Sisters In Song; Women Hymn Writers. Leslie Clay

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СКАЧАТЬ Saturday evenings to read them to the family. By the 1840s, she was already known as a hymn writer, often writing to help the boys’ Sunday school class, which she taught in order to learn Christian doctrine, and her songs were soon included in Church of Ireland hymnbooks. Money from her first publications helped build a school for the deaf in 1846 and her book profits from Hymns for Little Children were donated to the school. This book was so successful, it went through 100 editions. After gaining some success as a writer, she married a much younger man, an Anglican clergyman, Bishop of Derry, in 1850. She loved the people of his parish and loved to go from house to house to visit the sick, poor, and grieving. Her husband said, with some pride, that he would be remembered as Cecil’s husband. Though she was oblivious to the accolades given to her compositions, she could be moved. When told that a man had a change of heart toward God upon hearing her verse, she rose and exclaimed, “Thank God, I do like to hear that.”

      The lyrics to “Once in Royal David’s City” were published in her book, Hymns for Little Children. A year later, this song was set to music. Sung mainly as a Christmas carol today, many diverse performers have recorded it, from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to the rock band, Jethro Tull. In this carol, she tried to teach children why we celebrate Christmas and what it means to us.

      Fanny may have been inspired in part by Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner when she wrote “All Things Bright and Beautiful” in 1848: “He prayeth best, who loveth best; all things great and small; for the dear God who loveth us; he made and loveth all.” The four lines of the refrain were used as the title to four of James Herriot’s books about his life as a veterinarian. Coleridge’s influence nothwithstanding, the primary impetus for this hymn was to help her godson understand the Apostles’ Creed, particularly the phrase, “Maker of heaven and earth. . .” Fanny was a product of her time and place. The last verse today sounds offensive to modern sensibilities as it decrees that our social and economic status is ordained and blessed by God: “The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate. He made them, high or lowly, and ordered their estate.” Most hymnals today have omitted this verse.

      One day, her husband asked her to write a hymn for adults as a basis for a sermon to be delivered on St. Andrew’s Day. She agreed to try and together they read the Bible verses about the calling of Andrew by Jesus. “Jesus Calls Us” was one of the few hymns she wrote for adults. That work was read at the close of her husband’s sermon that Sunday.

      Gloria Adele Shayne Baker

      1923-2008

      “Do You Hear What I Hear?”

      Born in Brookline Massachusetts to a Jewish family, Gloria grew up next door to Joseph and Rose Kennedy and their large family. With her two sisters, she formed a singing trio. Though her birth surname was Shain, she changed the spelling for professional reasons. After getting her degree from the Boston University School of Music, she moved to New York and worked as a pianist, arranger and vocalist for composers like Irving Berlin and Stephen Sondheim. She met Noel Regney while playing a piano in a New York City hotel in 1951. They married that year, but divorced in 1973. Later, she married William Baker. She died of cancer in March 2008.

      In October 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, her then husband, Noel Regney, along with most adults in the United States at the time, was dismayed and pondering the possible destruction of the world. While walking the streets of New York, he saw two babies in strollers—happy, peaceful, and unaware of the pending doom. He was inspired to write the words to “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and asked Gloria to write the music. This was a switch for them, for in most of their collaborations, she wrote the lyrics and he the music. The song has sold tens of millions of records. Bing Crosby, Glen Campbell, Whitney Houston and the U.S. Air Force Symphony Orchestra included it in their repertoire.

      Rita Baloche

      1961-

      “I Will Celebrate”

      Though she may be known mainly for her work with her husband, Paul, also a singer/songwriter, Rita in her own right has written many contemporary songs, including “I Will Celebrate,” “Rock of Ages,” “Sing to the Lord,” “But For Your Grace” and “Arms Open Wide.” The latter song was nominated for a 2005 Dove Award. You can hear her voice on many praise projects by Integrity Music and Marantha! Music. She has also performed background vocals for country singer Leann Rhimes. Rita lives with her husband, Paul, and their three children in Lindale, Texas.

      Katherine Lee Bates

      1859-1929

      “America the Beautiful”

      As the daughter and grand-daughter of Congregational pastors, Katherine grew up with a solid Christian background. She attended Wellesley College, and later joined its faculty as an English professor. This author of many volumes of poetry, travel and children’s books is credited with creating the character of Mrs. Claus in the poem “Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride.” She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.

      The first draft of “America the Beautiful” was hastily written in a notebook in the summer of 1893 when she was teaching English at summer school at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. She wrote: “One day, some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to 14,000-foot Pikes Peak. . . .when I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse . . . . It was then. . . that the opening lines of the hymn floated into my mind.”

      She later said, “Greatness and goodness are not necessarily synonymous. Rome was great, but she was not good. . . . Unless we are willing to crown our greatness with goodness and our bounty with brotherhood, our beloved America may go the same way.” The last verse about gleaming alabaster cities was inspired by her visit to the White City at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago that same summer. She put her finished poem into her notebook, unread. But in 1895, she sent it to a publisher. It caught on quickly with the public. In 1960 America launched its first communications satellite, Echo I. It received and played back the first music used in the new space age: her beautiful hymn.

      Lydia Odell Baxter

      1809-1874

      “Take the Name of Jesus With You (Precious Name)”

      Baptist missionary Eben Tucker is generally credited with helping Lydia Odell and her sister come to Christ. After their conversion, the sisters helped found the local Baptist Church in Petersburg, New York. When Lydia married, she moved from Petersburg to New York City where her home was a center for visiting preachers and evangelists. Her personality was such that people visited her in order to lift their spirits. Christian leaders often met in her home for prayer and Bible study. Though she was ill and homebound most of her adult life, she began to write at about age forty-five and contributed many hymns to collections for Sunday Schools and Evangelistic services. In 1855, she published Gems by the Wayside, a book of devotional poems. She is known as one of the forerunners of the Gospel Hymn movement of America.

      Lydia was captivated by names and loved to discuss the significance of scriptural names with her friends. The name that meant the most to her was Jesus. If she was asked about her cheery attitude in spite of her physical ailments, she would say, “I have a special armor. I have the name of Jesus. When the tempter tries to make me blue or despondent, I mention the name of Jesus, and he can’t get through to me anymore. . . . The СКАЧАТЬ