The Gospel Songs of Eliza Edmunds Hewitt

     NOTE:  One great way for Bible-believing homeschool families to provide music in their curriculum is to study the great hymns and gospel songs by which we praise God and edify one another.

THE GOSPEL SONGS OF ELIZA EDMUNDS HEWITT

By Wayne S. Walker

      Eliza Edmunds Hewitt was born on June 28, 1851, in Philadelphia, PA, the second child, and the first daughter of Capt. James Stratton Hewitt and Zeruiah Stites Edmunds Hewitt. Sometimes her name is given as Eliza Jane Hewitt.  Her cousin, Edgar Page Stites, was also a hymn writer.  Educated in the Philadelphia public schools and graduated from the Girl’s Normal School as a valedictorian, she became a school teacher for a number of years and also served on the staff at the Northern Home for Friendless Children. While teaching school one day, she was trying to correct an incorrigible boy, who struck her across the back with a heavy slate, thus giving her a severe injury.  As a result, she became an invalid for an extended period of her life.

After the injury, Eliza was placed in a heavy cast for six months.  Following her confinement, the doctor let Eliza go for a short walk in nearby Fairmount Park on a warm spring day. Her heart overflowing with joy for her recovery, she returned home and penned one of her first and best-known hymns, “There’s Sunshine In My Soul Today.” Out of this experience she developed a desire to share her feelings with others through writing poetry and became a prolific writer of children’s verses.  Various musicians began setting her words to music. Some of her children’s poems came to the attention of composer John Robson Sweney (1837-1899).  Sweney produced several well-known melodies, such as that used with Fanny Crosby’s “Tell Me the Story of Jesus.” As a result of this initial contact, Sweney and Mrs. Hewitt collaborated on many well-known hymns, including “More About Jesus.”

In her later years, Eliza’s physical condition greatly improved, and she was able to be even more active in her writing. Another well-known Hewitt-Sweney collaboration included in many of our books is “Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown?” Also, she provided texts for Kirkpatrick, Bentley DeForest Ackley, Charles Hutchinson Gabriel, Edmund Simon Lorenz, and Homer A. Rodeheaver, occasionally using a pseudonym such as “Lidie H. Edmunds.” Originally a member of the Olivet Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, when she moved to another section of the city she joined the Calvin Presbyterian Church, where she taught the primary class in Sunday school until her death in Philadelphia on Apr. 4, 1920.  Most of Mrs. Hewitt’s best known songs seem to focus on Jesus.

More About Jesus

She wrote about knowing Jesus, as in “More About Jesus.”   The tune (Sweney). was composed by John Robson Sweney (1837-1899).  The song was first published in Glad Hallelujahs co-edited by Sweney in 1887 with William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921). Kirkpatrick also given us many famous melodies, including the one used with Fanny Crosby’s “Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It.”   In this song, we are told that the Holy Spirit reveals to us several things about Jesus Christ in the scriptures.

I. According to stanza 1, we learn of His grace
“More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love Who died for me.”
A. Paul commends us to the word of God’s grace which is able to build us up: Acts 20.32
B. The result of this grace is the saving fullness of Christ: Eph. 2.8
C. And God’s grace is manifested through the love of Christ who died for us: 1 Jn. 3.16

II. According to stanza 2, we learn of His holy will
“More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to me.”
A. Christ came to do God’s will, and we must determine to do His will also: Heb. 10.9-10
B. But how do we know God’s will? The Spirit is our teacher: Jn. 16.13
C. And how do we learn God’s will from the Spirit today? By the word revealed to inspired apostles and prophets: Eph. 3.3-5, 6.17

III. According to stanza 3, we learn about His word
“More about Jesus; in His Word,
Holding communion with my Lord;
Hearing His voice in every line,
Making each faithful saying mine.”
A. It is through the word that we can come into a right relationship with the Lord and have communion with Him: 1 Pet. 2.1-2
B. It is through the word that we hear His voice: Matt. 17.5
C. And it is through the word that we can make each faithful saying ours by obedience: Heb. 5.8-9

IV. According to stanza 4, we learn about His coming
“More about Jesus; on His throne,
Riches in glory all His own;
More of His kingdom’s sure increase;
More of His coming, Prince of Peace.”
A. The word tells us that Jesus is now on His throne in heaven: Acts 2.30-32
B. The word also tells us that His kingdom increases whenever lost souls are saved and translated into it: Col. 1.13
C. But the word also tells us that He shall return from heaven, and so we need to be waiting and preparing for Him: Phil. 3.20-21

CONCL.: The chorus echoes the desire that each of us should have to know more about Jesus through His word.
“More, more about Jesus,
More, more about Jesus;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love Who died for me.”
So the Holy Spirit, as the third member of the Godhead, is important to us because it is through His revelation of the scriptures that we can learn “More About Jesus.”

My Faith Has Found A Resting Place

Miss Hewitt wrote about faith in Jesus, as in “My Faith Has Found A Resting Place.”  The tune (No Other Plea, Landas, or Norse Air) is usually identified as a Norwegian folk melody originally with the words “The Hardy Norseman’s House of Yore.” It has been attributed to Belgian opera composer Andre Ernest Modeste Gretry (1741-1813).  The arrangement for use with the hymn was made by William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1920). The song first appeared in Songs of Joy and Gladness, No. 2 published around 1890 or 1891 which Kirkpatrick compiled for McDonald, Gill and Co. of Boston, MA, and Chicago, IL. Apparently it did not appear in any other collections until the Plymouth Brethren’s 1944 Choice Hymns of the Faith. It is not in many of the older denominational hymnbooks that I have in my collection, but it is found in a large number of the newer ones.

A great-nephew of Eliza Edmunds Hewitt contacted me as a result of an internet search on his great aunt in which he came across some of the posts that I have done on her hymns. He told me, “I am in the process of preparing a small biography about her.” He also said, “For me this began as an effort to gather historical information on her. I have found and visited the places that she lived and worshiped for example. I have gained very little factual information other than what I have from my family sources (which are pretty good). But what I did not anticipate was the spiritual journey that I have taken as I began to study her music and hear stories about the impact that her music has had on people….I believe that ‘My Faith Has Found A Resting Place’ is the best statement of faith that exists in hymns.” I concur with his sentiment. It is my opinion that perhaps the song was not found in many older denominational hymnbooks because it is somewhat anti-denominational in nature. However, as people eventually became tired of denominational dogmatism and sought for a better, more solid basis for their religious convictions, the song was seen as an expression of that spirit and was included in the more recent denominational hymnbooks. However, it expresses ideas that we who have been calling for a complete return to Bible ways for years have proclaimed.   A few of the newer books have some alterations which I believe were made by Fred Bock for his Hymns for the Family of God.  To make it a little more palatable to the modern ecumenical spirit, these dchanges seem somewhat to “soften” the direct tone of original, which I think is better and therefore personally prefer to the newer version.  This song emphasizes the fact that Jesus Christ as the only basis for our faith.

1. Stanza 1 says that Jesus lives
   “My faith has found a resting place,

Not in device nor creed;
I trust the ever living One,

His wounds for me shall plead.
(the altered version says, “Not in a man-made creed…

“That He for me will plead”)
A. Our faith can find a resting place in Christ because He offers us rest: Matt. 11.28-30, Heb. 4.3
B. Therefore, our faith must be in Him, not in any device, creed, or other expression of human wisdom: 1 Cor. 2.1-5
C. “His wounds for me shall plead” is simply the poet’s way of saying that it is because Jesus died for our sins He now is able to make intercession for us: Heb. 7.25

II. Stanza 2 says that Jesus saves
“Enough for me that Jesus saves,

This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,

He’ll never cast me out.”
(the altered version says, “He will not cast me out”)
A. Because Jesus saves, He alone can remove all fear and doubt: 2 Tim. 1.7, 1 Jn. 4.18
B. What causes fear and doubt is our sin, and all of us come to Him as sinful souls: Rom. 3.23
C. But He has promised to all who come to Him in simple faith, humble repentance, and submissive obedience that He will never cast them out: Jn. 6.37

III. Stanza 3 says that Jesus leads
“My heart is leaning on the Word,

The written Word of God;
Salvation by my Savior’s name,

Salvation through His blood.”
(the altered version says, “My soul is resting on the word,

The living Word of God;
Salvation in my Savior’s name”)
A. The means by which Jesus leads us is the written word of God; it is true that God’s word is living and powerful, but we must remember that the means by which God chose to reveal that word to us is in writing: Heb. 4.12, 2 Pet. 1.12-15 & 3.1
B. The written word reveals to us that salvation is only in the name of Jesus: Acts 4.12
C. And it reveals to us that salvation is only through His blood: Rom. 5.8-10

IV. Stanza 4 says that Jesus heals
“The great Physician heals the sick,

The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,

For me His life He gave.”
A. The healing of the sick here refers to the spiritual man because the purpose for which Jesus came was to seek and save the lost: Lk. 19.10, 1 Tim. 1.15
B. Therefore, He shed His precious blood for us: Matt. 26.28
C. In other words, He gave His life for us that we might have life in Him: 1 Jn. 3.16

CONCL.: The chorus the points out that we need nothing other than what Jesus provides for us:
“I need no other argument,

I need no other plea;
It is enough that Jesus died

And that He died for me.”
(the altered version reads, “And rose again for me).
With this sentiment, I am surprised that this hymn has not been found in more of our hymnbooks. As I look around at all the religious confusion in the world, I need to remember that in Jesus Christ alone “My Faith Has Found A Resting Place.”

