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"THE NIGHT IS DARK, AND I AM FAR FROM HOME..."
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Wordsworth wrote: "Trailing clouds of glory do we come from heaven...which is our home." We arrive on this planet as blanks, brand new people, "mewling and puking," as Shakespeare said. In living our lives, our purpose should be to become dedicated, godly people, opting for the Creator, hoping to arrive "at home."
At times during John Henry Newman's life, according to H.A. Smith, hymnologist, he became, in his mind and heart, bogged down in his effort to reach "home," his desired destination.
"The night is dark, and I am far from home..." Newman's words in the first stanza of "Lead Kindly Light," may echo the feelings of countless pilgrims on the earth.
Smith says the hymn is a "description of Newman's intense spiritual struggle, the mood of a fervent and humble prayer, a description of trials and hardships, and sublime confidence in the final dawn."
In fact, our hymn writer was considered to be a religious man. He graduated fromOxford
Over time the evangelical approach faded in his mind and he became convinced that true religious experience could be achieved only through proper, dignified, church forms and rituals.
With questions in his mind, he made a trip toRome England by ship across the Mediterranean Sea . This period of his life was one of spiritual, physical, and emotional despair. While at sea, he prayed for "light" in the darkness of his life. He then wrote the words to the hymn which came to be known as "Lead Kindly Light."
His experiences caused him to join the Catholic Church in 1843. He became a Cardinal in 1879. Among his many accomplishments, he is perhaps best known for the hymn he gave the world, "Lead Kindly Light," Many have found comfort in its simple verses. Three presidents were known to have counted it as a favorite hymn---McKinley, Harding, and Eisenhower.
A well-known Anglican clergyman, organist, and composer, John Bacchus Dykes, composed the hymn tune, LUX BENIGNA (Latin: "kindly light"). Dykes composed almost three hundred hymn tunes in his productive life---and the world is richer for it. One of his best-known hymn tunes, "Nicaea
"THE NIGHT IS DARK, AND I AM FAR FROM HOME..."
********************************************************************
Wordsworth wrote: "Trailing clouds of glory do we come from heaven...which is our home." We arrive on this planet as blanks, brand new people, "mewling and puking," as Shakespeare said. In living our lives, our purpose should be to become dedicated, godly people, opting for the Creator, hoping to arrive "at home."
At times during John Henry Newman's life, according to H.A. Smith, hymnologist, he became, in his mind and heart, bogged down in his effort to reach "home," his desired destination.
"The night is dark, and I am far from home..." Newman's words in the first stanza of "Lead Kindly Light," may echo the feelings of countless pilgrims on the earth.
Smith says the hymn is a "description of Newman's intense spiritual struggle, the mood of a fervent and humble prayer, a description of trials and hardships, and sublime confidence in the final dawn."
In fact, our hymn writer was considered to be a religious man. He graduated from
Over time the evangelical approach faded in his mind and he became convinced that true religious experience could be achieved only through proper, dignified, church forms and rituals.
With questions in his mind, he made a trip to
His experiences caused him to join the Catholic Church in 1843. He became a Cardinal in 1879. Among his many accomplishments, he is perhaps best known for the hymn he gave the world, "Lead Kindly Light," Many have found comfort in its simple verses. Three presidents were known to have counted it as a favorite hymn---McKinley, Harding, and Eisenhower.
A well-known Anglican clergyman, organist, and composer, John Bacchus Dykes, composed the hymn tune, LUX BENIGNA (Latin: "kindly light"). Dykes composed almost three hundred hymn tunes in his productive life---and the world is richer for it. One of his best-known hymn tunes, "
John Dykes could be considered a prodigy. He became a church organist at age ten. A precentor at Durham Cathedral, he was for fourteen years a Vicar at St. Oswald's, all the while writing the incredible number of hymn tunes attributed to him.
Newman once said that it was not his words that made "Lead Kindly Light" so meaningful but rather, Christians everywhere loved Dykes' tune.
This hymn is considered by most worship leaders to be more appropriate for choral usage in a service rather than congregational singing. That has been my experience too. I didn't find that it was an easy hymn for the people in the pew to sing. Part of that may be that it is not generally used, and thus is not really known in many churches.
The entire hymn text is presented here.
"Lead kindly Light amid th' encircling gloom
Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark and I am far from home;
Lead Thou me on;
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene,
One step enough for me.
I was not ever thus nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path but now
Lead Thou me on.
I loved the garish day, and spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will;
Remember not past years.
So long Thy pow'r hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone;
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since,
And lost awhile."
Amen.
Access the first choral selection, "SANDON," a beautiful alternate tune for "Lead Kindly Light." Note the poetic meter, 10.4.10.4.10.10. This is a rare meter and we are fortunate to have this excellent tune. Some might even prefer it to "LUX BENIGNA."
Access the second selection to hear the traditional "LUX BENIGNA" arrangement.)
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BY MIL
10/23/12
Sent from my iPad
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