The author, Reginald Heber, was educated at Oxford, England, for the Anglican ministry. For sixteen years he served as rector at Hodnet, Shropshire, where most of his hymns were written. He became an eminent churchman, as well as hymn writer, and was made bishop of Calcutta in 1822. After four years, his life came to an end suddenly at the close of a day in which he had baptized forty-two native converts. He is the author of the popular missionary hymn, “From Greenland’s icy mountains” (333). “Holy, holy, holy,” was one of Alfred Tennyson’s favorite hymns, and it was sung at his funeral service in Westminster Abbey, April 12, 1892. _MUSIC._ The tune, NICAEA, was composed for this hymn and was so named because the text deals with the doctrine of the Trinity as expounded in the Council of Nicaea which met in the city of Nicaea in Asia Minor, 325 A.D., the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It convened at the call of the Emperor, Constantine, to settle the so-called “Arian controversy” concerning the nature of Christ. Arius, a presbyter of Alexandria, taught that Christ was neither divine nor human, but superangelic. After sitting from May 20 to August 25, to hear all sides of the heated debate, the council decided in favor of Athanasius, a deacon of Alexandria and chief opponent of Arius. The result was incorporated in the Nicene creed which declares that Christ is “the same substance with the Father.” Our hymn asserts the same doctrine: “God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity.” J. B. Dykes, 1823-76, composer of the tune, was born in Hull, England, the son of a banker. He was educated at Cambridge for the ministry but had also received a thorough training in music and became one of England’s leading hymn-tune writers. For a score of years he was vicar of the Anglican church, St. Oswald’s, in the city of Durham. He published sermons and other writings but is best known for his 300 hymn tunes, many of which are still in wide use. One of his most popular tunes is “Lux Benigna” which is always associated with John Henry Newman’s hymn, “Lead kindly light” (162). 2. God is in His holy temple _Anonymous_ Based on Hab. 2:20: “The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.” The hymn, whose authorship is anonymous, is a call to silence and reverence as the worshipper bows in the presence of God. _MUSIC._ The origin of the popular and useful tune, AUTUMN, has been in dispute. Some books refer to it as a Spanish melody, and others have seen in the tune a reminiscence of a psalm-tune found in the _Genevan Psalter_ of 1551. It is ascribed here to one, Louis von Esch, but Dr. Robert McCutchan, editor of the _Methodist Hymnal_ and author of _Our Hymnody_, says: “There is no basis whatever for ascribing it to any other than Barthélémon.”