ILLINOIS

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

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University of Illinois at
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Brittle Books Project, 2019.COPYRIGHT NOTIFICATION

In Public Domain.
Published prior to 1923.

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NEW MUSIC FOR "AMERICA"

Nation's Hymn, as Written by Dr. Bamuel F. Smith, Set to an Original Ameri-
can Melody by Herbert Johnson, an American Composer

of Note in the East.

THE COMPOSER GIVES HIS REASONS.

HERBERT JOHNSON.

compelled to write the simple melody which you publish here-
with in order that the beautiful poetry may have at least one
musical setting that is original and distinctively American.

If I shall arouse in the hearts of the young, as well as the
old, any increased love for the land of their nativity, my work
will have received more than its just reward.

The hymn, with its new setting, is affectionately dedicat-
ed to every man, woman, and child, regardless of race or relig-
ious belief, who is a true citizen and a firm believer in the New
America.	HERBERT JOHNSON.

BOSTON, Mass., Nov. 18.—(Editor of The Tribuie.)
—Every clergyman, scholar, litterateur, and states-
man with whom I have ever conversed on the sub-
ject has acknowledged that "Ajmerica," written by
Samuel Francis Smith, D. D., should be the national hymi of
this country. Unfortunately in its early days it was associat-
ed with the melody of " God Save the Que en," which, as we all
know, is nothing more or less than England's national song

Now, the question is invariably askqd by true Americans
as to why we should persist in such an alliance of words ind
music. With the query in mind for, maj.ny years, I have .elt

REV. SAMUEL F., SMITH, D. D., WHO WROTE
AMERICA."

FOR more than threescore years the
' American national hymn—" My coun-
try, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty,
» Of thee I sing "—has floated on the
* evening breeze from sea to sea, borne
by the wings of an English melody. Many a
singer has wondered, while he sang, why
the music did not smack more of the soil
from - which sprang the thrilling, patriotic
words:

I love thy rocks and rills.

Thy woods and templed hills.
Mr. ^Herbert Johnson of Boston sets a pop-
ular ehord to vibrating in response to the
half-expressed and semi-suppressed public
yearning, for he has composed a melody,
plain and simple in style, pleasing and digni-
fied, in every way fit for the rhythmic lines
. ^ ■ . . . .....^

of the late Dr. Smith.

Herbert Johnson, the composer, has had a
remarkable career in his chosen profession
of music. He was born in Middletown, Conn.
During his childhood his parents moved to
Providence, where he attended the public
schools.

His musical education began in Providence
and was continued in Boston.

. He has written many songs of a high order,
among them being " Face to Face," " Do
You Remember?"

Dr. Samuel Francis Smith, who wrote the
words of "America," was born in Boston,
Oct. 21. 1808. He was graduated from Har-
vard and the Andover Theological Seminary.
He was college professor, editor of religious
publications, minister of the gospel, and a

voluminous producer of hymns, including
that one that has stirred many a heart to
help the missionary cause, beginning, " The
morning light is breaking." He long lived
at Newton Center A grand testimonial was
given him in Musi: Hall in April of 1895. He
died in November of the same year.

Dr. Smith, before his death, narrated how
he came to write,'1 America," saying: "In
1831 Mr. William C. Woodbridge of New
York, a noted educator, was deputed to visit
Germany and inspect the system of the pub-
lic schools, that if he should find in them any
features of interest unknown to our public
schools they might be adopted in the United
States.

" He found that in the German schools
much attention \'as given to music; he also

found many books containing music and
songs for children. Returning home he
brought several of these music books and
placed them in the hands of Lowell Mason,
Esq., then a noted composer, organist, and
choir leader.

" Having himself no knowledge of the Ger-
man language, he brought them to me at
Andover, where I was then studying the-
ology, requesting me as I should find time
to furnish him translations of the German
words or to write new hymns and songs
adapted to the German music.

" On a dismal day in February, 1832, look-
ing over one of these books, my attention
was drawn to a tune which attracted me by
its simple and natural movement and its
fitness for children's choirs. Glanc'ng at

the German words at the foot of the page
I saw that they were patriotic, and I was
instantly inspired to write a patriotic hymn
of my own.

" Seizing a scrap of waste paper I began to
write, and in half an hour I think the words
stood upon it substantially as they are sung
today. I did not know at the time that the
tune was the British ' God Save the Queen.'
I did not propose to write a national hymn.
I did not think I had done so. I laid the song
aside and nearly forgot that I had made it.

" Some weeks later I sent it to Lowell
Mason, and on the following Fourth of July,
much to my surprise, he brought it out at the
children's celebration in Park Street Church
in Boston, wliefre it was first sung in public."

A A A A A A ---* A A A Jk A A

THE CHICAGO TBIBOTE: SUKDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1899.f 0°pyrl9l»tMDCCCX0IX by the, WdaMuaiaCo. Boston, Mass. / ;■

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_W°r<Js t>y '	Music %*

Samuel Francis Smith, D.D.	Herbert Johnson.

1832/

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-&■This book is a preservation facsimile produced for
the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
It is made in compliance with copyright law
and produced on acid-free archival

60# book weight paper
which meets the requirements of
ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (permanence of paper).

Preservation facsimile printing and binding
by

Northern Micrographics
Brookhaven Bindery
La Crosse, Wisconsin
2019