Philip Bliss facts for kids
Philip Paul Bliss (born July 9, 1838 – died December 29, 1876) was an American composer, conductor, and writer of hymns. He was also a bass-baritone Gospel singer. He wrote many famous hymns, including "Hold the Fort" (1870) and "Wonderful Words of Life" (1875). He also wrote the music for Horatio Spafford's "It Is Well with My Soul" (1876).
Bliss was a good friend of D. L. Moody, a well-known preacher from Chicago. Philip Paul Bliss died in a train accident, the Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster, while on his way to one of Moody's meetings. He was also against slavery and served as a Lieutenant during the American Civil War.
Today, Bliss's house in Rome, Pennsylvania, is a museum called the Philip P. Bliss Gospel Songwriters Museum.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Philip Paul Bliss was born in a log cabin in Hollywood, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. His father, Isaac Bliss, taught the family to pray every day. His mother was Lydia Doolittle. Philip loved music from a young age and was encouraged to sing. His sister, Mary Elizabeth Willson, also became a gospel singer and composer.
When Philip was a boy, his family moved to Kinsman, Ohio, in 1844. They later returned to Pennsylvania in 1847. Bliss did not go to school much. His mother taught him using the Bible.
At age 10, while selling vegetables to help his family, Bliss heard a piano for the first time. At 11, he left home to earn his own living. He worked in timber camps and sawmills. Even while working, he tried to go to school when he could.
Becoming a Teacher and Musician
At 17, Philip finished what he needed to become a teacher. The next year, in 1856, he became a schoolmaster in Hartsville, New York. During the summer, he worked on a farm.
In 1857, Bliss met J. G. Towner, who taught singing. Towner saw Bliss's talent and gave him his first real voice lessons. He also met William B. Bradbury, who convinced him to become a music teacher. Bliss's first song was sold for a flute. In 1858, he started working at Rome Academy in Pennsylvania.
In Rome, in 1858, Bliss met Lucy J. Young. They got married on June 1, 1859. Lucy came from a musical family and helped Philip develop his talent. She was a Presbyterian, and Bliss joined her church.
At age 22, Bliss became a traveling music teacher. He rode on horseback from town to town, carrying a melodeon. In July 1860, he wanted to attend a special music school in Geneseo, New York. It was a six-week event with famous musicians. Bliss was very excited but couldn't afford the $30 fee. His wife's grandmother, Grandma Allen, noticed he was sad. She had been saving silver coins in an old stocking for years. She had Bliss count the money, and it was more than enough! So, Bliss spent six weeks studying music. After this, he was known as a music expert in his area. He kept teaching music while traveling.
Around this time, he started writing his own songs.
A Full-Time Evangelist
In 1864, the Blisses moved to Chicago. Philip was 26 years old. He became known as a great singer and teacher. He wrote many Gospel songs. He earned $100 for a concert tour that lasted only two weeks, which amazed him. The next week, he was called to serve in the Union Army. But the American Civil War was almost over, so his call was canceled after a few weeks. He served with the 149th Pennsylvania Infantry.
After this, Bliss went on another concert tour, but it didn't go well. However, he was offered a job at Root and Cady Musical Publishers. He earned $150 a month. Bliss worked for this company from 1865 to 1873. He led music events, singing schools, and concerts. He kept writing hymns, which were often printed in his employer's books.
In 1869, Bliss started working with Dwight L. Moody. Moody and others encouraged him to quit his job and become a full-time missionary singer. In 1874, Bliss decided he was meant to work full-time spreading Christian messages. He earned a lot of money from his songs and gave it to charity and to support his evangelism.
Bliss wrote the gospel song "Hold the Fort" after hearing Major Daniel Webster Whittle tell a story from the American Civil War.
His Tragic Death
On December 29, 1876, Philip Bliss and his wife, Lucy, were traveling on the Pacific Express train. As the train crossed a bridge near Ashtabula, Ohio, the bridge collapsed. The train cars fell into the ravine below. Many newspapers at the time said that Bliss escaped the wreck. But when the cars caught fire, he went back to try and save his wife.
However, a book about P.P. Bliss written in 1877 by D.W. Whittle said this story was just a guess. Whittle showed a picture of Bliss to all the surviving passengers, but no one recognized him. No trace of Mr. Bliss or his wife, Lucy, was ever found. It is believed that 92 out of 159 passengers died in this event, known as the Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster.
The Blisses left behind their two sons, George and Philip Paul, who were four and one year old. A monument to Bliss was built in Rome, Pennsylvania.
After the crash, a trunk belonging to Bliss was found. It had survived the fire. Inside was a song with lyrics that Bliss had written, but for which he had not yet composed music: "I Will Sing of My Redeemer." Soon after, James McGranahan wrote music for it. It became one of the first songs ever recorded by Thomas Edison.
His Musical Works
The Philip P. Bliss Gospel Songwriters Museum lists several songbooks by Bliss:
- The Charm (1871)
- The Song Tree, a collection of music for homes and concerts (1872)
- The Sunshine for Sunday Schools (1873)
- The Joy for music events and church choirs (1873)
- Gospel Songs for Gospel meetings and Sunday schools (1874)
All these books were copyrighted by John Church and Co.
In 1875, Bliss also helped put together and edit Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs with Ira D. Sankey. In 1876, his last work was preparing Gospel Hymns No. 2, again with Sankey as editor. These last two books were published by John Church and Co. and Biglow and Main together. His gospel songs were very popular and earned a lot of money.
Many of his songs also appeared in books by George F. Root and Horatio R. Palmer. Many were also published as sheet music. A lot of his popular songs were in The Prize, a book of Sunday school songs edited by Root in 1870.
Three of his hymns are in the 1985 hymnbook of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
- Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy (#335) (also known as Let the Lower Lights Be Burning)
- More Holiness Give Me (#131)
- Should You Feel Inclined to Censure (#235) (words by an unknown writer, set to the tune of "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy")
Connection to the Titanic
Survivors of the RMS Titanic disaster, including Dr. Washington Dodge, said that passengers in lifeboats sang Bliss's hymn "Pull For The Shore." Some sang it while rowing. On May 11, 1912, just weeks after he and his family survived the sinking of the ship, Dodge spoke at a club in San Francisco. He said:
"Watching the vessel closely, it was seen from time to time that this submergence forward was increasing. No one in our boat, however, had any idea that the ship was in any danger of sinking. In spite of the intense cold, a cheerful atmosphere pervaded those present, and they indulged from time to time in jesting and even singing `Pull for (the) Shore' ..."
