Take My Life and Let it Be

Frances Ridley Havergal, an English poet and hymn-writer, was born at Astley, Worcestershire on December 14, 1836. She was the daughter of a Reverend (W.H. Havergal, rector of St. Nicholas, Worcester) and attended a private school in Worcester. At the age of seven, she began writing verses, and soon after her works found their way into Good Words and other religious periodicals. In 1852, her family moved to Luisenchule, Düsseldorf, Germany, where she would spend more than a year and become proficient in German, Greek, and Hebrew. Miss Havergal was often sick and passed away in Wales on June 3, 1879.

 

Throughout her life, Miss Havergal was also a church musician. She performed both as a singer and a piano-player for her church. Take My Life and Let it Be has become Frances Ridley Havergal's most recognized hymn text. The text was written in a single night on February 4, 1874. Other favored hymn texts that belong to Miss Havergal include: Like a River Glorious, I Gave My Life for Thee, and Who Is on the Lord's Side?

 

Composed for the First United Methodist Church of Maryville, Missouri

 

Duration: 3:40

 

Voicing: SATB accompanied

 

Publisher: Self-Published