Before this great thing can come to pass, there must be a familiarity with the hymns—an appreciation of these “crown jewels of the church.” Anyone, then, who directs attention to Christian hymns and stimulates interest in them is adding to our resources for private and public worship.
The author of this volume is continuing and extending his Christian ministry by calling attention to the use of hymns and gospel songs on various occasions and exhorting us all to sing. He is a retired member of the Northern New York Conference of The Methodist Church, honored for his long and fruitful ministry, and beloved for his unfailing devotion to the spreading of the gospel through the still wider use of Christian hymns.
W. Earl Ledden.
Syracuse, New York
TABLE OF CONTENTS
[Introduction] 9 [Chapter I. Let’s Sing] 13 [1. They Sang with the Marine Band] [2. Song of the Chaplain’s Wife] [3. Our Popular Processional Hymn] [4. Heard Lauder’s Song and Wesley’s Hymn] [5. The Hymn with Exclamation Points] [Chapter II. Morning Melodies] 25 [1. The Morning Call] [2. Morning Hymn on an Ocean Voyage] [3. Morning Songs Fill the Day with Music] [4. Hymn Suggested by a “Blaze of Leafage”] [Chapter III. Sunset Songs] 32 [1. Nature Gave the Perfect Touch] [2. The Bells of Trinity] [3. Singing Soldiers] [4. Hymn Discussion at Oyster Bay] [Chapter IV. Serenading the Soul With Song] 39 [1. That Was Yesterday!] [2. Song of the Hidden Singer] [3. Americans Sang with the Japanese Lady] [4. Northfield’s Festival of Sacred Music] [Chapter V. Hymns of Comfort] 47 [1. God’s Angels in Charge] [2. Singing Welshmen at Oxford] [3. Singing Amid Suffering] [4. Songs of a Sorrowing Nation] [Chapter VI. Occasions To Remember] 58 [1. “Abide With Me” in a Submarine] [2. Wheel Chair Singers] [3. Sang the Hymn from Memory] [4. Hymn Expressed the Hearer’s Feelings] [5. Hymn of the Homesick American] [6. His Ordination Hymn] [7. Soldiers Sang at Their General’s Funeral] [Chapter VII. Hymns That Changed Lives] 71 [1. When Catherine Booth Made the Great Decision] [2. His Song and Experience in a Coal Mine] [3. Decision of the “Incorrigible”] [4. The Hymn That Wrought a Miracle] [Chapter VIII. Songs of Childhood and Youth] 80 [1. Song of the Child in the Shelter] [2. What the Scouts Sang] [3. “Jesus Bids Us Shine”] [4. Men Loved the Kiddies’ Hymn] [Chapter IX. Sang in Their Own Tongues] 87 [1. Chinese and Americans Sang a Negro Spiritual] [2. Christmas Carols in Two Tongues] [3. “Everybody Knows ‘Holy Night’”] [4. Unifying Influence Of Song at Eastertide] [Chapter X. Patriotic Music in War and Peace] 93 [1. Surprise for American Soldiers] [2. “America the Beautiful” Heard at Arlington] [3. An American Home on Invasion Day] [4. “Our God is Marching On!”] [5. “The Star-Spangled Banner” at War’s End] [6. Kipling’s “Recessional”] [Chapter XI. Thanksgiving in Song] 105 [1. Two Statesmen Sang “America”] [2. Gunner Led the Song Of Praise] [3. Minister Thrilled by Singing of Philadelphia Laymen] [4. “We Love the Place”] [5. Memorable Rendering of the Doxology] [Chapter XII. Carols at Christmastide] 115 [1. Christmas Carols on Deck of Battleship] [2. Christmastide Song of Blind Singers] [3. Not Too Late to Hear the Christmas Music] [4. Carol the Children Wanted] [Chapter XIII. The Cross and the Church] 121 [1. Building Gone, but Hymn Remains] [2. An Army with Banners] [3. Church Cross Inspired Grocer’s Song] [4. Visiting Singer Familiar with the Hymn] [Chapter XIV. Easter With the Hymnal] 127 [1. Easter Song of a Centenarian] [2. Easter in New Guinea] [3. Eastertide Hymn at an Easter Funeral] [4. Mother’s Hymn at Eventide] [Bibliography] 135 [Index of Hymns] 137
INTRODUCTION
“That was heavenly,” said a Welshman at the close of a service of sacred song at which he had listened to the narration of incidents with apparent delight and had joyously joined in the singing. Hymns are a source of joy to persons of all ages; and youth and age alike enjoy singing them. The hymnal stands next to the Bible in the devotional reading of many people. Workers among young people find hymn stories to be an important feature of their work; and preachers know that an illustration relating to a hymn not only makes an effective appeal but is also long remembered. Short hymn stories give comforting satisfaction to sick people in their quiet chambers, especially when they can sometimes sing or hum them.
Great hymns belong to the ages. They are timeless, and always new stories are being associated with them. But this collection of stories does not range over the centuries; it comes from our own century almost entirely. The hymns are mostly old; but the stories are new. Two quotations indicate what a hymn is and its effects.
The following was adopted by The Hymn Society of America as its definition of a Christian hymn: