This hymn was written by George Rawson in 1857 and was first published in the Baptist Psalms and Hymns, 1858, titled “The Lord’s Supper.” Originally it consisted of six stanzas.

George Rawson was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, on June 5, 1807, and educated in Manchester, Lancashire. He trained to be a solicitor and practiced this profession in his native town for many years. He was an energetic member of the Congregational Church and assisted their ministers in Leeds to prepare Psalms, Hymns, and Passages of Scripture for Christian Worship, 1853, a book now known as the Leeds Hymnbook. In 1858 he helped Baptist ministers prepare a hymnbook for their own denomination. He contributed also to the Leeds Sunday School Hymn Book, 1858. Then he made a collection of his own hymns in Hymns, Verses, and Chants, 1876. Some more hymns were added to these in his Songs of Spiritual Thought, 1885. Changes were made in these last two volumes, not necessarily improvements in some cases; for example, line 2 of stanza 2 was “Is shown” instead of the current “Is here,” which could be capable of misinterpretation. Also, line 3 of stanza 4 was “By one blest chain of loving rite.” Rawson retired to Clifton, Bristol, where he died on March 24, 1889.

J. Bruce Ashton was born March 29, 1941, at Columbus, Ohio, and had early music lessons from his aunt, Grace Nicola. His mother’s musical family had often provided worship service music for the Worthington, Ohio, SDA church, either as a string or saxophone ensemble. He graduated from Mount Vernon Academy, Ohio, in 1958 and continued his education at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio (B.Mus., 1963); American Conservatory of Music, Chicago (M. Mus., 1964); and College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati (D.M.A., 1971); all of these degrees being earned in piano performance. From 1964 to 1968 he taught at Walla Walla College, College Place, Washington, and since 1968 has been professor of music at Southern College, Collegedale, Tennessee. Ashton also plays the viola, his wife plays the cello, and their three children are string players. They were all a part of the large orchestra that accompanied the singing of two of Ashton’s choral-orchestral arrangements at the 1985 General Conference session in New Orleans. (One of these arrangements is slated for publication.) Bruce is a local elder, Sabbath school leader, and teacher; he and his wife have made significant contributions to the publications provided by the General Conference Sabbath School Department for juniors and early teens. He is much appreciated for his skill and performance as a piano recitalist and as a sensitive accompanist.

About ANTICIPATION, Ashton writes: “By Christ Redeemed’ was a favorite of a former pastor and close personal friend, Amos Cooper. In his native England it was frequently used. In my opinion, the tune in Church Hymnal, 1941, was not well matched, so when I became aware that the SDAH Committee wanted a new setting, my attachment to Amos prompted me to try providing a more fitting version. Actually, I wrote three: a minor-key unison tune that I did not submit but have since made into an anthem; a strong, upward-looking tune in A major; and a more contemplative one in E-flat, which the committee selected.”

📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.