Russell published without attribution as did the American Tract Society. It was widely known, and neither the Watch Tower nor ATS saw a need to append a name.
Hankey's poem as published by the American Tract Society
Copies show up on ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Old-Old-Story-Published-By-The-American-Tract-Society-AM-Tract-Society-1872-/272571856256?hash=item3f768c7580:g:qqEAAOSwA3dYgT8r
Copies show up on ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Old-Old-Story-Published-By-The-American-Tract-Society-AM-Tract-Society-1872-/272571856256?hash=item3f768c7580:g:qqEAAOSwA3dYgT8r
Old Theology Quarterly No. 7
You will notice that Russell altered wording as he did with many hymns and poems.
You will notice that Russell altered wording as he did with many hymns and poems.
7 comments:
You note that this is often wrongly attributed to Maria Russell. In the 1890 volume Poems and Hymns of Dawn, Mrs C T Russell is credited as the author in the index. I am only guessing here, but it may be that it was Maria who adapted the original and made the changes found in the Watch Tower version. A bit like many "folk singers" in the 1960s would get something traditional, conveniently out of copyright, tinker with a few words and then claim composer royalties. Not that that would be Maria's motive if my surmise is correct.
Jerome, in my copy of Poems & Hymns of Dawn (1890), poem "The old, old story" has a mark (*) in the index of poems at the end of the volume. Then, Mrs. C. T. Russell is credited as the author of the alteration or adaptation of the poem. I think this was a normal practice in those years. Many hymnbooks included altered or adapted poems/hymns.
Doing a quick research I can find that "The old, old story" by K. Hankey was included in the following hymnbooks used or related to Bible Students. It can refer to the poem or to the tune used... I'm not sure and I would have to do a more serious research.
Hymns of the Morning, 1873, hymn supplement no.7
Winnowed Hymns, 1873, hymn no. 80
Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs, 1875, hymn no.37
Gospel Hymns Nº 1& 4 (1883), hymn no.37
Songs of Pilgrimage (1888), hymn no. 1275
Poems and Hymns of Dawn, (1890), hymn no. 116
Hymns of Dawn (1909, 1913, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1919, 1921, 1923, 1926, 1936, 1946, 1950, 1959 1968), hymn no. 116; and also hymn no. 360 (at 1946, 1950, 1959, 1968 editions)
Songs of Praise to Jehovah (1928), hymn no. 124
I still find myself wishing JWs today would do the same: adapt some old hymns with exquisite music - many of them would need little or now tweaking of the lyrics; after all, they tweak their own from time to time.
I have a wish list, which will in all likelihood remain just that, a wish.
If anyone I know reads this blog, I have just blown my cover.
:)
Many thanks Miquel for all the extra information.
As said by Rachel, Russell altered words.
For example, a word like "hell" and a rhetorical question like "Was he the mighty God?" written in the poem of the American Tract Society are omitted in the Watchtower Tract.
On the contrary, in the Watchtower Tract we find words that are not written in the original himn, like: "little flock", "the bride", "Jehovah", "Millennium". Furthermore, we find more emphasis on the ransom.
These are changes made to harmonize the himn with the message of the Watch Tower believers.
The himn printed by the American Tract Society is available here:
https://archive.org/details/oldoldstory00hank
I have done a bit more of research and I have found that "The Old, Old Story (Tell me the old, old story)" has not been included in any of the official hymnbooks of JWs. It was included only at previous hymnbooks used as basis for Bible Students (Hymns of the Morning, Winnowed Hymns & Gospel Hymns), and it has been included only in recent times as part of modern Bible Students at their Hymns of Dawn of 40s, 50s & 60s)... but not old Bible Students' hymnbooks neither Jws hymnbooks
But what was included as a Bible Students' hymn was "I love to tell the story" from the same author Kate Hankey (at Songs of the Bride, Poems and Hymns of Dawn, Hymns of Dawn, Angelophone Hymns and Songs of Praise to Jehovah)
Following hymnbooks have "I love to tell the story"
-Hymns of the Morning (1872 & 1873), hymn no. 35
-Winnowed Hymn (1873), hymn no. 6
-Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs (1875), hymn 39
-Gospel Hymns Consolidated embracing volumes no. 1, 2, 3 & 4 (1883), hymn no. 39
-The Epworth Hymnal (1885), hymn no. 213
-Songs of Pilgrimage (1886 & 1888), hymn no. 1275
-Songs of the Bride (1879), hymn 58
-Poems and Hymns of Dawn (1890), hymn no. 116
-Hymns of the Millennial Dawn (1909, 1913, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1919, 1921, 1923, 1926, 1936, 1946, 1950, 1959, 1968), hymn no. 116
-Angelophone Hymns (1916), hymn no. 68
-Songs of Praise to Jehovah (1928), hymn no. 124
Following hymnbooks have "Tell me the old, old story"
-Hymns of the Morning (1873), hymn supplement no. 7
-Winnowed Hymns (1873), hymn no. 80
-Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs (1875), hymn 37
-Gospel Hymns Consolidated embracing volumes no. 1, 2, 3 & 4 (1883), hymn no. 37
-Hymns of Dawn (1946, 1950, 1959, 1968), hymn no. 360
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About "The Olrd, Old Story" (Title) or "Tell me the old, old story" (First line)
Hankey's poem "The Old, Old story" from American Tract Society, 1866, has 55 stanzas. Hymnbooks took only the 8 first stanzas
1) Hymns of the Morning (1873), hymn supplement no. 7
2) Winnowed Hymns (1873), hymn no. 80
3) Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs (1875), hymn no. 37
4) Gospel Hymns Consolidated embracing volumes no. 1, 2, 3 & 4 (1883), hymn no. 37
Minor changes at 6th stanza "Tell me THAT story always" (original says "Tell me THE story always" and at 8th stanza "IS DAWNING ON my soul," (original says "SHALL DAWN UPON my soul,")
5) Hymns of Dawn (1946, 1950, 1959, 1968), hymn no. 360
Only one Minor change at 8th stanza "IS DAWNING ON my soul," (original says "SHALL DAWN UPON my soul,")
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