After the scripture lesson, Mr. Eddy rendered his solo, a musical setting of the Lord’s Prayer, “And it was magnificently sung as if it were a prayer.” The soloist remained while another hymn was sung, and then he quietly left the sanctuary, as he had to leave Aden immediately.
It was interesting to learn that the visiting singer was so familiar with the hymn, “Crown Him With Many Crowns,” and that he sang it so heartily. It is one of stirring hymns of the Christian Church, and with the tune to which it is set, “Diademata,” it makes a jubilant song of praise. Hymn and tune form “a perfect union.” Said Covert and Laufer: “The tune fully conveys the triumphant and ecstatic joy of the text, and yet its great dignity and solidity are preserved. It is a tune which organists like to play and which choirs and congregations enjoy singing.” Even in wartime, doubtless, all enjoyed singing:
“Crown Him the Lord of peace,
Whose power a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease,
And all be prayer and praise.”
CHAPTER XIV
EASTER WITH THE HYMNAL
A portion of Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington, is indicated as being the favorite resting-place of Dr. Isaac Watts. A writer paid an early morning visit to this location on a beautiful summer day. Fastened to a tree there was found a piece of paper on which there was written the following verse:
“There is a land of pure delight
Where saints immortal dwell,
Infinite day excludes the night,
And pleasures banish pain.”
Underneath were the words:
“Dr. Watts now enjoys what he then wrote.”
—The British Weekly.
A touching incident in connection with the death of Woodrow Wilson concerns the manner in which the news of his passing came to his friend and admirer Roland Hayes, the great American Negro singer, at the time he was giving a series of concerts in Boston. In the midst of his program Hayes raised his hand for silence and said, “I have just learned of the passing of a great soul and I’m going to sing something for a memorial to him.” And then he sang “I Am Goin’ Home” with a theme from the “New World Symphony,” in an arrangement by William A. Fisher:
“Goin’ home, goin’ home, I’m jes’ goin’ home;
It’s not far, jes’ close by, through an open door.
Work all done, care laid by,
Gwine to fear no more.”
—Home Quarterly.