Person Results

Switch back to the old search page.Advanced Search

Showing 11 - 20 of 42Results Per Page: 10 20 50

Frederick William Faber

1814 - 1863 Person Name: Frederick W. Faber Hymnal Number: d4 Author of "All praise to St. Patrick" in Manual of Hymns for Congregational Singing, Prayers and Pious Practices Raised in the Church of England, Frederick W. Faber (b. Calverly, Yorkshire, England, 1814; d. Kensington, London, England, 1863) came from a Huguenot and strict Calvinistic family background. He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, and ordained in the Church of England in 1839. Influenced by the teaching of John Henry Newman, Faber followed Newman into the Roman Catholic Church in 1845 and served under Newman's supervision in the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. Because he believed that Roman Catholics should sing hymns like those written by John Newton, Charles Wesley, and William Cowpe, Faber wrote 150 hymns himself. One of his best known, "Faith of Our Fathers," originally had these words in its third stanza: "Faith of Our Fathers! Mary's prayers/Shall win our country back to thee." He published his hymns in various volumes and finally collected all of them in Hymns (1862). Bert Polman ================= Faber, Frederick William, D.D., son of Mr. T. H. Faber, was born at Calverley Vicarage, Yorkshire, June 28, 1814, and educated at Balliol College, Oxford, graduating B.A. in 1836. He was for some time a Fellow of University College, in the same University. Taking Holy Orders in 1837, he became Rector of Elton, Huntingdonshire, in 1843, but in 1846 he seceded to the Church of Rome. After residing for some time at St. Wilfrid's, Staffordshire, he went to London in 1849, and established the London "Oratorians," or, "Priests of the Congregation of St. Philip Neri," in King William Street, Strand. In 1854 the Oratory was removed to Brompton. Dr. Faber died Sept. 26, 1863. Before his secession he published several prose works, some of which were in defence of the Church of England; and afterwards several followed as Spiritual Conferences, All for Jesus, &c. Although he published his Cherwell Waterlily and Other Poems, 1840; The Styrian Lake, and Other Poems, 1842; Sir Lancelot, 1844; and The Rosary and Other Poems, 1845; and his Lives of the Saints, in verse, before he joined the Church of Rome, all his hymns were published after he joined that communion. They were included in his:— (1) A small book of eleven Hymns1849, for the School at St. Wilfrid's, Staffordshire. (2) Jesus and Mary: or, Catholic Hymns for Singing and Reading, London 1849. In 1852 the 2nd edition was published with an addition of 20 new hymns. (3) Oratory Hymns, 1854; and (4) Hymns, 1862, being a collected edition of what he had written and published from time to time. Dr. Faber's account of the origin of his hymn-writing is given in his Preface to Jesus & Mary. After dwelling on the influence, respectively, of St. Theresa, of St. Ignatius, and of St. Philip Neri, on Catholicism; and of the last that "sanctity in the world, perfection at home, high attainments in common earthly callings…was the principal end of his apostolate," he says:— “It was natural then that an English son of St. Philip should feel the want of a collection of English Catholic hymns fitted for singing. The few in the Garden of the Soul were all that were at hand, and of course they were not numerous enough to furnish the requisite variety. As to translations they do not express Saxon thought and feelings, and consequently the poor do not seem to take to them. The domestic wants of the Oratory, too, keep alive the feeling that something of the sort was needed: though at the same time the author's ignorance of music appeared in some measure to disqualify him for the work of supplying the defect. Eleven, however, of the hymns were written, most of them, for particular tunes and on particular occasions, and became very popular with a country congregation. They were afterwards printed for the Schools at St. Wilfrid's, and the very numerous applications to the printer for them seemed to show that, in spite of very glaring literary defects, such as careless grammar and slipshod metre, people were anxious to have Catholic hymns of any sort. The manuscript of the present volume was submitted to a musical friend, who replied that certain verses of all or nearly all of the hymns would do for singing; and this encouragement has led to the publication of the volume." In the same Preface he clearly points to the Olney Hymns and those of the Wesleys as being the models which for simplicity and intense fervour he would endeavour to emulate. From the small book of eleven hymns printed for the schools at St. Wilfrid's, his hymn-writing resulted in a total of 150 pieces, all of which are in his Hymns, 1862, and many of them in various Roman Catholic collections for missions and schools. Few hymns are more popular than his "My God, how wonderful Thou art," "O come and mourn with me awhile," and "Sweet Saviour, bless us ere we go." They excel in directness, simplicity, and pathos. "Hark, hark, my soul, angelic songs are swelling," and "O Paradise, O Paradise," are also widely known. These possess, however, an element of unreality which is against their permanent popularity. Many of Faber's hymns are annotated under their respective first lines; the rest in common use include:— i. From his Jesus and Mary, 1849 and 1852. 1. Fountain of love, Thyself true God. The Holy Ghost. 2. How shalt thou bear the Cross, that now. The Eternal Years. 3. I come to Thee, once more, O God. Returning to God. 4. Joy, joy, the Mother comes. The Purification. 5. My soul, what hast thou done for God? Self-Examination 6. O how the thought of God attract. Holiness Desired. 7. O soul of Jesus, sick to death. Passiontide. Sometimes this is divided into two parts, Pt. ii. beginning, “My God, my God, and can it be." ii. From his Oratory Hymns, 1854. 8. Christians, to the war! Gather from afar. The Christian Warfare. 9. O come to the merciful Saviour that calls you. Divine Invitation. In many collections. 10. O God, Thy power is wonderful. Power and Eternity of God. 11. O it is sweet to think, Of those that are departed. Memory of the Dead. 12. O what are the wages of sin? The Wages of Sin. 13. O what is this splendour that beams on me now? Heaven. 