When he was 50, Thomas W. Wilson had an adulterous affair. Something changed in his psyche, and from that point on he was incapable of sin. Everything he did was righteous. He was so righteous, that he even expected to outperform Jesus. The Galilean, you recall, could only preach the value of “peace on earth.” However, he, Mr. Wilson, had a “scheme” to make that pious aspiration actually happen.
After leading us to meddle ina European quarrel, Mr. Wilson sacrificed thousands of American lives to delay European peace, and to set the state for WW II.
Thanks for sharing this tune.
Charles H. Gabriel, an Iowa farm boy and self-taught organist who went on to become a great Methodist music director, composer, and lyricist, wrote or co-wrote some of my favorite hymns, including “He Is So Precious To Me” (1902), “Lord, Like the Publican I Stand” (1914), and “Jesus, Rose of Sharon” (1922).
One of the most beautiful performances of a sacred tune that I have ever heard is the Old Fashioned Revival Hour Chorus Choir's rendition of Gabriel's "He Is So Precious To Me" on the program's broadcast of September 7, 1947. A recording of this is available here, if you click on CD005, which is erroneously dated 9/7/1949.