These words are sometimes attributed to Charles Wesley because the hymn appeared in 1757 on the same tract as one written by him and published by George Whitefield. However, it is not claimed by Wesley, nor does it appear in the older Methodist hymnals, so it remains anonymous. It is a real trinitarian hymn, for the stanzas speak respectively of Father, Son, and Spirit, and then conclude with “One in Three.”

ITALIAN HYMN was composed by Felice de Giardini at the special request of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, for these words. When it was published by Martin Madan (see SDAH 211) in 1769 in his Collection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes Never Published Before, it was named “Hymn to the Trinity.” The same tune is used for SDAH 370, “Chrsit for the World.”

Giardini was born in Turin, Italy, on April 12, 1716; at Milan Cathedral he studied singing, clavier, and harmony. Later he studied violin and played in the opera orchestras in Rome and Naples. He visited Germany in 1748 and about two years later went to London, where he spent more than 30 successful years, teaching, performing, and conducting. From 1784 to 1790 he was in Naples, but he went back to London to start a comic opera compony. When this venture in England failed, he then went to Moscow, where he received a disappointing reception; he died there on December 17, 1796. He composed many operas, 12 violin concertos, much chamber music, and three other tunes in Martin Madan’s Collection. His tune here is variously called MOSCOW, after the city where he died, and ITALIAN HYMN, after the land of his birth.

The arrangement is by Vicar Earle Copes, who was born August 12, 1921, at Norfolk, Virginia. His B.A. is from Davidson College, North Carolina, his M.S.M. and B.D. from Union Theological Seminary, New York City. After further study at the University of Texas, he has held these positions: minister of music for churches in Texas; professor of organ and church music at Hendrix College, Arkansas, and Cornell College, Iowa; and music editor, Methodist General Board of Education, Nashville. Since 19667 he has been head of the Department of Organ and Church Music at Birmingham Southern College, Alabama, and minister of music at Canterbury Methodist Church, Birmingham. He was the founder and editor of the Methodist magazine Music Ministry. More than 25 anthems and numerous articles in professional journals have come from his pen; he was a special consultant to the committee that produced the Methodist Hymnal, 1964. He also arranged SDAH 89, OLD 113th.