Sunday, April 5, 2009

In Hymn Of Praise

LEAD KINDLY LIGHT


"Lead, Kindly Light" is a hymn with words written in 1833 by John Henry Newman and 4th verse by Edward H. Bickersteth, Jr.. The tune was written by John B. Dykes in 1865
As a young priest, John Newman became sick while in Italy and was unable to travel for almost three weeks. In his own words:

John B Dykes John Henry Newman
Before starting from my inn, I sat down on my bed and began to sob bitterly. My servant, who had acted as my nurse, asked what ailed me. I could only answer, "I have a work to do in England." I was aching to get home, yet for want of a vessel I was kept at Palermo for three weeks. I began to visit the churches, and they calmed my impatience, though I did not attend any services. At last I got off in an orange boat, bound for Marseilles. We were becalmed for whole week in the Straits of Bonifacio, and it was there that I wrote the lines, Lead, Kindly Light, which have since become so well known.
Lead, Kindly Light was sung by a soloist on the RMS Titanic during a hymn-singing gathering led by Rev. Ernest C. Carter, shortly before the ocean liner struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912.

1 comment:

Vilate Thacker said...

I love this one! My dad calls it the wedding song. There was a wedding in the Manit temple and the organist asked the brides mother if there was a song that they could play specific for the new couple. She threw out "Lead Kindly Light", and as they sat and thouht about the words it seemed kinda ironic. Think about the first line.... LOL! Amid the encircling gloom! funny huh?