“Onward Christian Soldiers”

Description

"Onward, Christian Soldier, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before." The Christian "army" is urged forward, bypassing temporary earthly structures for the eternal kingdom of God

Notes

Yes, the Sabine Baring-Gould who wrote this is the same fellow as collected English folksongs. And whose descendents are responsible for the Annotated Mother Goose cited frequently in this index. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1864, and produced quite a bit of Christian poetry and analysis, though this hymn is nearly the only part to have achieved any popularity. - RBW

Same tune

• Onward, Christian Bedbugs (Pankake-PHCFSB, p. 105)

Recordings

• Haydn Quartet, "Onward Christian Soldiers" (Victor 521, 1901)
• Old Southern Sacred Singers, "Onward Christian Soldiers" (Brunswick 166, 1927)

References

1. Silber-FSWB, p. 352, "Onward Christian Soldiers" (1 text)
2. Fuld-WFM, pp. 416-417, "Onward, Christian Soldiers"
3. DT, ONCHRST*
4. ADDITIONAL: Charles Johnson, One Hundred and One Famous Hymns (Hallberg, 1982), pp. 80-81, "Onward, Christian Soldiers" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. BI, FSWB352A