THE MUSIC MINISTRY OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS UMC!

JULY, 2010

Music Notes
“America the Beautiful
“…and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations..”
In 1893, Katharine Lee Bates, a
noted English professor at
Wellesley College in Boston, went
to Colorado Springs, Colorado to
teach a summer course. Enroute,
she stopped at Niagara Falls. She
traveled on, stopping at The
Columbian Exposition in Chicago,
w h i c h c e l e b ra t e d t h e 4 0 0th
anniversary of Columbus’
discovery of America. That
summer she joined a tourist
group traveling to the top of Pike’s
Peak. The last section of the
ascent was by mule. At the top
she was rejuvenated. In a letter
to a friend she said:
"But when I saw the view, I felt
great joy. All the wonder of
America seemed displayed there,
with sea-like expanse."
Miss Bates always carried a
notebook and pencil with her. As
she sat near the top of Pike’s
Peak, she picked up her notebook
and started writing down phrases
as they came to her. Several
weeks later, she picked up the
notebook to recall what she felt as
she looked down at the world
from the top of Pike’s Peak. She
rewrote her poem, then sent it to
a magazine for consideration.
–Revelations 22:2b
The Congregationalist opted to
publish her "America, the
Beautiful," in its July 4, 1895
edition. This poem generated
hundreds of letters of response
from readers. One man sent a
melody he had written to go with
the poem.
Other magazines and newspapers
from all over the United States
reprinted the poem, inspiring
more musicians to write melodies.
By 1900 there were at least 75
different tunes for the poem, but
none had any staying power.
H ow ever, i n 1904 a Bap t i st
preacher, Clarence A. Barbour
turned to his library of Christian
songbooks to find a melody that
would fit. He found Samuel Ward’s
hymn tune MATERNA.
Miss Bates rewrote her poem in
1904, in her words "trying to
make the phraseology more
simple and direct." The new
version first appeared in the
Boston Evening Transcript,
November 19, 1904.
She nor Ward’s family made a
claim for royalties, for the use of
the text and tune.
Samuel Augustus Ward
•Bor n: Ne wark, Ne w Jersey–
December 1847
•Died: Newark, New Jersey–28
September 1903
The union of words of “America the
Beautiful” and the tune MATERNA
became immensely popular during
World War I. Ward, a highly
respected church organist in
Newark, New Jersey, had also
established a successful music
store there. In 1934, because his
hymn tune had become so
popular, Ward was memorialized
by a brass plaque erected to his
memory at Grace Episcopal
Church in Newark where he had
served as organist.
Katherine Lee Bates
• Born: Falmouth,
Massachusetts–12 August
1859
• Died: We l l e s l e y,
Massachusetts–28 March
1929
Educated at Wellesley College and
later head of that collegeʼs English
department. Bates was the author
or co-author of over twenty
collections and books.
(Information gleaned from the
Companion to the UM Hymnal.)

Notes on “America the Beautiful”

“America the Beautiful” is a recognition that we song has meaning you can always affirm.
live in a blessed and flawed country. I can The song invites God to refine, shed grace and
imagine someone like Martin Luther King, Jr. mend our country. I believe many Americans
saying we should strive to live out who are Christians could, within
what this song is about. If you can their own beliefs, sincerely add
connect your own belief in God these requests to their prayers,
with your belief that every nation and even invite those of other
has received some blessings and nations who happen to be with us
opportunities from God, then this to do the same.

Available online @ HTTP://.CHUMCKPT.ORG! PAGE 1

 THE MUSIC MINISTRY OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS UMC!
MEMBER AND FAMILY NEWS
(If you have information to share about
yo u o r yo u r fa m i l y, p l e a s e s e n d
information in email jimlyon@mac.com.
If we inadvertently omit your name on
the birthday list or omit information you
have submitted, contact Jim. )
Ha p p y Ju l y
Birthdays
Danny Fleming
(7/5), Tip Cloud
(7/9), Bonnie
Willard (7/10),
(7/23) Dana Miller
Graduates
Shannon and Colleen Barnett,
daughters of Rod (Bass) & Pam,
both graduated with honors
from ETSU on Saturday,  May
8th. Shannon is an elementary h t t p :
school teacher and Colleen is a www.daytimetricities.com/tri/
nurse. n e w s / a r t i c l e /
taylor_winchellstudent_of_the_
week/46431/.
Chelsea Hall (Past Youth Choir
Alto), daughter of Leslie (Front
Po r c h S i n g e r s ) & To m ,
graduated from The Savannah
College of Art and Design.
Scholar Athlete of the Week
Taylor Winchell, daughter of
Sheila (Front Porch singer) &
Brian, was selected as Scholar
Athlete last month by Daytime
Tri-Cities. Taylor is a senior at
Central this fall with a 3.9 GPA
Available online @ HTTP://.CHUMCKPT.ORG!
JULY, 2010
and the quarterback of the July Anthems
football team and a starter on
the basketball team at Sullivan
July 4 (Holy Communion Sunday/
Central. You can view the video Independence Day)
at: Song for the Unsung Hero (Martin)
July 11 (Boys’ Chrysalis Walk)
Chrysalis Walk participants sing
Heleluyan! (arr. Ulrich)
July 18 (Girls’ Chrysalis Walk)
Chrysalis Walk participants sing
Shine, Jesus, Shine! (arr. Hayes)
July 25 (Gideon Speaker)
Soli Deo Gloria (Bryant/Hayes)
/ / A Little Biblical
Humor
Co n g ra t u l a t i o n s to t h e
Sight-Singing Class
Ray Miller, Susan Pavlin, Kathy
Smith, Jim Roller, Sandy Roller,
and Jim Thoma completed the
Sight Singing class with flying
colors. We explored basic music
theor y, the solfege singing
system as well as the Sacred
Harp Singing Schools. With
four hours of training under
their belt, they are well on their
way to stronger and more
confident singing and ringing.
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