14. Saint of the Sacred Heart. St. John the Evangelist. iii. From his Hymns, 1862. 15. Father, the sweetest, dearest Name. The Eternal Father. 16. Full of glory, full of wonders, Majesty Divine. Holy Trinity. 17. Hark ! the sound of the fight. Processions. 18. How pleasant are thy paths, 0 death. Death Contemplated. 19. O God, Whose thoughts are brightest light. Thinking no Evil. 20. O why art thou sorrowful, servant of God? Trust in God. 21. Souls of men, why will ye scatter? The Divine Call. 22. The land beyond the sea. Heaven Contemplated. 23. The thought of God, the thought of thee. Thoughts of God. 24. We come to Thee, sweet Saviour. Jesus, our Rest. In addition to these there are also several hymns in common use in Roman Catholic hymn-books which are confined to those collections. In the Hymns for the Year, by Dr. Rawes, Nos. 77, 110, 112, 117, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127, 128, 131, 140, 152, 154,169, 170, 174, 179, 180, 192, 222, 226, 230, 271, 272, are also by Faber, and relate principally to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Several of these are repeated in other Roman Catholic collections. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907 ================== Faber, Frederick William, p. 361, i. To this article the following additions have to be made:— 1. Blood is the price of heaven. Good Friday. (1862.) 2. Exceeding sorrowful to death. Gethsemane. This in the Scottish Ibrox Hymnal, 1871, is a cento from "O soul of Jesus, sick to death," p. 362, i., 7. 3. From pain to pain, from woe to woe. Good Friday. (1854.) 4. I wish to have no wishes left. Wishes about death. (1862.) 5. Why is thy face so lit with smiles? Ascension. (1849.) The dates here given are those of Faber's works in which the hymns appeared. In addition to these hymns there are also the following in common use:— 6. Dear God of orphans, hear our prayer. On behalf of Orphans. This appeared in a miscellaneous collection entitled A May Garland, John Philip, n.d. [1863], No. 1, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. In the Roman Catholic Parochial Hymn Book, 1880, it begins, "O God of orphans, hear our prayer." 7. Sleep, sleep my beautiful babe. Christmas Carol. This carol we have failed to trace. 8. By the Archangel's word of love. Pt. i. Life of our Lord. This, and Pt. ii., “By the blood that flowed from Thee"; Pt. iii., "By the first bright Easter day"; also, "By the word to Mary given"; "By the name which Thou didst take"; in The Crown Hymn Book and other Roman Catholic collections, we have seen ascribed to Dr. Faber, but in the Rev. H. Formby's Catholic Hymns, 1853, they are all signed "C. M. C," i.e. Cecilia M. Caddell (p. 200, i.). --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) ====================== Faber, F. W., pp. 361, i.; 1562, ii. We are informed by members of Dr. Faber's family that his father was Mr. Thomas Henry Faber, sometime Lay Secretary of the Bishop of Durham. In addition to his hymns already noted in this Dictionary, the following are found in various Roman Catholic collections, viz.:— i. From St. Wilfrid's Hymns, 1849:— 1. Dear Father Philip, holy Sire. S. Philip Neri. 2. Hail, holy Joseph, hail. S. Joseph. 3. Mother of Mercy, day by day. Blessed Virgin Mary. ii. Jesus and Mary, 1849:— 4. Ah ! dearest Lord! I cannot pray. Prayer. 5. Dear Husband of Mary. S. Joseph. 6. Dear Little One, how sweet Thou art. Christmas. 7. Father and God! my endless doom. Predestination. 8. Hail, holy Wilfrid, hail. S. Wilfrid. 9. O Jesus, if in days gone by. Love of the World. 10. O turn to Jesus, Mother, turn. B. V. M. 11. Sing, sing, ye angel bands. Assum. B. V. M. iii. Jesus and Mary, 1852:— 12. All ye who love the ways of sin. S. Philip Neri. 13. Day set on Rome! its golden morn. S. Philip Neri. 14. Hail, bright Archangel! Prince of heaven. S. Michael. 15. Hail, Gabriel, hail. S. Gabriel. 16. O Flower of Grace, divinest Flower. B. V. M. 17. Saint Philip! 1 have never known. S. Philip Neri. 18. Sweet Saint Philip, thou hast won us. S. Philip Neri. Previously in the Rambler, May, 1850, p. 425. iv. Oratory Hymns, 1854:— 19. Day breaks on temple roofs and towers. Expect. of B. V. M. 20. How gently flow the silent years. S. Martin and S. Philip. 21. How the light of Heaven is stealing. Grace. 22. Like the dawning of the morning. Expect. of B. V. M. 23. Mother Mary ! at thine altar. For Orphans. 24. My God! Who art nothing but mercy and kindness. Repentance. 25. O blessed Father! sent by God. S. Vincent of Paul. 26. O do you hear that voice from heaven? Forgiveness. 27. The chains that have bound me. Absolution. 28. The day, the happy day, is dawning. B. V. M. 29. The moon is in the heavens above. B. V. M. 30. Why art thou sorrowful, servant of God? Mercy. v. Hymns, 1862:— 31. At last Thou art come, little Saviour. Christmas. 32. By the spring of God's compassions. S. Raphael. 33. Fair are the portals of the day. B. V. M. 34. Father of many children. S. Benedict. 35. From the highest heights of glory. S. Mary Magdalene. 36. Like the voiceless starlight falling. B. V. M. 37. Mary! dearest mother. B. V. M. 38. Mother of God, we hail thy heart. B. V. M. 39. O Anne! thou hadst lived through those long dreary years. S. Anne. Previously in Holy Family Hymns, 1860. 40. O balmy and bright as moonlit night. B. V. M. 41. O Blessed Trinity! Thy children. Holy Trinity. 42. O dear Saint Martha, busy saint. S. Martha 43. O Mother, will it always be. B. V. M. 44. O vision bright. B. V. M. 45. Summer suns for ever shining. B. V. M. 46. There are many saints above. S. Joseph. Previously in Holy Family Hymns, 1860. vi. Centos and altered forms:— 47. Confraternity men to the fight. From "Hark the sound of the fight," p. 362, i. 48. Hail, sainted Mungo, hail. From No. 8. 49. I bow to Thee, sweet will of God. From "I worship Thee," p. 559, ii. 50. They whom we loved on earth. From "0 it is sweet to think," p. 362, i. 51. Vincent! like Mother Mary, thou. From No. 25. When Dr. Faber's hymns which are in common use are enumerated, the total falls little short of one hundred. In this respect he outnumbers most of his contemporaries. [Rev. James Mearns] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907) -------------- See also in: Hymn Writers of the Church

