MUSIC. MELCOMBE, a melody of fine balance and great dignity, was composed by Samuel Webbe, 1740-1816, son of an English government official in Minorca. He spent his early life as a cabinetmaker but later turned to music, becoming a noted organist and composer of a large quantity of secular and sacred music.
23. Still, still with Thee
Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1811-96
Based on Psalm 139:18: “When I awake I am still with Thee.” It is a beautiful, personal, morning hymn, expressing the soul’s adoration upon waking to find itself in the glad consciousness of the divine presence.
Harriet Beecher Stowe belonged to a famous American family. Her father, Lyman Beecher, and her brother, Henry Ward Beecher, were eloquent and influential preachers in the Presbyterian and Congregational churches, respectively. Harriet’s girlhood was spent in Cincinnati, Ohio, where her father was president of Lane Theological Seminary. She married Calvin Ellis Stowe, of the Lane faculty. In 1852, she published Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a story which became immensely popular and made a notable contribution to the cause of freedom for the slaves.
MUSIC. CONSOLATION is No. 9 of the 48 pieces, all of distinctive lyric quality, composed by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, and known as Songs without Words. The tune appears here in slightly modified form. It is well adapted for the hymn but suffers frequently from dragging. It should be sung with a steady pace and clearly defined rhythm.
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy was born in Hamburg, Germany, 1809, the son of a Jewish banker. His father, Abraham Mendelssohn, wished the children to be brought up as Protestant Christians and added the name “Bartholdy” to distinguish them from the Jewish members of the family. “Bartholdy” was the name of the proprietor of the garden belonging to the family. Mendelssohn composed extensively for the piano and wrote symphonies for the orchestra. Among his choral works are the great oratorios, Elijah and St. Paul. A man of culture and wealth, he travelled extensively and was popular wherever he went, especially in England. He died in Leipzig in 1847.
24. Father, we praise Thee
Gregory the Great, 540-604
Tr. Percy Dearmer, 1867-1936