94. Ye fair green hills of Galilee
Eustace R. Conder, 1820-92
A fine hymn, setting forth obedience to duty and love to God and man as the marks of Christ’s followers. It was contributed by the author to the Congregational Church Hymnal, London, 1887.
Eustace Rogers Conder studied for the Congregational ministry in Birmingham and later graduated with high honors in philosophy at London University. For 17 years, he was minister of a Congregational Church at Poole, where he trained students for missionary work, besides attending to his regular duties as pastor. In 1873, he was elected chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. He wrote several books, including Outlines of the Life of Christ and Sleepy Forest, a book of fairy tales for children.
MUSIC. STELLA is from an old English melody in 6-8 time which the children sang to “Sweet Mary, sweet Mary, my age is sixteen.” About 1850, it was arranged by Henri F. Hemy, 1818-88, English organist, for use in Catholic churches as an easy choir number. In 1875, the tune appeared (almost note for note as in the Hymnary) in the Appendix of St. Alban’s Tune Book, a book of pre-Reformation hymns set to plainsong melodies. The Appendix of the book is a treasure house of arrangements and adaptations of singable tunes from sacred and secular sources.