We started this little competition on Ash Thursday with 32 saints. After today's vote, the field will have been whittled down to 16 remaining saintly souls. But in order to get there we must first make it through the Battle of the Bands as Fanny Crosby faces G.F. Handel. Who will retain the last seat in the Saintly Sixteen before the music stops? Well, that, as always, is up to you.
Yesterday, in the tightest race of Lent Madness 2017, Sarah the Matriarch barely laughed away a valiant challenge from Elizabeth Ann Seton 51% to 49%. See, what have we been saying all along? Your vote counts!
Fanny Crosby
Fanny Crosby wrote more than eight thousand sacred texts in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Referred to as the Queen of Gospel Song Writers, she is arguably the most prolific author of American hymns and gospel songs.
Born in 1820 in Brewster, New York, Fanny caught a cold as an infant and developed inflammation in her eyes, which resulted in full-scale blindness. She would later remark, “It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow, I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.” Around her fifteenth birthday, Crosby enrolled at the New York Institution for the Blind, and she began to write hymns and gospel songs.
Crosby attended multiple churches, including an Episcopal church, but she is most closely identified with the Wesleyan Holiness movement. She formally joined Cornell Memorial Methodist Episcopal in 1887. Her hymn texts became so popular that composers of that era would seek her out to find lyrics for their melodies—a reversal of the typical hymn-writing process. Her best-known text, “Blessed Assurance,” was written in this way during a visit to Phoebe Knapp’s home after Crosby heard the tune for the first time.
Crosby described her hymn-writing process by saying, “It may seem a little old-fashioned, always to begin one’s work with prayer, but I never undertake a hymn without first asking the good Lord to be my inspiration.” Crosby could often write six or seven hymns a day, rivaling the output of prolific hymn writers Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley.
While known as a hymn-writer, Crosby was committed to helping others, often donating the proceeds from her writing to rescue missions around New York City. Known as “Aunt Fanny” by the numerous missions she contributed to around the city, she died in 1915. At her request, her tombstone reads: “Aunt Fanny: She hath done what she could; Fanny J. Crosby.”
Collect for Fanny Crosby
O God, the blessed assurance of all who trust in you: We give you thanks for your servant Fanny Crosby, and pray that we, inspired by her words and example, may rejoice to sing ever of your love, praising our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
G.F. Handel
George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel was born on February 23, 1685, in Halle, Germany. Handel showed a propensity for music at an early age. However, his father forbade him from dabbling in music, dreaming instead that his son would one day become a civil attorney. Handel did not listen. It is said that Handel (or his mother) smuggled a small clavichord into his room, and he practiced in secret.
On a visit to see his uncle (who was a valet for a duke), Handel surprised the duke with his skills on an organ. The duke persuaded Handel’s father to allow his son to continue studying music. Handel rapidly mastered the pipe organ, harpsichord, oboe, flute, and violin. That mastery led to a prolific writing life that included 42 operas, 29 oratorios, more than 100 cantatas, trios, duets, arias, chamber music, a large number of ecumenical pieces, odes and serenatas, and 16 organ concerti.
Handel initially struggled to establish himself, beginning his career as a church organist and writing pieces that are lost to the world today. Then he became a violinist, supplementing his income as a music teacher. His fame began to grow when he transitioned his main instruments to the organ and harpsichord. Following stints as a musician, he began a foray into composition. His first operatic debut, Almira, was wildly popular. Following two more operas in Hamburg, Handel became dissatisfied with the German music scene. He traveled to Italy and ultimately made his home in London.
He was commissioned to write an oratorio about the Bible, and in 1742, Handel’s Messiah debuted on the New Music Hall Stage in Dublin, Ireland. Often considered Handel’s most famous work, Messiah is frequently classified as Christmas music, out of a mistaken belief that it commemorates Christ’s birth. Messiah was in fact written as an ode to all of Christ’s life—annunciation, nativity, passion, and resurrection—proclaiming salvation for all who believe.
