Phoebe Palmer Knapp

I've written about composer Phoebe Palmer Knapp (March 9. 1838 - July 10, 1908) before, and her most famous tune, matched to Fanny Crosby's Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. She probably wrote her first tunes to accompany the hymns written by her mother, Phoebe Worrall Palmer, but she went on to write tunes for texts by many other gospel song writers, in addition to her long friendship and collaboration with Crosby.

She and her husband Joseph (one of the founders of the Metropolitan Life insurance company) were very active in the Sunday School of their Methodist church, St. John's in Brooklyn, where Phoebe also played the organ. In 1869, she compiled and published a collection of Sunday School music titled Notes of Joy, and the music to 94 of the 172 selections was composed by her. The introduction was written by Methodist Bishop Matthew Simpson, who wrote of Knapp's efforts:

These "Notes of Joy" were prompted partly by a mother's love as she sang to her own dear children, partly for her class in the Sunday School which she loved to instruct, and partly for the circle of friends who gathered around the mercy-seat for prayer (probably a reference to the elder Phoebe's prayer meetings). They have been listened to and admired, and having been repeatedly urged by many friends, she has at length committed them to the Press.

In addition to songs and service music by Knapp, Notes of Joy also contains the work of Phoebe Palmer, Fanny Crosby and her husband Alexander Van Alstyne (they wrote the opening song, from which the collection took its name) as well as prominent writers and composers such as Robert Lowry, Josephine Pollard, Hubert P. Main, and Theodore Perkins. In her own foreword to the book, Phoebe wrote:

It is hoped that a proper regard for the eighth commandment may restrain all book makers from appropiating, without permission, any of the Copyright property of which the book is so largely composed.

Following this foreword, the notice of copyright for Notes of Joy is included -- in the name of her husband, Joseph F. Knapp.

This tune was written after Notes of Joy, but is sung here with this Lenten text by John Ellerton.

Giver of the perfect gift,
Whom we hallow in this place,
Hear the prayer our hearts uplift
Here before thy throne of grace.

Who can save us, Christ, but thou?
Let thy mercy show thy power;
Lo, we plead thy promise now,
Here in this accepted hour.

So may these, our Lenten days,
Blessed by thee, with thee be passed,
That with purer, nobler praise
We may keep thy feast at last.

God the Holy Trinity,
Grant the mercy we implore;
God the One, all praise to thee
Through the ages evermore.

John Ellerton, 1871; alt.
Tune: SARAJEVO (7.7.7.7.)
Phoebe Knapp, 1872 ?

Phoebe Palmer Knapp

Composer Phoebe Knapp was born in New York City on March 9, 1839. Her mother, the evangelist (and hymnwriter) Phoebe Worrall Palmer made sure that young Phoebe and her sister Sarah were brought up in a strict (if unconventional) Methodist home.

At sixteen, Phoebe married Joseph Knapp, a successful businessman seven years older, and moved to Brooklyn. His lithography firm first made him a millionnaire, after that he was one of the founders of the Metropolitan Life Insurance company. The Knapps became popular members of Brooklyn society and were very involved in Methodist causes and charities. Phoebe played the organ at St. John's Methodist Church, near their Brooklyn mansion, where the Knapps hosted four US Presidents, Methodist bishops, and New York elites. These gatherings, gaining the reputation of a sort of salon, were somewhat different from the evangelical ones for which her mother was known.

Phoebe's musical interests always included composing, and she wrote tunes for several of her mother's hymns. Phoebe the mother edited a monthly magazine, the Guide to Holiness, which included a new hymn in each issue and many of the tunes were by daughter Knapp. She went on to compose for many of the most well-known gospel song writers of the day. Fanny Crosby was a dear friend, and the two women often worked together in the elaborate music room that Joseph Knapp had built for his wife.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine will always be their most popular song. This is another Phoebe & Fanny collaboration which also happens to be appropriate for Lent.

“Nearer the cross!” my heart can say
I am coming nearer,
Nearer the cross from day to day,
I am coming nearer;
Nearer the cross where Jesus died,
Nearer the fountain’s crimson tide,
Nearer my Savior’s wounded side,
I am coming nearer,
I am coming nearer.

Nearer the Christian’s mercy seat,
I am coming nearer;
Feasting my soul on manna sweet
I am coming nearer;
Stronger in faith, more clear I see
Jesus, who gave himself for me;
Nearer to Christ I still would be,
Still I’m coming nearer
Still I’m coming nearer.

Nearer in prayer my hope aspires,
I am coming nearer;
Deeper the love my soul desires,
I am coming nearer;
Nearer the end of toil and care,
Nearer the joy I long to share,
Nearer the crown I soon shall wear;
I am coming nearer;
I am coming nearer.

Fanny Crosby, 19th c.; alt.
Tune: NEARER THE CROSS (8.6.8.6.8.8.8.6.6.)
Phoebe Knapp, 19th c.

Phoebe is supposed to have composed around five hundred tunes for gospel songs, some parlor music, and Prince of Peace, a cantata. She also edited two collections of songs for Sunday schools, with the first one, Notes of Joy for the Sabbath-school (1869), containing one hundred of her own pieces. A Woman of the Century (1893), a collection of biographical sketches by Frances W. Willard, proclaims of Knapp "She writes music, not as a profession, but as an inspiration." However, business-minded husband Joseph made sure that all her music was copyrighted.

I've located only sixteen of her tunes thus far, though that's twice as many as you can see at the Cyber Hymnal site linked above. Still looking for more!

Watching and Waiting

Today's hymn is perhaps the most familiar and popular ever written by two women. Though Fanny Crosby has been mentioned here before, this is the first of her gospel songs that I've featured. It's kind of unlikely that we will ever get through all of them because it's reported that she wrote more than 5000. Many of them were published under pseudonyms because her publishers didn't want their hymnals to appear to be overly dominated by her texts. Her collaborator here, Phoebe Knapp, may have written as many as 500 tunes and songs, though her other tunes are generally more obscure than many of Fanny's other texts.

The two women were good friends, both members of the John Street Methodist Church in New York City. The story goes that Phoebe wrote the melody first and played it for Fanny, asking "what does this song say?" Fanny immediately replied "Why, that says 'Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!'" and the rest of the text quickly followed.

Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of your Spirit, washed in your blood.

Refrain
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Refrain

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with your goodness, lost in your love.
Refrain

Fanny Crosby, 1873; alt.
Tune: ASSURANCE (Irregular with refrain)
Phoebe Palmer Knapp, 1873

This song was immediately popular and probably appears in hundreds of hymnals published in the last 135 years. A wax cylinder recording of the song (pictured above) was released in 1909 by the Edison Phonograph Company and can now be heard online.

Phoebe Knapp's husband was one of the founders of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. She went on a trip to Europe in 1883 and when she returned, she found that he had built an addition on their Brooklyn mansion that included a lavish music room for her (pictured below), with a three-manual pipe organ. Phoebe and Fanny probably spent a good deal of time in this room, writing and singing together. Following her husband's death, Phoebe moved to the Savoy Hotel in Manhattan, bringing the organ along.