#685 “How firm a foundation” (St Denio) W: K in Rippon’s Selection of Hymns 1787 M: Welsh traditional In 1787, a Baptist pastor, John Rippon, published a collection of hymns which as an extention to the vastly popular collections of Isaac Watts. Unfortunately he wasn’t too specific with crediting the words so we can’t say for sure who wrote them. He marked this one simply as “K” which could mean a John Keith or a John Keene, both lyricists of the time. The tune is equally slippery. If you take a look through the current (interdemoninational) Welsh hymn book, you won’t find “St Denio” listed. That’s because the Welsh call it “Joanna”. Currently, at any rate. When it first appeared in print in 1800(ish) it was titled “Rowlands”, possibly honouring a leader of the early Calvinistic Methodists. In it’s first appearance in print in Wales it was called “Palestina”. It’s actually an adaptation of an older Welsh ballad and folk tune. In England, “Imortal, Invisible, God only wise” are the usual words used; in Wales, the lovely peace hymn, “Efengl Tangnefedd, ehed dros y byd” – ‘Gospel of peace, fly over the world’. youtube/watch?v=4SVV-2f_3y4
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:41:02 +0000
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