The King of love my shepherd is

This Anglican interpretation of the Psalm which has drawn so many versifiers appeared first in the 1868 Appendix to the original (1861) A&M. John Ellerton reported that stz 3 was the last audible utterance of its author Henry Williams Baker, one of the architects of that book. Some of its phrases draw from George Herbert’s The God of love my shepherd is, which in turn had borrowed from the much-maligned Thomas Sternhold of 1565 (My shepherd is the living LORD). Isaac Watts’ classic 1719 version is My Shepherd will supply my need; the remarkable American President John Quincy Adams, who paraphrased every Psalm in 1831–32, wrote My shepherd is the LORD on high which (like so many) overlaps with others in phraseology while remaining distinctive in effect (see The Hymn, July 2002). Baker, however, clearly uses gospel images of the cross in stz 4, and the shepherd and sheep in stzs 3 (Matthew 18) and 6 (John 10). In this more ecclesiastical approach ‘my cup’ becomes ‘your chalice’—an image retained in the Jubilate version adopted here, which drops ‘verdant’, ‘celestial’, ‘unction’, ‘transport’ and the older verb-forms. CH seems to be alone in (somewhat brashly) omitting stz 5; PHRW omits the hymn altogether. But both older and newer texts bring out the relevance of the divine shepherd to human salvation. Other Psalms (Psalm 78, Psalm 80, Psalm 95, Psalm 119) hint at it; the 23rd is its fullest expression in biblical poetry. More hymns in debt to the Psalm include 748, 770 and 771 in the present book. DOMINUS REGIT ME, taking the opening words of the Lat version, was composed for this text by J B Dykes while precentor at Durham Cathedral, and published with it in the A&M 1868 supplement. It is considered one of his finest tunes; the EH editors surprisingly and publicly regretted (in their Preface) that permission had not been granted them to use ‘such beautiful tunes’ as this, and one other. It had been used at the composer’s funeral in 1876. In a different mood are Geoffrey Beaumont’s PASTOR (1960, not to be confused with George Booth’s tune at 612) and ‘The Followers’ tune in Youth Praise 1 (1966).

b Vauxhall, S London, 1821; d Monkland, Herefs 1877. The eldest son of an Admiral and Baronet; Trinity Coll Camb (BA, MA), ordained (CofE) 1844. After a curacy at Great Horkesley nr Colchester, Essex, he became Vicar of the small parish of Monkland (pop c200), a few miles W of Leominster, from 1851 until his death at the age of 56. There being no vicarage, he had one built with space for a private chapel with a small organ; he then established Monkland’s first school. Within his opening few months he had also written his first hymn, published in an 1852 collection made by Francis Murray, Rector of Chislehurst; but greater things were soon afoot. From a crucial meeting at St Barnabas Pimlico, London, in 1858 (see also under Baring-Gould and Woodward) and a formal committee established in the following January, Baker became a founding father of what became Hymns Ancient and Modern. As the project‘s first chairman and its main driving force, he conducted much of the work at and from his vicarage, still in his 30s. After 2 ‘samplers’ in 1859 (the year he inherited his father’s baronetcy) with respectively 50 and 138 hymns, the first official edition including 33 of his own texts and translations appeared in 1861. After an early disappointment Baker never married; but the vicarage, presided over by Henry’s sister Jessy, was a hub of activity often filled with fellow-hymnologists, scholars, editors and workers. They also met regularly at Pimlico, the new railways between London, Leominster, and elsewhere proving a key factor in their work and personal contacts. Baker himself often had to handle tactfully, by post or otherwise, questions of Anglican doctrine, poetic style, copyright terms, payments and fees, textual alterations and (later) how to safeguard its future.

Their book attracted much criticism for editorial changes, but weathered the storm to become the most popular hymn book ever, through main editions of 1868, 1904 (its least successful revision), 1923, 1950, 1983, and 2000. The latest edn, well over a century on, retains 11 of his original texts, versions and translations; 13 are included in the evangelical Anglican Hymn Book of 1965. Among his other writings was Daily Prayers for the Use of those who have to work hard—fittingly from the pen of a man of immense energy and versatility. Julian, who calls his editing labours ‘very arduous’, compares his ‘tender’ and ‘plaintive’ hymnwriting with that of H F Lyte, qv. Among other biographical treatments, he features in Bernard Braley’s Hymnwriters 2 (1989); the 150th anniversary of A&M was celebrated in Monkland and Leominster in 2011. Nos.23C, 371*, 435, 911*, 952*.