Handel died on April 14, 1759. At the time of his death, Handel was completely blind. His life was celebrated in a state funeral with full honors at Westminster Abbey. Handel is honored with a feast day in the Episcopal, Lutheran, and Methodist churches on July 28.
Collect for G.F. Handel
Almighty God, beautiful in majesty and majestic in holiness, you gave to your musician George Frederick Handel grace to show forth your glory in music: may we also be moved to sound out your praises as a foretaste of your eternal glory; through Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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317 comments on “Fanny Crosby vs. G.F. Handel”
I'm afraid both bios are rather lacking today. In particular, no mention that The Messiah was written as a charity work, to raise money for people in debtors' prison. It was considered 'pop' music, too modern to be performed in a church!
That is really helpful information. Fanny had the edge because of her charity towards the poor but now I feel better about voting for Handel.
Sad to learn Mother Seton lost yesterday. Growing up Southern Baptist, sang many Aunt Fanny songs which are beautiful, however, Handel's music makes my heart sing. What would we do without the majestic "Messiah." So, Handel for me today.
Handel gets my vote. But Fanny Crosby seems to have given me today's blessed earworm, all the day long!
I vote for Handel, not just because of his great work of the Messiah, but because that work was written as a charity. The money raised was used to free people from debtors prison. The music was also deemed to secular and was not performed in churches. This music was written to glorify God in practical service to the poor.
Fanny Crosby's story was so interesting to me! What a enthusiast Christian! She got my vote.
Terribly hard choice! Another match up to drive us all crazy. It's a Lenten discipline not to have nasty thoughts about the SEC who does this. Being a non-musician in a family of musicians I can be thrilled by Handel's works but I can actually hum Fanny's. Go girl.
Gotta love the lectionary this week as it challenges us to "see" anew. Referring to the man's blindness, Jesus said, "Look instead for what God can do. We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines..." [The Message translation of John 9:3-4). This seems to be what Fanny Crosby conveyed in the explanation of what her blindness meant and in how she lived her life. In my humble opinion, that is.
I too connected Fanny to this week's lectionary and so voted for her.
I'm with Handel. My beloved father sang all his life in a choral society. I am now the proud owner of his copy of the Messiah all marked up with his personal notations. As a child I remember attending rehearsals of said piece. That music still moves me today and evokes marvelous images of my favorite tenor. How could it not be Handel for me?
What a world we would have if we all did what we could. Fanny has my vote.
"Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!" vs "SDG"—Soli Deo Gloria, "To God alone the glory". Well "Hallelujah", I voted for Fanny.
Love Handel's music but had to go with "Aunt Fanny's" Blessed Assurance.
Through Messiah Handel said that he wanted not just to touch people, but to change them. He's got my vote.
My vote must go with Aunt Fanny today. I remain however a big fan of Handel and in January was touched to see the site in Dublin where his Messiah was first performed (unfortunately the original building no longer stands).
If Handel had written just the Largo from Xerxes it would have been enough to get my vote.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMlxM69ZJFA
Thanks for this. It made my morning! Dreary spring weather in my neck of the woods.
Also "Lascia ch'io piangia." Sublime operatic aria. Handel.
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-mozilla-004&hsimp=yhs-004&hspart=mozilla&p=lascia+ch%27io+pianga#id=1&vid=ebb505a7d996486799558c5cc1e70db4&action=click
(Not sure how to add a YouTube video, but here is a url, or you can just go to YouTube and put in "Lascia ch'io piangia" to see clip with audio.)
Thank you. Truly breathtakingly beautiful.
Oh man, this was a hard choice. I wish these two had been matched up much later on! I went with Handel though, because I think his music transcends the Church. It becomes an invitation for those outside the Church to take a closer look at what's inside.
Excellent observation, Story. "Messiah" alone, through performances and recordings, has brought the Gospel to untold numbers of people.
Blessed Assurance - One of the best hymns ever - Thank you Fanny!
