American Unitarian Hymn Writers and Hymns

by Henry Wilder Foote

American Unitarian Hymn Writers and Hymns

Compiled by Henry Wilder Foote for the Hymn Society of America for publication in the Society’s proposed Dictionary of American Hymnology

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Contents:

[(1) Historical Sketch of American Unitarian Hymnody.] (Pages 1-11) [(2) Catalogue of American Unitarian Hymn Books.] (Pages 12-36) [(3) Alphabetical List of Writers.] (Pages 37-39) [(4) Biographical Sketches, with Notes on Hymns.] (Pages 40-247) [(5) Index of First Lines of Published Hymns.] (Pages 248-270)

Cambridge, Massachusetts January, 1959

I gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the Misses Ruth and Orlo McCormack in the preparation of this compilation.

H.W.F.

AMERICAN UNITARIAN HYMNODY

In the first edition of Julian’s Dictionary of Hymnology (1891) F. M. Bird[1] wrote, “The Unitarians—possessing a large share of the best blood and brain of the most cultivated section of America—exhibit a long array of respectable hymnists whose effusions have often won the acceptance of other bodies,” (pp. 58-59). And in this century Louis F. Benson[2] in his classic book The English Hymn (p. 460) wrote, “It is not surprizing that a body including the best blood and highest culture of Massachusetts shared in the Literary Movement [of the 19^th century] and succeeded in imparting to its hymn books a freshness of interest in great contrast to those of the orthodox churches” and that “from their [the compilers’] hands there proceeded —— a series of hymn books whose literary interest was very notable” (p. 462).