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T. C. O'Kane

1830 - 1912 Person Name: T. C. O'K Harmonizer of "[I am far frae my hame, an' I'm weary aftenwhiles]" in Joy to the World O'Kane, Tullius Clinton, an American writer, born March 10, 1830, is the author of "O sing of Jesus, Lamb of God" (Redemption); and "Who, who are these beside the chilly wave?" (Triumph in Death), in I. D. Sankey's Sacred Songs and Solos, 1878 and 1881. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) =========================== Tullius Clinton O'Kane was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, March 10, 1830. He resided with his parents in this vicinity until the spring of 1849, when he went to Delaware, Ohio, and entered the Ohio Wesleyan University, from which he graduated in 1852, with the degree A. B., and received his A. M. degree three years later from his Alma Mater. Immediately upon his graduation, he was tendered a position in the Faculty as Tutor of Mathematics, which he accepted and successfully filled for five years. The students always called him "Professor," by which title he is known to the present day. His musical abilities were early recognized in the University, and for years he was the musical precentor in the daily chapel devotions. He organized and maintained a Choral Society in the College, and was the first musical instructor in the Ohio Wesleyan Female College, which a few years ago was incorporated into the University. In 1857 he was elected to a principalship in the Cincinnati public schools, and served in that capacity until 1861, when he resigned his position to accept a place in the piano establishment of Philip Phillips & Co. He remained with this house until its removal to New York City in 1867, when, although urged to be transferred with the house to that city, he preferred to remove with his family back to Delaware, Ohio. For the ensuing six years he traveled over the state of Ohio as the general agent for the Smith American Organ Co., of Boston, Mass. During this time he visited conferences, Sunday-school conventions, both State and County, introducing his Sunday-school singing books, and in this way became well known throughout his native state, and quite extensively in some of the adjoining states. His musical compositions were first published in Philip Phillips' Musical Leaves, in 1865, and since then but few Sunday-school singing books have appeared without one or more of his compositions. His first music book, Fresh Leaves, was issued in 1868. This was followed at intervals by Dew Drops, Songs of Worship, Every Sabbath, Jasper and Gold, Redeemer's Praise, Glorious Things and Morning Stars. In connection with his son, Edward T. O'Kane, who is himself a most excellent composer and a very skillful organist, in 1882 he issued Selected Anthems, a book designed for use by the more advanced choirs. In association with J. R. Sweney and "Chaplain" McCabe, he issued Joy to the World, a song book for prayer-meetings, and the same editors, with the addition of W. J. Kirkpatrick, compiled Songs of Redeeming Love, No. 1, in 1882, and No. 2 in 1884. He also issued Songs of Praises, Unfading Treasures and Forward Songs. Some of Professor O'Kane's best known songs are Glorious Fountain, The Home Over There, On Jordan's Stormy Banks, Say, are You Ready? and many others. With Mr. O'Kane, music and musical composition have ever been a recreation, rather than a profession. He is an excellent leader of choirs, but his forte seems to be in leading large congregations, Sunday-schools and social religious meetings in sacred song. He sings "with the spirit and the understanding also " — with a due appreciation of both words and music — and very naturally infuses his enthusiasm into his audiences so that they cannot "keep from singing." In his music he endeavors to catch the spirit of the hymn, and then give it expression in the music he composes for it. This sometimes seems to have been almost an inspiration, and could be illustrated by a reference to the circumstances under which many of his compositions have been made. One of his earlier and more widely known pieces is that entitled, Over There. He says he cut this hymn out of some newspaper and put it with others in his portfolio, intending some time when he felt like it to give it a musical setting. One Sunday afternoon, after studying his lesson for the next session of his Sunday-school, he opened his portfolio, and turning over the selections, found these words, and something seemed to say, "Now's your time." He sat down at the organ, studied the hymn intently for a few moments, and then, as his fingers touched the keys of the instrument, melody and harmony were in every movement, and when the stanza was ended, melody and harmony found their expression in the chorus, and Over There was finished. Another of his well known songs is Sweeping Through the Gates. One cold, blustery day he had occasion to go from his residence to the railroad depot, about a mile distant, and in his route had to cross the river on a suspension foot-bridge. As he came down to the bridge, he thought of the "river of death," so cold, with no bridge, and then the words of the dying Cookman came to his mind, and he exclaimed to himself: 'Who, who are these beside the chilly wave? " Words, melody and refrain seemed to come all at once and all together, so that by the time he arrived back at his home, the composition was complete. Professor O'Kane is a genial, modest Christian gentleman, who carries sunshine wherever he goes. His greatest joy comes from the consciousness that his music has cheered and comforted the hearts of Christian people all over the world, and has been the means of winning thousands from the pleasures of the world to the higher enjoyments of the Christian religion. His song, Sweeping Through the Gates, will be sung till all the ransomed are gathered Over There. -Hall, J. H. (c1914). Biographies of Gospel Song and Hymn Writers. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company. ======================== O'Kane, Tullius Clinton. Died 10 February 1912, Delaware, Ohio. Buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Delaware, Ohio. --DNAH Archives

