HYMNS YOU LOVE'
By Phil Kerr
$
Ab ide W ith M e
Words by Henry Francis Lyte * Music by W. H. Monk
rist. In the evening of the same day he placed in the hands of a near relative this little hymn. The second version, supported by several leading biographers, is that Lyte wrote the poem in 1820, 27 years before his death, after visit ing a dying friend, W. A. Le Hunte, whose last words were “Abide with me!” He is said to have sent the verses to the family of a friend. LeHunte’s desc end ants claim to still retain possession of the original copy, proving that it was written in 1820. In 1861 a committee of English clergymen com p iled a hymnal, H ymns A n cien t and Modern, which attained the phenomenal circulation of 27 million copies during 28 years! William Henry Monk was its music editor. Late one afternoon he came across Lyte’s verses. He seized a pencil and piece of music paper, and within ten minutes composed the complete musical setting which is now used, although “Thalberg’s Fantasias was being played on the piano only a few feet distant from where the composer sat” ! The foregoing story is verified by most biographers, but a differ ent version is upheld by several others. Monk’s widow is said to have written the following lines, after her husband’s death, to J. C. Hadden: “Dr. Monk wrote the tune at a time of great sorrow, when together we watched, ,as we did daily, the glories of the setting sun. As the last golden ray faded, he took up some paper and pen ciled that tune, which has gone over all the earth.” Monk was born in London March 16, 1823. He became a suc cessful composer, teacher, editor and lecturer. He was organist of St. Matthias church for almost 40 years, and music editor of sever al successful hymnals. He was a man of deep religious conviction. He regarded the organ as a means of touching the hearts of men, and not as a vehicle for the display of skill. He was a great advocate of congregational sing ing . He died March 1, 1889. END.
Lyte was born in Scotland June 1, 1793. He became a clergyman in the Church of England. At the death-bed of a neighboring minis ter he experienced a definite spiritual change that altered the future course of his life, and he became an evangelical preacher with a passion for souls. He served pastorates (or cura cies, as they were called) in many small towns throughout Scotland and England, finally moving to Brixham, in Devonshire, where he served for more than twenty years. Brixham was a small village of fisherfolk, and Lyte underwent many hardships. Finally he con tracted tuberculosis. Doctors ad vised that he go to France, hoping the milder climate would be bene ficial. In September 1847, he bade his family farewell and left for France. The change was of no avail, however, for he died within two months, on the 20th of No vember; at Nice, France. He was buried in a cemetery near Nice; his grave is still visited by hun dreds of Christian tourists each year. There are two conflicting stories con cern ing the writing of the hymn. The generally-accepted ver sion is that Lyte wrote the verses on the last Sunday evening before he departed for France. This version is supported by the testimony of Lyte’s daughter, An na Maria Maxwell Hogg, in a preface to a c o lle c tion of his hymns, Remains, which she pub lished after his death. “The summer was passing away, and the month of September (that month in which he was once more to quit his native land) arrived. His family was surprised and al most alarmed at his announcing his intention of preaching once more to his people. ‘It was better,’ as he used often playfully to say, when in comparative health, ‘to wear out than to rust out.’ He did preach, and amid the breathless attention of his hearers gave them the sermon on the Holy Commun ion. He afterwards assisted at the administration of the Holy Eucha
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