There’s A Pardon Full And Sweet

Miss Hewitt wrote about pardon through Jesus as in “There’s A Pardon Full And Sweet.” The tune was composed by Edwin Othello Excell (1851-1921). The song was first published in his 1894 Triumphant Songs No. 3. The copyright was renewed in 1922 by the Hope Publishing Co. Other well known melodies by Excell include those for “Count Your Blessings,” “In the Shadow of His Wings,” “Jesus Bids Us Shine,” “Let Him In,” and “Since I Have Been Redeemed.”  The song suggests that for those who come to the Lord in faith there will be pardon and welcome.

1. Stanza 1 refers to a pardon for past sin
   “There’s a pardon full and sweet,

‘Tis for you, ’tis for me;
Blessed rest at Jesus’ feet,

‘Tis for you and me.”
A. Pardon refers to forgiveness of all past sins: Eph. 1.7
B. This pardon is full and sweet because God has promised to forgive any and all sin: Mk. 3.28
C. Those who come to Jesus for this pardon will find rest: Matt. 11.28-30

II. Stanza 2 refers to help for the present time
“There’s a help for every day,

‘Tis for you, ’tis for me;
Joy and blessing by the way, ‘

Tis for you and me.”
A. For those who have been pardoned, Jesus promises to be their helper so that they do not need to fear what man might do to them: Heb. 13.6
B. They can find joy in Christ: Phil. 4.4
C. Indeed, they can have all spiritual blessings in Christ: Eph. 1.3

III. Stanza 3 refers to hope for the future
“There’s a robe of snowy white,

‘Tis for you, ’tis for me;
There’s a home of glory bright,

‘Tis for you and me.”
A. God has promised that those who have been pardoned through Jesus’s blood will wear robes of white: Rev. 7.13-14
B. The Lord is preparing them a home: Jn. 14.1-3
C. When they reach that home, they will dwell in the glory of God: Heb. 2.10

CONCL.: The chorus points out that we must believe and seek the Lord’s salvation.
“All for you, if you believe, If salvation you receive;
There’s a welcome, warm and true, All for you, all for me.”
The Lord extends His invitation for all mankind to come to Him to receive forgiveness of sins. The church makes this invitation known through the preaching of the gospel of Christ. We sing invitation songs to encourage those who are lost to accept the Lord’s invitation by faith and obedience. In all of this the aim is to let a lost and dying world know that “There’s A Pardon Full and Sweet.”

For Christ and the Church

Miss Hewitt wrote about the church established by Jesus, as “For Christ and the Church.”   The tune was composed by WIlliam James Kirkpatrick (1883-1921). The song was first published in 1890 but I have not been able to locate any information as to the origin of publication.  The song mentions some things that each Christian should do for the Lord and for His body.

1. Stanza 1 tells us to let our voices ring
   “’For Christ and the church’ let our voices ring;
   Let us honor the name of our own blessed King.
   Let us work with a will in the strength of youth,
   And loyally stand for the kingdom of truth.”
   A. The reason that we need to let our voices ring is to honor the name of our King: Jn. 5:23
   B. However, we honor Him not only by our voices but also by working for His cause: Jn. 9:4
   C. Thus, honoring Christ also means standing loyally for His kingdom, which is His church: Matt. 16:18-19
2. Stanza 2 tells us to make our earnest prayer
   “’For Christ and the church” be our earnest prayer;
   Let us follow His banner, the cross daily bear.
   Let us yield, wholly yield, to the gospel’s power,
   And serve faithfully every day, every hour.”
   A. We should pray for God’s help to bear the cross: Matt. 16:24
   B. We should pray for God’s help to yield wholly to the gospel’s power as servants of obedience unto righteousness: Rom. 6:16-18
   C. We should pray for God’s help to serve Him faithfully every day and hour: Rev. 2:10

III. Stanza 3 tells us to make willing offerings
“’For Christ and the church’ willing offerings make,
Time and talents and gold for the dear Master’s sake;
We will render the best we can bring to Him,
The heart’s wealth of love that will never grow dim.”
A. These offerings include time, talents, and, yes, even gold: 1 Cor. 16:1-2
B. The amount is not really important; the important thing is that we give God the best that we can bring by first giving ourselves: 2 Cor. 8:5, 9:6-7
C. The motivation behind such giving is that we love Him with all our hearts: Matt. 22:37

IV. Stanza 4 tells us to cast aside all hindrances
“’For Christ and the church’ let us cast aside,
By conquering grace, chains of self, fear, and pride;
May our lives be enriched by an aim so grand,
Then happy the call to the Savior’s right hand.”
A. To grow spiritually in Christ, we must lay aside all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking: 1 Pet. 2:1-2
B. Having put such things away, we must then keep our minds on the grand aim or goal toward which the Lord points us: Phil. 3:12-14
C. By doing this, we meet God’s conditions upon which we can have the hope of being called to the Savior’s right hand and hearing Him say, “Well done”: Matt. 24:21

CONCL.: The chorus reemphasizes the importance of both Christ, our Redeemer, and the church, His bride.
“For Christ, our dear Redeemer,
For Christ, the crucified;
For the church His blood hath purchased,
The church, His holy bride.”
While doing some research on this song, I came across a blog in which comments were made about various hymns that have been sung among churches of Christ. One wrote, “I’ve been wondering, When we sing ‘For Christ and the “Church” let our voices ring,’ is this scriptual? I’m thinking of the word church. What is the new Testament Church? Have I gone off the deep end by micro- analyzing? Who knows.” Someone responded in agreement, saying, “Well, I been thinking about something…that anything that takes our attention away from God is idolatry. And, I’m inclined to agree. So if the church is between us and God, where does that put us? I ain’t downgrading the church, you hear, just wondering if some of our BLIND dedication to the church at Large, (I think thats somewhere in Minnesota, by the way), doesn’t stem back to our Catholic background. You all take it from here.” Here are my thoughts. I certainly agree that anything which comes between us and God is idolatry, and it is quite possible for a person to have an unscriptural view of the church that makes blind devotion to it more important than actually serving God. However, I do NOT see that in the song at all. Rather, the emphasis is actually on Christ as our Redeemer and the church as His bride, the kingdom of truth.  At the same time, it is simply impossible to have a relationship with the Head, who is Christ, apart from being in His body, which is the church. Someone else replied with a different, and I think appropriate, thought, noting, ““For Christ and the Church let our voices ring; Let us honor the name of our own blessed King.’ I really wonder what motive has led to this great song of praise which cries out for unity being omitted from Songs of Faith and Praise and other newer ‘praise’ oriented hymnals.  When sung with enthusiasm and faith, it moves the heart: ‘For Christ, our dear Redeemer! For Christ, the Crucified! For the Church his blood has purchased, the church, his holy bride.’ Maybe it was ruined by bad songleaders or maybe cynical, burned believers don’t want to be reminded that Christ purchased the church, to which all the saved belong. Maybe it’s just a copyright problem. It’s still a shame it’s not in more of the newer hymnals.” Since the song has been in the public domain for many, many years, I would guess that maybe the problem is cynical folks who no longer believe that Christ purchased the church to which all the saved belong. In any event, scriptural teaching emphasizes that true believers will dedicate themselves to living “For Christ and the Church.”

A Blessing In Prayer

     Miss Hewitt wrote about prayer in the name of Jesus, as in “A Blessing In Prayer.” The tune was composed by William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921). Some books give a copyright date of 1889, but the song was first published in the 1887 Glad Hallelujahs compiled by Kirkpatrick and John Robson Sweney (although sometimes new songs were added in later editions of such books).   The song suggests several reasons why prayer can be such a blessing.