Mary Lee Demarest

1838 - 1887 Author of "My Ain Countrie" in Edward MacHugh's Treasury of Gospel Hymns and Poems Demarest, Mary, née Lee, b. at Corton Falls, New York, in 1838, married to Mr. Demarest, and died at Pasadena, California, in 1887. The story of her poem, "I am far frae my hame," which is given as a Sacred Song by I. D. Sankey in his Sacred Songs & Solos, was written in 1861, and printed in The New York Observer. Its history, too long for quotation here, is given in Mr. Sankey's My Life and Sacred Songs, 1906, pp. 161-2. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

C. C. McCabe

1836 - 1906 Person Name: Chaplain C. C. McCabe Adapter of "I am far frae my hame, an' I'm weary aften-whiles" in Jasper and Gold Charles Cardwell McCabe’s story begins during the Civil War when at age 25 he was appointed chaplain of the 122nd Regiment of Ohio Volunteers. He read in The Atlantic Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic” fit to the popular marching tune “John Brown’s body” and immediately taught it to his regiment. As they moved out to Virginia and became part of a larger Union regiment they took The Battle Hymn with them. Captured and sent to Libby Prison in Richmond, he led the prisoners on the long 150 mile march in singing The Battle Hymn to raise their spirits and maintain morale. Under terrible prison conditions they sang; people remembered standing outside the prison to listen. At the news of Lee’s defeat McCabe again led all the prisoners in singing “national airs”. He contracted typhoid, and when prisoners were exchanged at Fortress Monroe, VA he weighed less than 100 pounds. After prison he worked as a fund raiser for the U.S. Christian Commission in Washington. He often officiated at four or five church services around Washington camps and hospitals, sometimes walking ten miles. He told of refusing an invitation to a white folks’ church so he could preach to a congregation of former slaves where he gave to the choir copies of the Battle Hymn. On Feb. 2, 1864 he attended a meeting of the House of Representatives for a celebration of the second anniversary of the Christian Commission which Lincoln attended. When McCabe led the singing of the Battle Hymn Lincoln was so moved that he asked for it to be sung again. McCabe attended Lincoln’s funeral in Springfield, IL and was asked to sing the Battle Hymn there. After the war McCabe was appointed to Spencer Chapel in Portsmouth, OH and became a major fundraiser for his alma mater [Ohio] Wesleyan University’s endowment fund. For forty years he lectured throughout the country as Secretary of the Church Extension Society. In 1896 he was elected to the Methodist episcopacy, unofficially named “The Singing Bishop”. He died after suffering a stroke Dec. 19, 1906. M.L. VanDyke (with material from Wm. E. Ross: “The Singing Chaplain: Bishop McCabe” in Methodist History, Oct. 1989

Hubert P. Main

1839 - 1925 Person Name: Hubert P. Main Harmonizer of "[I am far frae my hame, an' I'm weary aftenwhiles]" in The Cyber Hymnal Hubert Platt Main DD USA 1839-1925. Born at Ridgefield, CT, he attended singing school as a teenager. In 1854 he went to New York City and worked as an errand boy in a wallpaper house. The next year he became an errand boy in the Bristow & Morse Piano Company. He was an organist, choir leader, and compiled books of music. He also helped his father edit the “Lute Songbook” by Isaac Woodbury. In 1866 he married Olphelia Louise Degraff, and they had two sons: Lucius, and Hubert. In 1867 he filled a position at William B Bradbury’s publishing house. After Bradbury’s death in 1868 the Bigelow & Main Publishers were formed as its successor. He also worked with his father until his father’s death in 1873. Contributors to their efforts were Fanny Crosby, Ira Sankey, Wilbur Crafts, and others. In addition to publishing, Main wrote 1000+ pieces of music, including part song, singing school songs, Sunday school music, hymns, anthems, etc. He also arranged music and collected music books. He 1891 he sold his collection of over 3500 volumes to the Newberry Library in Chicago, IL, where they were known as the Main Library. Some of his major publications include: “Book of Praise for the Sunday school” (1875), “Little pilgrim songs” (1884), “Hymns of Praise” (`1884), “Gems of song for the Sunday school” (1901), “Quartettes for men’s voices: Sacred & social selections” (1913). In 1922 Hope Publishing Company acquired Bigelow & Main. He was an editor, author, compiler, and composer, as well as publisher. He died in Newark, NJ. John Perry

