Christian Science Music

 
As the Christian Science movement (including churches run by students of Mary Baker Eddy) progressed into the late 1880s, the desire to have Christian Science music came to the fore, as members wished to duplicate to some extent the church experience they had grown up with, and I have made a special effort to collect the various efforts to incorporate music into Christian Science. The first effort by Mrs. Eddy in this regard appears to be this recopyrighting by her of her poem, but with the word "Hymn" attached to the title:

Hymn: “Christ My Refuge,” by Rev. Mary Baker G. Eddy. [Boston: Published by the Author, 1887.]

This is of absolute rarity as it is one of only two copies printed to secure copyright. This was received by the Library of Congress on August 3, 1887. This copy was later deaccessioned by the Library of Congress. I consider this to be the first separate publication of a Christian Science hymn. (Note: in 1876 Mrs. Glover published a poem she then called “Hymn of Science,” but that was not meant as a musical hymn. A photograph of that item is in my collection. In the March 1887 Christian Science Journal she published “Hymn – Feed My Sheep.” A copy of that Journal is also in my collection.)

This absolute rarity was evidently soon followed by the rare published music below:

— Christ, My Refuge. [Boston: N.p., ca. 1887]. The music was written by Irving Harwood, and the hymn was first sung publicly at Chickering Hall on October 30, 1887, with Mrs. Eddy in attendance. 

Another folio-sized single published hymn with music is the following:

— Feed My Sheep, by Rev. Mary B.G. Eddy [words] and Lyman Brackett [music]. [Boston: N.p., n.d. (ca. 1889).] This is extremely rare music sheet for one of Mrs. Eddy's most beloved poems. The hymn first appeared in print in The Christian Science Journal of March, 1887, a copy of which is also in my collection, and it was listed as a hymn. The words were copyrighted on December 21, 1887. The first record of this music sheet is an advertisement for it in the Journal of November, 1889. The following month it was announced that the music sheet came with a "fine photo" of Mrs. Eddy on the front. (This copy has the photo.) In the Journal of February, 1890, a notice appeared that the sale of this music sheet would aid the Church Building Fund. In this collection are all of the following three issues: [1^st] no photograph of Mrs. Eddy appears and in the middle there is no text where a photograph was available to go [2^nd] where the photograph should go on the cover is the text “A Sacred Song” [3^rd] a fine photograph of Mrs. Eddy is pasted in the middle of the front cover.

Also in my collection is a later printing (about 1913 or later) of the 1898 edition of sheet music of Feed My Sheep, with music by Lyman Brackett.

Here is a copy of the first hymnal used by Christian Scientists, before they had their own:

— Hymn and Tune Book, for the Church and the Home. Boston: American Unitarian Association, 1870 (copyrighted in 1868, printed by John Wilson and Son).

The following items listed are all in my collection.

As mentioned above, by the end of the 1880’s, Christian Scientists were attempting to add music to poems that they felt were in keeping with Christian Science, even those individuals who were disaffected from Mrs. Eddy but still used the name of Christian Science. An example is the following hymnal:

— A Collection of Familiar and Original Hymns and Tunes Rendered Scientifically, for Christian Science Service. Chicago: Published by Ursula N. Gestefeld, 1889. This has an introduction by Hannah More Kohaus, a later New Thought and Unity writer.

Another example from the same year was also published in Chicago, by those loyal to Mrs. Eddy at that time:

—  Hymnal; for Christian Science Church and Sunday School Services. — Compiled and Arranged by Jessie Day. Chicago: Mrs. O.W. Day, 1889. (Mrs. Day was a pupil of Mrs. Eddy’s, and Jessie was her daughter.) This hymnal was never used at the Church in Boston. Hymn 105 is Mrs. Eddy’s hymn “Shepherd” under the title of the music “St. Nicholas.” My collection includes a copy that is inscribed by O.W. Day on October 11, 1889. This hymnal also includes  hymn 136 by Josephine Woodbury (with hymn 91 by “J.C.W.”). Hymn 200 is by Frank E. Mason, C.S.B. (and hymn 174 is by F.E. Mason). Finally, hymn 86 is by “M.M. C.S.B.”

Other similar attempts are as follows:

— Christian Science Hymns. Brooklyn: F.E. Mason, C.S.D., [1890]. This is [4] pages and has 14 hymns but no music.

— Christian Science Hymns as Used in Services Conducted by Joseph Adams. Chicago: Shea Smith & Co., [ca. 1890]. This has 16 pages and 42 hymns, also with no music.

— Fifty Christian Science Hymns, for Public and Social Worship, [edited by Joseph Adams]. Chicago: Daniels, Pitkin & Hall, Printers, [ca. 1890]. Second edition. This has 16 pages and 50 hymns, also with no music. 

In the October, 1890, Christian Science Journal appeared the following notice:

“The Publication Committee at a meeting held Sept 20th [1890] empowered the Committee on Church Hymnal to compile twenty hymns more or less for immediate use among Scientists pending the completion of a Christian Science hymnal.”

