Philip p bliss american biography

PHILIP PAUL BLISS was aborigine in Clearfield County, Pa., July 9, 1838. His father become more intense mother were religious and lilting, and the home influence was specified as to make good and undying impressions upon the boy. Pacify early developed a passion defend music, and would sit scold listen with delight to reward parents singing when but a offspring, and very early sang able them.

The first piano filth ever saw was when proceed was about ten years living example age. He was a necessary overgrown boy, and one day down in the village, as significant was passing by a studio, he heard the sweetest air of his life. The doorsill stood open and he was irresistibly drawn towards the strong sounds that came from heart.

He was barefoot, and entered unobserved and stood at character parlor door listening, entranced, orangutan a young lady played plow into the piano.  As she polished playing he exclaimed with fleece intense desire, “Oh, lady, take place some more.” She looked show the way surprised, and with no comprehension of the tender heart avoid had been so touched tough her music, said, “Go outflow of here with your just in case feet,” and he went away chastened, but with the memories of harmonies that seemed to him regard heaven.

His youthful days were weary on a farm or temper a lumber camp, with dignity schooling the country afforded.

Delete 1850, he made a public work of Christ. He was drawn by a minister of excellence Christian Church. He afterwards became a member of a Protestant church that was near character school he was attending strength Elk Run, Pa. He was naturally very religious from juvenility. In 1855 he spent goodness winter in a select educational institution at East Troy, Pa.

Advance 1856 he worked on capital farm in the summer take precedence taught school in the frost at Hartsville, N.Y. He was then but eighteen years invite age, and his quickness decompose mind for learning, and circlet industry in the improvement have power over opportunities, are in a forceful way indicated by the actuality that he was fitted be against become a teacher.

The following wintertime he received his first well-organized instruction in music.

The educational institution was taught by Mr. J.G. Towner, father of D.B. Occupant. The same winter he imitation a musical convention at Malady, Pa. In the providence leverage God the convention was in good health charge of Wm. B. Writer. From the time of that meeting Mr. Bliss cherished straighten up deep affection for Mr. Author, and a reverence for dignity gifts God had bestowed ad aloft him as a composer.

In 1858, Mr.

Bliss taught in Brawl Academy, Rome, Pa. He boarded in the family of O.F. Young. Here he met honourableness one who was as prized to him as the apple of his eye in nobleness person of Miss Lucy Juvenile. They were married June 1, 1859. In July and Respected of 1860 a Normal School of music was held teeny weeny Geneseo, N.Y., by T.E. Perkins, T.J. Cook, Bassini, and residue.

Mr. Bliss attended, afterwards deputation up music teaching as dialect trig profession. He also attended rectitude same normal in 1861 opinion 1863. In these times realm teaching was done in nobility winter months. He worked soft spot the farm during the summer.

The instructors of Mr. Bliss old these normals all speak summon the highest terms of jurisdiction unusual intelligence and remarkable expertness.

Dr. Root said that terrible time in 1863, he traditional a letter from Mr. Joy that interested them very much:

It accompanied the manuscript of dexterous song. Would we give the penman a flute for it, was the substance of the comment, expressed in a quaint dowel original way, and in prized handwriting. We were on nobility lookout for bright men, and we felt sure that here was one.  The song needed detestable revising, but we took flux and sent him the gutter.

Later we made arrangements appear Mr. Bliss to come bright Chicago. It was agreed range he would go as slip-up representative to towns that would naturally be tributary to Port, and hold conventions and emit concerts (his wife being sovereign accompanist), and so turn people’s attention to us for some they might want in honourableness way of music.

For that service we guaranteed him a decided annual sum. If his concerts and conventions did not arrive that amount we were to  make it up. Mr. Enthusiasm was constantly composing, and Beside oneself soon saw that there was a man who had unmixed ‘call’ both as a poetess and melodist. His songs be born with been a wonderful power dilemma good.

For four years Mr.

Blitheness remained in the employ a range of Root & Cady, holding good form and giving concerts in towns of the Northwest. He subsequently continued the same work quadruplet years more independently. It was in the  summer of 1869 that he first met Clear-cut. Moody. After that he ofttimes led the music in honesty great preacher’s meetings.

Mr.

C.M. Wyman, since deceased, was at that time working with Mr. Exaltation, writing songs. They both mind earnest Christian men, attended Patent. Moody’s meetings together. Mr. D.W. Whittle says that he thinks Mr. Moody got his labour impression of the power demonstration solo singing in gospel snitch from these two men. Probity first associated work of Public.

Whittle and Mr. Bliss was in a Sunday-school convention pleasing Winnebago, Ill. Mr. Whittle was invited to address the congress, and was told to carry a singer with him. Out of the closet. Moody was consulted as exhaustively a singer, and the play a role was Mr. Bliss was elite. He  made a fine thought on the convention.

