ZION'S WATCH TOWER TRACT SOCIETY: THE EARLY YEARS

Author	Topic: M.L.McPhail & Early Society Music
Ruth Monroe (Moderator)	posted 2/1/06 1:25 PM I will start a new thread about early Society music using the following info posted by Sergio about M.L. McPhail and family.
Ruth Monroe (Moderator)	posted 2/1/06 1:34 PM POSTED BY SERGIO:Some information about M.L. McPhail.According to the Watch Tower Reprints he was one of the first pilgrims, and the only full time for a while. He was also very active as a lecturer. He was married and had at least a son who got ill and died in 1897. It seems M.L. McPhail contacted Russell at the beginning of the 1890s since in 1892 a letter from him is published in the ZWT (this relationship ended some 16 years later when due to certain doctrinal differences he decided to left the movement. He was the author of the February 1st 1896 issue of the ZWT entirely devoted to religious hymns (Zion's Glad Songs of the Morning, with 11 hymns). Most of the songs were composed by him, but one of them is composed by a certain JOHN McPHAIL. In another reference in the ZWT M.L. McPhail mentions brother John in a very familiar way, so he might be his "brother" in a literal sense. In 1900, he was the author of a songbook entitled Zion's Glad Songs for all Christian Gatherings (82 hymns), published by the Society and advertised in the ZWT as a hymnbook that complements the official one, Hymns of Millennial Dawn. In 1907 he published another hymnbook with the same title Zion's Glad Songs no.2 for all Christian Gatherings (65 hymns). This one is not published by the Society, but by a certain K. McPHAIL from Chicago. On the backcover the pubications of Russell and the IBSA are advertised. In 1908 he published another songbook with the title Zion's Glad Songs for all Christian Gatherings (248 hymns). This is published in Chicago by M.L. McPHAIL himself. This time, there is no reference to Russell or the IBSA. There is another songbook with the title Songs of Comfort, but I don't have any information about it. In a ZWT issue in 1893 there is a poem by a certain S.J. McPHAIL. I don't know who he or she is. This is all the information about this musician taken from WT publications. And now some findings of a Spanish brother about M.L. McPHAIL taken from other sources. The Library of Congress assigns him the name MALCOLM LEOD McPHAIL, born about 1877. This name is assigned according to the policy for author names of the OCLC, setting aside that it is not MALCOLM but MALCOM. This Spanish brother contacted the OCLC and they told him this name was asigned by the library of Wheaton University (Illinois), but the people from this University didn't reply to his messages. Anyway, it is not likely that this MALCOLM or MALCOM LEDO McPHAIL, is the same M.L. McPHAIL who was a Bible Student, specially because of his year of birth, 1877. There are several hymnbooks and pieces of light music by a certain M.L. McPHAIL for instance in the Library of Congress. Some of them are published in 1878, 1882, etc. So, "our" M.L. McPHAIL couldn't have been born in 1877. Either they are different McPHAILs, or the year asigned by the Library of Congress is wrong. He also published the series of hymnbooks called WINNOWED ANTHEMS between 1894 and the 1920s. If M.L. McPHAIL had been born in 1877, then in 1894 he was 17, and yet he was a recognised musician who was even able to publish a series of hymnbooks. There is something interesting about a light music score from the Library of Congress. The author is "MAT. L. McPHAIL". In every other reference the author is simply M.L. McPHAIL. This indicates that his name can't be MALCOLM nor MALCOM McPHAIL unless they are two different people. Also vol. 6 of the series WINNOWED ANTHEMS includes a hymn by certain M. LINDSAY McPHAIL JR. Was this McPhail's son?. If so, we can infer the the father's name was also M. LINDSAY McPHAIL, and so we could arrive to the possibility that his name was MAT. LINDSAY McPHAIL.So we have one or several M.L. McPHAIL, a JOHN McPHAIL, a MAT. L. McPHAIL and a M. LINDSAY McPHAIL Jr. (and also a K. McPHAIL and a S.J. McPHAIL). This Spanish brother checked the webpage ANCESTRY.COM and this is what he found: He couldn't find any MALCOLM nor MALCOM LEOD McPHAIL by Chicago or Illinois. Only a MALCOLM McPhail, businessman, in New York, around 1930, born in 1869 and another MALCOM L. McPHAIL, a miller in North Carolina around 1920, born in 1854. None of them seem to have any connections with music or with "our" McPHAIL. But there is a MATTHEW L. McPHAIL, born in Scotland in 1855, arrived to the U.S.A. in 1865 and with U.S. citicenship in 1880. In the 1910 census we see his profession is EVANGELIST and he lived in Chicago Illinois, and in the 1920 and 1930 census we find he lived in Maine, Illinois. One of his brother was called John (he could be the JOHN McPHAIL mentioned before). One of his daughters was called LAURA; in the Souvenir Report for 1905 or 1906 LAURA McPHAIL is mentioned along with M.L. McPHAIL. Another of his sons was M. Lindsay McPHAIL (which could be the one mentioned in vol. 6 of WINNOWED ANTHEMS). The census specify that this son was a musician, a pianist.Matthew L. McPHAIL's wife is Catharine or Kate McPHAIL, who could be the editor of Zion's Glad Songs no.2 for all Christian Gatherings. All of these coincidences, while not definitive, could lead us to infer that the M.L. McPHAIL mentioned in the ZWT could be this one: MATTHEW L.[indsay] McPHAIL, born in Baillieston (Scotland) in 1854 or 55, arrived to the U.S. in 1865 and with citicenship in 1880. Married to Catharine or Kate McPHAIL (Kelly was her single name, born in 1858) in 1878. He had at least 2 daughters(Jessie and Laura) and 2 sons (Matthew and M. Lindsay). And one of this brothers was called John, born in 1849.This is only a supposition that maybe somebody could confirm or refute.This brother still hasn't found any information about the son who died in 1897.
