Hymnody

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. -Colossians 3:16

I have often heard with lament that we rarely sing the beloved gospel songs of AB Simpson in our congregational singing. Why is that? Are we losing the legacy and passion of our founder by allowing the music of hymnody to fade into history?

‍Hymns of the Christian Life was first published in 1891, during what some would say was the Golden Age for hymnody, the period between 1700–1900. The preface of the first hymnal states its purpose: The musical taste of our day is in a state of transition. Beyond controversy, the people will have new tunes and hymns that move in a more spirited time than those our fathers sang… — publisher/editors A.B. Simpson and R. Kelso Carter

Although Simpson was a prolific songwriter, he cautioned against going to the extreme of “relegating all the old hymns to the dusty past.” The first Alliance hymnal included many traditional hymns, with a vast contemporary supplement of Simpson’s gospel songs, as well as popular choruses from other gospel musicians.

There are a few important distinctions to note:

Psalms – Scripture set to music, particularly as found in the book of Psalms (e.g. The Lord Is My Shepherd)

Hymns – Songs specifically to or about God, directed to Him in praise or prayer (e.g. How Great Thou Art)

Spiritual or Gospel songs – Songs of testimony and teaching that the singer/writers direct more toward one another and spiritual truths they are wanting to convey (e.g. Breath Out, Breath In; Power from on High)

The gospel song was very different than the familiar church anthems of the day (focused on the individual, e.g. We Shall Overcome or Amazing Grace), whereas the pieces Simpson wrote and incorporated into his ministry included contemporary artists such as Sankey, Bliss, Crosby, and other gospel artists of the day.

Although these songs were popular, they did receive a frown or upturned nose by many who struggled to embrace change in worship style. This did not deter Simpson; he was not fearful of the term “popular.” To Simpson, it simply meant “of the people,” the very people he cared for deeply and had a passion to reach.

Many of the songs Simpson wrote reflected the time he lived in and were closely connected to revival, the evangelistic meetings of the “Great Awakening,” and the years that followed. They reflected his distinct theology and beliefs on which he founded the Alliance movement: the Spirit-filled life, world evangelism, and the fourfold gospel of Jesus as Saviour, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King.

His songs were literally an impassioned extension of his sermons. Many were inspired by the sermons and points he wanted to stress. Due to his passion to evangelize the unreached people groups of the world, his melodies followed a musical theme akin to a march, which well suited his intention to have an army march out to the world with the “Banner of Jesus Held High.” Early Alliance people were known for singing their theology!!

Simpson admitted he was not a composer and had little formal musical training, often joking he could barely plunk out a melody on the piano with one finger. In reality, he was more of a poet than a songwriter, which led some to feel his “hymns” were difficult to sing.

They lacked a number of factors that need to be considered for them to be sung well in the context of congregational singing, such as range and pitch, rhythm and tune of the melody matching the rhythm and mood of the words, along with keeping in mind the number of syllables and the length of the piece.

The early Alliance congregants overlooked many of these inconsistencies and sang them with great love and adoration throughout the world, discovering their own way of singing the songs… future congregants were not so understanding or embracing.

Later in his career, he relegated much of the “melody” writing to his daughter Margaret and a few others. By this time, some of his early works were so ingrained into the fiber of the Alliance that they could never be changed.

A number of attempts to reharmonize the original pieces were made in 1936, 1962, and 1978, but many would require complete rewrites, losing the passion and intention of Simpson’s poetic words.

Interestingly, in 2021 a group of songwriters and worship leaders formed the Alliance Worship Collective for the purpose of reviving our musical identity, focusing on creating and promoting songs that reflect our unique fourfold gospel theology—songs that are deeply rooted in the denomination’s heritage and mission.

Their new and original compositions are intended to complement the rich gospel songs of our founder, AB Simpson, “to the Regions Beyond.” It will be interesting to see the fruit of this endeavor and how they are integrated in our congregational singing.

Most importantly, Simpson’s lyrics expressed the deepest and most solemn desires of his heart. I believe that if Dr. Simpson were alive today, he would be calling for new songs—songs that would stir this generation regardless of resistance to change and the internal strife and controversy such change incites.

Recently, as an icebreaker, we were asked if there was a song or hymn which was significant or special to us and why. It was interesting to me how varied the responses were.

Some were songs from the Golden Age, some were from the last revival, the “Jesus Movement,” and some from the 90s up to and including current releases.

Although the answers were varied and “oh, that one… yes I love that too” was often recited by the rest of us, the common thread between all of them was how the Holy Spirit used song to draw us closer to our Beloved Lord, Saviour, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King.

It reminded me of how it must please God when we sing from our hearts with gratitude, regardless of the genre we sing.

I have included a couple Simpson songs for your enjoyment by a local artist you may recognize:
Power from on High and Breathing Out and Breathing In.

Fondly,
Melody

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