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Anonymous attribution of `How firm a foundation' in John Rippon's Selection, 1787.
See Julian p.537a.
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His childhood and student years were spent in Holland, where his father was a draughtsman and safety inspector on the Netherlands Railways, and his parents moved successively to Amersfoort and Zeist during that time. Although he was baptised (in St Bavo Cathedral in Haarlem) as an infant, it was not until his late teens that he began to attend worship services and confirmation classes, becoming a confirmed member of the Netherlands Reformed Church in 1947.
He studied theology at Utrecht University from 1949-52; but a `pen- friendship' with a family in London led to a decision to move to England for ordination training, which he undertook at the (Congregational) Western College Bristol, graduating from Bristol University in 1954. Two Congregational Church pastorates followed: in Barry, S.Wales 1855-63, and Pilgrim Church, Plymouth 1963-68. During this time he developed many international contacts and friendships, for which his native-born facility with languages was undoubtedly an asset.
In 1968 he moved to Geneva as Minister-Secretary of the International Congregational Council, and in 1970 an executive secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches on the merging of the ICC with the World Presbyterian Alliance, holding this post until 1978. During this time his work involved close cooperation with the World Council of Churches, also based in Geneva; he assisted in the preparation of worship sessions at many of the Assemblies and Conferences of the WCC, and he was a member of the committees responsible for preparation of the 1974 edition of Cantate Domino.
He returned to England in 1978 to serve the United Reformed Church as Moderator of its West Midlands Province (1978-85), and as minister of a Local Ecumenical Project at Central and Penhill churches, Swindon Wiltshire 1986-90.
His hymn-writing began during his ministry at Pilgrim Church Plymouth, where he composed a large number of hymns for use at that church. The language and vocabulary of his hymns was (for their period) un-traditional and occasionally prosaic; but almost invariable technique was to write to well-known tunes in conventional metres, so that the unfamiliarity of the words was compensated by the familiarity of the music. The first published collection of his hymns (Pilgrim Praise 1968) was a words-only booklet issued for use at the church, the use of existing tunes making it unnecessary to provide music.
He has followed this publication with a lengthy series of hymn collections, covering his hymn-writing output from 1968 to the present time. These are listed separately - click here > > .
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He was the 12th child in a family of 13 children; his father was a family doctor, and his grandfather was the first Taiwanese to become a minister in the Presbyterian Church. At the age of 12 he left Taiwan to attend schools in Japan, returning in 1945 to complete high school education and graduating in 1953 from Tainan Theological College and Seminary. He was ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) in 1957, following a period as Visiting Preacher for Aborigine Churches in Taiwan.
He served as Principal of Yushan Theological College (PCT) 1957-70, and as General Secretary of the PCT 1970-89. During this latter period (24 April 1980 to 15 August 1984) he was imprisoned because of his sympathy and alleged help for an escaping Human Rights Movement leader; his original sentence was for seven years but he was given early release on a one-year parole. His imprisonment led to widespread concern among the churches, particularly those connected with the PCT through the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Council for World Mission; and he was adopted as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.
He has been awarded honorary doctorates by the Presbyterian College Montreal and by the Knox College Toronto. Over the years he has written poems, hymns and sermons which are now printed in Taiwanese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and English.
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(See also DNB; Julian pp.610b-613)
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The son of a vicar-choral of Chichester Cathedral, he was himself a chorister and then organist there from 1720 to 1744. He composed service music and a number of anthems.
He is buried in the south aisle of the Cathedral.
(See also DNB; GDM; OCM)
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Xrefs:
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(See also DNB; Julian pp.616b-621)
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Kennedy, Studdert (see Studdert Kennedy, G.K.A.)
( died 1593, according to Millar Patrick in Four Centuries of Scottish Psalmody, 1949, p.36. The Concise D.N.B., 1953 edn (`Epitome to 1900') gives Kethe's d.o.d. as `1608?' )
(See also DNB; Julian pp.623b-624a)
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He was a chorister at St George's Chapel, Windsor, under Sir George Elvey, and subsequently organist of some major parish churches, including St Matthew's Northampton, 1895-1934. He conducted the Northampton Music Society from 1898-33, and was music master at three local schools.
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Details of his life are sketchy. He was organist of St Martin-in-the- Fields 1676-1713; a member of the Royal band from 1680 until at 1728; and graduated in music from St Catharine's College Cambridge in 1696. Compositions by him were published between 1677 and 1720, particularly songs.
(See also DNB; GDM; OCM)
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Nothing is known of her except that she was organist of St Andrew's Church, Hertford from 1893-95, and that she retired from the post of organist at St Thomas's Hospital, London in 1926.
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He was probably a native of Bury St Edmunds; for much of his life he was a musician in the household of Sir Robert Jermyn at nearby Rushbrooke, and he is thought to have been church-warden at St Mary's, Bury St Edmunds.
