Our attention today turns to the poetess Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), author of the well-known and lovely Christmas texts In the Bleak Midwinter and Love Came Down at Christmas. Rossetti was a master of lyrical verse, devotional verse, and children’s poetry—a wide span for any author … Read more
A friend sent me a card, saying he hoped O Come, O Come Emmanuel would be a topic for one of the remaining days of the Advent Calendar. This song, for him, evoked special memories of childhood. That set me to thinking. It’s certainly not the … Read more
We’ve just left a season of Advent Hymns, with nearly a week of Christmas hymns to enjoy. But what about New Year’s Hymns? We can start with a collection of New Year’s Hymns (1749) by Charles Wesley. They are filled with energy and reflect a … Read more
I’m waiting out a storm. We’ve moved everything that could get damaged by hail into the barn. Since it’s Holy Week, the menacing clouds and thunder seem right in tune. In my lap is a 1956 edition of The Baptist Hymnal. I now have 35 of … Read more
