William Henry Monk Abide With Me

This month Bridget Mermikides tackles a much loved Christian hymn, known to be a favourite of many luminaries including both King George V and Mahatma Ghandi!

- Bridget Mermikides

William Henry Monk born in London in 1823, was an accomplished organist in his teens and went on to be organist and choirmaster at various London institutions including Kings College London where he continued his development as a composer. Monk wrote several hymns and anthems, and in 1861 while attending a hymnal committee meeting as a music editor he discovered the text Abide With Me written by the curate Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) when he was close to death in 1847. Lyte was reportedly haunted by the phrase, a misremembered quote from Luke 24:29 “Abide with us…for it is toward evening and the day is far spent”. Lyte’s switching of “us” to “me”, gives the text a more intimate and personal quality than many hymns. This is captured beautifully by Monk’s musical