O Come and Mourn with Me Awhile

Raised in the Church of England, Frederick W. Faber (b. Calverly, Yorkshire, England, 1814; d. Kensington, London, England, 1863) came from a Huguenot and strict Calvinistic family background. Educated at Oxford and ordained in the Church of England, Faber followed John Henry Newman into the Roman Catholic Church. Believing that Catholics should sing hymns like those written by John Newton, Charles Wesley, and William Cowper, Faber wrote 150 hymns himself, this one dating from 1849. The tune is a nearly-forgotten gem by John B. Dykes who at the age of ten became the organist of St. John's in Hull, England, where his grandfather was vicar. Ordained into the Church of England in 1847, Dykes became the precentor and choir director at Durham Cathedral, where he introduced reforms in the choir by insisting on consistent attendance, increasing rehearsals, and initiating music festivals. The tune St. Cross dates from 1861.

search terms: Maiden, Müller, Mueller, Maiden Müller, Maiden Mueller, Maiden-Müller, or Maiden-Mueller