Hymns I love to sing(4) Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior is a 19th-century American hymn written by Francis J. Crosby in 1868 (lyrics) and William H. Doane in 1870 (music). Pass Me Not, one of the most popular evangelistic hymns of the Dwight Moody era, was Fanny Crosbys visceral response to a sinners cry-—-her heart pierced with the providential prayer of one abandoned man living an earthly hell. And now for the rest of the story: William Doane, a wealthy entrepreneur, and Fanny Crosby eventually teamed up to make emotive if not beautiful music together—collaborating on more than a thousand songs. Their initial meeting-—-Doane having tracked Crosby down on a visit to New York City-—-led to the writing of Pass Me Not. Acquainted with Crosby by her poetic reputation and a brief correspondence, Doane was surprised at what he found on the lower west side of Manhattan: a diminutive middle-aged blind woman living in a dilapidated tenement. Crosby welcomed Doane into her attic apartment. He returned a few days later; Crosby accepted a challenge he placed before her: Could she—would she-—-write a poem titled Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior? Crosby typically wrote lyrics for a specific melody or as the muses struck; Doanes request-—-to run with a prescribed but tuneless first line—went without inspiration for several weeks until ... Crosby walked into a room full of men whom society had cast aside. Criminals locked away in a fortress. Crosby, speaking at evangelistic services in a prison near her home, overheard one prisoners desperate prayer: Good Lord! Do not pass me by! Do not turn your back on me. Do not ignore me, forget me, neglect me. Crosby went home that night and penned four verses and a chorus. Doane subsequently wrote the tune appropriate to the sinners memorable supplication.
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 02:58:41 +0000
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