The Hymns of John Bacchus Dykes

In my research on the life and work of John Bacchus Dykes (1823-1876) I came across an interesting list of residences and household members. I suspect this had as much to do with the familial prosperity as anything else. His grandfather was the pastor at St John’s Church, Hull, England for 57 years and was a close friend of William Wilberforce. (Wilberforce was the leading force behind the abolition of slavery in England and its possessions.) John’s father was a very successful banker.

Having your grandfather pastoring your church would give the precocious young Dykes the easy opportunity to play the organ for services and become immersed in church music and church life.

Dykes attended St. Catherine’s College and earned a BA in classics. He had a reputation for singing comic songs with the university music society. Upon graduation he was ordained as a Deacon in the Church of England and quickly advanced from Curate to a Priest by 1848.

In 1850 he married Susanna Kingston. They went on to have seven children. There is a record from 1871 that John (48) and Susan (43) resided at 27 Church Street, Durham with their children, Susanna’s blind brother, and a staff of three: a cook, waiter, and a housemaid.

Although Dykes published many articles and sermons, he is best remembered for his hymn tunes. In 1862, a new hymnal known as “Hymns Ancient and Modern” featured some of his oeuvre at that time. (This hymnal continues to this day, periodically be revised with new “modern” hymns, thus staying always fresh and well-grounded in historical hymnody.)

www.Hymnary.org lists 142 hymn tunes for Dykes, though I found a few mislabeled. His most famous tunes include Dies Irae, Hollingside, Melita, Nicaea, St Cuthbert, Gerontius, Lux Benigna, Strength and Stay, and O Quanta Qualia.

Here are the hymns I have recorded so far which use a Dykes tune: