Thomas Hastings

(1774 - 1872)

Son of a doctor, Hastings grew up as a farm boy, walking six miles to school in the winter. He began his career as a music teacher. In 1823, he became editor of the Recorder in Utica, New York. From 1832 until his death, Hastings trained choirs and developed religious music. He penned almost 1,000 hymn tunes and 600 hymn texts. His son, who became president of Union Theological Seminary, said of him:

Together with Lowell Mason, Thomas Hastings started a successful music publishing business in 1845 and published many successful collections of hymns including Spiritual Songs for Social Worship (1831).

No doubt, Thomas Hastings most famous and beloved tune is:

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Both Lowell Mason and Thomas were associated with various REVIVALIST PREACHERS during the mid 19th century. Specifically Mason was associated with Congregationalist Pastor Lyman Beecher and Hastings was associated with evangelist preacher Charles Finney.

Finny took a conservative view of music, observing that "a singing revival could never amount to much, because singing dissipated a deep feeling that was necessary for conversion." Rejoicing in song with young converts," he remarked, "often consumed too much time in prayer meetings."

Both Mason and Hastings viewed the music of rural revival as distinctly inferior, insisting on original and scientifically accurate music with no unholy associations. They condemned the use in revival of the "refuse of secular music which even the devil had abandoned," characterizing it as "being whistled by every chimney sweep and roared by every drunken sailor as he reeled home from the circus or brothel."

Despite such prejudices, Mason and Hastings made immeasurable contributions to American revival hymnody. Their association with the evangelistic leaders of their time helped to spread those contributions.

[From New Song in American Revivals.]

See Lowell Mason.

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