Howard Charles Adie Gaunt was born in Birmingham, England, November 13, 1902. He attended King’s College at Cambridge, receiving the B.A. in 1925 and the M.A. in 1927. After study at Cuddeson Theological College in 1954, he became a priest in 1955. His career included the following positions: assistant master at Winchester College , 1953 -1963; chaplain and sacristan at Winchester Cathedral, 1963-1966; precentor, 1966-1973; honorary canon, 1966- 1974; and canon emeritus from 1974 until his death in 1983.

The composer appropriately named BLUEBONNET after the official flower of his home state. This text was sent to some 30 Seventh-day Adventist composers who were asked for an original tune. Of all those submitted, this one was chosen.  It is composed in the style of the early American folk hymn tune (see SDAH 363), the melody being entirely in the pentatonic scale, and was arranged by Melvin West (1930- ; see Biographies) especially for this book.

John W. Read was born April 25, 1933, in Lufkin, Texas, and received his B.A. from Madison College, Madison, Tennessee. Graduate study at University of Texas, Austin, led to M.A. in 1958 and the D. Ed. At North Texas State University, Denton, in 1968. His career has included teaching at Campion Academy; Shenandoah Valley Academy; Collegedale Academy; and Southwestern Adventist College, Keene, Texas, where he led out in developing a curriculum for the major in music. A versatile musician, he taught voice, elementary school music, composition, and directed choral organizations. In 1981 he began a pioneering work as coordinator of church music for the Texas Conference, seeking to build up the concept and possibilities of a local church music ministry. With his own publishing house, Clarion Call Music, Inc., he publishes choral works for SDA composers and others. Read was a member of the SDAH Committee and the subcommittee for tunes. Presently he is pastoring churches in Texas. He served as president for the SDA Church Musicians’ Guild in 1985-1986. His other work in SDAH is No. 677, “Heavenly Father, to Thee We Pray,” and its unnamed tune.

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