1. According to the first stanza, prayer brings us rest to our souls
   “There is rest, sweet rest, at the Master’s feet,

There is favor now at the mercy seat,
For atoning blood has been sprinkled there,

There is always a blessing, a blessing in prayer.”
A. Jesus invites us to come to Him for rest: Matt. 11.28-30
B. The reason that we can find rest in Christ is because He is our “mercy seat”, antitypical of the covering of the ark of the covenant
which symbolized God’s presence among the people of Israel: Exo. 25.17-22, Lev. 16.1-16
C. Just as the blood of a goat was brought to the Old Testament mercy seat to make atonement for the people, so Jesus’s blood was shed to make atonement for all mankind: Heb. 9.11-14. Thus, in many hymns, the term “mercy seat” is often used, figuratively and poetically, for prayer as the means by which we can approach God through the atoning blood of Christ.

II. According to the second stanza, prayer brings us grace to help in our needs
“There is grace to help in our time of need,

For our Friend above is a friend indeed;
We may cast on Him every grief and care;

There is always a blessing, a blessing in prayer.”
A. Because of the atoning blood of Christ, we can go through Him as our High Priest to find grace to help in time of need: Heb. 4.14-16
B. Therefore, we can be assured that He will always be there for us as a Friend in time of need: Jn. 15.13-15
C. And as a result of this, we may cast all our burdens and cares on Him: Psa. 55.22, 1 Pet. 5.7

III. According to the third stanza, prayer brings us equanimity in our minds
“When our songs are glad with the joy of life,

When our hearts are sad with its ills and strife,
When the powers of sin would the soul ensnare,

There is always a blessing, a blessing in prayer.”
A. Sometimes our lives are such that we are filled with songs of joy: Ps. 95.1-7; expressing thanks to God in prayer can increase our gladness
B. Other times our lives are such that we are sad because of ills and strife: Ps. 4.1-8; calling upon God in prayer can comfort us in our trials
C. And at all times we face temptations which would ensnare our souls: Jas. 1.13-15; going to God in prayer can give us strength to resist the evil one

IV. According to the fourth stanza, prayer brings us peace in our hearts
“There is perfect peace though the wild waves roll,

There are gifts of love for the seeking soul,
Till we praise the Lord in His home so fair,

There is always a blessing, a blessing in prayer.”
A. God offers perfect peace to those who have the kind of relationship with Him where they can make their requests known to Him in prayer: Isa. 26.3, Phil. 4.6-7
B. Thus, through prayer we can receive gifts from God which demonstrate His love for us as a Father for His children: Matt. 7.7-12
C. And we can have this access to God in prayer as long as this life remains, while we look forward to that time when we shall praise Him in His home so fair: Rom. 5.1-2, Eph. 2.14-18

CONCL.: The chorus continues to remind us of the wonderful privileges that the child of God has in prayer:
“There’s a blessing in prayer, in believing prayer,

When our Savior’s name to the throne we bear;
Then a Father’s love will receive us there:

There’s always a blessing, a blessing in prayer.”
There should never be a time in our lives when we cannot go to God and talk with our heavenly Father. Hence, may we always remember that no matter what may happen to us in this life, there is always “A Blessing In Prayer.”

Who Will Follow Jesus?

Miss Hewitt wrote about following Jesus as in “Who Will Follow Jesus?” The tune for “Who Will Follow Jesus?” was composed by William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921).  The song was copyrighted in 1891, but its first appearance may not have been until 1912 when it was published by the John C. Church Co.  The song suggests several specific situations in which we must make sure that we are following Jesus.

I. Stanza 1 says that we should follow Jesus in the fight for right
“Who will follow Jesus, standing for the right,
Holding up His banner in the thickest fight?
Listening for His orders, ready to obey,
Who will follow Jesus, serving Him today?”
A. Jesus wants us to stand: 1 Cor. 16.13
B. The reason that we need to stand for the right is that we are fighting the good fight of the faith: 1 Tim. 6.12
C. Because He is our commander who has the right to give us our orders, we must be ready to obey Him: Heb. 5.8-9

II. Stanza 2 says that we should follow Jesus even when we are busy in life’s ways
“Who will follow Jesus in life’s busy ways,
Working for the Master, giving Him the praise;
Earnest in His vineyard, honoring His laws,
Faithful to His counsel, watchful for His cause?”
A. We all have various responsibilities in life towards our families, jobs, communities, and other relationships, but we should never use these as excuses not to follow Jesus by being earnest workers in His vineyard: Matt. 20.1-16
B. Those who are earnest workers in His vineyard are those who are being faithful to His cause: Rev. 2.10
C. In order to accomplish this purpose, we must be watchful for His cause: Matt. 26.41

III. Stanza 3 says that we should follow Jesus when we are tempted by the devil
“Who will follow Jesus when the tempter charms,
Fleeing then for safety to the Savior’s arms;
Trusting in His mercy, trusting in His power,
Seeking fresh renewals of His grace each hour.”
A. The tempter, of course, is the devil who entices us to do evil: Matt. 4.3, 2 Cor. 11.3
B. When we face temptations, we can flee to the Savior’s arms because He promises that He will provide a way of escape: 1 Cor. 10.13
C. To do this, we must trust in His mercy and His power to aid us: Heb. 2.16-18

IV. Stanza 4 says that we should follow Jesus in His work of love
“Who will follow Jesus in His work of love,
Leading others to Him, lifting prayers above?
Courage, faithful servant! In His word we see,
On our side forever will this Savior be.”
A. Jesus has a work for His people to do, and we need to follow Him in it: Eph. 2.10
B. This work involves leading others to Him even as we lift our prayers above: 2 Tim. 2.2
C. It will take courage, but as long as we do His work the Lord has promised to be with us: Matt. 18.18-20

CONCL.: The chorus continues to ask the question that forms the theme of the song:
“Who will follow Jesus? Who will make reply,
‘I am on the Lord’s side; Master, here am I’?
Who will follow Jesus? Who will make reply,
‘I am on the Lord’s side; Master, here am I’?”
There are two ways, spiritually, for us to follow. We can either follow the ways of Satan and travel that broad way that leads to everlasting punishment, or we can follow the ways of Christ and travel the narrow way that leads to eternal life. It would seem as if it were a “no brainer,” but so many choose to follow the ways of Satan that the Lord must ask, “Who Will Follow Jesus?”

Stepping in the Light

Miss Hewitt wrote about Jesus as the light, as in “Stepping in the Light.” The tune (Gilmour or Ichnos) was composed by William James Kirkpatrick (1888-1921). The song first appeared in the 1890 Living Hymns for Use in the Sabbath School, Young People’s Meetings, the Church, and Home edited by John Wanamaker and John R. Sweeny.   The song is sometimes dated 1889, but some older books give the copyright date as 1890. Other books give the renewal date as 1917, which would make the original copyright date 1889. Perhaps it was initially copyrighted in 1889 and first published in 1890 which may account for the confusion. The copyright was later assigned to the Hope Publishing Co.  The song helps us to understand practically what walking in the light involves.

I. Stanza 1 tells us that stepping in the light means following the steps of our Savior
“Trying to walk in the steps of the Savior,
Trying to follow our Savior and King;
Shaping our lives by His blessed example,
Happy, how happy, the songs that we bring.”
A. Jesus Christ, in whose steps we are trying to walk, is the Savior: Lk. 2.14
B. This Jesus who is our Savior is also our King: Rev. 17.14
C. As our Savior and King, He left us an example that we should follow His steps and shape our lives by His: 1 Pet. 2.21

2. Stanza 2 tells us that stepping in the light means turning to Christ in temptation
   “Pressing more closely to Him who is leading,
   When we are tempted to turn from the way;
   Trusting the arm that is strong to defend us,
   Happy, how happy, our praises each day.”
   A. We should strive to press more closely or draw nearer to Him who is our leader: Jas. 4.8
   B. This is especially true when we are tempted to turn from the way: Jas. 1.14-15
   C. Thus, in pressing more closely to Him, we can trust in His arm that is strong to defend us and deliver us from evil: Ps. 59.1-2, Matt. 5.13

III. Stanza 3 tells us that stepping in the light means walking in forbearance
“Walking in footsteps of gentle forbearance,
Footsteps of faithfulness, mercy, and love;
Looking to Him for the grace freely promised,
Happy, how happy, our journey above.”
A. God commands that we develop and exhibit the quality of forbearance in our lives: Eph. 4.2, Col. 3.13
B. Walking in forbearance makes it easier for us to walk in footsteps of faithfulness: Rev. 2.10
C. While walking in forbearance and faithfulness may not always be easy, God has promised grace to help us in time of need if we will but come to Him through our High Priest: Heb. 4.14-16

IV. Stanza 4 tells us that stepping in the light means following Christ all the way to heaven
“Trying to walk in the steps of the Savior,
Upward, still upward we’ll follow our Guide;
When we shall see Him, ‘the King in His beauty,’
Happy, how happy, our place at His side.”
A. The purpose of our guide is to lead us ever upward on the strait and narrow way that leads to eternal life: Matt. 7.13-14
B. At the end of the way, we shall see Him, “the King in His beauty”: Isa. 33.17, 1 Jn. 3.2
C. And we shall know everlasting joy when we take our place at His side and serve Him forever: Rev. 22.1-5

CONCL.: The chorus reminds us how wonderful it is to walk in the light of the Savior.
“How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior,
Stepping in the light, Stepping in the light;
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior,
Led in paths of light.”
Throughout the Bible, sin is characterized as darkness and righteousness is pictured as light. Since God is light and in Him is no darkness, He desires that His people make it their aim as they journey through this world to be “Stepping In The Light.”

