10. American Hymns.
The English speaking colonists who settled in America during the 17th century continued the psalm singing traditions of their forebears in England. The practice prevailed in their churches for two hundred years. The first book printed by them was the Bay Psalm Book, in 1640, at Cambridge, Massachusetts. It contained no original hymns. The singing of psalms, and later of hymns borrowed from England made up nearly the entire repertory of church music until the middle of the 19th century.
On the other hand, the German speaking colonists, including the Mennonites, had brought with them the hymn books of the Lutheran tradition and continued the use of the German chorales in their worship. The two streams of hymnody, English psalms and German chorales, went their independent courses for two centuries, scarcely influencing each other.
In the meantime there was very little original hymnody produced in America, with the exception of the work of the Wesleys during their brief experiment in Georgia, and the composition of certain hymns and tunes by the German people of Pennsylvania, which have remained, until recently, in manuscript form. Timothy Dwight’s hymn on the church, “I love Thy Kingdom, Lord” ([275]) is probably the earliest American hymn still in use.
After the middle of the 19th century the number of hymn writers became large and their works came into increasing use, some choice examples finding their way into English hymnbooks. America’s original contribution to Christian hymnody has not been only the Gospel Songs represented by the writings of Fanny Crosby, but the more permanent works of Whittier, George W. Doane, Hosmer, Samuel Longfellow, Washington Gladden, S. F. Smith, and many others. Our musical contributions have been less conspicuous, but the tunes of Mason are coming into their own again and many of them will doubtless survive for a long time, as will also those of Bradbury, Hastings, and others.
The tendency today in American hymnbooks is to unite the best in English and German traditions. The Hymnary illustrates this trend. It makes large use of the English hymns while at the same time preserving a considerable body of the German chorales. In keeping with this trend, the recent hymnbooks of the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist and other churches of English origin, incorporate some of the German chorale tunes and in some cases the translations of the words. The hymn books of our time have become the channels through which flow the rich contributions to the stream of Christian hymnody from Christian people of all times and places.
American Hymns in the Hymnary
Early American Timothy Dwight, 1752-1817, “I love Thy kingdom, Lord” ([275]) Thomas Hastings, 1784-1872, “Hail to the brightness” ([332]) Henry Ware, Jr., 1794-1843, “Happy the home when God” ([361]) Wm. B. Tappan, 1794-1849, “’Tis midnight; and on Olive’s brow” ([103]) Francis Scott Key, 1779-1843, “Lord, with glowing heart” ([511]) George W. Doane, 1799-1859, “Softly now the light of day” ([36]) 19th Century Leonard Bacon, 1802-81, “O God, beneath Thy guiding hand” ([367]) John G. Whittier, 1807-92, “Dear Lord and Father” ([181]) Ray Palmer, 1808-87, “My faith looks up to Thee” ([150]) S. F. Smith, 1808-95, “The morning light is breaking” ([324]) Oliver W. Holmes, 1809-94, “Lord of all being, throned afar” ([53]) E. H. Sears, 1810-76, “It came upon the midnight clear” ([75]) W. H. Burleigh, 1812-71, “Lead us, O Father, in the paths” ([164]) Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1811-96, “Still, still with Thee” ([23]) Sylvanus Phelps, 1816-95, “Savior, Thy dying love” ([220]) Arthur C. Coxe, 1818-96, “O where are kings and empires” ([276]) Elizabeth Payson Prentiss, 1818-78, “More love to Thee” ([472]) Edward Hopper, 1818-88, “Jesus, Savior, pilot me” ([161]) George Duffield, Jr., 1818-88, “Stand up, stand up for Jesus” ([193]) Samuel Longfellow, 1819-92, “Holy Spirit, Truth divine” ([136]) James Russell Lowell, 1819-91, “Once to every man” ([346]) Anna Warner, 1820-1915, “We would see Jesus” ([201]) John H. Hopkins, 1820-91, “We three kings of Orient are” ([90]) Eliza Scudder, 1821-96, “Thou Grace Divine, encircling all” ([57]) Samuel Johnson, 1822-82, “Father, in Thy mysterious” ([188]) Jeremiah E. Rankin, 1828-1904, “God be with you” ([365]) Joseph H. Gilmore, 1834-1918, “He leadeth me” ([478]) Phillips Brooks, 1835-93, “O little town of Bethlehem” ([84]) Recent American Hymns Washington Gladden, 1836-1918, “O Master, let me walk” ([223]) Frederick L. Hosmer, 1840-1929, “Not always on the mount” ([98]) Mary Lathbury, 1841-1913, “Day is dying in the west” ([31]) “Break Thou the bread of Life” ([288]) Frank Mason North, 1850-1936, “Where cross the crowded” ([222]) M. Woolsey Stryker, 1851-1929, “Almighty Lord, with one” ([390]) Henry van Dyke, 1852-1933, “Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee” ([10]) Louis F. Benson, 1855-1930, “O sing a song of Bethlehem” ([92]) Maltbie D. Babcock, 1858-1901, “This is my Father’s world” ([48]) Katherine Lee Bates, 1859-1929, “O beautiful for spacious” ([343]) Milton S. Littlefield, 1864-1934, “O Son of man, thou” ([373]) Jay T. Stocking, 1870-1936, “O Master Workman” ([93]) Wm. M. Vories, 1880—, “Let there be light, Lord God” ([353]) Harry Webb Farrington, 1880-1931, “I know not how that” ([99]) W. Russel Bowie, 1882—, “Lord, through changing days” ([402]) Howard Arnold Walter, 1884-1918, “I would be true” ([207]) Earl Marlatt, 1892—, “‘Are ye able,’ said the Master” ([392])