Nearer, My God, to Thee

"Nearer, My God, to Thee" is a 19th-century Christian hymn by Sarah Flower Adams, based loosely on Genesis 28:11–19, the story of Jacob's dream. Genesis 28:11–12 can be translated as follows: "So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it..."

The hymn is well known, among other uses, as the alleged last song the band on RMS Titanic played before the ship sank.

Lyrics

The lyrics to the hymn are as follows:

A sixth verse was later added to the hymn by Edward Henry Bickersteth Jr. as follows:

Text and music

The verse was written by the English poet and Unitarian hymn writer Sarah Flower Adams (1805–48) at her home in Sunnybank, Loughton, Essex, England, in 1841. It was first set to music by Adams's sister, the composer Eliza Flower, for William Johnson Fox's collection Hymns and Anthems.

My God

My God may refer to:

See also

Richard Jose

Richard J. Jose (June 5, 1862 in Lanner, Cornwall – October 20, 1941) was an American countertenor.

Life

Richard Jose immigrated to Nevada after his uncle. He sang in saloons for charity, and in 1881 with Thatcher's Minstrels. In 1884, he joined a minstrel troupe in California, and later appeared in New York City. In 1896, Jose married Therese Shreve.

In 1887, he won a gold medal from the Academy of Music (New York City). He made phonograph cylinders as early as 1892. Between October 27, 1903 and 1906, he recorded for the Victor Talking Machine Company, and his version of "Silver Threads Among the Gold" was a hit. In 1905 and 1906, he toured with his own minstrel show, and in 1906, was injured when a stage curtain fell on him.

In 1915, Jose sang the song "Silver Threads Among the Gold" in a silent short movie of the same name, by Pierce Kingsley and R. R. Roberts. After retiring from entertainment, Jose became the California Deputy Real Estate Commissioner.

Pronunciation

Jose, pronounced /z/ like "rose," is a Cornish name. He added an accent, eɪ as in José.

Fernando Ortega

Juan Fernando Ortega (born March 2, 1957) is a singer-songwriter in contemporary Christian music. He is noted both for his interpretations of many traditional hymns and songs, such as "Give Me Jesus" and "Be Thou My Vision", and for writing clear, easily understood songs, such as "This Good Day".

Biography

Ortega was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico near the banks of the Rio Grande. He started learning piano at eight years of age. Through his father's work with the United States Department of State, he also spent time in Ecuador and Barbados. His family lived in Chimayo, NM for eight generations, which has been cited as an influence on his music. It is from his heritage and classical training at The University of New Mexico where Ortega derives his sound, embracing country, classical, Celtic, Latin American, world, modern folk and rustic hymnody.

Discography

Wallace Hartley

Wallace Henry Hartley (2 June 1878 – 15 April 1912) was an English violinist and bandleader on the RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage. He became famous for leading the eight member band as the ship sank on 15 April 1912. He died in the sinking.

Life and career

Wallace Hartley was born and raised in Colne, Lancashire, England. Hartley's father, Albion Hartley, was the choirmaster and Sunday school superintendent at Bethel Independent Methodist Chapel, on Burnley Road where the family attended worship services. Hartley himself introduced the hymn "Nearer, My God, to Thee" to the congregation. Wallace studied at Colne's Methodist day school, sang in Bethel's choir and learned violin from a fellow congregation member.

After leaving school, Hartley started work with the Craven & Union Bank in Colne. When his family moved to Huddersfield, Hartley joined the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1903, he left home to join the municipal orchestra in Bridlington, where he stayed for six years. He later moved to Dewsbury, West Yorkshire and in 1909, he joined the Cunard Line as a musician, serving on the ocean liners RMS Lucania, RMS Lusitania and RMS Mauretania.