Joseph Mohr

1792 - 1848 Hymnal Number: d84 Author of "Jesus is here" in Manual of Hymns for Congregational Singing, Prayers and Pious Practices Joseph Mohr was born into a humble family–his mother was a seamstress and his father, an army musketeer. A choirboy in Salzburg Cathedral as a youth, Mohr studied at Salzburg University and was ordained in the Roman Catholic Church in 1815. Mohr was a priest in various churches near Salzburg, including St. Nicholas Church. He spent his later years in Hintersee and Wagrein. Bert Polman ================= Mohr, Joseph, was born at Salzburg, Austria, on Dec. 11, 1792. After being ordained priest on Aug. 21, 1815, by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg, he was successively assistant at Ramsau and at Laufen; then coadjutor at Kuchl, at Golling, at Vigaun, at Adnet, and at Authering; then Vicar-Substitute at Hof and at Hintersee--all in the diocese of Salzburg. In 1828 he was appointed Vicar at Hintersee, and in 1837 at Wagrein, near St. Johann. He died at Wagrein, Dec. 4, 1848. The only hymn by him translated into English is:— Stille Nacht! heilige Nacht! Christmas. This pretty little carol was written for Christmas, 1818, while Mohr was assistant clergyman at Laufen, on the Salza, near Salzburg, and was set to music (as in the Garland of Songs) by Franz Gruber, then schoolmaster at the neighbouring village of Arnsdorf (b. Nov. 25, 1787, at Hochburg near Linz, died June 7, 1863, as organist at Hallein, near Salzburg). What is apparently the original form is given by 0. Kraus, 1879, p. 608, in 3 stanzas of 6 lines, and in Dr. Wichern's Unsere Lieder, Hamburg, 1844, No. 111. Another form, also in 3 stanzas of 6 lines, is in T. Fliedner's Lieder-Buch für Kleinkinder-Schulen, Kaiserswerth, 1842, No. 115, and the Evangelical Kinder Gesang-Buch, Basel, 1867. The translations are from the text of 1844. 1. Holy night! peaceful night! All is dark. By Miss J. M. Campbell in C. S. Bere's Garland of Songs, 1863, and thence in Hymns & Carols, London, 1871. 2. Silent night! hallowed night. Land and deep. This is No. 131 in the Christian Hymn Book, Cincinnati, 1865. It is suggested by, rather than a translation of the German. 3. Holy night! peaceful night! Through the darkness. This is No. 8 in J. Barnby's Original Tunes to Popular Hymns, Novello, N. D., 1869; repeated in Laudes Domini, N.Y., 1884, No. 340. 4. Silent night! holy night! All is calm. This is in C. L. Hutchins's Sunday School Hymnal, 1871 (1878, p. 198), and the Sunday School Hymn Book of the Gen. Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 1873, No. 65. 5. Peaceful night, all things sleep. This is No. 17, in Carols for St Stephen's Church, Kirkstall, Leeds, 1872. 6. Silent night, holiest night. All asleep. By Dr. A. Edersheim, in the Sunday at Home, Dec. 18, 1875, repeated in the Church Sunday School Hymn Book, 1879, No. 35. 7. Silent night! holy night! Slumber reigns. By W. T. Matson, as No. 132, in Dr. Allon's Children's Worship, 1878. 8. Still the night, holy the night! Sleeps the world. By Stopford A. Brooke, in his Christian Hymns, 1881, No. 55. Translations not in common use:-- (1) "Stilly night, Holy night, Silent stars," by Miss E. E. S. Elliott, privately printed for the choir of St. Mark's, Brighton, about 1858, but first published in the Church Missionary Juvenile Instructor, 1871, p. 198. Also in her Tune Book for Under the Pillow, 1880. (2) "Holy night! calmly bright," by Mary D. Moultrie in Hymns & Lyrics by Gerard Moultrie, 1867, p. 42. (3) "Silent night, holiest night! Moonbeams," by C. T. Brooks, In his Poems, Boston, U. S., 1885, p. 218. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================ Mohr, Joseph, p. 760, ii. The translation "Stilly night, starry and bright," in Farmer's Glees & Songs for High Schools, 1881, p. 36, is by Archdeacon Farrar. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) See also in: Hymn Writers of the Church

Matthew Bridges

1800 - 1894 Hymnal Number: d89 Author of "Hail, Rock of ages, pierced for me" in Manual of Hymns for Congregational Singing, Prayers and Pious Practices Matthew Bridges

