Then Sings My Soul (Robert J. Morgan) book review

  

If you have every wondered what inspired some of the most loved hymns or the Christmas songs that have stood the test of time, I highly recommend checking out 'Then Sings My Soul'. Robert J. Morgan puts together a well organized, devotional style read that dives into the stories behind 150 of the all-time favorite hymns. Categorized by holidays and one other section for more favorites, it makes it easy to find which ones you are looking for. Each song is started out with the sheet music with lyrics and then how it came to be. Most include the write and composer if they are known, what they were going through at the time that may have inspired them, and some general background history. 

The first night I had this book, I read several of its stories. I was hooked by finding several interesting things right off. One that sparked my interest was of Clement Clarke Moore. He was the one behind the famous poem called 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'. He offered up a portion of his land to be used for a seminary which he became one of the first professors there. Later on, a student who was enrolled there with the name of John H. Hopkins Jr. would soon write the beloved Christmas carol known as 'We Three Kings'. Something else that I discovered, was a stanza of Edmund Sears' song 'It Came upon a Midnight Clear' that has been omitted by most hymnals. I thought it was very well written. It goes as follows:

Yet with the woes of sin and strife, the world hath suffered long:

Beneath the angel-strain have rolled, two thousand years of wrong;

And man, at war with man, hears not, The love song which they bring:

O hush the noise, ye men of strife, and hear the angels sing!

I love that! It reminds me of the reason I like 'Tenting Tonight' so much; a sad, but beautiful civil war song that cries for peace. 

Many are the hearts that are weary tonight, wishing for the war to cease

Many are the hearts, that are looking for the right, to see the dawn of peace

These songs already move us, but they have an even greater effect when we know why they were written.

Then Sings My Soul is easy to follow along and wonderfully designed. It holds thick pages with the torn look at its edges. I have truly enjoyed looking through this book and have already shown it to several people. In my opinion, this is a must have for any Christian, music lover, or simply ones who love knowing the origins of the well known. I hope you give its pages a turn.

 

All reviews are my own opinions. I was not paid by any of the sponsors.