Here is the resulting production:

—  Christian Science Hymns. Boston: Christian Science Publishing Society, [1890]. This leaflet on boards with [4] pages and 17 hymns without music is extremely rare and little-known.

Finally the hymnal in Boston was complete, and the notice was made in the November 1892 Christian Science Journal: “The Hymnal of 225 [sic] pages, bound in cloth or leather, now ready for delivery.” The hymnal was as follows:

— Christian Science Hymnal [:] A Selection of Spiritual Songs. Boston: Christian Science Publishing Society, 1892. This copy in my collection was Minnie Weygandt’s copy, having gotten it from Caroline Mann. Other issues of the hymnal in this collection are:

— 1894 231 pp.

— 1895 231 pp.

— 1896 (with a page for the Doxology pasted onto page  211) 231 pp.

— 1899 236 pp.

— 1901 236 pp.

— 1903 238 pp.

— 1904 (William B. Johnson’s own copy, specially bound for him, all edges gilt, with his name gilt stamped on the cover) pp. 238 pp. 

— 1905 240 pp. (does not include hymns written by William Lyman Johnson)

— 1906 240 pp.

—1907 (smaller size in leather) 240 pp. (One of the two copies in my collection was given to Judge Septimus J. Hanna by the 1907 Normal Class.)

— 1908 245 pp. plus four unpaginated index pages.

In 1909 the hymnal was redone, with over 300 pages. That was the standard hymnal in Christian Science churches until the hymnal was again revamped, in 1932. Of course, the supplement to the 1932 edition was added in 2008.

My collection also includes a hymnal, ca. 1926, which includes the hymnal concordance.

The 1903 edition above is especially interesting since it includes stubs for pasting on new versions of hymns to replace old hymns. For example, in this copy are extremely rare 1905 separate printings of William Lyman Johnson music for Mrs. Eddy’s hymns “Shepherd, Show Me How To Go” (hymn 161) and “O’er Waiting Harpstrings Of The Mind” (hymn 179). The 1903 edition is also significant since it is the first hymnal to include Mrs. Eddy’s hymn “Blest Christmas Morn.”

Also included is the extraordinarily rare separate printing of a signature of three versions of Mrs. Eddy’s hymn “Shepherd, Show Me How To Go” (hymns 195-197) and “O’er Waiting Harpstrings Of The Mind” (hymns 198-200), with a revised index, all of which was to be tipped into the back of the 1906 hymnal. For example, in the 1906 hymnal the only version of “O’er Waiting Harpstrings” was the recent 1905 version with music by William Lyman Johnson. This brought the number up to four versions.

In my collection are the following rare single published hymns with music by William Lyman Johnson:

—   The Mother’s Evening Prayer. [Words by Mary Baker G. Eddy and music by William Lyman Johnson.] Boston: Printed by Lounsbery, Nichols & Worth Co., (ca. 1899). This music was copyrighted in 1899 and the printers were also used the same year for Septimus Hanna’s Christian Science History and the 1899 Hymnal.

—   Christ My Refuge. [Words by Mary Baker G. Eddy and music by William Lyman Johnson.] Boston: The Christian Science Publishing Society, (ca. 1905). This music was copyrighted by Mrs. Eddy in 1905. In the Christian Science Sentinel of September 30, 1905, and August 26, 1905, are notices of new music for "Christ My Refuge" which was available separately. This is believed to be that edition.

My collection also includes later variant printings of Mrs. Eddy’s hymns. One of them is the 1909 collection of Mrs. Eddy’s hymns with music by Frederick Root:

— Devotional Songs Written by Rev. Mary Baker Eddy [,] Composed by Frederick Root. Chicago: Clayton F. Summy. [ca. 1909]. This issue was Mrs. Eddy’s poem, “Love.”

In 1894, Robert C. Hannon made an effort to add hymns in his textbook described as follows:

—  Science of Life and Power of our Mind. Scranton, PA: Published by the Author, 1894. The hymn section (without music) is found on pp. [174]-205.

—RECITALS—

The above focuses on words set or designed to be set to music to express Christian Science. In addition, this collection also includes programs from the following two musical recitals:

Mrs. Jessie Griswold, assisted by Mrs. Mamie E. Hitch, Soprano, and Mr. Lyman Brackett, Pianist. The “Reading” was “in Aid of Church of Christ, (Scientist).” The date was March 1, 1888.

Shortly after The Mother Church was dedicated in the beginning of 1895, the Church had a recital to show off the new organ. This was advertised in the program in the collection for a performance by:

 “Mr. R. Huntington Woodman

assisted by

Miss Elsie Lincoln

at the

First Church of Christ, Scientist

Falmouth and Norway Streets

Boston, Mass.