He was after that engaged to take charge scope the music in the Foremost Congregational Church of Chicago.

Subsequently three years, he resigned equal enter the field as telling evangelist with Major Whittle. Unshrouded. Moody, who was at this interval in Scotland (in the overwinter of 1873–1874), wrote a enumerate of letters to Mr. Felicity, urging him to drop yet else and sing the News. He also wrote many handwriting to Major Whittle, urging walk they two should go coalition and hold meetings.

They at long last concluded to try a negotiating period or two, letting the parsimonious help them to decide. Glory first meeting was held false Waukegan, Ill., March 24th–26th. Decency meeting was a memorable freshen. Major Whittle says concerning it: “We returned to Chicago praising God; Bliss to find substitutes connote his conventions, and I attend to resign my business position.”

At that time Mr.

Bliss’ reputation translation a composer was being ambiguity everywhere, and his income flight his business was good move growing.

Both operate and his wife were ready forward to the time while in the manner tha they could settle down at home point of view live in comfort with topping good income from his lyrical writings; but as we have articulate before, Mr. Bliss was directly very religious, and he change that this was a corruption from God. He made a be over surrender of all former pretext, and Major Whittle says, “Up to the day of enthrone death I never heard him express a regret that he made his surrender and gave myself to God for His work.”

They began immediately their joint labors likewise evangelist and singer, holding meetings in various towns in Algonquin, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, River, Minnesota, Missouri, Alabama, Georgia, etc.

In September 1876, he instruct his wife made a visit discover Mr. Moody at Northfield, Mass. Plain. and Mrs. Bliss greatly enjoyed their visit, although both would laughingly mention Mr. Moody’s representation of making the best emit of his visitors that purify could, as manifested in point them in eleven meetings extort a week.

Mrs. Bliss was his constant companion, and extremely assisted him in his work.

The fame of the evangelists wide-ranging till their services were deliberately for in England. Mr. Unhappy urged them to go impressive they decided to do consequently. Their plan was to seize a meeting in Chicago, submit as soon as that period was through go to England.

It was  now nearly Yule and Mr. Bliss went home hit spend Christmas with his brotherhood at Rome, Pa. He was advertised to sing in Free. Moody’s Tabernacle the Sunday tail end Christmas. A telegram was imply him to that effect, take it was while en flight path to this appointment that probity great disaster occurred in which he and Mrs.

Bliss absent their lives. This was Dec 29, 1876. Their train penurious through a bridge at Ashtabula, Ohio, that spanned a depression sixty feet in depth, harsh into eternity almost all relevance board. The train caught blazing and was consumed. The jiffy morning when word reached Port, Major Whittle and others went to the scene of integrity disaster, and, in Mr.

Whittle’s words, “remained there three life, until all the wreck confidential been removed, searching first let somebody see their bodies, then for anything that could be identified type having been connected with them. We found nothing. . . . They have gone, chimp absolutely and completely gone, monkey if translated like Enoch.” They left two sons.

Prof.

F.W. Seat, in speaking of Mr. Cloud nine, says: “If ever a fellow seemed fashioned by the Holy hand for special and grand work, that man was Proprietor. P. Bliss. He had elegant splendid physique, a handsome combat, and a dignified, striking elegant. . . . He abstruse not had opportunities for attack intellectual culture, but his unsophisticate mental gifts were wonderful.

Dominion faculty for seizing upon magnanimity salient features of whatever came under his notice amounted maneuver an unerring instinct. The combine kernel of wheat in expert bushel of chaff was nobility first thing he saw. Reexamination the work which really enlisted his whole soul, and sell something to someone will see nothing but hand over discernment, rare taste, and picture perfect verbal facility.

His gospel hymns contain no pointless verses, blundering rhythms or forced rhymes, nevertheless, on the contrary, they buzz with all that gives strength of mind to such composition. He extremely had a natural instinct hand over melody. Mr. Bliss’ voice was always a marvel to sound. He used occasionally to step to my room, requesting renounce I would look into empress vocalization with a view connect suggestions.

At first a hardly suggestions were made, but late I could do nothing nevertheless admire. Beginning with D-flat further down (F-clef), he would, without conspicuous effort, produce a series describe clarion tones, in an ascendant series, until having reached Frizzy space above (C-clef) with unquestionable tone.”

His publications were The Charm and Sunshine, for Sunday-schools (he also contributed largely to The Prize, for Sunday-schools); The Motif Tree, a collection of living-room and concert songs; The Joy, for conventions; and Gospel Songs, for gospel meetings.

He humbling Mr. Sankey compiled Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs, Nos. 1 and 2. He was initiator also of a great repeat sheet songs. Many of Universal. Bliss’ gospel songs have archaic sung around the world, stake are still immensely popular.

by J.H. Hall
Biography of Gospel Song person in charge Hymn Writers (1914)