Hyrum (Beesley)
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Also known as Man of Grief, and, erroneously, Duane Street.
Contents
General Information
- Composer: Unknown Composer—Probably a folk melody.
- Note: There is really no evidence to support the claim that George Coles composed this tune, or even the melody that the tune is based on. George Coles did write 'Duane Street', but that is an entirely different tune with no practical musical similarities with the tune at hand. See the rest of the article for more information.
- Arranger: Ebenezer Beesley[1][2] (1840–1906), 1889
- Until recently, the composer had been unknown, although many presumed it was George Coles; there was considerable doubt that Coles was the composer, however, as a source verifying that he was had yet to be identified, and there were other clues against this idea: The confusion appears to have been started by an assumption that since the tune Duane Street was not found to compare with the tune at hand (i.e. Hyrum), and Duane Street was known to have been associated with A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, that perhaps they were the same tune.[3] It has since been discovered that they are not the same tune.
- Ebenezer Beesley appears to have liberally adapted this tune from the one that John Taylor did sing before the martyrdom of Joseph Smith Jr.
- Until recently, the composer had been unknown, although many presumed it was George Coles; there was considerable doubt that Coles was the composer, however, as a source verifying that he was had yet to be identified, and there were other clues against this idea: The confusion appears to have been started by an assumption that since the tune Duane Street was not found to compare with the tune at hand (i.e. Hyrum), and Duane Street was known to have been associated with A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, that perhaps they were the same tune.[3] It has since been discovered that they are not the same tune.
- The actual name of this tune has yet to be verified to be anything other than Hyrum, however the Cyberhymnal calls it Man of Grief (without a source, and so perhaps they coined it), and the Latter-day Saints Psalmody, 1889[4] (the earliest known publication of the tune) calls it 'Hyrum' (although there is the possibility that 'Hyrum' was an alternate name for the text, due to its historical use in the church, as one author supposes[5]).
Latter-day Saint Information
- This is the tune used in the current (1985) LDS hymnal with A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, although that hymnal refers to the tune as Duane Street (which is another song entirely, though also associated with A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief). Here is a source that gives hints as to how this confusion may have begun, as mentioned above also.
- This is not the tune John Taylor used before the martyrdom of Joseph Smith Jr., although it was thought to be before the discovery of Ebenezer Beesley's choir book.[2]
Associated Lyrics
- A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, by James Montgomery (1771–1854), 1826
- Weep, Weep Not for Me, Zion[6]
References
- ↑ The Improvement Association song book, 1887 (p. 22)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Original Poor Wayfaring Man had different tune, by Tad Walch, Deseret News, Saturday, Oct 11, 2008
- ↑ Stories of Latter Day Saint Hymns Their Authors and Composers, 1939 (p. 12)
- ↑ Latter-day Saints Psalmody, 1889 no. 34
- ↑ L.D.S. Hymns, 1909 (p. 28)
- ↑ Hymn no. 34 (A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief) in the Latter-day Saints Psalmody, 1889 says these lyrics (no. 321) may also be used with this tune.