Carrie B. Adams

1859 - 1940 Arranger of "[I am far frae my home, an' I'm weary aften whiles]" in Young Men's Chorus Adams, Carrie Belle (Wilson). (Oxford, Ohio, July 28, 1859-1940). Father, David Wilson, song writer, teacher of music. Married, 1880 to Allyn G. Adams, moved to Terre Haute, Indiana. Director and organist, First Congregational Church; Central Christian Church. Teacher (1887-1895), Indiana State Normal School. Wrote many anthems and cantatas, secular and religious, many published by Lorenz. --Keith C. Clark, DNAH Archives =================== Mrs. Carrie B. (Wilson) Adams was born in Oxford, Ohio, July 28, 1859. Her father, Mr. David Wilson, was author of a number of songs and books, also a singing teacher of note in his day, and her mother was quite musically inclined. Her experience with her father in elementary and advanced class work, in children's and harmony classes, her years of musical participation in solo work and in accompanying, in the organization and leadership, not only of choirs, but also of great choral organizations, her close touch with singers of elementary grade, as well as those of great skill and reputation, have given her a breadth of musical thought and practical power of adaptation that constantly enrich her work of composition. Miss Carrie B. Wilson became Mrs. Allyn G. Adams in 1880, and soon after located in Terre Haute, Ind., where her husband was a leading bass singer and interested in large commercial enterprises. Mrs. Adams soon became a leading figure in the musical life of that enterprising city, and has been actively identified with the Choral Club, Treble Clef Club, Rose Polytechnic Glee Club, First Congregational Church and Central Christian Church choirs, as director, chorister and organist. From 1887 to 1895 she occupied the chair of music in the Indiana State Normal School. Her first anthem was published in 1876. Among her best known publications are four anthem books — "Anthem Annual, Nos. 1 and 2," and " Royal Anthems, Nos. 1 and 2" ; "Music for Common Schools"; two sacred cantatas, "Redeemer and King " and "Easter Praise" ; an operetta for church and school use, "The National Flower"; a group of Shakespeare songs from "As You Like it," and a large number of anthems, male choruses, ladies' quartets and miscellaneous pieces in octavo form. http://archive.org/stream/biographyofgospe00hall/biographyofgospe00hall_djvu.txt

J. B. Vaughan

1862 - 1918 Composer of "[I am far from my home, and I'm weary often whiles]" in Songs for the Singing, Normal and Literary Schools John B. Vaughan (sometimes misspelled Vaughn), 1862-1918 Born: June 16, 1862, Elbert County, Georgia. Died: July 18, 1918, Athens, Georgia. Buried: Oconee Hill Cemetery, Athens, Georgia. Vaughan was a Gospel song writer and music publisher. At one time he taught at the Southern Development Normal music school in Waco, Texas. Lyrics-- Beautiful Home Somewhere There’ll Be Room Enough ’Twill Be Glory By and By We Shall See the King --http://www.hymntime.com --http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=23551328

W. T. Dale

1845 - 1924 Arranger of "My Own Sweet Country" in The Songs of Zion

Ione T. Hanna

1837 - 1924 Composer of "[I am far frae my hame, an' I'm weary aftenwhiles]" in The Cyber Hymnal Born: August 21, 1837, New York. Died: August 6, 1924. Buried: Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Colorado. Ione’s husband was banker John R. Hanna. As of 1880, they lived in Denver, Colorado. A noted suffragist, she was the first woman elected to public office in Denver, winning a seat on the Denver School Board in May 1893. --www.hymntime.com/tch