Francis Stanfield

1835 - 1914 Hymnal Number: d9 Author of "Bright queen of heaven, Virgin most fair" in Manual of Hymns for Congregational Singing, Prayers and Pious Practices Stanfield, Francis, s. of Clarkson Stanfield the artist, was b. in London Nov. 5, 1836 [sic. 1835], and educated at St. Edmund's College, near Ware. Since his ordination he has principally been engaged in conducting missions and retreats, but he was for some time stationed at Hertford, and has been lately priest in charge at Old Hall Green, Herts. A collected edition of his hymns is being issued by the Benedictine Fathers at Ramsgate. They include:— i. From his Catholic Hymns, pt. i. 1858, ii. 1860:— 1. All hail, bright feast of jubilation. All Saints. 2. All ye who love your fatherland. Prayer for England. 3. Drear is the nightfall. B. V. M. 4. Hail, Virgin Queen of May's bright gladdening hours. May. 5. Hear thy children, gentlest mother. B. V. M. 6. O Sacred Heart, all blissful light of Heaven. Sacred Heart. 7. Sweet Jesus! Thou a haven art. Sacred Heart. 8. Sweet Sacrament divine. Holy Communion. 9. There is a land of peace and love. Heaven. ii. In the Holy Family Hymns, 1860 :— 10. Bright Queen of Heaven, Virgin most fair. B.V.M. 11. Hail, feast of deep celestial joy. All Saints. 12. Hear Thy children, gentle Jesus. Evening. Also in the People's Hymnal, 1867, and others. In the Supplement to the New Congregational Hymn Book, 1874, it begins "Hear Thy children, Heavenly Father." 13. O Sacred Heart, our home lies deep in Thee. Sacred Heart. iii. In the St. Patrick's Hymn Book, 1862 :— 14. At hour of silent midnight. Christmas. 15. O Mother, welcome is the feast. Immaculate Conception. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

Contractus Hermannus

1013 - 1054 Hymnal Number: d31 Author of "Triumph all ye cherubim" in Manual of Hymns for Congregational Singing, Prayers and Pious Practices Hermannus Contractus (also known as Herimanus Augiensis or Hermann von Reichenau) was the son of Count Wolverad II von Altshausen. He was born 18 February, 1013 at Altshausen (Swabia). He was a cripple at birth, but intellectually gifted. Therefore his parents sent him to be taught by Abbot Berno on the island of Reichenau. He took his monastic vows here and died on Reichenau 21 September, 1054. He was a mathematician, astronomer, musician, chronicler, and poet, among other things. He is frequently credited as the author of "Alma Redemptoris Mater" and "Salve Regina" Dianne Shapiro, from Schlager, P. (1910). Hermann Contractus. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07266a.htm ================================== Hermannus Contraecus, so called because of his crippled condition, is also known as Hermann of Vöhringen, Hermann of Reichenau, and Hermann der Gebrechliche. He was the son of the Count of Vöhringen in Swabia, and was born on July 18, 1013. He entered the school of St. Gall, circa 1020, and soon developed, although so young, an intense interest in his studies. It is said of him that he rapidly mastered Latin, Greek, and Arabic. History, music, mathematics, philosophy, and theology engaged his attention, and in each study he attained marked success. Some go so far as to say with confidence that he translated Aristotle's Poetics and Rhetoric from the Arabic, but the statement is disputed by others. At thirty years of age he removed from St. Gall to the monastery of Reichenau, where he remained to his death, Sept. 24, 1054. His name is associated with several hymns of historical importance, and notably the following:— 1. Alma Redemptoris, Mater quae pervia coeli. 2. Rex omnipotens die hodierna. 3. Sancti Spiritus adsit nobis gratia. 4. Salve Regina. 5. Veni Sancte spiritus, Et emitte. 6. Veni Sancte spiritus: Reple. 7. Victimae Paschali. The conclusions arrived at in annotations of these hymns concerning their respective authorship will be found somewhat adverse to Hermannus's claims with regard to Nos. 2 and 4, and positively against him with respect to Nos. 3,5 and 7. Some of these conclusions will be found to be utterly opposed to those of Duffield on the same hymns in his Latin Hymn-Writers, &c, 1889, pp. 149-168. This difference of opinion arises mainly out of the fact that the manuscript at St. Gall and at the British Museum were not examined by Duffield, and are much older and more important than any of those with which he was acquainted. --Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix I (1907)

J. W. Cummings

1824 - 1866 Person Name: Jeremiah W. Cummings Hymnal Number: d87 Author of "The earth, O Lord, rejoices" in Manual of Hymns for Congregational Singing, Prayers and Pious Practices Cummings, Rev. Jeremiah William (Washington, D.C., April 1, 1824--January 4, 1866, New York, New York). After his ordination, he studied at the College of the Propaganda in Rome where he received his doctorate. On his return to the U.S., he was assigned to St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, N.Y., and in 1848 was named pastor of the newly established parish of St. Stephen's, New York City. He was the author of several books on religious subjects. Of these his Songs for Schools (1860, with a second edition in 1862), contain his hymns with the exception of four or five so designated these are all original. Those in common use include: "My God whatever through thy church" is contained in St. Gregory and the La Salle hymnals. "O brightness of eternal light" in the Parochial Hymnal has unfortunately been somewhat neglected. --J. Vincent Higginson, DNAH Archives