Sunshine in My Soul

Miss Hewitt wrote about joy in Jesus, as in “Sunshine in My Soul.” The tune (Sunshine) was composed by John Robson Sweney (1837-1899). The song was published in the 1887 songbook Glad Hallelujahs edited by Sweney and William James Kirkpatrick. The original began each stanza with “There’s sunshine” but many books have changed it to “There is sunshine.”  This song overflows with joy that results from God’s light in our lives.

1. Stanza 1 says that God causes sunshine in our souls
   “There’s sunshine in my soul today,

More glorious and bright
Than glows in any earthly sky,

For Jesus is my light.”
A. God created the physical sun that gives light to the earth: Gen. 1.14-19
B. However, the idea of sunshine here is used to represent the warmth of God’s love that can fill the heart: Rom. 5.5
C. The One who brings this light into our lives is Jesus because He is the light of the world: Jn. 8.12

II. Stanza 2 says that God causes music in our souls
“There’s music in my soul today,

A carol to my King,
And Jesus, listening, can hear

The songs I cannot sing.”
A. This music is an expression of the joy and gladness that is in our hearts: Jas. 5.13
B. Jesus listens to and hears such songs because they are being sung unto the Lord: Col. 3.16
C. However, even when our voices may not be able to express what is in our hearts, Jesus can still hear because He knows what is in us: Jn. 2.24-25

III. Stanza 3 says that God causes springtime in our souls
“There’s springtime in my soul today,

For when the Lord is near,
The dove of peace sings in my heart,

The flowers of grace appear.”
A. Springtime, referred to in the Bible as seedtime, is a time of renewal and growth: Gen. 8.22
B. Thus, it is used in the song as a symbol of spiritual renewal and growth with peace and joy; the dove has been associated with peace ever since the time of Noah: Gen. 8.8-12
C. Just as flowers are sources of beauty and enjoyment, so God’s grace is a source of spiritual beauty and enjoyment to our souls: Acts 20.32

IV. Stanza 4 says that God causes gladness in our souls
“There’s gladness in my soul today,

And hope and praise and love,
For blessing which He gives me now,

For joys laid up above.”
A. Whatever true gladness can accompany our lives, God is the ultimate source of it because He gives us hope and praise and love: Ps. 4.7
B. We can be glad for the blessings which He gives us here, not only the material blessings of life but the spiritual blessings in Christ: Eph. 1.3
C. And beyond this, we can be glad for the joys that He has laid up for us above in heaven: Col. 1.5

CONCL.: The chorus continues to express the peace and joy that the light of Christ brings:
“O there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine,

While the peaceful, happy moments roll;
When Jesus shows His smiling face,

There is sunshine in my soul.”
There is much in this life to bring sadness and sorrow, but as long as I allow Jesus Christ to be in control of my heart, I can truly say that there is “Sunshine in My Soul.”

When We All Get to Heaven

Miss Hewitt wrote about the hope that is available in Jesus, as in “When We All Get to Heaven.”   The tune (Heaven) was composed by Emily Divine (Mrs. J. G.) Wilson (1865-1942).  She and her husband, John G. Wilson, a Methodist preacher were both well-known at Ocean Grove, NJ, where they regularly attended summer assemblies.  Mrs. Hewitt also regularly attended the Methodist camp meetings at Ocean Grove with Mrs. Wilson, and their mutual interest apparently resulted in their collaboration on writing this hymn.  Sometimes Mrs. Wilson is identified as the author.  She may have edited Mrs. Hewitt’s words to fit the music and/or perhaps added the chorus, but this attribution is probably simply an error as she was primarily a musician.    The song first appeared in Pentecostal Praises, compiled at Philadelphia in 1898 by William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921) and Henry Lake Gilmour (1836-1920), and published by the Hall-Mack Co.   The song suggests several things that we must do in order to be ready to get to heaven.

1. In stanza 1 we learn that we must remember that Jesus is preparing for us a place

“Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,

Sing His mercy and His grace.

In the mansions bright and blessed

He’ll prepare for us a place.”

1. We should sing the love of Jesus as the one who gave Himself for us: Eph. 5:2
2. We should also sing His mercy and His grace as that by which we are saved: Eph. 2:4-5
3. The reason for this singing is that He promised His disciples that He was going to the Father’s house to prepare for us as place and that someday He would come again to receive us unto Himself: Jn. 14:1-3

II. In stanza 2 we learn that we must not let the clouds that overspread the sky hinder us

“While we walk the pilgrim pathway,

Clouds will overspread the sky;

But when traveling days are over,

Not a shadow, not a sigh.”

1. We should remember that we are but pilgrims and strangers on earth: 1 Pet. 2:11
2. We should also remember that sometimes the sky may be overspread with clouds, which represent the things on earth that may cause suffering: 1 Pet. 3:12-13
3. However, even though we may suffer in this life, when traveling days are over, there will be neither a shadow nor a sigh because our afflictions are light and temporary in comparison to the eternal weight of glory: 2 Cor. 4:16-18

III. In stanza 3 we learn that we must be faithful in our lives and service before the Lord

“Let us then be true and faithful,

Trusting, serving every day;

Just one glimpse of Him in glory

Will the toils of life repay.”

1. Only those who are faithful until death are told that they will receive the crown of life that the Lord has for those who love Him: Rev. 2:10
2. And those who are faithful will be trusting and serving every day: Lk. 9:23
3. The motivation that helps to keep us faithful is the hope for that time when all our toils will be repaid by even just one glimpse of Him in glory: 1 Jn. 3:1-3

IV. In stanza 4 we learn that we must keep going on toward the goal

“Onward to the prize before us!

Soon His beauty we’ll behold;

Soon the pearly gates will open;

We shall tread the streets of gold.”

1. While we have many spiritual blessings on this earth, the reward of heaven is not attained in this life, so we must press on to receive it: Phil. 3:13-14
2. Thus we can have the expectation that soon His beauty we’ll behold because at death we depart to be with Christ: Phil. 1:23
3. And then after judgment we can enter through the pearly gates to walk the street of gold: Rev. 21:21

CONCL.:  The chorus expresses the joy that we shall experienced when we do attain this goal.

“When we all get to heaven,

What a day of rejoicing that will be!

When we all see Jesus,

We’ll sing and shout the victory!”

Through the years, objections to this song have been heard from some who say that not all who sing the song will actually get to heaven.  In fact, one editor even changed it to read, “When the saved get to heaven.”  However, certainly all who are faithful will achieve that goal, so with this understanding there should be no problem in our singing, “When We All Get To Heaven.”

Give Me Thy Heart

Finally, Miss Hewitt wrote about the invitation of Jesus, as in “Give Me Thy Heart.” The tune (Zeruiah or Bourne) for “Give Me Thy Heart” was composed, under the penname of Anna (Annie) F. Bourne by William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921). The song was copyrighted in 1898 by Kirkpatrick and first published in the 1900 Pentecostal Praises by Hall-Mack of Philadelphia, PA.   This is one of the few gospel songs following a “trinitarian” formula, and it tells us what each person in the Godhead might say to encourage us to come for salvation.

