This hymn was written by a tired mother—on a good day, of course! Here’s an excerpt of the story from Mormon Channel’s History of the Hymns podcast, quoted here:
Annie Hawks [born in 1835] was the mother of three children when the hymn for which she is best known was written. Annie later wrote, “I remember well the morning when in the midst of the daily cares of my home, I was so filled with the sense of the nearness of the Master, that wondering how one could live without him either in joy or pain, these words ‘I Need Thee Every Hour’ were ushered into my mind. The hymn was wafted out to the world on the wings of love and joy, rather than under the stress of great personal sorrow. It was not until long years after when the shadow of a great loss fell over my way that I understood something of the comforting in the words I have been permitted to write.”
Hawks teamed up with a baptist pastor, who composed the tune, and Christianity was given a beautiful hymn: a testament to how much we need and depend on our Lord and Savior every hour.
First up, in the listening line-up, we have BYU Vocal Point!
For the David Archuleta fans, I found this:
Do we have any friends in the South?
And for the bonus treat, here is a gorgeous medley.
Happy singing!
Jenna Dilts is a mother of three pre-school-aged children. Last year she led a discussion of Charlotte Mason’s 20 Principles on the AO forum. You can find her blogging at To Work Wonders, where she is currently working through AO year 1 for herself.