For the longest time, hymns were the way God spoke to His people.  Way back in the Victorian era (1837-1901), hymns were sung beyond the walls of the church.  They were sung in the trenches, in the parlors, in the factories, and even in the homes.  In fact, during the Victorian times, the church was severely challenged.  With the industrialization of Europe communities of people were moving away from their hamlets into the cities where they could receive education, job opportunities and a new way of living.  Slowly instead of being fed cognitively by the church, many began to read the Bible for themselves and they began to think independently for themselves.  As a result in 1859 Charles Darwin rocked the ecclesiastical structures with the publication of his (in)famous "On The Origin of Species;" for the first time God was put on the dock.  Did God really create the world as recorded in the book of Genesis?   Further, to add arsenal on the attack of God's integrity as the Divine author of Scripture is the rise of the Tubingen school in Germany founded on the scholarship of Schleiemacher and his ensuing followers such as Strauss and Feuerbach.  Just when faith was being shredded, one thing that kept the church's grasp of the Savior's hand, especially among the uneducated, was the hymns. With memorable sing along tunes undergirding the rich theological truths, the hymns were the sermons of the everyday Victorian person reminding them that even in the midst of the turmoil, God still "abides with us." 

The name Craig Duncan may not ring a bell for many of us. But chances are we have heard of his music.  Over the years, Duncan has been a featured instrumentalist on over sixty records with sales of over five million.  His records have appeared prodigiously in gift shops such as Hallmark where he has provided the soundtrack for the great interludes of our lives such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and so forth.  This time round, using the violin and the hammer dulcimer as his fortes, he has decided to offer instrumental renderings of some of the great hymns of the Victorian era.  The beauty of this record is that Dunan understands the uniqueness of the Victorian hymns.  First, the Victorian hymn book was the Bible of the lower class.  Unable to read the Bible for themselves because of their illiteracy, the hymns were what informed the poor about God.  This is why "Jesus What a Friend for Sinners" and "Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us" hold such a special place. Duncan certainly understands this well enough to offer unadorned readings of these hymns.  The simplicity of Duncan's deft touches certainly creates the earthy vibe of how these hymns were when it ministered to the child slave laborers and the prostitutes of yore. 

Second, Victorian hymns unlike those of Watts and the Puritans have a more introspective lyrically focus.  While the hymns of Watts, for instance, were more God focused, Victorian hymns tried to draw that connection between how God affects us in our daily struggles.  The horrendous plagues, the high infant mortality rate, and the severe abuse of children and women call desperately for God to speak to their everyday battles.   Therefore, we have hymns like "Abide with Us," "Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah" and "My Faith Looks Up to Thee" where the prevalent use of the pronoun "I" becomes a distinguishing mark.   Duncan knows this well as his soft and gentle approach certainly brings out this personal aspect of the hymns.  Third, Victorian hymns are the product of industrialization across Victorian Europe where men for the first time left their small towns to explore the world and its beauty.  Thus, hymns from that era are particularly keen on celebrating God in the beauty of his creation.  To this end, we are grateful that Duncan has included in this set "For the Beauty of the Earth" and "This is My Father's World."    

Duncan's goal on "Victorian Hymns" is not to reinvent these hymns but this record offers faithful readings of these chestnuts of the church.  His facile way with the violin with light easy flowing accompaniment of flute, cello, bass and harp quietly captures the beauty and richness of these hymns.  As these hymns once were so dear to our Victorian forbearers, these hymns as Duncan presents them are still so endearing with messages that still speak to our struggles today.