Sergio	posted 2/2/06 10:15 AM (For some reason, the changes of paragraph didn't work in my message, so I'll try again):Some information about M.L. McPhail from WT publications.According to the Watch Tower Reprints he was one of the first pilgrims, and the only full time for a while. He was also very active as a lecturer. He was married and had at least a son who got ill and died in 1897. It seems M.L. McPhail contacted Russell at the beginning of the 1890s since in 1892 a letter from him is published in the ZWT (this relationship ended some 16 years later when due to certain doctrinal differences he decided to left the movement). He was the author of the February 1st 1896 issue of the ZWT entirely devoted to religious hymns (Zion's Glad Songs of the Morning, with 11 hymns). Most of the songs were composed by him, but one of them is composed by a certain JOHN McPHAIL. In another reference in the ZWT M.L. McPhail mentions brother John in a very familiar way, so he might be his "brother" in a literal sense. In 1900, he was the author of a songbook entitled Zion's Glad Songs for all Christian Gatherings (82 hymns), published by the Society and advertised in the ZWT as a hymnbook that complements the official one, Hymns of Millennial Dawn. In 1907 he published another hymnbook with the same title Zion's Glad Songs no.2 for all Christian Gatherings (65 hymns). This one is not published by the Society, but by a certain K. McPHAIL from Chicago. On the backcover the pubications of Russell and the IBSA are advertised. In 1908 he published another songbook with the title Zion's Glad Songs for all Christian Gatherings (248 hymns). This is published in Chicago by M.L. McPHAIL himself. This time, there is no reference to Russell or the IBSA. There is another songbook with the title Songs of Comfort, but I don't have any information about it. In a ZWT issue in 1893 there is a poem by a certain S.J. McPHAIL. I don't know who he or she is. This is all the information about this musician taken from WT publications. And now some findings from a Spanish brother about M.L. McPHAIL taken from other sources. The Library of Congress assigns him the name MALCOLM LEOD McPHAIL, born about 1877. This name is assigned according to the policy for author names of the OCLC, setting aside that it is not MALCOLM but MALCOM. This Spanish brother contacted the OCLC and they told him this name was asigned by the library of Wheaton University (Illinois), but the people from this University haven't reply to his messages. Anyway, it is not likely that this MALCOLM or MALCOM LEDO McPHAIL, is the same M.L. McPHAIL who was a Bible Student, specially because of his year of birth, 1877. There are several hymnbooks and pieces of light music by a certain M.L. McPHAIL for instance in the Library of Congress. Some of them are published in 1878, 1882, etc. So, "our" M.L. McPHAIL couldn't have been born in 1877. Either they are different McPHAILs, or the year asigned by the Library of Congress is wrong. He also published the series of hymnbooks called WINNOWED ANTHEMS between 1894 and the 1920s. If M.L. McPHAIL had been born in 1877, then in 1894 he was 17, and yet he was a recognised musician who was even able to publish a series of hymnbooks. There is something interesting about a light music score from the Library of Congress. The author is "MAT. L. McPHAIL". In every other reference the author is simply M.L. McPHAIL. This indicates that his name can't be MALCOLM nor MALCOM McPHAIL unless they are two different people. Also, vol. 6 of the series WINNOWED ANTHEMS includes a hymn by certain M. LINDSAY McPHAIL JR. Was this McPhail's son?. If so, we can infer the the father's name was also M. LINDSAY McPHAIL, and so we could arrive to the possibility that his name was MAT. LINDSAY McPHAIL.So we have one or several M.L. McPHAIL, a JOHN McPHAIL, a MAT. L. McPHAIL and a M. LINDSAY McPHAIL Jr. (and also a K. McPHAIL and a S.J. McPHAIL). This Spanish brother checked the webpage ANCESTRY.COM and this is what he found: He couldn't find any MALCOLM nor MALCOM LEOD McPHAIL by Chicago or Illinois. Only a MALCOLM McPhail, businessman, in New York, around 1930, born in 1869 and another MALCOM L. McPHAIL, a miller in North Carolina around 1920, born in 1854. None of them seem to have any connections with music or with "our" McPHAIL. But there is a MATTHEW L. McPHAIL, born in Scotland in 1855, arrived to the U.S.A. in 1865 and with U.S. citicenship in 1880. In the 1910 census we see his profession is EVANGELIST and he lived