28. Now on land and sea descending
Samuel Longfellow, 1819-92
Written for use in a series of vesper services the author was conducting in his church. It was published, with other hymns, in a small book called Vespers. This hymn and “Again as evening’s shadow falls” ([No. 280]), also by Longfellow, have become two of the most-loved evening hymns in the English language.
Samuel Longfellow, younger brother of the poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was born and died in Portland, Maine. He was educated at Harvard for the ministry and served congregations in Fall River, Mass.; Brooklyn; and Germantown, Pa., resigning the last charge to write his brother’s Life, 1886. Though a Unitarian, he speaks of Christ as Lord and Saviour and accepted the miracles of the New Testament. He edited several important hymn books and wrote a number of hymns of excellent quality. Thirteen of his compositions are included in the Hymnary.
MUSIC. VESPERS is by the Russian composer Dimitri Stephanovitch Bortniansky who was born at Gloukoff, in the Ukraine, 1752, and died at St. Petersburg, 1825. He studied music at Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Venice, Italy, the Empress Catherine of Russia supplying the necessary funds. (It was this Empress Catherine who extended an invitation in 1786 to Prussian Mennonites to settle in South Russia, promising religious toleration, military exemption, and other special privileges.) Bortniansky became Director of the Imperial Kapelle, the Empress’ Church Choir. He was a distinguished composer of sacred music and has had a great and lasting influence on Russian church music. From his pen came the well-known chorale tune, “Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe” ([No. 517]).
The word “Jubilate” means “to shout for joy.” It comes from the same Latin root as “jubilee” and “jubilant.” Its English pronunciation in singing is Jōo-bĭ-lä-tĭ. If you prefer the Latin, sing it Yōo-bā-lä-tĭ.