JANET (Stebbins)

Composer: George C. Stebbins

Stebbins studied music in Buffalo and Rochester, New York, then became a singing teacher. Around 1869, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, to join the Lyon and Healy Music Company. He also became the music director at the First Baptist Church in Chicago. It was in Chicago that he met the leaders in the Gospel music field, such as George Root, Philip Bliss, & Ira Sankey. At age 28, Stebbins moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he became music director at the Claredon Street Baptist Church; the pastor there was Adoniram Gordon. Two years later, Stebbins became music director at Tremont Temple in Boston. Shortly thereafter, he became involved in evangelism campaigns with Moody and others. Around 1900, Stebbins spent a year as an evangelist in I… Go to person page >

JANET, by George C. Stebbins (PHH 63), is thought to have been composed for this psalm and was first published in the 1912 Psalter Written in Stebbins's characteristic gospel-hymn style, JANET is a simple tune with simple harmonization but with a strong rhythmic effect. Sing it in parts and in alternating groups for stanzas 3 through 8, and have everyone sing stanzas 1, 2, and 9. The bulk of this psalm is narration of salvation history–don't rush the narrative! Stanzas 1-2 and 9 frame the narrative with choral calls to praise.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook