Fiftieth Anniversary of “How Great Thou Art” in the United States

It was on June 16, 1957, in the evening worship service during the famous Billy Graham New York Crusade, that "How Great Thou Art" was introduced to Christians in the United States. Graham's music director, Cliff Barrow, introduced singer George Beverly Shea to the crowd, and Shea sang the hymn with the choir. George Beverly Shea wrote, "In the New York meetings of 1957 the choir joined me in singing it ninety-three times! It became a keynote of praise each evening" (Companion to The United Methodist Hymnal, page 410).

The rather contorted history of the hymn is older than its 1957 introduction to the United States. The history is well-documented, complete with an extended authorship and copyright battle in court, in both printed and online sources.

• 1885: Carl Boberg (1859-1940) wrote the text
• 1891: Tune's first publication; Boberg heard his text sung to an anonymous Swedish folk dance tune and published it.
• 1894: Tune published in Swedish Missionary Alliance hymnbook, much as it appears today.
• 1907: Manfred von Glehn translated Boberg's text into German.
• 1925: E. Gustav Johnson (USA) translated four of Boberg's nine stanzas into English as "O Mighty God."
• 1927: L. S. Prokhanoff translated Glehn's German translation into Russian and published it in Poland.
• Stuart K. Hine (1899-1989) heard the Russian translation being sung in the western Ukraine, and he translated it into three English stanzas, adding a fourth in 1948 in response to the plight of refugees from Nazi Germany who had fled to England and asked, "When are we going home?"
• 1949: Hine copyrighted and published the hymn with Russian and English lyrics with the Swedish tune.
• By 1950: Hine's version was translated into many languages for use in Christian mission fields around the world.
• 1954: Hymn was used in the Billy Graham Crusade in London, England.
• 1955: Hymn was used in the Billy Graham Crusade in Toronto, Canada.
• 1957: Hymn was introduced in Billy Graham's New York Crusade.
• 1958: Hine added two additional stanzas.
• Following an extended court battle, Hine's English version of 1953 was declared to be the first, final, and fixed form of the hymn and copyright was assigned to Manna Music; Hine was declared to be the source of the music.
• 1978: ASCAP names the hymn "The All-Time Outstanding Gospel Song in America."

"How Great Thou Art" has had a controversial history. It was the most requested hymn to be included in the 1966 Methodist Hymnal. The record royalty fee of $2,000 was hotly debated by the church, as were the merits and quality of the hymn. The 1989 hymnal committee's research showed this hymn to again be the most requested hymn for inclusion. However, it was also at the top of the list of hymns requested to be dropped. Nevertheless, "How Great Thou Art" is the most recorded of all hymns (1700+ recordings); and, according to many polls, the most popular hymn in England and America. Lawrence Welk named it as the most requested hymn throughout the history of his television show.

1966 and 1989 hymnal editor Carlton Young summarizes this hymn:

The appeal of this hymn to those who love it and are sustained by singing it or hearing it sung is in the tuneful retelling of the salvation story: the almighty, majestic, and transcendent God described and worshiped in stanzas 1 and 2 has given us new life through the Crucifixion and death (no mention of his powerful Resurrection) of the Son, Jesus Christ, who at the second advent will take us home to worship God eternally by singing with the heavenly choir "How great thou art." The apocalyptic hope of those who shun this hymn is to live in one of the many dwelling places in our Father's house (John 14:2a) eternally free from its hearing. (Companion to The United Methodist Hymnal, page 411.)

Sources:

• Young, Carlton, Companion to The United Methodist Hymnal.Nashville, Abingdon, 1993.
• "The Story of How Great Thou Art," Manna Music Website
• "How Great Thou Art"— The History of the Hymn