Carol Christopher Drake

From the newsletter of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Berkeley, California: "Many of you asked about the communion hymn we sang last Sunday, Hymn 69. 'What is the crying at Jordan?' was written in the 1950s by Carol Christopher Drake, a former member of St. Mark’s Choir. Carol also wrote the parish centennial hymn 'Gather us in, God make us One.' [Hymn 69] voices a response to John the Baptist’s 'crying in the wilderness,' of his demand that people change their lives in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. She wrote this text specifically for the present tune, St. Mark’s, Berkeley, which in her words 'evoked a sense of mystery and awe.' The tune’s first American use was in the children’s songbook 'Sing for Joy,' compiled and edited by Norman and Meg Mealy, who 'were attracted to it for its haunting and simple quality.' It came from a Gaelic collection, Dánta Dé (Dublin 1928). The tune had no name in Dánta Dé. A former beloved choirmaster of St. Mark’s, Norman named it for St. Mark’s, Berkeley, his home parish, where he served as choirmaster from 1948-1962. He also served as Professor of Church Music at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific - Episcopal (CDSP) here in Berkeley from 1952-1987 and at the Graduate Theological Union from 1976-1987. We thank Norman and Meg for this gift to the church here and at large." -- Thanks to George Emblom, director of music at St. Mark's Church in Berkeley for providing this information about the hymn. Carol Christopher Drake also contributed five other hymn texts to Sing for Joy, the children's hymnal by Norman & Margaret Mealy.