The Washington herald., 1914-02-01

collection OF the new Unitarian hymnal
soon to be published are used by The
Survey from advance sheets. A number
OF these hymns have not before been
printed. Beside hymns from existing col
lections. The Survey has asked for original
hymns which are being copyrighted.
The desire for these hymns is a natural
one. The age of excessive individuaiism
now gradually passing developed its
hymns. in which the Individual stood
forth prominently as solely the one for
whom divine grace and benehcence ex-
listed. With the coming of the social age
and the development of the social con-
sciousness II Is natural that there should
be the desire to break forth In song
which shall express the common bond OF
brotherhood.
Many Interests Represented.
The Survey collection of hymns passed
the inspection Of more than score OF
persons OF varying occupations, compos-
ers. organists, clsrgymen, musical direc-
tors. college professors, writer's. social
workers and others. In denominational
affiliation these represented Baptist.
Congregational, Episcopslian. Methodist.
Presbyterian. Jewish, Unitarian, Ethical
Culture and Socialist.
In this collection composers OF hymns
include Charles kingsley, Joseph Addi-
son. the late Samuel June Barrows. John
Greenleaf Whittier. Oliver Wendell
Holmes, Edward Everett Hale, Theodore
Parker, James Russell Lowell, Alfred
Tennyson. John Hay, Richard Watson
Glider and others, all men who have dis
tinguIshed themselves in some depart
ment OF the worlds work. They be-
lieved in singing at their tasks, judging
from the number OF inspiring hymns they
left before going hence to larger fields
of service. To these hymns has been
welded music that has long been fami-
liar to the churches, from Haydns "Crea-
ton" Hamburg" sBenediCtion.' Amer
ics." arrangements from Schumann and
Handel and others. few tunes not
familiar to churches, like the "Marseil-
laise." are included.
Among new and living writers appear
the names of Henry Van Dyke. row
United States Ambassador TO the Neither
lands: Vida ID. Scudder. professor of Eng
lish literature. Wellesley College: Emily
Green BaIch. John Haynes Holmes. pas
tor Of the Church OF the Messiah. New
York; Felix Adler. OF the Ethical Gu
ture Society. New York; Washington
GLADDEN.. pastor emeritus. First Congre-
gational Church. Columbus. o.: Gilbert
X. Chesterton. the English author; Anna
Garland Spencer. William p. Merrill. pas
tor Brick Presbyterian Church. New
York: Edwin Markham, katherine Lee
Bates Rudyard Eipling and others Pro-
fessor Simon y. Patton contributes three
hymns as examples of the elements he be-
lieves a hymn Of social character should
include. DIR. Patton, however. realizes
that the task in particular is to sing
ones social thought and feeling as
Luther sang his belief or as the re-
vivalist does today"
Illustrating Social Content.
Verses taken from Or. Patten's hymns
will illustrate their social content. The
first and third verses OF Social America"
follow:
MY country. 'ts in thee.
That ccsseles en1D
Erokes our hsxt.
love thy shops and mills
The clash Of human wills.
The busy street that thrls
And virtues test.
oh gracious God from Thee
Cones civic purity
And prospects bright.
Long may hnd b known
As when the world shown
How character has grown
In freedoms light
One hymn, entitled The Social Call"
second verse, is as follows:
Seek TO ruuse the nation
Against the Christian dreds.
Reeve ths Chrssi,n spirit
BY seryfng modern needs
The masses slowly climbing.
Need friendly aid and Chez
Be in your striving
Their upward way 10 clear.
OF a collection OF more than 100 hymns
fully half have been written during the
past twenty-five years. A careful read
ing of them and also OF those written
about fifty years ago reveal a difference
in spirit and social outlook that indicates
the degree OF progress attained. The
hymns of the earlier date recognize the
unity of mankind. The feeling OF broth
erhood extended thus far. but there Is
still the conception OF God as distant
to whom song arises as would a prayer.
The hymn by DR.. Oliver Wendell Holmes,
beginning:
Lord OF all being. thron'd afar.
Thy glory flames from sun and star"
may be cited as an example. But hymns
of this type are in advance OF the type
that preceded in as much as the personal
pronoun plural. we" and our" or the
collective expression. displaces the fire.
quent use OF the personal pronoun singu-
lar, 'I' and me" or mine" the in
form.
Depth of Social Sympathy.
The hymns OF recent writing have a
greater depth of social sympathy. There
Is the conception of God dwelling in the
history and experience, in the cravings
and struggles Of the people, an immanent
Presence urging and encouraging, i'm |
parting the spiritual power that makes |
for liberty and righteousness. The social |
has been so much the more |
developed. |
Hymns that illustrate in some particu- |
lar this more modern point of view and 1
social sympathy include one by William |
NJ. Crane, written last year. beginning:
Dear Lord, who dwellest with US now
in sad humanity,
Give US beneath the cross to bow which |
men have laid on Thee"
And also another by Frank Mason |
North, written In 1906, the first verse of
which follows:
Where cross the crowded ways Of life.
Where sound the cries Of race and clan,
Above the noise of selfish strife
We hear Thy voice, o Son of Man.
These are typical Of the spirit, insight
and social vision of many more that
night be quoted. They give in some in
stances an impression of struggle on the
part of writers against the inadequacy
II language to express what the soul Is
striving to sing.
Earlier Efforts.
The grouping OF hymns OF different ma
ionalities represented in America. hymns
II the labor movement and of socialism.
a few by William Morris and
Kingsley, form supplementary
part of the collection. In the hymns
Ienegally- Of the lAteat Icomp0sttton tAAre