Jacopone, da Todi

1230 - 1306 Person Name: Jacopone da Todi Hymnal Number: d11 Author of "By the cross her station keeping" in Manual of Hymns for Congregational Singing, Prayers and Pious Practices Jacobus de Benedictis, commonly known as Jacopone, was born at Todi in Umbria, early in the 13th century, his proper name being Jacopone di Benedetti. He was descended from a noble family, and for some time led a secular life. Some remarkable circumstances which attended the violent death of his wife, led him to withdraw himself from the world, and to enter the Order of St. Francis, in which he remained as a lay brother till his death, at an advanced age, in 1306. His zeal led him to attack the religious abuses of the day. This brought him into conflict with Pope Boniface VIII., the result being imprisonment for long periods. His poetical pieces were written, some in Italian, and some in Latin, the most famous of the latter being "Cur mundus militat sub vana gloria" (possibly by Walter Mapes), and the "Stabat Mater dolorosa." Archbishop Trench says of him:— “An earnest humourist, he carried the being a fool for Christ into every-day life. The things which with this intent he did, some morally striking enough, others mere extravagances and pieces of gross spiritual buffoonery—wisdom and folly, such as we often find, side by side, in the saints of the Roman Calendar—are largely reported by Wadding, the historian of the Franciscan Order, and by Lisco, in a separate monograph on the Stabat Mater, Berlin, 1843, p. 23. These often leave one in doubt whether he was indeed perfectly sound in his mind, or only a Christian Brutus, feigning folly, that he might impress his wisdom the more deeply, and utter it with more freedom." Sacred Latin Poetry, 3rd ed., 1874, p. 268. Sketches of the life and writings of Jacopone, drawn entirely from the original sources (Trench), have been published as follows:— (1) By Mohnike, Studien Stralsund, 1825, vol. i. pp. 335-406; (2) by Ozanam, Les Poétes Franciscains en Italie au Treizieme Siecle, Paris. In addition there are articles in the Biographie Universelle; Macmillan’s Magazine, Aug., 1873; and the Encyclopedia Britannica , 9th ed. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ============================ See also in: Wikipedia

