi-Monthly Anthology for Church Organists
Composer/Editors Dorothy Wells; Lani Smith
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1983) pp. 14
Easy Organ Music for Lent and Easter
Composer/Editors Dorothy Wells; Roger C. Wilson
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1982) pp. 18
Gospel Hymn Voluntaries Number 4 for the Organ
Composer/Editor Robert J. Hughes
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1981) pp. 24
Gospel Hymn Voluntaries Number Four: For the Organ
Composer/Editor Robert J. Hughes
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1981) pp. 24
Holy Week Hymns and Classics: Arranged for Organ
Composer/Editor Albin C. Whitworth
Published By: Lillenas Publishing Company (1981) pp. 26
In Sacred Memory: Communion Meditations for Organ
Composer/Editors Eugene McCluskey; Robert J. Hughes
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1980) pp. 8
The Easter Promise: Easy Organ Voluntaries for the Easter Season
Composer/Editors Dorothy Wells; Lani Smith
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1978) pp. 20
The Organist Volume 81 Number 6 January 1978: A Bi-monthly Magazine for Church Organists
Composer/Editors Roger C. Wilson; Robert J. Hughes
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1978) pp. 10
The Organist Volume 82 Number 1 March 1978: A Bi-Monthly Publication for Church Organists
Composer/Editors Roger C. Wilson; Lani Smith
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1978) pp. 34
Emergency Organ Book: For All Occasions
Composer/Editor Dorothy Wells
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1976) pp. 28
Emergency Organ Book for All Occasions: Christmas Palm Sunday
Composer/Editors Dorothy Wells; Robert J. Hughes
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1976) pp. 28
The Organist Volume 79 Number 1 March 1975 Easter Issue: A Bi-Monthly Publication for Church Organists
Composer/Editors Roger C. Wilson; Edward Broughton
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1975) pp. 36
The Amateur Organist No. 68: A Collection of Organ Voluntaries for Church Use
Composer/Editor Robert J. Hughes
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1974) pp. 36
The Amateur Organist Number 68: A Collection of Organ Voluntaries for Church Use
Composer/Editor Robert J. Hughes
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1974) pp. 36
The Organist Volume 78 Number 1 March 1974: A Bi-Monthly Publication for Church Organists
Composer/Editors Roger C. Wilson; Stebbins-Hughes
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1974) pp. 42
The Amateur Organist No. 65: a Collection of Organ Voluntaries for Church Use
Composer/Editor Robert J. Hughes
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1973) pp. 42
The Sunday Morning Organist Volume Five
Composer/Editor Harold H. DeCou
Published By: Singspiration Music, Inc. (1973) pp. 34
Gospel Hymns for Organ: Registered for All Organs
Composer/Editor Ralph Sunden
Published By: Pointer System, Inc. (1968) pp. 32
The Chapel Organist Volume Two: Designed for Worship, Evangelism and the Home
Composer/Editor Norman Johnson
Published By: Singspiration Music, Inc. (1967) pp. 20
The Organ Portfolio Volume 30 Number 3 February 1967: A Bi-Monthly Anthology for Church Organists
Composer/Editors L. N. Porter; Van Denman Thompson
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1967) pp. 82
Portfolio of Easter Voluntaries: For Organ
Composer/Editor Roger C. Wilson
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1966) pp. 16
Clayton's Organ Melodies No. 1: A Collection of Beloved Hymns and Gospel Songs
Composer/Editor Norman J. Clayton
Published By: The Rodeheaver Company (1964) pp. 29
Preludes on Well-Known Hymn Tunes Volume 2: For Organ with Hammond Registration
Composer/Editor Samuel W. Shanko
Published By: Broadman Press (1963) pp. 3
The Organ Portfolio Volume 26 Number 3 February 1963: A Bi-Monthly Magazine for Church Organists
Composer/Editors Ellen Jane Lorenz; Roger C. Wilson
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1963) pp. 59

Piano Solo

Classical Hymn Creations: Solo Piano Arrangements for Worship, Concerts, or Recitals
Composer/Editor Gail Smith
Published By: Lillenas Publishing Company (2003) pp. 25
Creative Keyboard's Complete Church Pianist: Hymn Arrangements for Every Occasion
Composer/Editor Gail Smith
Published By: Creative Keyboard Publications (2000) pp. 146
The Church Pianist Volume 6 Number 4 March April 1990: The Pianist's Companion for the Church Year
Composer/Editors Hugh S. Livingston, Jr.; Mark Weston
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1990) pp. 32
Quiet Time Piano Volume Two Christmas and Easter: Simply Beautiful Arrangements for Private Moments of Inspiration & Relaxation
Composer/Editor Dick Bolks
Published By: Jolica Music (1988) pp. 32
The Gospel Pianist
Composer/Editors Geoffrey R. Lorenz; Robert J. Hughes
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1986) pp. 9
The Church Pianist Volume 1 Number 4 March 1985: The Pianist's Companion for the Church Year
Composer/Editors Hugh S. Livingston, Jr.; Robert J. Hughes
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1985) pp. 11
Piano Hymn Classics Book One: Variations on Sacred Favorites For the Advanced Pianist
Composer/Editor Rene Frank
Published By: Lillenas Publishing Company (1961) pp. 14

Piano and Organ Duet

From Palms to Resurrection: Duets For Organ and Piano
Composer/Editor Lani Smith
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1995) pp. 16
Lorenz's Organ and Piano Duets No. 1
Composer/Editor Ellen Jane Lorenz
Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (1939) pp. 2