1. Stanza 1 expresses the call from the Father
   “’Give Me thy heart,’ says the Father above:
   No gift so precious to Him as our love.
   Softly He whispers wherever thou art,
   ‘Gratefully trust me, and give Me thy heart.’”
   A. The Father is Jehovah God who dwells in heaven: Matt. 6:9
   B. No gift is so precious to Him as our love, so He wants us to love Him with all our heart: Matt. 22:37
   C. When we do that, it shows that we gratefully trust Him: Ps. 37:3-5
2. Stanza 2 expresses the call from the Savior
   “’Give Me thy heart,’ says the Savior of men,
   Calling in mercy again and again;
   ‘Turn now from sin, and from evil depart.
   Have I not died for thee? Give Me thy heart.’”
   A. The Savior of men is Jesus Christ, who came to save His people from their sin: Matt. 1:21
   B. He calls us that we might receive the mercy of God for our salvation: Tit. 3:5
   C. To make this possible, He died for us: Rom. 5:8

III. Stanza 3 expresses the call from the Spirit
“’Give Me thy heart,’ says the Spirit divine;
‘All that thou hast, to my keeping resign.
Grace more abounding is mine to impart;
Make full surrender and give Me thy heart.’”
A. The Spirit divine is the Comforter who came to make known all truth through the apostles: Jn. 16:7-13
B. He wants us to resign all that we have to His keeping, not laying up treasures on earth but in heaven, knowing that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also: Matt. 6:19-21
C. We make this full surrender to Him by obeying the word which is His sword to accomplish His work: Eph. 6:17

CONCL.: The chorus repeats the basic thought of each stanza, that the Lord wants us to dedicate our lives unto Him and be separate from this world.
“’Give Me thy heart, Give me thy heart;’
Hear the soft whisper, wherever thou art.
From this dark world, He would draw thee apart,
Speaking so tenderly, ‘Give Me thy heart.’”
This song is useful to help faithful Christians understand their need to love the Lord with all their heart, but it is often used as an invitation hymn to remind all people that if they are lost in sin or have wandered away from the Lord, our gracious God continues to call them as long as they have life and breath, saying, “Give Me Thy Heart.”

Conclusion

Our books have had three other songs by Miss Hewitt, which are “Will There Be Any Stars?” beginning,  “I Am Thinking Today,” with music by John R. Sweney, and the lesser known “Seek Ye First the Kingdom” also with music by Sweney, and “Somebody Else Needs a Blessing” with music by Bentley DeForest Ackley.  Eliza Edmunds Hewitt has greatly enriched our ability to teach and admonish one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with these wonderful contributions to our repertoire of gospel songs.

Adolphe C. Adam and “If I Were King”

Adolphe Charles Adam (July 24, 1803–May 3, 1856) was a prolific French composer of operas and ballets, best known today for his ballets Giselle (1841) and Le corsaire (1856, his last work), his operas Le postillon de Lonjumeau (1836), Le toréador (1849) and Si j’étais roi (1852), and his nativity carol Minuit, chrétiens! (1844), later set to different English lyrics and widely sung as “O Holy Night” (1847); a noted teacher who taught Leo Delibes and other influential composers; and music critic.  Adolphe Adam was born July 24, 1803, in Paris, France, to Jean-Louis Adam (1758–1848), who was a prominent Alsatian composer, as well as a professor at the Paris Conservatoire. His mother was the daughter of a physician. As a child, Adolphe Adam preferred to improvise music on his own rather than study music seriously and occasionally truanted with writer Eugène Sue.  Jean-Louis Adam was a pianist and teacher but was firmly set against the idea of his son following in his footsteps. Adam was determined, however, and studied and composed secretly under the tutelage of his older friend Ferdinand Hérold, a popular composer of the day.

When Adam was 17, his father relented, and he was permitted to study at the Paris Conservatoire—but only after he promised that he would learn music only as an amusement, not as a career. He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1821, where he studied organ and harmonium under the celebrated opera composer François-Adrien Boieldieu.  Adolphe also studied under his father, Henry Lemoine, Benoist, and Reicha.  In addition, he played the timpani in the orchestra of the Conservatoire.  However, he did not win the Prix de Rome in 1824, received only an honorable mention, and though he won second place the following year, his father did not encourage him to pursue a music career.  By age 20, he was writing songs for Paris vaudeville houses and playing in the orchestra at the Gymnasie Dramatique, where he later became chorus master. Adam wrote numerous works during his lifetime for the Gymnasie and Opera Comique, many of which achieved great success. Like many other French composers, he made a living largely by playing the organ. In 1825, he helped Boieldieu prepare parts for his opera La dame blanche and made a piano reduction of the score. Adam was able to travel through Europe with the money he made, and he met Eugène Scribe, with whom he later collaborated, in Geneva. By 1830, he had completed twenty-eight works for the theatre.

Aside from Paris, Adam’s works were performed in London, St. Petersburg and Berlin. After quarreling with the new director of the Opéra Comique in 1844, Adam invested his money and borrowed heavily to open a fourth opera house in Paris, the Théâtre National (Opéra-National). It opened in 1847, but closed because of the Revolution of 1848, leaving Adam with massive debts.  The Théâtre National later was resurrected under the name of Théâtre Lyrique at the Boulevard du Temple. His efforts to extricate himself from these debts include a brief turn to journalism.  Meanwhile, after a change of Director at the Opera Comique, Adam was able to return to his spiritual home and in July od 1850 one of his best works, ‘Giralda’, was produced there.   From 1849 to his death in Paris at the age of 52 on May 3, 1856, he taught composition at the Paris Conservatoire.  His last work, ‘Les Pantins de Violette’ received its premiere four days before he died.  Adam is buried in Montmartre Cemetery in Paris.  He is probably best remembered for the ballet Giselle, ou Les Wilis (1841). He wrote some 12 ballets and more than 50 operas, including Le postillon de Lonjumeau (1836) and Si j’étais roi (1852).

The following works by Adolphe Adam are contained in my collection:

Giselle (1841): Excerpts.

Si J’etais Roi (If I Were King, 1852): Overture.

—material selected, adapted, and edited from several different sources

Leopold Damrosch and his Symphony in A Major

Leopold Damrosch (October 22, 1832 – February 15, 1885) was a German American orchestral conductor, violinist, and composer.  Damrosch was born on Oct. 22, 1832, at Posen, Kingdom of Prussia (now Poznań in Wielkopolskie, Poland), the son of Heinrich Damrosch. His father was Jewish and his mother was Lutheran.  Preliminary educated at the gymnasium in his native Posen, he began his musical education at the age of nine, learning the violin in the house of friends against the wishes of his parents, who wanted him to become a doctor. Capitulating to the wishes of his parents he entered the University of Berlin in 1851 and completed his PhD in medicine but during his spare time he studied violin under Ries, and thorough bass with S.W. Dehn and Bohmer. After he completed his degree in 1854, Damrosch then returned to Posen, and soon forsook medicine in order to dedicate his life and energy to music.  In 1856 he appeared at Magdeburg as a violin virtuoso, and afterward made a tour of the chief cities of Europe. He gained fame as a violinist and began to play to large audiences in many major German cities including Berlin and Hamburg.  He went to Weimar, and was received by Franz Liszt, who appointed him solo-violinist in the Ducal orchestra. Liszt dedicated a symphonic poem (Tasso, Lamento e Trionfo) to Damrosch.

In 1858 Damrosch married Helene von Heimburg (1835 – 1904), a former opera singer of talent, and was baptized a Lutheran.   Damrosch first appeared as a conductor during the season of 1859 where he conducted the Philharmonic concerts in Breslau. He also became director of music at the Stadttheater in Posen, where he remained until 1866, but continued to conduct the Philharmonic Concerts at Breslau for three years due to the success of this season. In 1860 he made concert tours with Hans von Bülow and Carl Tausig.  In 1862 Damrosch founded a symphonic society in Breslau with an orchestra of eighty performers, modeled after the Gewandhaus concerts of Leipzig.  This society gained fame throughout Germany, and Damrosch invited Liszt to conduct several of the performances, an invitation which he accepted. Wagner also accepted the invitation to conduct his own manuscript compositions in the winter of 1867. The society gave twelve annual concerts, and many eminent artists appeared among the performers. Damrosch also established a choral society, and gave recitals as a soloist.

In 1871, Damrosch emigrated to the United States of America at the invitation of the Arion Society in New York to become its conductor. Damrosch’s active personality and strong musical temperament soon made themselves influential in the musical life of New York.  He first conducted in the United States on May 6, 1871, at Steinway Hall, as conductor, composer, and violinist. He participated in many concerts over this period and in 1873 he founded the Oratorio Society of New York. Morris Reno and some twelve other lovers of music met at Damrosch’s house and formally pledged themselves to become musical missionaries. Trinity Chapel was secured for a study-room.  The first concert of this society was later that year on Dec. 3, 1873, and consisted of a program of selections from Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, and other great Baroque composers, with choir numbering 50 to 60. In 1874 Damrosch gave another concert at the Oratorio Society, this the first with a full orchestra, consisting of Handel’s oratorio Samson at Steinway Hall. For Christmas that year Messiah was performed.

