Writing for God through music.....

Philip .P. Bliss  Famous American hymn writer!

                                                                        1838-1876

                                                                              photo credit

Philip's Life:

Born in Clearfield,Pennsylvania July,9th 1838 to a Methodist family. His father had a passion for singing.

When Philip was 6 his family moved to Trumbull city,Ohio. (something I didn't know.)

When he was 10 he heard the pinao for the first time and deepened his longing to become a musician.

 "One Saturday, with his basket of vegetables, the barefooted, gawky, ten-year old boy was to hear the sweetest music that he had ever listened to. The only things that he could play melodies on were reeds plucked from the marshes. Almost unconscious of what he was doing, he climbed the garden fence of a country estate and entered [the] home unobserved. Standing in the door of the parlor, he listened to a young lady playing the piano, the first he had ever seen. When she stopped, impulsively, he exclaimed, "O lady, please play some more!" Somewhat startled, the woman wheeled and saw the awkward, barefooted boy standing before her and immediately exclaimed, "Get out of here with your big, bare feet!" The boy was unaware that he had trespassed, and he went back to the streets crestfallen." (Taken from HERE)

When he was 11 he left home to make a living for himself  ( Yikes,and parents get all sad when were all grown up and go to college at age 18..)

When he was 12 he joined Baptist Church of Cherry Flats. And made the first confession that he was a christian.  (....Methodist to Baptist...)

In 1851 he became a cook asstiant at a lumber camp.

At age 17 in 1855 he finished up school and got his teaching credentials and became a school master at Hartsville, NY.

  He moved to Rome,PA and became a schoolmaster there.

 In 1858 while Philip was living at working in Rome,PA, he meet and felling love with Lucy Young the daughter of the family house that he was boarding at!

He married Lucy Young (who was a good friend of Philips sister.) June 1st,1859 at age 21.

LUCY YOUNG BLISS

Photo credit

(Lucy Young was born in 1841 she died the same day Philip himself did.)

He worked at Lucy's fathers farm while he continued to study music.

He taught music in the evening and at age 22 he had enough knowledge to  become a  itinerant music teacher.

"His wife's grandmother provided that opportunity in the summer of 1860, by giving him $30 so that he could attend the Normal Academy of Music of New York. This meant six weeks of hard study and inspiration. Upon completion, he took the occupation of professional music teacher in earnest. Within three years, having attended each summer session and studying the rest of the year at home, Mr. Bliss was now recognized as a music authority in his home area, while continuing to travel his circuit. His talent was turning to composition, and his first published number ... Loral Vale ... though not a sacred number, caused him to believe that he could write songs. This number was published in 1865, one year after it was written.The Blisses moved to Chicago in 1864 when Philip was 26. It was here he began to conduct musical institutes and became widely known as a teacher and a singer. His poems and compositions flowed out with regularity"

One summer night in 1869, while passing a revival meeting in a church where D. L. Moody was preaching, Mr. Bliss went inside to listen. That night Mr. Moody was without musical help for the singing and Mr. Bliss was aware of it. The singing was rather weak. From the audience, Philip attracted Mr. Moody's attention. At the door, Mr. Moody got the particulars about Mr. Bliss quite quickly and asked him to come to his Sunday evening meetings to help in the singing any time he could. He further urged him to give up his business and become a singing evangelist.

He published his first musical work in 1871, "The Charm."
Followed by "Song Tree." 1872 and 2 more in the next year!

Philip Bilss worte many songs and is right along side the other famous song writers:
Fanny Crosby,Charles Wesley, Ira Shankey!!

He could of became more famous than all of those famous hymn writers,but a tragic train accident that happened when he was only 38 claimed his life along with his wife Lucy!

For 12 years he wrote hundreds of words and music:
Almost Persuaded, Dare to Be a Daniel, Hallelujah 'Tis Done!, Hallelujah, What a Saviour!, Hold the Fort, Jesus Loves Even Me, Let the Lower Lights Be Burning, Once for All, The Light of the World Is Jesus, Whosoever Will, and Wonderful Words of Life. He wrote only the words for My Redeemer and wrote only the music for I Gave My Life for Thee, It Is Well with My Soul, and Precious Promise. How is that for a starter! There were and are hundreds more. Some of his songs widely used back when he wrote them, are not so well known today. They are: Are Your Windows Open Toward Jerusalem, Only an Armour-Bearer, More Holiness Give Me, Pull for the Shore, and Will You Meet Me at the Fountain?.


Philip Bliss died in Ashtubula,Ohio in 1876...



Here is one of my favorite hymns by him:

                               "I will sing of my Redeemer."
    

                            1. I will sing of my Redeemer

                          And His wondrous love to me;

                         On the cruel cross He suffered,

                         From the curse to set me free.



                          2. I will tell the wondrous story,

                         How my lost estate to save,

                         In His boundless love and mercy,

                            He the ransom freely gave.



                    3. I will praise my dear Redeemer,

                       His triumphant power I'll tell,

                       How the victory He giveth

                      Over sin and death and hell.



                      4. I will sing of my Redeemer

                       And His heav'nly love to me;

                   He from death to life hath brought me,

                          Son of God with Him to be.



                               Chorus:

                          Sing, O sing of my Redeemer,

                          With His blood He purchased me;

                         On the cross He sealed my pardon,

                          Paid the debt and made me free.







Thanks to


http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biobliss.html  where I got and copied a lot of info!

There is alot of info at this site if you wish for more information on Philip.P.Bliss!
and http://www.scriptureandmusic.com/Music/Text_Files/My_Redeemer.html  where I copied the lyrics above.