Notker

840 - 912 Person Name: Notker Balbulus Hymnal Number: d33 Author of "Jesu, tibi gloria, gloria, gloria" in Manual of Hymns for Congregational Singing, Prayers and Pious Practices Notker Balbulus, so called from his slight stuttering, was born in Switzerland about 840. Ekkehard V. in the 2nd Chapter of his Vita Sancti Notkeri (written about 1220), says he was born at Heiligau, now Elgg, in the Canton of Zurich; but Meyer von Knonau, seeing that his family were closely connected with Jonswil in the Canton of St. Gall, thinks that Notker was probably born at Jonswil. He entered the school of the famous Benedictine Abbey of St. Gall at an early age, and spent the rest of his life there. In due course he was admitted as one of the brethren of the monastery; in 890 is marked as librarian, and in 892 and 894 as guestmaster (hospitarius); his principal employment being in scholastic and literary work. He became eventually one of the foremost in the monastery at that its most flourishing period; but was never abbot there (Notker the Abbot of St. Gall, who died 975, was of a younger generation), and declined various offers of preferment elsewhere. He died at St. Gall, April 6, 912. In 1513 he was beatified by Pope Julius II., but does not seem to have been formally canonized, nor does an office in his honour appear to have been authorised for use except at St. Gall (Lebensbild des heiligen Notker von St. Gallen, by G. Meyer von Knonau, Zurich, 1877; Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, xxiv. 35, &c). Ekkehard IV. (d. 1060), in his Casus Sancti Galli, chapter iii., thus lovingly characterises Notker (a translation would not express the conciseness of the original):— "Corpore, non animo, gracilis; voce, non spiritu, balbulus ; in divinis erectus, in adversis patiens, ad omnia mitis, in nostratium acer erat exactor disciplinis; ad repentina timidulus et inopinata, praeter daemones infestantes, erat; quibus quidem se audenter opponere solebat. In orando, legendo, dictando, creberrimus. Et ut omnis sanctitatis ejus in brevi complectar dotes, sancti Spiritus erat vasculum, quo suo tempore abundantius nullum." Notker was a favourite of the Emperor Charles the Fat, who paid him special attention during his visit to St. Gall, Dec. 4-6, 883. His claim to notice here is as the first important writer of sequences; and as indeed the practical inventor of this species of compositions. He seems to have begun writing sequences about 862, and in 885 collected them into a volume (the Liber Sequentiarum Notkeri, hereafter in this article entitled the L. S. N.), which he dedicated to Liutward, who was Bishop of Vercelli, and Chancellor (till 887) to Charles the Fat. In the dedicatory epistle prefixed (reprinted by Daniel, v. p. 5, from the St. Gall manuscript, No. 381) Notker gives an account of his first essays, of which the following is a summary:— ii. Origin of Notker’s Sequences. — In his youth he says he found great difficulty in remembering the cadences of the neumes [or musical notes which were set to the final a of the word Alleluia in the Gradua, between the Epistle and the Gospel. When one of the monks of the Abbey of Jumieges (near Rouen, destroyed by the Normans in 851), after wandering from place to place came to St. Gall (about 862), he brought with him his Antiphonary. There, to his delight, Notker found words set to these troublesome neumes, but the words seem to to have been merely strung together for mnemonic purposes. Incited by this example, Notker determined to try to compose something more worthy of the occasion, and wrote the sequence "Laudes Deo concinat" to one of these sets of neumes. He showed his work to his master Iso, [the first important teacher at St. Gall, where he was in residence 852-870 ; and, finally, as head of the outer school, which was meant for those who did not intend to become monks of St. Gall], who was delighted with it, but suggested various improvements, and especially that each syllable should go to one note. Following these instructions, Notker wrote a second sequence beginning "Psallat Ecclesia, mater illibata," and showed both to his other master Marcellus, [an Irishman, originally called Mongal, who had accompanied his uncle Marcus, an Irish Bishop, to Rome, and on their return journey settled at St. Gall, about 850. He was certainly there from 853 to 865. He was a good scholar, and, above all, an excellent musician. On the division of the monastic school, he became head of the inner school, which was meant for those who looked forward to becoming brethren of the monastery], who was greatly pleased with them, transcribed them on rolls, and gave them to the scholars to practice. (So the Dedicatory Epistle. Compare Dr. Neale's note in his Mediaeval Hymns, ed. 1863, p. 29, where he gives an interesting account of the origin of Sequences, though not a little of the information he gives regarding Notker seems to be derived from his own imagination.) iii. The Notkerian Sequences. Genuine and False.