In 1876, Damrosch became conductor of the Philharmonic Society, and in the following year, yielding that place to Theodore Thomas, founded the Symphony Society of New York (now known as the New York Philharmonic) in connection with a number of persons interested in the cultivation of orchestral music.  This society became closely identified with the Oratorio Society, and several joint performances were organized. For five years Damrosch worked gratuitously for the Oratorio Society.  At the time of his death it had a membership of 500, and ranked among the leading choruses of the world. The co-operation of these societies reached its climax in the great “musical festival” which was held in the armory of the 7th regiment in New York, from May 3-7, 1881. The chorus numbered 1,200, the main body being the Oratorio Society, which was augmented by various choral societies from neighboring towns. An additional chorus of 1,000 young ladies from the Normal College and 250 boys from the Church choirs took part in the afternoon concerts. The orchestra was composed of 250 pieces, and Dr. Damrosch selected a large number of artists for soloists. Among the choral works performed were Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum and Messiah; Rubinstein’s Tower of Babel (first time); Berlioz’s Grande Messe des Mortes (first time); and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The audience numbered from 8,000 to 10,000 at each concert, and the enthusiasm for the projector of this enterprise resulted in an ovation on the last night. The degree of Doctor of Music was conferred upon him by Columbia in 1880.

In 1883, Damrosch traveled extensively through the West with his orchestra. In September of 1884, he began a remarkable series of operatic performances as General Manager and chief conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The company had experienced great financial losses during its first season of Italian opera under director Henry Abbey. For its second season it turned to Damrosch to direct the company in German repertory.  He went to Germany, and in five weeks brought back a number of artists, who constituted the famous company which first established German opera in America. Damrosch not only personally directed each opera, but at the same time continued his work as director of the Oratorio and Symphony societies. The company comprised some of the greatest artists of the German opera houses, and, in contrast with the hitherto prevailing mode, every part, even the smallest, was carefully presented. Twelve of the operas performed were comparative novelties, the most important of which were Wagner’s Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, and Die Walküre, and Beethoven’s Fidelio. This proved to be Damrosch’s last effort. He conducted every performance except during the last week of his life, when his health broke down under the strain and he took a severe cold, from which he never recovered. He died of pneumonia in Manhattan, New York City, NY, on Feb. 15, 1885.

Damrosch was one of the great conductors of modern times, and no man, except possibly Theodore Thomas, contributed so largely to the cultivation of good music in America. He was a devotee of Wagner. His works include: seven cantatas; symphony in A; the music to Schiller’s “Joan of Arc”; an opera, “Sulamith”; and many other pieces.  His sons Frank Damrosch (1859-1937) and Walter Johannes Damrosch (1862-1950), both born in Breslau, in 1859 and 1862 respectively, and came to America with their father, made their musical careers here.  Both succeeded him as conductors of the Oratorio Society of New York. Frank was conductor and teacher. Walter was an eminent conductor, music educator, and composer. His daughter, Clara Mannes, was a music teacher. His grandchildren were musician Leopold Mannes and writer Marya Mannes.

My collection includes the following works by Leopold Damrosch:

Festival Overture in C, op. 15 (1871).

Symphony in A Major (1878).

—material selected, adapted, and edited from several different sources

Albert Coates and the Purcell Suite

Albert Coates (April 23, 1882–December 11, 1953) was an English conductor, arranger, and composer.  Coates was born on April 23, 1882, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, the youngest of seven sons of a Yorkshire father, Charles Thomas Coates, a successful businessman who managed the Russian branch of an English company, Thornton Woollen Mills, and Mary Ann Gibson, who was born and raised in Russia to British parents. He learned the violin, cello, and piano as a child in Russia. From 12, he was raised in England where he received his general education.  His first music teacher, Henry Riding, encouraged composition as well as a general love of music.  After attending the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, he studied science at Liverpool University, and studied organ with an elder brother who was living there at the time.  At age twenty, Coates returned to Russia to join his father’s company, but he also studied composition with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.  In 1902, he entered the Leipzig Conservatory, to study the cello with Julius Klengel and the piano with Robert Teichmüller, but he was drawn to conducting by Arthur Nikisch’s conducting classes.

Nikisch appointed Coates répétiteur at the Leipzig opera, and he made his debut as a conductor in 1904 with Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann.  At Nikisch’s suggestion, he was engaged as the conductor of the Elberfeld opera house in 1906, in succession to Fritz Cassirer. From there he progressed to the post of assistant conductor at the Semperoper, Dresden (1907–08) under Ernst von Schuch, and Mannheim in 1909 under Artur Bodanzky.  He made his London debut in May 1910, conducting the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in a program consisting of a symphony by Maximilian Steinberg, Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto and Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony.  In the same year, he was invited by Eduard Nápravník to conduct at Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre.  Coates’s conducting of Siegfried at the Mariinsky led to his appointment as principal conductor of the Russian Imperial Opera, a post he held for five years, during which he became associated with leading Russian musicians, including Alexander Scriabin. In July 1910, he married Ella Lizzie Holland.

Coates first appeared at Covent Garden in 1914 in a Wagner season.  The Russian Revolution in 1917 did not at first adversely affect Coates. The Soviet government appointed him “President of all Opera Houses in Soviet Russia,” based in Moscow. By 1919, however, living conditions in Russia had become desperate. Coates became seriously ill, and with considerable difficulty left Russia with his family by way of Finland in April 1919.   After his arrival in England, he was appointed chief conductor of the LSO. In September 1919, he was appointed to teach a new class for operatic training at the Royal College of Music. Coates made his New York debut in 1920 at the invitation of Walter Damrosch.   After his contract with the LSO expired in 1922, Coates held no more permanent conductorships in the U. K., although he directed the Leeds music festivals of 1922 and 1925.  In 1923, he was appointed joint principal conductor with Eugene Goossens of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in the US. He was among the co-founders of Vladimir Rosing’s pioneering American Opera Company.

Coates left Rochester in 1925 when he was invited to Paris to conduct at the Opéra. He continued to make regular guest appearances in many of the world’s artistic centers until 1939, conducting opera in Italy (1927 to 1929) and Germany (Berlin State Opera, 1931), and concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (1935) and in the Netherlands, Sweden and the USSR, which he visited three times.  On November 13, 1936, the BBC broadcast the world’s first televised opera when scenes from Coates’s Pickwick, directed by Rosing, were shown in advance of the work’s premiere.  When World War II broke out, Coates moved to the U. S. There, together with Rosing, he founded the Southern California Opera Association. Productions included Coates’s opera Gainsborough’s Duchess.  He guest conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic and worked briefly in Hollywood, making cameo appearances in two MGM films.

After returning to England in 1944 Coates made several distinguished recordings during 1945 for Decca with the LSO and the National Symphony Orchestra, which contained a high proportion of musicians from the armed forces. In 1946, Coates moved to South Africa, accepting the conductorships of the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra and, later, the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra.  He settled in Milnerton, Cape Town, with his second wife Vera Joanna Nettlefold, a soprano professionally known as Vera de Villiers),  where he composed, conducted the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra and later the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra, and taught at the University of South Africa at Cape Town.  He died there at age 71 on December 11, 1953.

Albert Coates was one of the most outstanding, if unheralded, conductors of his generation.  His strengths as a conductor lay in opera and the Russian repertoire, and he was not thought as impressive in the core Austro-German symphonic repertoire.  Coates was a prolific composer, but his works had few performances, and as a composer, he is little remembered, though he composed seven operas, one of which was performed at Covent Garden.  These include the operas Samuel Pepys, given in German at Munich in 1929, and Pickwick at Covent Garden in 1936. His five other operas included The Myth Beautiful (1920).  He also wrote some concert works for orchestral forces.   These include a piano concerto and a symphonic poem The Eagle, dedicated to the memory of his former teacher Nikisch, which was performed in Leeds in 1925.

The following work by Albert Coates is contained in my collection:

Purcell Suite

—material selected, adapted, and edited from several different sources

Frank Bridge and Two Old English Songs

Frank Bridge (February 26, 1879–January 10, 1941) was an English composer, violist, arranger, and conductor.  Bridge was born on February 26, 1879, in Brighton, England, a younger child in a large family. He first learned to play the violin from his father, and enjoyed the benefit of early exposure to practical musicianship as a player in music-hall orchestras which his father conducted. In 1896 at age 17 he entered the Royal College of Music, where he studied violin and piano for three years. Following this, he received a scholarship to study composition for another four years under Sir Charles Villiers Stanford.  He played the viola in a number of string quartets, most notably the English String Quartet (along with Marjorie Hayward), and conducted, sometimes deputizing for Henry Wood, before devoting himself to composition.  On graduating in 1903, he was awarded the gold Tagore medal reserved for the ‘most generally deserving pupil’ and received the highest praise from respected composer and teacher at the RCM, Sir Hubert Parry.