in Chicago Illinois, and in the 1920 and 1930 census we find he lived in Maine, Illinois. One of his brothers was called John (he could be the JOHN McPHAIL mentioned before). One of his daughters was called LAURA; in the Souvenir Report for 1905 or 1906 LAURA McPHAIL is mentioned along with M.L. McPHAIL. Another of his sons was M. Lindsay McPHAIL (which could be the one mentioned in vol. 6 of WINNOWED ANTHEMS). The census specify that this son was a musician, a pianist.Matthew L. McPHAIL's wife is Catharine or Kate McPHAIL, who could be the editor of Zion's Glad Songs no.2 for all Christian Gatherings. All of these coincidences, while not definitive, could lead us to infer that the M.L. McPHAIL mentioned in the ZWT could be this one: MATTHEW L.[indsay] McPHAIL, born in Baillieston (Scotland) in 1854 or 55, arrived to the U.S. in 1865 and with citicenship in 1880. Married to Catharine or Kate McPHAIL (Kelly was her single name, born in 1858) in 1878. He had at least 2 daughters(Jessie and Laura) and 2 sons (Matthew and M. Lindsay). And one of this brothers was called John, born in 1849.This is only a supposition that maybe somebody could confirm or refute.Also, this brother still hasn't found any information about the son who died in 1897.
MAPN	posted 3/6/06 0:35 AM Hello.I am that "spanish brother" that originated all the information about McPhail's music that Sergio posted recently in this forum.It would be very interesting if anybody could confirm or refute that information.I can add that M.L. McPhail (I am almost secure that his name was Matthew Lindsay McPhail, but of course, there is a possibility that I could be still wrong in this point) composed more than 200 religious hymns, before, during and after being an active Bible Student. He had to be in touch with some of the most famous hymnwriters and hymncomposers of the end of XIX century and the beginning of XX century... but nobody knows how was his face... If anybody has a photo of M.L. McPhail, please, share it with me.I can also add that he died in 1931 and that his son was a famous composer and pianist between the 20s and 40s.I would need to know some biographical information about other Bible Students related to the music they used. For example, can anybody help me and give me biographical information about Gertrude W. Seibert, Kate Ulmer, M.L. Herr, GEo. H. Fisher and E.C. Henninges?Seibert, Ulmer and Herr wrote the lyrics of several hymns used by McPhail (I am not sure that Ulmer and Herr were really a Bible Student).Henninges composed at least 24 or 25 hymns used by Bible Students and, his wife wrote also several hymns. Geo. H. Fisher composed only one or two hymns.Any information about these bible students or any other bible student or Jehovah's witnesses related to music will be very useful for my research about music used by Jehovah's Witnesses and Bible Students.ThanksMiquel Angel
Ton	posted 3/23/06 11:16 AM There appears a photo of Bro. McPhail in Convention report 1906, page 16. I only own a photocopy, but I can see hehad not much hair, no glasses, and a beard and mustache. Sergio has my emil address
MAPN	posted 3/25/06 0:43 AM Please reserve posts for factual info related to topic. Personal exchanges should be handled via email. Thank you. [This message has been edited on 04/28/2006]
Ton	posted 3/31/06 3:07 PM Please reserve posts for factual info related to topic. Personal exchanges should be handled via email. Thank you. [This message has been edited on 04/28/2006]
MAPN	posted 3/31/06 8:34 PM Please reserve posts for factual info related to topic. Personal exchanges should be handled via email. Thank you. [This message has been edited on 04/28/2006]
RR	posted 4/13/06 1:05 AM Please reserve posts for factual info related to topic. Personal exchanges should be handled via email. Thank you. [This message has been edited on 04/28/2006]
B.	posted 2/28/10 11:09 AM Mc Phail allegedly was the composer of the melody that remained in the 1984 song book as song nr. 162: "Preach the Word". In the new song book, the melody has been significantly changed. http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=enl&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asahi-net.or.jp%2F%7Ewa4k-ngtn%2Fjwsongs%2Fsong1984-162.html&sl=ja&tl=en A Japanese website
B.	posted 3/6/10 11:11 AM Correction of what is stated above. The new melody of the song with the name "Walk with God" has not been merely "significatly changed". It's a completely new song.

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