The songs in this collection are a combination of folk, or folk-style melodies, and Biblical poetry. This type of union has been practiced at least since the days of the Protestant Reformation, and possibly much earlier. It is illustrative of the gospel, in which God takes common humanity, with its personality, feelings, and modes of expression, sanctifies it, and fills it with a new life, inspiring it with a fresh, and more meaningful message to give to the world, and to the on-looking universe.
“A Song in the Night” continues and extends this tradition by combining other folk melodies, such as those from the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Quebec, with suitable religious poems. The results have been very satisfying, and have yielded what many think to be the best songs in the entire collection.
Asides from these original contributions, much of the material has been drawn from previous collections, especially those of the early American period (late 1700’s to mid 1800’s), such as the Sacred Harp and Christian Harmony. It was during this period that the church, during the great Second Advent Awakening, reached it’s purest and most powerful state, in striving to prepare for Christ’s imminent return. Since it remains for the church or our day to take up where they left off, and carry the work to completion, this seemed like a good starting point from which to draw the larger part of the inspiration of this current work. As well, songs have been drawn from earlier revivals, including the Reformation of the 16th and 17th centuries, and the Wesleyan revival during the 1700’s in England.
In choosing the Biblical poetry that is used for the lyrics of the songs, the highest standard has been our aim. These words can stand on their own as great poetry. They have an uncommon depth, and cover the full range of experiences that face everyone who names the name of Christ, and takes up his cross after Him. It is not surprising that you will often find the names of Isaac Watts, the Wesleys, Wilson MacDonald, and others, who possessed the gift of poetical expression in no common manner, and who matched this with true Christian piety and devotion. Their work endures because the Spirit of the Everlasting One is in it, and thereby they “being dead, yet speak” to us today.
These songs, with their earnest feeling and intelligent expression of faith, will assist in bringing the Word of God into your daily life, where it belongs. 126p
You can view pictures of sample pages of the book here: Sample Pages. There are also more music resources available on my poetry website: Practica Poetica
