The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-13

one that appears in the up-to-date
hymnals with Depth of Mercy.
Painstaking adapters of hymns have
by no means neglected the great com
posers, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Han
del, Schubert, Haydn, Schumann ano
other immortals are again and again
credited as the real composers Of many
of the best loved hymn tunes. Men,
delssohn wrote a number of hymns to
be found in the hymnals used in this
country and England. "Hark, the Her
aid Angels Sing" sung at Christmas
In the Protestant Episcopal churches,
is one by Mendelssohn. AS the pro
cessional" at the morning service it is
very effective and inspiring.
Guillaume Franck composed the tune,
"Old Hundred way back in 1916, and
the same year he Also composed Dun
dee" now a favorite in the churches
of all creeds. Still further back must
we seek for the days when Martin Luz
Their composed songs for the church.
The tune now known as "A Safe
Stronghold was composed by Luther
in 1929. An old Swiss tune to be found
in hymnals used in the Lutheran and
Presbyterian churches is credited to
the old Wurtemberg hymn book. Some
of the grandly simple hymns sung in
the modern church are arranged from
the Gregorian chants. Patriotism is
another idea which inspired some hymn
writer's, for in most of the hymnals we
find sacred words set to the tunes of
national anthems To some it may seem
an anomaly that Charles Wesley, the
great Methodist, should be the author
of Come, Thou Almighty King"
hymn usually sung in the churches to
the Italian tune composed in 1860 by
Felice Giardini. The Russian, Aus
trian and German national anthems
are set to hymns, and are sung in Eng
fish in many churches. Haydn COM
posed the Austrian hymn in 1897 In
the hymnals used in this country it is
described as Just Austria" The tune
is sung to several poems, one of the
best being GLORIOUS Things of Thee
Are Spoken written by the Rev. John
Newton in 1873. The "Sicilian Melody"
the Spanish Melody" are both familiar
settings in the hymnals Of the Profess
tant churches. Those stirring stanzas
by the Rev. Isaac Watts, which be-
gin with the line Jesus Shall Reign
Where'er the Sum-" are sometimes sung
TO the air of Die Wacht Am Rhine"
Alexis Theodore Lwoff's musical set
ting for the Russian anthem is sung
with the words by Watts, beginning
Kingdoms and thrones to God belong"
A setting by Georg Friedrich Han
del was chosen for Watts hymn en-
titled Saul" The Rev. William Au-
gustus Muhlenberg, the benefcent
founder of ST. Lukes Hospital, New
York, is the author Of the touching
burial hymn:
/ would not live Away,
/ ask not to stay.
The tune by George Kingsley is ia
miliar by the title Frederick" Muh-
lenberg wrote the words of this hymn
in 1923. and the musical setting by
Kingsley first appeared II years later,
in 1884.
In the so-called heterodox denomina-
tons of Professionalism the hymns for
the church services are selected with
greater literary discrimination. Nat
urally the .Unitarians and Universal
lists are less fervent, and particularly
the former have eliminated everything
extolling the divinity of Jesus. Never
theless, some beautiful hymns are sung
by the Unitarians. Phoebe Cary, who
wrote zone Sweetly Solemn Thought"
was a Unitarian. And. by the way,
Sarah Flower Adams. who Is the au-
AApA VI -NNeAANA ny NApNs " A1eEf was
Universalist. Both hymns, however,
will be found in the hymnals Of the
orthodox sects. That the lamented
President Mckinley. a Methodist,
should have expressed a preference for
two hymns, one written by an Episco-
paliaa who became Roman Catholic,
and another by a Universalist. is but
another indication of the broad char
ity Of the man.-Musical Courier.
zee
The Dutch pianist, Edward zelden-