"Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" is a song with words by Jessie Brown Pounds and music by John Sylvester Fearis written in 1897. The song gained huge popularity when it was used in William McKinley's funeral. It was a staple of funerals for decades subsequently, and there are dozens of recorded versions.
Contents
History
"Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" was originally a poem entitled "Beautiful Isle" by Jessie Brown Pounds. The words were written in the winter of 1896, during a period of miserable weather. Persuaded or possibly forced to stay home, the words were written within an hour's time. It was set to music by John S. Fearis, who had purchased the poem for five dollars, and the song was published in 1897. In 1901, the song was sung by the Euterpian Ladies Quartet towards the beginning of the President McKinley's memorial service. A 1908 recording for Edison by Harry Anthony and James Harrison was very popular, as was a 1916 version by John McCormack. In 1969 Jake Hess won the 1969 Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance using this song as the title of his album.
Theme
"Beautiful Isle" follows a 19th-century tradition of depicting paradise. The song was written to contrast the difficulties on Earth with the tranquility of Heaven. The hearer is invited to think that in the long term, "all is well" because God is alive. The hymn has appeal at funerals because the lyrics state that "somewhere" we will "live anew".
Impact
The song became highly popular for decades after McKinley’s service. The tune and lyrics have been praised as “beautiful,” but praise for the song has not been universal. Soon after the McKinley service it was panned by The Independent as a singular blot to the memory of the late president. Woodrow Wilson, while governor of New Jersey, stated the song could be harmful if taught to children, as it was "silly" and "vague." At the same time, John D. Rockefeller was endorsing its use in church. The Seventh-day Adventist publication Signs of the Times said "Amen" to the future U.S. President, listing it among songs "inexpressibly weak and shallow". In 1927, William Henry O'Connell, the Archbishop of Boston, banned the use of the tune in funerals, calling the hymn "inane" and "trashy." Cardinal O'Connell was concerned it was among a group of songs composed by authors whose "maudlin sentiment" overshadowed their faith. He threatened organists and choir directors who performed the piece with loss of their positions. Several Boston protestant ministers joined in criticizing the song at that time. Defenders of the hymn stated that descriptions of paradise were necessarily allegorical, and worried the ban would spread to other favorite hymns. A 1928 Lutheran publication used O'Connell's exact words when it described the song as a "sob-producer" that was a "flagrant outrage to faith and the ritual." Later, Donald H. V. Hallock banned the use of this and other "popular" songs from use at Episcopalian services as they did not conform to rubric. Christian theologians have taken issue with the song because it describes Heaven in nebulous terms. Criticisms aside, others have noted that this sentimental song is a "joy to sing."