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Ira David Sankey (August 28, 1840 – August 13, 1908) was an American gospel singer and composer, known for his long association with
Dwight L. Moody Dwight Lyman Moody (February 5, 1837 – December 22, 1899), also known as D. L. Moody, was an American evangelist and publisher connected with Keswickianism, who founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Mas ...
in a series of religious revival campaigns in America and Britain during the closing decades of the 19th century. Sankey was a pioneer in the introduction of a musical style that influenced church services and evangelical campaigns for generations, and the hymns that he wrote or popularized continued to be sung well into the 21st century. Sankey, born in Pennsylvania, was an amateur singer and church worker when he was recruited by Moody in 1870 after the latter heard him sing at a convention. Until Moody died in 1899 the two campaigned together, Moody preaching while Sankey sang both old and new hymns, inspired by writers such as Fanny Crosby and
Philip Bliss Philip Paul Bliss (9 July 1838 – 29 December 1876) was an American composer, conductor, writer of hymns and a bass-baritone Gospel singer. He wrote many well-known hymns, including "Hold the Fort" (1870), "Almost Persuaded" (1871); "Hallelujah ...
. Sankey also became a prolific composer of hymn tunes, and a compiler and editor of popular hymn collections, in particular '' Sacred Songs and Solos'' and ''Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs''. The proceeds from these publishing ventures were used for a range of charitable purposes. After Moody's death, Sankey attempted to carry on the work alone but was defeated by ill-health and the eventual loss of his eyesight. He died in 1908. He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1980.


Life


Background and early years

Sankey was born in Edinburg, Pennsylvania, on August 28, 1840,Kurian, p. 2020 one of nine children of David Sankey and his wife Mary Leeper Sankey. The family's ancestry was English on the father's side and a mix of Scottish and Irish on the mother's. David Sankey was a banker, a former state senator and a
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
lay preacher. As a young boy Ira displayed a love of music that was encouraged by his parents, who typically spent evenings with him at home, singing hymns. At the age of eight, he began attending Sunday school.McNeill, pp. 329–330 When he was 19, Ira underwent an experience of religious conversion at a revivalist meeting held at a nearby church, King's Chapel. A year later the family moved to New Castle, where the young Sankey joined the local
Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself nationally. In 1939, th ...
. His enthusiasm and talents were quickly recognized and led to his appointment as Sunday school superintendent and choirmaster. In 1861, at the start of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, Sankey answered President Lincoln's call for volunteers and joined the Twelfth Pennsylvania Regiment. He served between 1861 and 1863.Hall 2003, pp. 317–318 In the army he continued his religious and singing activities, forming a choir and assisting the chaplain. When his period of enlistment was over he returned to New Castle, where Lincoln had appointed his father as a Collector of Internal Revenue. In 1863 Sankey joined his father in government service and, that same year, married Fanny Edwards, a member of his choir.


With Dwight L. Moody


Early campaigns

Back in New Castle, Sankey developed a local reputation as a singer, much in demand in churches and revival meetings. In 1867, when a local branch of the
YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...
was formed, Sankey became its secretary and later its president. As president, in 1870 he was a delegate at a national conference held in
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
, where he encountered the noted preacher
Dwight L. Moody Dwight Lyman Moody (February 5, 1837 – December 22, 1899), also known as D. L. Moody, was an American evangelist and publisher connected with Keswickianism, who founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Mas ...
for the first time. Moody was instantly impressed as Sankey demonstrated his ability to enliven an audience rendered soporific by inactivity and overlong prayers by giving an impromptu rendering of the hymn " There is a fountain filled with blood". Meeting Sankey at the end of the session, Moody demanded that the young man join him in his mission work: "I have been looking for you for the last eight years". Unable to decide on the spur of the moment, Sankey returned to New Castle and pondered Moody's challenge for six months before deciding to return to Chicago for a week's trial with Moody. Before the week was up he resigned his government post and threw in his lot with Moody's mission, thus beginning their lifelong partnership. Within the Moody–Sankey mission, Moody preached and Sankey sang. Late in 1871, mission work was interrupted by the
Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...
, which destroyed 18,000 buildings, killed around 300 people, and left a third of the city's population homeless. Sankey watched the conflagration from a small boat in which he rowed out into
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
. The fire destroyed Moody's church, and Sankey returned temporarily to New Castle. However, he soon received a message from Moody asking him to come back to Chicago and resume the partnership. He did so and worked with Moody in the revival of churches in Chicago, Springfield and elsewhere. In October 1872 Sankey moved his family permanently to Chicago.


British campaign 1873–1875 and aftermath

Moody made plans to visit the British Isles in 1873 for a series of missions. He did not initially intend to take Sankey as his musical associate, preferring the services of the more experienced gospel singers Philip Phillips or
Philip Bliss Philip Paul Bliss (9 July 1838 – 29 December 1876) was an American composer, conductor, writer of hymns and a bass-baritone Gospel singer. He wrote many well-known hymns, including "Hold the Fort" (1870), "Almost Persuaded" (1871); "Hallelujah ...
. Neither was available, so Sankey was taken. The tour got off to a slow start; barely 50 people attended the first rally, held in York, and this congregation was unused to the kind of gospel songs – "human hymns" – that Sankey introduced. (This feature, by Mel R. Wilhoit, first appeared in Rejoice magazine, published by the University of Mississippi, USA) Gradually, however, the British public was won over, halls were filled, and Sankey's "singing the gospel" became a popular feature of the services. To familiarise the congregations with the words of new hymns by Bliss, Fanny Crosby and others, Sankey published a short collection of the favorite numbers, under the title '' Sacred Songs and Solos''. The collection was much expanded in later editions, eventually comprising 1,200 pieces. While in
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, Sankey composed his first gospel song, a setting of Horatius Bonar's hymn "Yet There is Room".Sankey 1906, p. 24 The tour extended over two years, with meetings in most of the main British cities. When it reached London, congregations included many of the most prominent in the land, including
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
, the
Princess of Wales Princess of Wales (; ) is a title used since the 14th century by the wife of the Prince of Wales. The Princess is the apparent future queen consort, as "Prince of Wales" is a title reserved by custom for the heir apparent to the Monarchy of the ...
, and the statesman
William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...
. Moody and Sankey returned home in the summer of 1875, to considerable acclaim after their successful British tour, and quickly established themselves as the leading revivalists of their times. Beginning with a rally in Moody's hometown of
Northfield, Massachusetts Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Northfield was first settled in 1673. The population was 2,866 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Connectic ...
, revival meetings were held during the following years in towns and cities the length and breadth of the United States, with excursions over the borders into Canada and Mexico. Meetings in the southern states were subject to racial segregation. Concerning a meeting in
Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, eighth most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 35,052 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi, ...
, Sankey noted: "we have one side of the abernaclefor blacks. D.L. has them sing alone, sometimes just to show the white people how to sing".


Later campaigns

The campaign made a second visit to Britain in 1881. The schedule was similar to that which had been followed on the first British tour, involving mass rallies in a large number of cities. This time, the pair's popularity and renown assured them of full houses wherever they went. One innovation was the construction of a portable tabernacle, capable of seating up to 5,000 people, which was transported from city to city. Towards the end of the tour Sankey's voice broke down and he was forced to return to the United States, where he and his family bought a house in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, New York. For the next few years, he spent his winters there and the summers with Moody, either in Northfield or on campaigns. A third British tour took place in 1891, involving meetings in 99 towns. Again, Sankey overstrained himself and had to return home early. In 1893 Moody and Sankey conducted a major campaign in Chicago, as part of the
World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The ...
. Once more, the strain on Sankey's voice was too great, causing his temporary withdrawal. But despite ill health he continued to work with Moody, at a lower degree of intensity, until the time of the latter's death in December 1899.Hall 2003, pp. 317-318 Their final campaign together was in
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...
, a month before Moody's death. As a tribute to his long-time partner, Sankey wrote and composed the hymn "Out of the Shadowlands" for Moody's funeral.


Final years and death

In 1898, accompanied by family and friends, Sankey traveled to Egypt and
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
on an extended trip which, on the return journey, included visits to
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
,
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
and
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. In
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
, Sankey ascended the
Tower of David The Tower of David (), also known as the Citadel (), is an ancient citadel and contemporary museum, located near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem. The citadel that stands today dates to the Mamluk Sult ...
, where he sang Psalm 121 to a bemused Ottoman guard. The following year, after Moody's death, he embarked on his final visit to Britain and addressed a meeting of 20,000 in London, but as the tour progressed his health failed him and he returned to his home in Brooklyn. He continued to do editorial work, but by 1903 he had lost his eyesight to
glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can lead to damage of the optic nerve. The optic nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma may cause vision loss if left untreated. It has been called the "silent thief of ...
. Despite this, he managed to complete a book of memoirs, ''My Life and Sacred Songs'', which was published in 1906. Sankey died at Brooklyn on August 13, 1908, just short of his 68th birthday. His funeral took place at the LaFayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, which he had joined in his final years, and he was buried in Brooklyn's Greenwood Cemetery. At Fanny Sankey's request a memorial window, depicting "The Ninety and Nine", was placed in New Castle's First Methodist Church; the window was retained when the church was rebuilt in the 1990s.


Appraisal


Musical ministry


Singing

In Sankey's view, he and Moody were both preachers; the only difference, he said, was that " oodyreaches men's hearts with words that are spoken, while I reach them with words that are sung." Sankey lacked formal voice training; the only tuition that he received was likely during his attendance at a 12-week session run by George Frederick Root, Lowell Mason, and William Bradbury, which prepared potential music teachers and choirmasters for their work. Nevertheless, he possessed a sound vocal technique; a contemporary description refers to "an exceptionally strong baritone",Osbeck 1985, pp. 18–19 while a newspaper review of the times wrote that "he expresses the gospel message with exquisite skill and pathos ... but the secret of Mr. Sankey's power lies not in his gift of the song but in the spirit of which the song is only the expression". According to Sankey: "Before I sing, I must feel, and the hymn must be of such kind as I know I can send home what I feel into the hearts of those who listen". His technique for communicating this feeling involved the clearest possible enunciation, with careful use of pauses for dramatic effect: "You've got to make them hear every word and see every picture ... Then you'll get that silence of death, that quiet before God". For his solos, Sankey would accompany himself on a small portable
reed organ The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a va ...
. An important part of the song ministry was the congregational singing, always a significant feature of campaign meetings. Sankey chose hymns with accessible tunes that were easy to learn and insisted that the accompanying music be played softly, to emphasize the message of the words. Sankey's methods had a marked effect on church music and were widely adopted by later generations of revivalist singers. In the secular world, not every listener was captivated by Sankey's singing style. A.N. Wilson, in his social history of the Victorian era, quotes a contemporary pamphlet from an anonymous "London Physician" which is dismissive of both Moody and Sankey. Having characterized Moody as a ranter and "a third-rate star", the writer goes on: "As for Mr. Sankey ... his voice is decidedly bad, and, like all worn-out singers he endeavors to conceal this by startling alternations of high and low notes". Against this judgment is that of a newspaper published towards the end of the first British tour: "Music in his hands is ... the handmaid of the gospel and the voice of the heart."


Composing

Sankey began to compose hymn tunes during the first Moody-Sankey tour of Britain in 1873–1875. On a few occasions he wrote his own words, but more commonly he used verses provided by well-known hymn writers. The "1200" version of ''Sacred Songs and Solos'' includes nearly 200 of Sankey's settings of hymns by writers such as Horatius Bonar, Fanny Crosby, Elizabeth C. Clephane, Robert Lowry,
John Greenleaf Whittier John Greenleaf Whittier (December 17, 1807 – September 7, 1892) was an American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Frequently listed as one of the fireside poets, he was influenced by the Scottish poet ...
,
Frances Ridley Havergal Frances Ridley Havergal (14 December 1836 – 3 June 1879) was an English religious poet and hymnwriter. ''Take My Life and Let it Be'' and ''Thy Life for Me'' (also known as ''I Gave My Life for Thee'') are two of her best known hymns. She also ...
and many others. These hymns include "The Ninety and Nine", "Beneath the Cross of Jesus", "Hiding in Thee", "A Shelter in the Time of Storm" and "While the days are going by". Sankey's settings are eminently recognizable, characteristic features being simple melodies combined with strong and vigorous rhythms that reflected the popular music of the time, and which according to the British poet
John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman, (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architect ...
, invoked "that well-known principle of denying the devil all the best tunes". His compositional method was heavily dependent upon what he termed "inspiration"; he carried a notebook in which he would jot down snatches of melody that came to him during the day's activities, and would develop them later when time allowed. Sometimes he would improvise a melody; one of his best-known hymns, "The Ninety and Nine", was composed in this way. He found Elizabeth Clephane's poem in a newspaper while traveling on a train in Scotland during the first British tour. At the meeting that evening, when Moody requested that he sing, "I had nothing suitable in mind ... At this moment I seemed to hear a voice saying "Sing the hymn you found on the train":


Publishing

The publishing successes in Britain with ''Sacred Songs and Solos'' prompted Sankey to make a similar venture in the United States. In 1876, in collaboration with Bliss, he published a gospel song collection ''Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs'', consisting of 131 numbers. Over the next 15 years, working with various associates, he produced five supplements to this work, and a complete edition of all six parts in 1894, this last containing 794 numbers. These collections, which included the hymns of Bliss, Crosby and many other writers, were very successful commercially. In 1895 Sankey assumed the presidency of Biglow & Main, America's leading publisher of Sunday school music.


Legacy

Sankey's career as a gospel singer contradicts the commonly held assumption that gospel music originated within the black communities in the southern states. Rather, as Mel R. Wilhoit points out, its source is found "in the context of Northern, urban, white revivalism of the nineteenth century" in which Sankey was a principal figure. Although new musical idioms developed in the later 20th century and subsequently, Sankey's influence persists, particularly in southern evangelical churches, well into the 21st century. The revivalist model that Moody and Sankey introduced established a paradigm for the conduct of rallies and services in evangelical churches for generations. From the sales of his various hymn collections, which totaled over 50 million copies, Sankey acquired a considerable fortune, much of which he used for benefactions. These included a new YMCA building in New Castle, a building plot for the erection of a new Methodist Episcopal Church there, and large donations to the Moody schools in Northfields. The centenary of Sankey's birth was celebrated in New Castle in 1940. Choirs from over 30 churches participated, and Sankey's portable organ was used as accompaniment.Everett, p. 101 The 150th anniversary of his birth in 1990 was also marked in New Castle, where massed choirs performed a retrospective of Sankey's songs. In 1980 Sankey was honored by induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.


Notes and references


Notes


Citations


Sources

* * * * * * * * * (year of publication approximate) unpaginated *


External links


Sankey recording, c. 1898
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sankey, Ira D. 1840 births 1908 deaths 19th-century American male singers 19th-century Methodists 20th-century Methodists American blind people American evangelicals American gospel singers American Methodist hymnwriters American musicians with disabilities Blind musicians Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery Christian revivalists Converts to Methodism Methodists from Pennsylvania People from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Singers from Pennsylvania Union army soldiers