History of Hymn - Come Ye Thankful People Come
Traditional Thanksgiving Sacred Song, Tune Name St. George's Windsor
Oct 16, 2009
"Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" is considered to be one of the most choice harvest and thanksgiving hymns in all of the hymnals of Christian singing. It was written for the English harvest festivals, a movable feast which varies according to the harvest time in different villages that celebrate it.
The hymn writer, Henry "Dean" Alford, is regarded as a gifted, Christian leader of the 19th century, a distinguished theologian and scholar. He was also a writer, poet, artist and musician. The composer is George J. Elvey, an long-time organist at the Windsor, Royal Castle.
Beginnings of Come, Ye Thankful People Hymn
One of the major interests of the writer, Henry Alford, was hymnology. He translated and composed numerous hymns which he published in his Psalms and Hymns (1844,) The Year of Praise (1867,) and Poetical Works (1852 and 1868.) Of his many works, including "Come, Ye Thankful People,Come" "Forward! Be our Watchword," and "Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand," only "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" is still in use in most evangelical hymnals.
"Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" first appeared in Alford's Psalms and Hymns in 1844. Originally, it was meant to be a harvest song, and titled "After Harvest" with seven stanzas. Only four remained in common use.
Harvest Hymn a Meaningful Thanksgiving Song
From the four stanzas that remained, "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" is well-taken as a meaningful thanksgiving song with its related significance:
- Stanza One - An invitation and exhortation to give thanks to God, in His earthly temple which is God's Church, and for His care and provision to humankind's needs.
- Stanzas Two and Three – They are Alford's commentaries on the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares as recorded in the book of St Matthew.
- Stanza Four – A prayer for the Lord's return, a culminating event that Alford sees as an ultimate show of God's goodness in His purpose of humankind's redemption.
Writer Henry Alford
Henry Alford was born on October 7, 1810 in London. His ancestry came from generations of respected clergymen in the Anglican Church and he followed in their footsteps. He became Dean of Canterbury Cathedral at 47, and remained in the position until his death in January 12, 1871. He was also a prominent Greek scholar.
Composer George Elvey
The composer of the Tune Name "St. George's, Windsor" was George J. Elvey (March 27, 1816 - December 9, 1893), an organist. He served as organist for 47 years at the historic, Royal Chapel at Windsor Castle in England. He originally composed the music for another text. In 1861, the tune first appeared appeared with Alford's text in the Anglican hymnal, Hymns Ancient and Modern. He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1871.
"Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" is found in nearly published hymnal, most especially, Evangelical hymnals, to the present time.
"Come, Ye Thankful People, Come"
Words: H. Alford and Music: G. Elvey
(First Stanza)
"Come, ye thankful people, come - Raise the song of harvest home:
All is safely gathered in. Ere the winter storms begin.
God, our Maker, doth provide, For our wants to be supplied:
Come to God's own temple, come - Raise the song of harvest home."
Related Thanksgiving Hymns
Lyrics and Music
Source:
Osbeck, Kenneth W. 101 More Hymn Stories. Michigan, US: Kregel Publications, 1985
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