— From this account it might seem perfectly easy to determine which are the genuine sequences of Notker. But no autograph copy of the Liber Sequentiarum Notkeri. has survived, and although there are still extant at least eight mss. not later than the 11th century, all professing to furnish us with theL. S. N, yet on examination it is found that no two manuscripts exactly agree. From the fact that Notker was an accomplished musician, and is known to have composed the melodies as well as the words of sequences, one might hope to gain help. There is indeed an important MS. at St. Gall (No. 484) apparently written early in the 10th century, which contains the melodies without words; but there is nothing to show which of these are by Notker, and which are earlier. Nor does early tradition help us much. In the interlinear notes to his Rhythmi de Sancto Otmaro (St. Gall MS. 393, p. 153, both the text and notes being in Ekkehard's autograph), Ekkehard IV. speaks of Notker as having composed 50 sequences, but nowhere does he give a list of their first lines. The conjecture of Wilmanns is probably correct, viz., that Ekkehard took the St. Gall MS., No. 378, as his standard. It contains 55 sequences in the L. S. N. (Nos. 84, 114 had not been inserted when Ekkehard wrote), and deducting from this the sequences which in his Casus Sancti Galli Ekkehard definitely ascribes to others (Nos. 48, 95, 97, 106, 110, 111) there remain, in round numbers, 50. The most careful attempt to settle what are genuine and what are false is in an article by W. Wilmanns (Welche Sequenzen hat Notker verfasst? ) in Moriz Haupt's Zeitschrift fürdeutsches Alterthum, vol. xv., Berlin, 1872, pp. 267-294. With this may be compared P. Anselm Schubiger's Sängerschule St. Gallens, Einsiedeln, 1858; and K. Bartsch's Lateinische Sequenzen des Mittelalters, Rostock, 1868. The references in Daniel are confused and inexact…. vii. Conclusion.— Notker's Sequences are remarkable for their majesty and noble elevation of tone, their earnestness and their devoutness. They display a profound knowledge of Holy Scripture in its plainer and its more recondite interpretations, and a firm grasp and definite exposition of the eternal truths of the Christian Faith. The style is clear, and the language easily comprehensible, so that whether he is paraphrasing the Gospel for the day, or setting forth the leading ideas of the Church's festivals, or is engaged in vivid and sympathetic word-painting; he is at once pleasing and accurate. His sequences were speedily received with favour as a welcome change from sound to sense, and from the end of the 9th century to the middle of the 12th, they, together with sequences on the same model, were in universal use over Northern Europe. As they were written for the neumes of the Alleluia they were of course made to correspond thereto, and must be studied in connection with their melodies. The metrical rules governing their composition are intricate, suffice it to say here that they were written in rhythmical prose, somewhat in the form of the Hebrew Psalms, in irregular lines and without any attempt at rhyme. It is thus difficult to present a version in English which shall be at once exact and yet suited to modern congregational use. The only literal version which has attained any popularity in English is Dr Neale's translation of No. 56, "Cantemus cuncti", and he complains bitterly (Medaeval Hymns, ed. 1867, pp. viii., and 42) that hymnal compilers have ignored the ancient melody to which it was written, and that it has been “cramped, tortured, tamed down into a chant." Still the Notkerian sequences are worthy of greater attention than has been bestowed on them by English translators. If the endeavour to give a literal version is abandoned, they allow a wider choice of measures and greater freedom of rendering than the later rhyming Sequences. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================== Notker, Balbulus, p. 812, i. Two interesting monographs dealing with Notker and his time are Die Dichterschule St. Gallens und der Reichenau unter den Karolingern und Ottonen, by Paul von Winterfeld, in the Neue Jahrbucher für das Klassische Altertum, Leipzig, 1900, pp. 341-361; and the Geschichte der Schule von St. Gallen, by P. Gabriel Meier of Einsiedeln, in the Jahrbuch für Schweizerische Geschichte, Zürich, 1885 (vol. x., pp. 35-128). Paul von Winterfeld, before his early death, had been preparing a critical ed. of Notker's Sequences for the Poetae Latini Aevi Carolini; and a critical edition is promised in the Dreves-Blume Analecta Hymnica. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --Excerpt from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

John William Hewett

1824 - 1886 Person Name: John W. Hewett Hymnal Number: d33 Author of "Jesu, tibi gloria, gloria, gloria" in Manual of Hymns for Congregational Singing, Prayers and Pious Practices Hewett, John William, M.A., was born in 1824, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A. 1849, M.A. 1852). From 1849 to 1852 he was a Fellow of St. Nicolas College, Shoreham; and subsequently he was Head Master of Bloxham Grammar School (1853-56), and Senior Classical Master in the North London College School (1874-78). He has also held curacies in London and the neighbourhood. He edited The Sealed Copy of the Prayer Book, 1848, and other works, and is the author of History and Description of Exeter Cathedral; and another of Ely. His original hymns and translations appeared in his Verses by a Country Curate 1859. From this work the following hymns have come into common use:— 1. In the Name of God the Father. Holy Communion. The 2nd stanza begins,"Lo in wondrous condescension," and the 3rd, "Here in figure represented." 2. Jesu, now Thy new-made soldier. After Holy Baptism. 3. What time the evening shadows fall. SS. Simon & Jude. 4. Withdraw from every human eye. St. Bartholomew. There are also two translations in Hymns Ancient & Modern, "Jesu, our Lenten fast to Thee," and "O Thou Who dost to man accord," q.v. His Verses contain several good hymns in addition to those named. In addition he contributed a few hymns (all signed by him) to the Lyra Messianica, 1864; and "Jesus, Thy presence we adore" (Communion) to The Eucharistic Hymnal, 1877. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology

M. l'abbé (Simon-Joseph) Pellegrin

1663 - 1745 Person Name: S. J. Pellegrin Hymnal Number: d17 Author of "Come, O divine Messiah" in Manual of Hymns for Congregational Singing, Prayers and Pious Practices Pellegrin, M. l'abbé (Simon-Joseph). (1663-1745). A French abbé and well-known librettist. His collections of French carols were published in 1708 and 1711. --J. Vincent Higginson, DNAH Archives