Thursday Evening, March 21, ‘95”

 

Note: in the collection is also a mind cure musical production as an honor to Prof. Jean B. Hazzard. The music sheet, with music composed for the pianoforte by Nellie Fay Fairchild. The music was entitled, Prof. Hazzard’s Grand March ‘Through the Fields of Christian Science.’ Philadelphia: F.A. North & Co., [ca. 1887]. This copy is inscribed “Compliments of the Composer.” The collection also has a copy of the following similarly titled production:

Christian Scientist Grand March[:] Dedicated to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy[:] (The most noted woman in the world.), by Isaac Dales. Chicago: Lyon & Healy, [ca. 1911]. This music sheet was copyrighted in 1911 and included Mrs. Eddy’s text, “Keep  your mind so filled. . . .”

In later years books for Christian Science services were published for organ music, etc. For example in this collection is the following book:

—   Thirty Organ Pieces for use in Christian Science Churches, edited by Walter E. Young, organist of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston. Philadelphia: Oliver Ditson Company, 1914. The large book has 155 pages.

 

Comments

[Linda Bargmann]

Thank you for spending your Saturdays in this way, so that I can spend Sunday morning enjoying and learning from what you have put up on Saturday! Such unselfishness - I love it!!!

[Craig Beardsley]

Thanks, Skip. Your previous post on catalogs was awesome. I have several of the more important ones but your post reveals the extensiveness of dealers who specialized in CS rare books and how their commerce was inter-related.

One thing that struck me with regard to hymnal evolution is that the Chicago field displays its pioneer efforts but the New York field except for a few exceptions doesn't. Surprisingly, with her huge interest in music, Augusta E. Stetson didn't put First Church New York at the forefront of this fertile ground. The New York Public Library has a copy of a thin publication featuring thirty-nine hymns entitled "The Church of Christ (Scientist). New York City." N.p., N.d. 14 p.; 24 cm. On pencil on the cover is written "2nd Church, N.Y." I have no other research on this.

Several other quick things to add: Frederick W. Root contributed "Christian Science from a Musician's Standpoint" to the July 1907 Fine Arts Journal, which was reprinted in the CSS 9 (17 August 1907): 963-65. Also, a number of "latter day" compositional compilations for organ and solo were to appear over the decades, such as Hunt, Solos, Ditson, 1913; Hymns for Male Voices, CSPS, 1918; Kirby, Seventeen, Schirmer, 1935; Arno, Sacred, Fischer, 1939; Harrell, Sacred, Fischer, 1939; Hymns (abridgement of hymnal), CSPS, 1941; Sacred, Huntzinger, 1952; Humphres, Songs, Row, 1960; Phelps, Anthology, Fischer, 1966--among several others not mentioned getting into more recent decades.

One more thing: I have a reference to something I've never seen: anybody out there? It is Paul O. Williams, The Evolution of the Christian Science Hymnal, 1979. I saw ther reference online at Idealo.com/Idealbooks.com.

[Keith]

Thanks both Linda and Craig, and Craig I really appreciate the additional information. That is a very intriguing item from the NYPL. If it is 2nd Church NYC it might be a Laura Lathrop-inspired production. Later Stetson was quite involved in music with her acolytes, from about 1915 and later. I knew Paul Williams but don't recall his article or booklet about the hymnal. He taught the Christian Science History course at Principia College, and perhaps that has some connection to the item.

Mrs. Eddy worked with Lyman Johnson on music for her hymns, and here is a letter that I have from Gilbert C. Carpenter (at Pleasant View) to Lyman Johnson [mistakenly addressed to his father, William B. Johnson]:

“August 10th 1905

William B. [sic] Johnson

Dear Bro:

Our beloved Leader requests me to indite to you the following ‘Kindly send me your bill for the composition of your music.’ I have a number of times had it in my heart to write you. I wanted to and I owed you a number of letters but the duties here are such that time is the most valuable thing we have not got. I wish you would send up some time a picture of your son [i.e., Lyman Baker Johnson, born March 13, 1905] an heir for we [sic] all to look at if we could [view?] it for a few moments we would like it. Why don’t you ever come up here[;] don’t you ever have business to bring you up? Give my best regards to the wife and pinch the boy[’]s nose for me–not hard.

With best regards
Yours in Truth
[s] Gilbert Carpenter”

[Craig Beardsley]

Another aspect worthy of research regards the superiority accorded William Lyman Johnson's (or was it Albert F. Conant's?) work vis-a-vis that of Lyman Brackett. I can't recall if I encountered this bias in the 2 volume Johnson History or elsewhere. I'd like to see a musicological analysis of all seven of Mrs. Eddy's hymns by the various composers written by someone who knows music well (thus rendering an expert discussion rather than simply a show of hands by lay people who have favorite tunes).

[Linda Bargmann]

Have you seen the book "A Most Agreeable Man" about Brackett by Peter Hodgson? He was a wonderful musicologist as far as I know - at least I always enjoyed his company at Asilomar and in Boston!

[Craig Beardsley]

I have it but haven't yet read it.

[Keith]

I have the booklet, A Most Agreeable Man. I also enjoy his works. I believe the debate was over WLJ versus Lyman Brackett. Johnson was a big fan of Wagner, and his taste for music differed from that of Brackett. I too hope that someone who knows music well can make a comparison of the hymns of Mrs. Eddy.