After leaving the RCM, Bridge earned his living by teaching and performing. As a violin/viola player, he played in London’s leading orchestras and was a member of three string quartets, and regularly coached student chamber groups at the RCM. In 1904, he performed in the British première of the newly completed Debussy String Quartet. In 1906 Bridge composed his own first String Quartet (in E minor) as an entry in a competition sponsored by the Filharmonica Accademica of Bologna, Italy. The same year, he formed a friendship with German-born businessman Edward Speyer – a relationship lasting to Speyer’s death in 1934.  Bridge’s future wife, Ethel Sinclair, was a fellow student at the RCM. In late 1907 she returned from her native Australia to England where she and Frank were married in September ,1908, and established themselves in Chiswick. In midwinter 1909-10, Bridge composed his famous Suite for Strings over a few short weeks.

Bridge was also active as a conductor around this time, as rehearsal director of the New Symphony (then recently formed) and at London’s Savoy Theatre during its 1910-11 season.  These conducting engagements included Covent Garden for Thomas Beecham.  It was around the time of the coronation of George V in 1911 that he composed his suite The Sea, which appeared frequently in Promenade concert programmes through the end of the 1930s. The great String Sextet (1912) is the culmination of this period in Bridge’s creative development.  In 1914, the Bridges moved from Chiswick to Bedford Gardens, Kensington, where Frank composed his second String Quartet (in G minor), which won first prize the following year in the annual chamber music competition sponsored by the industrialist W.W. Cobbett. The beautiful tone poem Summer was composed that same year. In 1915 he wrote his Lament (for Catherine, aged 9 “Lusitania” 1915), for string orchestra, as a memorial to the sinking of the RMS Lusitania.  In 1916, Bridge as part of the English String Quartet began to cut back on public engagements, in favor of more private performances.  One place for these ‘drawing room’ concerts was the home of Marjorie Fass, who lived a few doors down from the Bridges, with whom she became close friends.

Bridge had strong pacifist convictions, and he was deeply disturbed by the First World War, after which his compositions, beginning in 1920–21 with the Piano Sonata, were marked by a radical change in musical language which was no longer to reach the same wide audience as did the light and more lyrical output of his pre-war Edwardian years. In 1922, Frank Bridge had the good fortune of meeting millionaire American patron of the arts Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge at the home of publisher Winthrop Rogers. That summer, Bridge and his wife Ethel, along with Rogers, toured France and the West Country with Mrs Coolidge.  Early in 1923, the Bridges and Marjorie Fass purchased land near the South Downs village of Friston, with the aim of constructing adjacent cottages.  It was there that Benjamin Britten frequently visited with the Bridges.  Britten was Bridge’s only composition pupil.

Through Coolidge’s patronage and mediation, Frank Bridge was able to bring his works to America’s orchestras, touring the United States as guest conductor in 1923, also returning to visit in later years. The more important consequence of this patronage was to enable Bridge to devote himself more exclusively to composing, though his health regrettably began to falter after 1930. Though active all his life, Bridge most preferred spending time in the company of a few close friends in the quiet retreat of the South Downs cottage, where he composed many of his finest works such as Oration (1930) for cello and orchestra and the opera The Christmas Rose (premiered 1932). During the winter of 1940-41 he was at work on a large composition for string orchestra. One very cold Friday afternoon in 1941, after puttering over his car and exchanging a friendly word with a neighbor, he came back into the house saying he felt sick, lay down for a few hours, and died on January 10, 1941, at Eastbourne, England, of congestive heart failure early that same evening. Only a single movement Allegro moderato was completed of the projected work

In the wake of what was to be a new and more terrible European war, Bridge’s music soon slipped into a temporary oblivion.  It was not until more than two decades later that his works truly began their reemergence, largely through the efforts of the Frank Bridge Trust. In effect, the higher quality of post-war recording technology permitted many more people to hear Bridge’s music than during his own lifetime, earning him in the time since his death, recognition he would certainly have appreciated.  His work is now beginning to enjoy some favor, not least through the fact that he was the teacher of Benjamin Britten, one of whose earlier works is based on a composition by Bridge. Bridge’s orchestral works bring useful additions to the string orchestra repertoire. These include his Lament of 1915, an earlier Suite and a Christmas dance, Sir Roger de Coverley, and versions of Sally in Our Alley and Cherry Ripe, originally designed for string quartet.  Although not an organist himself, and not personally associated with music of the English Church, his short pieces for organ have been among the most-performed of all his output.

My collection includes the following works by Frank Bridge:

An Irish Melody (1908)

Lament for Strings (1915)

Sir Roger de Coverly, A Christmas Dance (1922)

There Is a Willow Grows Aslant a Brook, Impression for Small Orchestra (1927)

Two Entr’actes (1938)

Two Old English Songs (1916)

—material selected, adapted, and edited from several different sources

New Testament Stories My Daddy Told Me, 11/2015

November, 2015

New Testament Stories My Daddy Told Me

PAUL ARRESTED (Acts 21:15-40)

By Wayne S. Walker

     When Paul finally arrived in Jerusalem, along with some disciples from disciples from Caesarea and an elderly disciple from Cyprus named Mnason with whom Paul would lodge, the brethren received him gladly.  The next day Paul visited with James and all the elders, giving them a detailed account of his work.  They replied by asking a favor.  Many had heard that Paul was teaching that Christians from a Jewish background must abandon all the social customs of the Hebrews.  So they told Paul to take four men under a vow into the temple to be purified but again agreed that Christians from a Gentile background would not be required to observe any parts of the Old Testament law.

Thus, Paul took the men into the temple to announce their coming purification.  A week later, when they were back in the temple for the expiration of their days of purification, some Jews from Asia saw him in the temple and raised a ruckus.  They had seen him in the city earlier with the Trophimus whom they knew to be a Gentile, and jumping to the conclusion that Paul must have taken Trophimus into the temple too, accused him of defiling the temple.  The whole city became disturbed, and a mob seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, shut the doors, and was going to kill him.  However, word of this riot came to the Roman commander who took soldiers, came down to the uproar, and stopped the crowd from beating Paul.

The commander then took Paul, bound him with chains, and began asking what was going on.  Some in the multitude answered one thing and some another, so the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks for further examination, but when they got to the stairs, the tumult was so violent that Paul had to be carried by the soldiers as the people cried, “Away with him!”  At that point, Paul asked the commander, in Greek, if he could speak with him privately.  The commander was surprised because he thought that Paul was a notorious Egyptian rebel, but Paul explained that he was a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia and asked if he could speak to the people.  The commander gave permission, and Paul then began to address the mob in the Hebrew language.

Questions

1. With whom was Paul to stay in Jerusalem?
2. With what man, along with the other elders, did Paul meet?
3. What did they ask Paul to do?
4. Jews from what place saw Paul in the temple and raised a ruckus?
5. Whom had they seen in the city with Paul and supposed went into the temple with him?
6. What did the mob want to do to Paul?
7. Who rescued Paul from the riotous mob?
8. What language did Paul speak to this person?
9. What language did Paul speak to the people?

North District Schoolhouse, Dorchester, NH

North District Schoolhouse

Dorchester, NH

The Lakes Region of New Hampshire had many one-room schoolhouses and a few remain today and serve as museums and historical societies  The North District School, which served students in rural Dorchester, is among the many one-room schoolhouses that once dotted the New Hampshire landscape.  Old schoolhouses — usually consisting of just one room — were a part of the American landscape for decades. Ask a lot of older people and it’s a good bet they once attended a one-room schoolhouse. The charming little buildings were every town’s answer to education and local children from age 5 to 15 or more all sat in one room, taught by a single adult woman or man.  Conditions in the schools were on a par with the rest of society’s housing at the time: a woodstove warmed the space and students often were expected to split and carry wood to feed the heat source. A bucket of water served as refreshment and another was for washing hands. Outside, usually hidden behind bushes, sat the outhouse.  The village of Dorchester, NH, built a small schoolhouse in 1808 and originally called it the North District School. It was used as a one-room school for area children until 1926. The school’s last teacher was Lena Bosence Walker. It is now located in the historical district of Dorchester.

http://thelaker.com/lakes-region-one-room-schoolhouses

Eugène Gigout and Grand Choeur Dialogue

Eugène Gigout (March 23, 1844–December 9, 1925) was a French organist and a composer, mostly of music for his own instrument.  Gigout was born in Nancy, France, on March 23, 1844.   In his youth he began his music training at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Annonciation de Nancy. From 1857 he studied under Camille Saint-Saëns and Clément Loret at the Ecole Niedermeyer.  After graduation he joined the faculty at Ecole Niedermeyer and held the post concurrently when he began serving as organist at the French capital’s Saint-Augustin Church in 1863, where he continued for 62 years.  He became widely known as a teacher and his output as a composer was considerable.

