Dunlap's Creek

Here's a new hymn we're learning taken from the 1854 Southern Harmony hymn collection.  The tune name is called Dunlap's Creek and is named after Dunlap's Creek Presbyterian Church which is near where the tune originated.

 

My God, my portion and my love, my everlasting all,

I've none but Thee in heaven above, or on this earthly ball.

 

What empty things are all the skies, and this inferior clod!

There's nothing here deserves my joys, there's nothing like my God.

 

In vain the bright, the burning sun scatters his feeble light;

'Tis thy sweet beams create my noon; if Thou withdraw 'tis night.

 

And whilst upon my restless bed, amongst the shades I roll,

If my Redeemer shows his head, 'Tis morning with my soul.

Comments

[William Hoover]

Interesting looking hymn! What's the title?

[Jonathan Girotti]

It actually doesn't have a title beyond "Dunlap's Creek." In older hymn collections like Southern Harmony, Sacred Harp, or Harmonia Sacra, the tunes didn't have "names" like we know names now, they just went by the "tune name." In fact, it wasn't until the 20th century that hymnals started being in the existing format, i.e. tune and lyrics fixed together inseparably. Hymnbooks used to have sets of lyrics with the meter notated and then you could choose any tune that had the same meter. Dunlap's Creek is in common meter, so you could sing the above words to any of the many common meter tunes, like "There is a Fountain" or "O For a Thousand Tongues."

Thanks for stopping by, William!