The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come!

I don’t know about you, but Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays. I think I like it because it is uniquely an American holiday. Many of you remember all the wonderful Thanksgiving traditions growing up as a child in school and at home. Cutting papier mâché turkeys out of construction paper, using your hand to trace a turkey, gathering with family, cooking a turkey and all the fixings, going outside to play football with the cousins, or staying inside to prepare for the big meal. These are all warm memories that are nice to recall and, hopefully, still shared with friends and family.

Thanksgiving is also special because it has its origin in who thanks was given to. People can try to rewrite history all they want, but I believe and want to believe that history is true. Those who settled our country were thankful to their Creator God for providing for them through exceptionally difficult times.

When I hear the song “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come,” I picture Pilgrims gathering for worship and thanking God for their bountiful harvest, which they knew could sustain them. We have it way too easy today. We have little want and don’t know what it would have been like in the early years of our country’s founding. That, however, doesn’t mean we can’t be thankful for what we have and for the blessings from above.  This is what Thanksgiving is all about.

This popular harvest festival hymn was even written by a minister named Henry Alford and was published in 1844. Alford was actually born in London and came from a line of Anglican priests. He was inspired with the words from two of Christ’s parables: Matthew 13:24-30 (the wheat and the tares) and Mark 4:26-29 (the story of the seed springing up without the sower knowing of it.)

As with much of our music in America (see “America”, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”) it came from Europe — in this case England. It has become one of the top three Thanksgiving songs associated with our holiday. It is probably the first one that comes to your mind.

There are many things to be thankful for. In my world of music, I have been blessed with a lovely and talented wife who plays piano. We have been blessed with three talented children who still love to create good quality music as young adults. I have been blessed to have had good music teachers who inspired me and made me love music. In high school, I had Jay Hall as a band director and Larry Schaufelberger as my choir director. In college, I was fortunate to have had Mark S. Kelly as director of bands at Bowling Green State University. I think much of my musical sense is from the inspiration he created in me.

I mention this because he is on my mind today as I write this column. Mr. Kelly, or “Chief”, as we admirably called him, just passed away yesterday (Tuesday). Chief lived a long and effectual life. He touched so many lives in the world of music especially and will be sorely missed.

Of course, some of you know one of his daughters, Karen Kelly, who taught many years as assistant director of bands at Van Wert High School. I doubt I would be writing this column today if it were not for Mr. Kelly. I am feeling very thankful today for having him in my life and making me into the musician I have become.

So, come, ye thankful people, come and raise your song of harvest home. We enter a wonderful season of Christmas shows and concerts at the Niswonger PAC. I look so forward to seeing you at one or more of our five events this Christmas season. May you all have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving. May you be surrounded with love and family, lots of bountiful food, and may God bless you as we enter the season of His son’s birthday celebration!

FINÉ.

POSTED: 11/24/17 at 12:06 am. FILED UNDER: News