Wednesday gravestoneblogging
I'm running way behind on posts. I'll explain more later. And now, a gravestone ...
Meet Isaac Watts, the father of English hymnody. What, you may ask, did Isaac Watts do for me? Why, only the best Christmas song ever!
The first time I remember hearing Isaac Watts' name, it was from an account of a skirmish during the Battle of Germantown during the Revolutionary War. During the battle, a unit of continental soldiers was fighting from inside of a church, whose pastor happened to be pro-Revolution. The soliders found that they had no paper wadding with which to pack their musket barrels. Hearing this, the pastor gave the soldiers some Watts hymnals to tear up for wadding, crying, "Give 'em some Watts, boys!"
Meet Isaac Watts, the father of English hymnody. What, you may ask, did Isaac Watts do for me? Why, only the best Christmas song ever!
The first time I remember hearing Isaac Watts' name, it was from an account of a skirmish during the Battle of Germantown during the Revolutionary War. During the battle, a unit of continental soldiers was fighting from inside of a church, whose pastor happened to be pro-Revolution. The soliders found that they had no paper wadding with which to pack their musket barrels. Hearing this, the pastor gave the soldiers some Watts hymnals to tear up for wadding, crying, "Give 'em some Watts, boys!"
posted by Smitty Werbenmanjensen at 12:30 PM
7 Comments:
Smitty
Just thought I'd share a connection with you.
Back in the dawn of time I spent several months in London as a student. I lived at the foot of Highgate Cemetery in Holly Village (http://www.findaproperty.com/agent.aspx?agentid=5356&opt=prop&pid=554814).
Not by design, just a bit of luck. At that time, it was fashionable to finish dinner and head to the local pub(s) to socialize, play darts, watch TV, etc.
My room in Holly Village looked out on the road that went up the hill between the old and new sections of the cemetery. Although there were a couple of pubs in the neighborhood we favored the one at the top of the hill through the cemetery.
Back then refrigerators were small, milk was delivered to the door, and shopping for food was an almost daily event. Culturally, things which should have been refrigerated were left on the counter longer than I was used to.
You're in a good location. Enjoy London.
What a JOY! Thank you, Isaac!
Hey, Gimlet, I've often wondered about that little village as I run or walk past it on the way to Hampstead Heath. Have you ever walked to the top of that road (Swains Lane)? It's very steep before you get to Highgate Village.
Your link had only the tune, not the words. Isaac Watts wrote, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come." George Frideric Handel wrote, "Dum da da dum, da dum dum dum."
Well today in church we sang "Jesus Shall Reign," the words of which were written by, Isaac Watts! I would never have noticed, if not for this blog.
Ok, now I think I'm being haunted by Isaac Watts! He is quoted in a book I'm reading. "Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away; they fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the opening day."
Gimlet..........
I grew up in 12 Holly Village.....tell me more
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