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A graduate of Princeton, Henry van Dyke became professor of English Lit. following a 20 year pastoral ministry. While serving as guest preacher at Williams College, he wrote this hymn, and presented it the next morning to President Garfield saying, "Here is a hymn for you. Your mountains were my inspiration. It must be sung to the music of 'Beethoven's Hymn to Joy.'" The poem was first published in 1911. Later, van Dyke wrote: "These verses are simple expressions of common Christian feelings and desires in this present time, hymns of today that may be sung together by people who know the thought of the age, and are not afraid that any truth of science will destroy religion, or that any revolution on earth overthrow the kingdom of heaven. Therefore these are hymns of trust and joy and hope." The tune comes from the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, his greatest, which took 6 years to write. It is most astounding that this and other great symphonies were written by a man who was "stone deaf". In 1801 Beethoven wrote: "No friend have I. I must live by myself alone; but I know well that God is nearer to me than to others in my art, so I walk fearlessly with Him. I have always known Him and understood Him. I have no timidity about my music; it can have no ill fate...."
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