Hymn Study: Sweet By and By

Sweet By and By is a hymn that I remember singing many times as a young girl in church, but I do not hear it as often any more. It is a beautiful song that brings back many memories and emotions. The hymn was written in 1868 by Sanford Fillmore Bennett. I found it very interesting to note that the words were written in an effort to cheer up Joseph Webster who wrote the music to accompany the words, and the whole song was produced in under thirty minutes. Since then the song has become a classic that is included in many hymnals and has been sung by famous singers including Elvis and Louis Armstrong.  My daughter will be thrilled to learn that the music was created using a violin, her favorite instrument.

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In the sweet by and by,
we shall meet on that beautiful shore.
In the sweet by and by,
we shall meet on that beautiful shore.

If you live near a river or lake, this could be a great tie into nature study. You can visit the shore and talk about how God is the creator of all and the beauty that is all around us. Then you can talk about how much more beautiful and perfect it will be in heaven.

This song is also a great one to use in discussing various musical styles.  This song has been performed in a traditional hymn style, with gospel influences, and is quite popular among jazz artists. We enjoy listening to hymns like this in a variety of styles and discussing the similarities and differences. I have included examples of some of the different styles in the resources below.

If you want to add a little art to this study, you can check out the Sweet By and By art lesson with Nana from You Are An Artist Chalk Pastels. This is a fun way to engage your little artists in hymn study or your musicians in art. You have access to this lesson as of 1/31, if you are an You Are An Artist Clubhouse Member   You can also have them draw what they see in their minds as they listen to the song or a picture of what they saw when you did your nature study.

For a little extra fun, you could read The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder where she talks about this hymn being Pa’s favorite.  Let us know in the comments what hymns you would like us to cover next!

Hymn Study Resources:

Hymn Story

Sheet Music and Information

Video with Lyrics

Sweet By and By Johnny Cash

Jazz style Instrumental

Sweet By and By Southern Gospel

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Hymn Study Fact Sheet

Sweet By and By Copywork

 

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