His nineteen harmonized psalm-settings formed the second largest contribution to Thomas Este's Whole Book of Psalmes 1592. As one of the best madrigal-writers of this time, he published The First Set of [24] English Madrigalls 1597; and he contributed a six-voice madrigal to The Triumphs of Oriana 1601, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I.
(See also DNB; GDM; OCM)
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He trained as a carpenter; but also studied music with his father, and played the violin, cello, flute and organ. He moved to Philadelphia in 1855, and in 1858 began helping A.S.Jenks to collect camp-meeting songs, which were included with 86 of his own tunes in Devotional Melodies 1859.
After the American Civil War, in which he was a principal musician and fife-major with the 91st Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers and then a shipbuilder, he worked for a furniture manufacturer in Philadelphia. From 1877 until his death he devoted himselfm to writing and publishing gospel songs, and either alone or in collaboration issued about 120 collections.
He was a life-long Methodist and was music director at two Methodist Episcopal churches in Philadelphia: Ebenezer 1865-86, and Grace 1886-96
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(See also DNB)
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He was educated at Ripon School and then Selwyn College Cambridge, where he was organ scholar and a prizeman in divinity. Abandoning his intention to enter the church, he taught music at Haileybury College 1897-98, and at St Edmund's School Canterbury 1898-1901. He was organist of St John the Baptist Church Leicester 1901-13; Christ Church Cathedral Dublin 1913-20; Professor of Music at University College Dublin 1915-20 and at the Royal Irish Academy of Music 1918-20; and non-resident Professor in the University of Dublin 1920-35. He also taught at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College London.
He composed some church and organ music, and co-edited the Irish Church Hymnal 1919; but is chiefly remembered as the author of several music text-books.
(See also GDM; OCM)
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He was a glover by trade; and was parish clerk at St James's Church Poole 1729-68 and described as a `country psalm-singer'. He may well have been an organist also.
He published A Sett of New Psalms and Anthems 1738, and New Church Melody 1753, both of which went through several editions.
(See also DNB; GDM)
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He had music instruction from local teachers, but was largely self-taught and mastered several instruments. In 1771 he became organist and music director at Biberach and Professor of Literature there in 1792. He conducted the court and theatre orchestras at Stuttgart from 1806-8, but was not well received there; he returned to Biberach in 1808.
He was a brilliant organist, and wrote some notable theoretical works. His compositions were not very distinguished; but he wrote a symphony that, as `programme music', anticipated Beethoven's `Pastoral' symphony; and he was a pioneer of the annotated concert programme. With J.F.Christmann he co-edited Vollständige Sammlung . . . Choralmelodien 1799, which included 97 tunes of his own.
(See also GDM; OCM)
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He was educated at Bedford School and studied the organ under Sir Stanley Marchant. He spent his working life in the family firm of solicitors in Luton; and from 1904 was organist of King Street Congregational Church there for over sixty years.
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He was appointed a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in 1797 and in 1898 one of the Composers. He conducted the Birming Festivals 1834-43; and for more than forty years was a leading alto soloist in London and provincial concerts.
He composed glees, songs and anthems, including some for the coronations of George IV and Queen Victoria.
(see also DNB; GDM)
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At the age of 17 he went as a tutor to St Petersburg where, on hearing the music of Mozart and Haydn, he decided on a musical career. His early compositions were of such promise that means were found to enable him to study in Rome. What he learnt there, particularly of Palestrin's works, led him to strive for reform of Church music in Germany. In 1821 he founded a School of Sacred Song in Stuttgart, which stimulated four-part singing in churches, and in 1823 he published a treatise on church music.
He was organist of the Stiftskirche in Stuttgart 1827-65; he revised various hymnals and contributed many new tunes to them. Among his compositions are two operas and an oratorio, and he compiled a large collection of chorales entitled Zion's Harfe (Harp of Zion) 1854/55.
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In 1703 he went to Frankfurt-am-Main as a boy chorister. Then, having studied with Telemann and G.C.Bodinus, he was director of music of several churches in Frankfurt, and succeeded Telemann as director of municipal music in 1721. He also taught singing at the Gymnasium.
He composed a number of cantatas, but is best known for his Harmonischer Lieder-Schatz (`Treasury of Harmonious Song') 1738, which was the most comprehensive 18th-century collection of chorale melodies - 1,913 in all, including a number of French Protestant psalm melodies - though unfortunately he ironed out the rrhythms of many of the originals. About 300 of the tunes were apparently new, many probably by König himself.
(See also GDM)
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He joined a company of mendicant Jain monks at age nine, but fled in his 'teens; then became involved with the Indian land reform movement, inspired by Ghandi. He made a pilgrimage for peace, visiting various capitals to persuade political leaders to `ban the [atomic] bomb'.
He now [1990s] lives in Hartland, Devonshire with his English wife, runs the Schumacher College on the Dartington Estate, and edits a bi-monthky ecological magazine Resurgence.
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End of Biographies K. Return to Top . . .
(The Rejoice & Sing Enchiridion:edited by David Goodall; last amended 17/5/03)