92. O sing a song of Bethlehem
Louis F. Benson, 1855-1930
Written as a Christmas carol but sings also of the later life of Jesus in Nazareth, Galilee, and at Calvary. It was contributed to The School Hymnal (Presbyterian), edited by Dr. Benson in 1899.
Louis Fitzgerald Benson was born in Philadelphia and educated for the bar. After seven years of practice, he gave up law to enter Princeton Theological Seminary and was ordained a Presbyterian minister. He became minister of the Church of the Redeemer, Germantown, Pa., but resigned his charge after six years, to begin his great work as editor of hymn books and writer and lecturer on hymnology. His book, The English Hymn, unfortunately out of print, has no rival as a source of accurate information about the development and use of English and American hymns. His Studies in Familiar Hymns (2 vols.) is unexcelled. For forty years Dr. Benson rendered outstanding service to all students of hymnology through his writings and lectures on the subject. He composed 32 original hymns and made 16 translations from the Latin which were published as Hymns, Original and Translated, Philadelphia, 1925, in which the present hymn appears.
MUSIC. BETHLEHEM, also called “Evangel,” was composed by Gottfried W. Fink, 1783-1846, German minister, musician, music critic, and editor, who was appointed in 1842 to a Professorship of Music at Leipzig. It is a joyful tune in popular style, especially suitable for large choruses or congregations.