By the mid-1880s, Gigout was regularly producing organ and vocal works of merit, with the 6 Pieces for organ (1881), the Ave Verum (ca. 1884), and other works fattening his already sizable output, including the Grand chœur dialogué, which dates from 1881, and Marche religieuse..  In 1885 Gigout, renowned as an expert improviser, founded his own music school for organ and improvisation. This would be a fertile period for the composer, with the 10 Pieces for organ coming in 1890, a set containing some of his most popular pieces, including the imaginative Toccata in B minor, Gigout’s best-known creation, which turns up as a frequent encore at organ recitals. Also fairly often played, and to be found in the same collection, is a Scherzo in E major.

When the great composer/organist Felix Alexandre Guilmant died in 1911, Gigout was appointed to succeed him at the Paris Conservatory as professor of organ and composition. It was a coveted post, to be sure, and speaks volumes to the reputation then held by Gigout. His nephew by marriage was Léon Boëllmann, another distinguished French composer and organist. His pupils included Boëllmann, Gabriel Fauré, André Fleury, Henri Gagnon, André Marchal, André Messager, and Albert Roussel.  In his later years Gigout remained active as a composer right up to his final days. Among his late compositions of significance are the collection of organ works, 10 Pieces (1923), and his piano work Aux Escaldes (1925). Gigout died in Paris, France, on December 9, 1925.

In his lifetime, Eugène Gigout was a better known virtuoso organist than composer.  Gigout wrote a large body of music for solo organ, and his reputation as a composer largely rests on it. But his output also included piano and harmonium works, as well as a sizable number of sacred choral pieces and some orchestral works.  As a composer his style embraced several elements, from the lean manner of Bach to the late-Romantic movement. There are moments, too, in his music that hearken back to the Classical period.

The following work by Eugène Gigout is contained in my collection:

Grand Choeur Dialogue (Grand Chorus in Dialogue)

—material selected, adapted, and edited from several different sources

Billy Strayhorn and Take the ‘A’ Train

William Thomas “Billy” Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, best known for his successful collaboration with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington, lasting nearly three decades, whose compositions include “Take the ‘A’ Train”, “Chelsea Bridge”, and “Lush Life”.  Strayhorn was born on November 29, 1915, in Dayton, OH, the fourth of nine children. In 1923 Billy entered the first grade in a little wooden school house, since destroyed, but his family soon moved to the Homewood section of Pittsburgh, PA, where Charlotte Catlin began to give Billy private piano lessons. However, his mother’s family was from Hillsborough, NC, and she sent him there to protect him from his father’s drunken sprees. Strayhorn spent many months of his childhood at his grandparents’ house in Hillsborough where he first became interested in music, playing hymns on their piano, and playing records on the Victrola.

Strayhorn returned to Pittsburgh.  While still in grade school, he worked odd jobs to earn enough money to buy his first piano.   He attended Westinghouse High School where he played in the school band, and studied under the same teacher, Carl McVicker, who had also instructed jazz pianists Erroll Garner and Mary Lou Williams. In Pittsburgh, he began his musical career, studying classical music for a time at the Pittsburgh Music Institute, writing a high school musical, forming a musical trio that played daily on a local radio station, and, while still in his teens, composing (with lyrics) the songs “Life Is Lonely” (later renamed “Lush Life”), “My Little Brown Book”, and “Something to Live For”.  By age 19, he was writing for a professional musical, Fantastic Rhythm.  Though classical music was Strayhorn’s first love, his ambition to become a classical composer was shot down by the harsh reality of a black man trying to make it in the then almost completely white classical world. Strayhorn was then introduced to the music of pianists like Art Tatum and Teddy Wilson at age 19.

At the age of 23, Strayhorn met the 39-year-old Duke Ellington in December of 1938, after an Ellington performance in Pittsburgh’s Crawford Grill. Here he first told, and then showed, the band leader how he would have arranged one of Duke’s own pieces. Ellington was impressed enough to invite other band members to hear Strayhorn.  He also submitted a composition to Duke Ellington, who was so impressed by the young man’s talent that three months later he recorded Strayhorn’s Something to Live For with the composer as pianist.  At the end of the visit, he arranged for Strayhorn to meet him when the band returned to New York. Shortly before Ellington went on his second European tour with his orchestra, from March to May 1939, Ellington announced to his sister Ruth and son Mercer Ellington that Strayhorn “is staying with us.”  Four more of Strayhorn’s pieces were recorded during 1939 including I’m Checkin’ Out, Goo’m Bye and Grievin’ by Ellington, and Barney Goin’ Easy and Lost in Two Flats by Barney Bigard, as well as a work by Ellington written as a tribute, Weely (a Portrait of Billy Strayhorn).

Strayhorn worked for Ellington for the next quarter century as an arranger, composer, occasional pianist, and collaborator until his early death from cancer. During the next 29 years, Strayhorn made an inestimable contribution to American songwriting and culture.  Billy was a gifted composer and arranger who seemed to flourish in Duke’s shadow. Ellington was arguably a father figure and the band was affectionately protective of the diminutive, mild-mannered, unselfish Strayhorn, nicknamed by the band “Strays”, “Weely”, and “Swee’ Pea”.  Strayhorn composed the band’s best known theme, “Take the ‘A’ Train”, and a number of other pieces that became part of the band’s repertoire. Taking advantage of Strayhorn’s feel for musical theater, Ellington and Strayhorn co-wrote the groundbreaking musical, Jump for Joy, which opened in Los Angeles in 1941.  In 1946, Strayhorn received the Esquire Silver Award for outstanding arranger.

Strayhorn also arranged many of Ellington’s band-within-band recordings and provided harmonic clarity, taste, and polish to Duke’s compositions, and often sat in on the piano with the Ellington Orchestra, both live and in the studio.  In the early 1950s, tired of his secondary role, Strayhorn left Ellington to pursue his own interests but rejoined Ellington several years later.  In 1960 the two collaborated on the album The Nutcracker Suite, recorded for the Columbia label and featuring jazz interpretations of “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky, arranged by the two.  Strayhorn participated in many civil rights causes. As a committed friend to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he arranged and conducted “King Fit the Battle of Alabama'” for the Ellington Orchestra in 1963 for the historical revue and album My People, dedicated to King.

Strayhorn’s strong character left an impression on many people who met him. He had a major influence on the career of Lena Horne, who wanted to marry Strayhorn and considered him to have been the love of her life.  Strayhorn used his classical background to improve Horne’s singing technique. They eventually recorded songs together.  Strayhorn was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 1964, which eventually caused his death. In 1965, the Duke Ellington Jazz Society asked him to present a concert at New York’s New School of Social Research. It consisted entirely of his own work performed by him and his quintet.  While in the hospital, he submitted his final composition to Ellington. “Blood Count” was used as the third track to Ellington’s memorial album for Strayhorn, …And His Mother Called Him Bill, which was recorded several months after Strayhorn’s death. This composition was initially referred to simply as “Manuscript,” receiving its more familiar title after the fact.  Strayhorn finally succumbed in the early morning on May 31, 1967

My collection includes the following works by Billy Strayhorn:

Maybe (1961).

Take the “A” Train (1941).

You’re the One (1955).

—material selected, adapted, and edited from several different sources

Biblical Homeschooling monthly meditation, 11/15

November, 2015

Monthly Meditation

A WATCH ON THE DOOR OF THE LIPS

by Wayne S. Walker

     “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).  Who doesn’t have some kind of problem with the tongue?  “For we all stumble in many things.  If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2).  To help me with this problem, Psalm 141:3 was one of those verses that I had circled and underlined in the Bible that I used when I was in my teenage and college years.  There are so many ways that we can sin with the tongue so that we need the Lord to set a guard over our mouths.

In a world where the vast majority seem to think nothing of using cursing and profanity so that we hear it nearly every day, it is very easy to let this kind of language slip from our tongues.  The phrase “O my God” is so ubiquitous that it even has its own keypad shorthand (OMG) and can be heard even on “family” television shows.  God told Israel, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain…” (Exodus 20:7), and there is nothing in the Bible to indicate that He has changed His mind.  As I read and review children’s literature, I am amazed, and disgusted, at how many children’s authors feel that they must include the words “damn” and “hell” as interjections to make their books sound “realistic.”  All it does is sound crude.  “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29).

Even if we refrain from blasphemous language to God, there is also the danger of speaking evil to others.  “But no man can tame the tongue.  It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.  Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:8-10).  Yes, we should always speak the truth, but that should never be used as an excuse to speak in a rude, mean, or ugly way to anyone.  “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:6).  Yes, O Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips!