36. Softly now the light of day
George Washington Doane, 1799-1859
An American hymn characterized by simplicity and grace, and sung the world over wherever the English language is spoken. It appeared in 1824 in a collection of poems, Songs by the Way, with the heading “Evening.” It is based on Psalm 141:2, “Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
George Washington Doane was born in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1799, the year that the “Father of our Country” died; hence his name. He was educated at Union College, Schenectady, New York, and ordained, at the age of 22, in the Episcopal Church. At the early age of 33 he was made bishop of New Jersey. A pioneer in education, and ahead of his time in many things, his life was full of trials. But his exceptional talents, learning and force of character made him one of the great church leaders of his time.
MUSIC. SEYMOUR is by the eminent German composer of opera, Carl M. von Weber, 1786-1826. This tune, a great favorite, is from the opening chorus of his opera, Oberon, which is sung while fairies “trip it lightly” on the stage. When contributions towards the musical edition of the famous English book, Hymns Ancient and Modern, London, 1861, were invited by advertisement, the editor, W. H. Monk, received more requests for the insertion of this tune than any other, despite its secular origin.
37. At even, when the sun was set
Henry Twells, 1823-1900
This evening hymn, a prayer for the healing of our bodily as well as spiritual ills, has been translated into many foreign tongues, and is found in nearly all standard hymn books both in America and abroad. The original has eight stanzas. It is based on the touching evening scene described in Mark 1:32, “At even, when the sun was set, they brought unto him all that were sick.”
Henry Twells was ordained in 1849 in the Church of England. Among the parishes he served was Stratford-on-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare. At the time he wrote this hymn, he was headmaster of a large grammar school and penned the verses one afternoon while the boys were writing an examination.
MUSIC. The tune, ANGELUS, appeared in somewhat different form in Heilige Seelenlust, one of a series of Catholic collections of hymns in Germany, written in the vernacular, and edited by Johann Scheffler. The tune is credited to Georg Josephi, a German musician of whom little is known except that he was the musical editor of Heilige Seelenlust. It is a tune of rare beauty though its modulations into several different keys makes it more difficult to sing than some and gives it a sense of restlessness not found in other popular tunes.