I love the music of Handel, it is full of beauty and light, but the writer said nothing of his faith. Fanny had great faith and gave freely to the poor. If we're truly looking for saints, she gets my vote because she lived out her faith.
Unfortunately, the bio concentrated on Handel's musical accomplishments. But he was a devout Lutheran and a generous supporter of the poor. He, too, lived out his faith.
Handel was raised as a Lutheran but after following the Hanovers to England he became both a British subject and an Anglican, serving as one of the great organists at Westminster Abbey. He is also reported to have said, after finishing the Messiah, that he saw 'the heavens opened, and the great God himself."
He became an Anglican? I'm very happy to hear that!
The way I see it, we're voting for the person, not the music. Handel' music is surely a gift to the world, but Aunt Fanny gave the proceeds from her beautiful work to the poor. Fanny - no contest!
Actually, Handel was quite generous in his donations to charities. In fact, "Messiah" was first performed as a charity benefit. And many subsequent performances as well, all under the baton of Handel himself.
Harlie Youngblood: Didn't know Handel had become an Anglican. When we lived in England, I missed Bach in church. We came home...Lutheran, here...and I missed Handel! Checked my hymnals: three Fanny Crosby hymns between them (four hymnals), and one Handel, but over a dozen Wesley ones. I suspect, given when she lived, that her hymns were general American Protestant in content, so wouldn't really suit a Lutheran congregation, We sing "Blessed Assurance" and, for Lent, "Jesus, Keep me Near the Cross" There's another one in the "oldest" hymnal, published 1958. Handel got my vote.
Jan
I became an Anglican when I was 24, but I was raised Baptist and I remember that we sang "Blessed Assurance". But the other Crosby titles people have been mentioning don't ring a bell. Is it possible, in my own Baptist congregation, that "Blessed Assurance" was the only Crosby hymn we sang? Dunno!
Fanny J. Crosby hymns are in many ways a big part of the soundtrack of my childhood, as I was raised in the Baptist tradition. I am happy to see her recognized for the prodigious talent that she possessed and used for God's glory. "Aunt Fanny" gets my vote today, but that in no way diminishes the inspiration I have derived from listening to Handel's oratorios, especially The Messiah! Tough choice today, but I had to go with my roots!
Even though I'm happy to sing "Blessed Assurance" from time to time, & I respect Fanny Crosby's amazing body of work despite her blindness, the quality of music of the 2 composers persuades me that Handel's work is absolutely heavenly. I have to go w/ Handel.
In my #Resist mode, I'm choosing the woman against the man whenever that is the choice. Everyone knows about the man here. Few have heard of Aunt Fanny even though we know her hymns. A gentle, unsung hero. Go Fanny!
I've been mulling this decision all day, and this same sentiment you shared has been in the back of my mind. As a choir nerd through and through Handel is a bit of a big deal, BUT Fanny's story, all the way to her epitaph has been tugging on me. Thanks for helping me choose!
Had to go with Fanny for very parochial reasons: she was born in Brewster, NY right next to Danbury, CT.
There are hymns, and there is Handel's "Messiah". Handel for me.
I'm with those who suggested that we have a "Like" option on these comments. So many wonderful thoughts, touches of humor and faithful reflections.
I voted for Fanny. Inspiring and hopefully not forgotten.
Handel for me too. I bet I know some of Fanny Crosby's hymns, but I don't know they are by her. Loved hearning about her though.
For Fanny. Handel was the greater musician. Fanny the more saintly spirit.
Have to go with Rita and Kelley. Like Susan Maurine, my mother was a church soloist and I also can still hear her lovely mezzo-soprano voice singing "I. Know That My Redeemer Liveth."
Tough choice but went with Fanny. I agree with the sentiment that this is a terrible first round matchup. Our Blessed SEC, just as the NCAA, makes some serious seeding gaffs.
This one is a tough call! I enjoy many of Crosby's hymns that we sing today, but also my parish is currently studying Handel's Messiah and his inspirations in the music.