American Unitarian Hymn Writers and Hymns
Compiled by Henry Wilder Foote for the Hymn Society of America for publication in the Society’s proposed Dictionary of American Hymnology
Contents:
- (1) Historical Sketch of American Unitarian Hymnody. (Pages 1-11)
- (2) Catalogue of American Unitarian Hymn Books. (Pages 12-36)
- (3) Alphabetical List of Writers. (Pages 37-39)
- (4) Biographical Sketches, with Notes on Hymns. (Pages 40-247)
- (5) Index of First Lines of Published Hymns. (Pages 248-270)
Cambridge, MassachusettsJanuary, 1959
I gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the MissesRuth and Orlo McCormack in the preparation of thiscompilation.
H.W.F.
AMERICAN UNITARIAN HYMNODY
In the first edition of Julian’s Dictionary of Hymnology(1891) F. M. Bird[1] wrote, “The Unitarians—possessing a largeshare of the best blood and brain of the most cultivated sectionof America—exhibit a long array of respectable hymnists whoseeffusions have often won the acceptance of other bodies,” (pp. 58-59).And in this century Louis F. Benson[2]in his classic book The English Hymn (p. 460) wrote,“It is not surprizing that a body including the best bloodand highest culture of Massachusetts shared in the Literary Movement[of the 19th century] and succeededin imparting to its hymn books a freshness of interestin great contrast to those of the orthodox churches” and that“from their [the compilers’] hands there proceeded —— a seriesof hymn books whose literary interest was very notable” (p. 462).
This succession of Unitarian hymn writers over a period ofapproximately 150 years can best be traced in the nearly 50 hymnbooks compiled by individuals or committees for use in Unitarianchurches.[3]The editors of these books were among the besteducated men of their time, who knew where to look for freshlyrical utterances of a living faith. The earliest of themlived in the period when the traditional metrical psalms which,for more than two centuries, had been almost the only worship-songof the English speaking world, were being slowly superseded by2the songs of a new age. These songs they chiefly found in thevarious hymn-books published for use in English Non-conformistchapels when the Church of England still generally adhered tothe Old or New Versions of the Psalms. It was from these sourcesthat Jeremy Belknap first introduced to Americans the hymns ofAnne Steele, and included in his Sacred Poetry (1795) hymns byAddison, Cowper, Newton, Doddridge and other English contemporaries.When, in 1808, the vestry of Trinity Church, Boston, impatientat the delay of the General Convention of the ProtestantEpiscopal Church in getting out a hymnal, issued one for theirown use, they drew heavily upon Belknap’s collection, saying intheir preface “In this selection we are chiefly indebted toDr. Belknap, whose book unquestionably contains the best expressionsof sacred poetry extant.