THE TUNE

Whenever and by whomsoever the brave processional known as "Christmas" was picked from among the great Handel's Songs and mated with Doddridge's lines, the act gave both hymn and tune new reason to endure, and all posterity rejoices in the blend. Old "Christmas” was originally one of the melodies in the great Composer's Opera of "Circe" (Cyrus: 1738. It was written to Latin words (Non vi piacque), and afterwards adapted to an English versification of Job 29:15, “I was eves to the blind.”

Handel, himself became blind at the age of sixty eight (1753).

"THERE IS A GREEN HILL FAR AWAY."

Written in 1848 by Miss Cecil Frances Humphreys, an Irish lady, daughter of Major John Humphreys of Dublin. She was born in that city in 1823. Her best known name is Mrs. Cecil Frances Alexander, her husband being the Rt. Rev. William Alexander, Bishop of Derry. Among her works are Hymns for Little Children, Narrative Hymns, Hymns Descriptive and Devotional, and Moral Songs. Died 1825.

“There is a green hill" is poetic license, but the hymn is sweet and sympathetic, and almost childlike in its simplicity.

There is a green hill far away

Without the city wall,

Where our dear Lord was crucified
Who died to save us all.

We may not know, we cannot tell
What pains He had to bear;
But we believe it was for us

He hung and suffered there.

THE TUNES.

There is no room here to describe them all. Airs and chorals by Berthold Tours, Pinsuti, John Henry Cornell, Richard Storrs Willis, George C. Stebbins and Hubert P. Main have been adapted to the words one or two evidently composed for them. It is a hymn that attracts tune-makers— literally so commonplace and yet so quiet and tender, with such a theme and such natural melody of line-but most of the scores indicated are choir music rather than congregational. Mr. Stebbins' composition comes nearest to being the favorite, if one judges by the extent and frequency of its use. It can be either partly or wholly choral; and the third stanza makes the refrain

O dearly, dearly has He loved
And we must love Him too,
And trust in His redeeming blood,
And try His works to do.

"REJOICE AND BE GLAD!"

This musical shout of joy, written by Dr. Horatius Bonar, scarcely needs a new song helper, as did

Bishop Heber's famous hymn-not because it is better than Heber's but because it was wedded at once to a tune worthy of it.

Rejoice and be glad! for our King is on high;
He pleadeth for us on His throne in the sky.
Rejoice and be glad! for He cometh again;
He cometh in glory, the Lamb that was slain
Hallelujah! Amen.
The hymn was composed in 1874-

THE TUNE.

The author of the “English Melody”(as ascribed in Gospel Hymns) is said to have been John Jenkins Husband, born in Plymouth, Eng., about 1760. He was clerk at Surrey Chapel and composed several anthems. Came to the United States in 1809. Settled in Philadelphia, where he taught music and was clerk of St. Paul's P. E. Church. Died there in 1825.

His tune, exactly suited to the hymn, is a true Christian pæan. It has few equals as a rouser to a sluggish prayer-meeting-whether sung to Bonar's words or those of Rev. William Paton Mackay (1866)

We praise Thee, O God, for the Son of Thy love, -with the refrain of similar spirit in both hymns

Hallelujah! Thine the glory, Hallelujah! Amen,
Hallelujah! Thine the glory; revive us again;

or,

Sound His praises! tell the story of Him who was slain! Sound His praises! tell with gladness, “He liveth again.”