This sheet music is part of the collection of crosby3145 :
If we look through a hymnbook,
we will notice that many of
the most famous hymnwriters
only wrote the words or only
wrote the music to their
classics. Reginald Heber
wrote the words to Holy, Holy,
Holy, but he wasn’t known
for writing tunes. Neither
was John Newton, nor was Fanny
Crosby. On the other hand,
composers like Daniel B.
Towner, William H. Doane, and
William J. Kirkpatrick are
best known for the stirring
tunes they wrote—the words
to their hymns were usually
supplied by others. Only a
few hymnwriters over the ages
have been able to provide both
words and music; Charles H.
Gabriel was one of these
amazingly talented
individuals.
He was born August 18, 1856,
in Wilton, Iowa. Gabriel’s
father taught at singing
schools, and his son inherited
his talent, possibly teaching
himself to play organ. As he
grew up, Gabriel began to lead
singing schools like his
father, and he also grew
interested in military bands,
writing compositions for both
venues. He travelled around,
eventually winding up in San
Francisco, where he was in
charge of the music at Grace
Methodist Episcopal Church
from 1890 to 1892. It was
here that he wrote his first
commercially published song,
“Send the Light,” for a
missions conference—that
hymn would go on to be one of
his most famous. Gabriel
later located to Chicago,
where he worked with Homer
Rodeheaver’s publishing
company. He lived until
September 14, 1932.
Throughout his life, Gabriel
edited 35 gospel song books, 8
Sunday School song books, 7
books for male choruses, 6
books for female singers, 10
children's song books, 19
collections of anthems, 23
choir cantatas, 41 Christmas
cantatas, 10 children's
cantatas, and books on musical
instruction.1 The work which
he considered his best was a
cantata: Saul, King of
Israel.2 In the realm of
hymns, some of his most famous
are “Send the Light,”
“Higher Ground,” and “My
Savior’s Love.”
In 1914, J.H. Hall, who wrote
a biography of hymn writers,
included an excellent
description of Gabriel’s
style:
“Mr. Gabriel's music is
nothing if not melodious. Even
a comparatively commonplace
theme under his pen receives
some touch that gives it a
perennial freshness, and while
he rarely writes difficult or
severe music, there is
unbounded variety in it all.
Having received little or no
instruction, and being a
self-made man, he has a style
peculiarly his own. Copying no
teacher or instructor, but
following the natural bent of
his genius, he is little
hampered by purely scholastic
rules of form, and hence free
to produce many effects and
contrasts which other
composers are apt to lose; yet
his freedom deserves no
censure, as it amply justifies
itself in every case. He gives
himself wholly to composition
and his work is in constant
demand by the various
publishers of sacred
music.”2 Yes, his work
remains in demand today, as
contemporary hymnals still
include his music.
This collection contains some
of his most famous hymns,
which I mentioned above, but
it also has some more obscure
pieces by him. “Awakening
Chorus,” #502 in
Soul-Stirring Songs &
Hymns, seems to be his version
of the “Hallelujah
Chorus.” It has a similar
feel, similar rhythms, and it
certainly deserves to be
performed more often than it
is. “More Like the
Master” is probably my
favorite of the
collection—it’s a prayer
to be more like God and to
exhibit his characteristics, a
prayer we should all have. I
hope you enjoy these hymns!
1 Osbeck, Kenneth W. 101 Hymn
Stories. Grand Rapids, MI:
Kregel Publications, 1982, p.
195.
2 Hall, J. H. Biography of
Gospel Song and Hymn Writers.
New York: Fleming H. Revell
Co., 1914, pp. 349-354.