68. Veiled in darkness Judah lay
Douglas LeTell Rights, 1891—
Written in 1915, while World War I was raging in Europe and the clouds were gathering thick over the United States. The hymn is an appeal for the Spirit of Christ to bring peace and light to a troubled world. It was composed while the author, a Moravian, was a student at the Divinity School of Harvard University. It was the custom at that institution to have students of the School submit original compositions of hymns, one of which would be selected to be sung at the annual Christmas service of the school. This hymn was selected for the Christmas of 1915.
Douglas LeTell Rights, born in Winston-Salem, N. C., received his A. B. degree from the University of North Carolina and then prepared for the ministry at the Moravian Theological Seminary, Bethlehem, Pa., and at Harvard University. A member of the Moravian Church, anciently called the Unitas Fratrum, his first pastorate was at the First Moravian Church, Greensboro, N. C., 1916-18. In 1918-19, he was chaplain in the army in World War I. Since 1919, he has been pastor of Trinity Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, N. C. Rights is the author of A Voyage Down the Yadkin-Great Peedee River, 1928, and has written numerous articles on historical and archaeological subjects pertaining to his native state. His latest book is the American Indian in North Carolina.
MUSIC. EBELING. For comments on the composer of this tune, Johann Georg Ebeling, 1620-76, see [Hymn 555].
69. Come, Thou long-expected Jesus
Charles Wesley, 1707-88
A dignified, yet stirring Advent hymn, based on Haggai 2:7: “The desire of all nations shall come.” One of the first hymns of Wesley, it appeared in a small book of 24 pages. Hymns for the Nativity of our Lord, published in 1744. It is found in nearly all the modern hymn books in England and America.
For comments on Charles Wesley see [Hymn 6].
MUSIC. HYFRYDOL is a Welsh tune composed by Rowland Hugh Prichard, 1811-87, of Bala, Wales, who was active in the church as song leader, soloist, and composer of tunes. This tune is a composition of his youth, while he was still under twenty. It is characterized by its length, smoothness, and utter simplicity, the whole melody moving throughout, except for one note, within the compass of the fifth.