hymn

A couple of days ago I received the following email. It was sent/forwarded to all Northern Utah Valley Piano teachers. I thought it was interesting. Maybe you will enjoy reading it. Attached to the email was an actual copy of the hymn text and music. I don’t know if I can make that happen in this post (as my tech skills are so lame, help ld!) but in any case, if you want a copy email me and I’ll send it to you.

From: Janice K. Perry
To: Senior Missionary Friends
Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2008 8:28 AM
Subject: story behind hymn that will be sung at funeral today


During President Hinckley's funeral the Tabernacle Choir sang a hymn text written by President Hinckley which I set to music
in December. I would like to share the story of it with you:

About two months before my niece Kathy Blacker died, on January 11, 2008, she found a three-verse poem by President Hinckley among her files. Although she was resigned to dying, she had some fears about the dying process and his words greatly comforted her especially the second verse which described exactly what she was feeling. She wrote to Pres. Hinckley's office to ask permission to have the poem printed on her funeral program, and she received a very nice letter from his secretary Don H. Staheli saying that President Hinckley gave his permission for her to do so. The letter also conveyed some very comforting words from Pres. Hinckley which were helpful to helpful to Kathy in her final weeks, and he said he would remember Kathy in his prayers.

Then Kathy suggested that I write and ask permission to give the poem a hymn setting. I did so, and Brother Staheli conveyed
President Hinckley's permission for me to write the hymn. After offering some heartfelt prayers that I might be able to write
appropriate music for his profoundly beautiful and moving text, I wrote the hymn setting and sent a copy to President Hinckley's office for approval at the end of December. I received no immediate response.

Kathy passed away January 11 and after her funeral I sent a copy of her funeral program to President Hinckley's office so he could see how nicely his poem was displayed along side my brother Gary Kapp's painting of Christ.

When I heard President Hinckley had passed away last Sunday night I was feeling a little sad to think I hadn't received a letter
with his official approval. But the very next day after his passing, the hoped-for letter arrived with his approval, his
permission for me to publish it in a future volume of my series Inspirational New Hymns for Choir and Home, and leaving it to my discretion as to whether to submit it to the Church Music Division. The timing was so unusual and I was extremely grateful to receive the letter as a tender mercy in my life.

Then on Monday afternoon Craig Jessop, Tabernacle Choir Director, heard about the hymn and had his office call me to obtain
a copy of the hymn for consideration for President Hinckley's funeral. On Tuesday, while traveling in California, I learned
that the hymn would be performed by The Tabernacle Choir at President Hinckley's funeral on Saturday.

Having seen the great comfort this hymn brought to my niece who died just two weeks before President Hinckley passed away, my great desire is for people throughout the world to have a free copy of these magnificent words of President Hinckley to comfort them in times of the loss of loved ones. This is just one more way his influence could be felt down through time.

Janice

******end of email**************

Looks like I can't get the music to come on. But here are the words to the hymn.

What is this thing, that men call death,
This quiet passing in the night?
‘Tis not the end, but genesis
Of better worlds and greater light.

O God, touch Thou, my aching heart
And calm my troubled, haunting fears
Let hope and faith, transcendent pure,
Give strength and peace beyond my tears.

There is no death, but only change,
With recompense for vict’ry won.
The gift of Him who loved all men,
The Son of God, the Holy One.