The San Francisco call., 1906-04-15
obe Story Of
"ONW(RPD, eHPIS6InN
SOGDIERS.
sY JAMES HUEEKER.

- o challenge closely ne source
Of q hymns popularity Is a.
most as bOotIess as 10 ask
with good old Sir Thomas
. Browne, what songs the sirens
sang Is il the rhythmic vigor OF the
music; Is it the suggestive power OF
Tie words. or Is II, IN the last analysis.
the happy confluence OF tune and verse?
And. then. there is the hymn that has
become a household favorite because OF
some accident which lent 70 its com
u0npIace measures q more eloquent
meanfng tran they intrinsicaIly de-
served Bat such 90 not long endure.
With the fading memory Of the insplr-
ING event the music Is forgotten
Naturally what are called good old
timers are the hymns that have grown
n the consciousness OF the vast com
moE worshiDers. II inpatient ones OF
rhe new generati0n complain OF the
sl0wness with which new operas, sym
ph0nies and pictures are accepted, what
may not be said Of the conservatism
that nanifests itself in the matter OF
church music2 Not mind you, the new
con ngregarions where the Lord IS ap-
proacned IN becoming livery. where
tone and architecture, color and ritual
are blended IN subtle religious sym
phonE but the stout tunes Of the hEm-
uOIOEy- those stirring transcripts OF the
soul motion al the thoughts OF God,
of life OF love, Of sin, death and the
devil The old tunes are TIE best
These. whether IL is the -hol Nidrei' Of
rhe Hebrewist. Elm feste Burg is IN
ser Gorr OF the Lutheran or the
'Adeste Fidelis" OF the Roman Catholic.
comprising trinity OF lamentation- Of
triumph, OF alteration. no latter day
music has ever supplsnted- II must be
e hymn of superlative excellence that
can now make q strong appeal
Nevertheless two hymns were CON-
posed. CurinE the nineteenth century
that bid fair 10 outlast the drums and
rrumpetfugS" OF modern church music
one is. Cardinal Newman's Lead Kind
Ly Light (1s33). the other. Onward,
Christian Soldiers" by the Rev Sabine
BARNS g-GouId (Is65). But between the
plangency and persuasive sweetness OF
Newmsn's inspired lines and Barring
Goutd's martial call OF the cross lies the
vast field OF dissiuilzr tenperaments.
OF the mystic church and the church
militant And Onward, Christian Sol
dfers brings Us back 10 the question.
what constitutes the quality that makes
for popularity n e hymn Naturally.
there are hymns and hymns; hymns for
the rude souls who parade cobblestones
and assault cur walls with hideous
czcophony. as II calling upon some gro
resQue god: or hymns that seem 10 WOO
NirEana rather than a personal god,
50 Iznguorous and drowsy are their in
rouztf0ns- or hymns screamed with
vinegar voices. by bleak persons IN
6reary conventicfes. whose heaven must
he whlteWzshed and dull
II is neither the stained glass pre-
Iuee TO plety. nor the elemental an
items Of hyStericaI HooIigans. that
need detain US. The normal hymn tune
1or the normal man. woman and child
they are named here In churchly prece-
dcnce-ls our present concern Il Is OF
that Justly loved hymn Onward. Chris
tfan soldiers that we would speak;
though il may awake visions OF the
happy throng which welcomes the day
when Christ was risen. * was in reality
composed On q Whit-NOnday- Yet we
repeat Il:
Onward. Christian soldiers,
Marching as 20 war.
VITA the cross of Jesus
Going On before
C-Irist the Royal Master
Lads against the foe
Forward into battle
See, hls banners GO
Onward. then. ye people.
Join our happy throng
Blend with ours your voices
II thar triumph song
Glory Izud and honor
Unto Christ the king.
Tfis through countless ages
Mcn and angels sing
simplicity, the simplicity that comes
from profound faith. could alone have
given birth 70 these stanzas- Not great
1oerrvg True But convincing because
,f-she- fusion OF intense conviction and
,appy diction. They were written at
vhjre heat by the Rev s Barring
l.orld more than forty years ago, and
ii Yorkshire, England. Barring g-Gouid.
! nan. Of birth and great wealth, was
-,-rate al the time over the Harbury
7-fdre school A school festival was
-renred for Monday The clergy
uan sought the pages OF MS bymnai
~ = hvrnn that would serve the pur-
,o~e Of Z professional he could dis
.o--er none that exactly suited bis taste
n ~ tells Us. he determined 10 make
.ne Tor his young people Il was wrlr-
-, IN q very simple fashion without
bought of publication wanted the
.I.5I6ren 10 sing when marching from
ne village 10 the other, but could not