Hymns are cherished treasures passed down
through the generations

At this time of year, most of us are humming holiday hymns that have long been family favorites. Not only do these hymns survive the generational flow, they share with us the historical record of the time period in which they were written.

It is the love of music and hymns, combined with her expertise in children's literature and Victorian literature, that brought Alisa Clapp-Itnyre to research 19th century children's hymns.

Last year, Clapp-Itnyre, an Indiana University East associate professor of English, spent one month in England researching children's hymns from the 19th century. Expecting to find only a few hymnbooks devoted to children of the time period, she was surprised to discover more than 100 uncatalogued hymns in libraries and historical locations around London, Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, and Haworth. Her Great Britain travel was partially funded through an Exploration Travel Fellowship grant from IU's Office of the Vice Provost for Research.

"I took a leap of faith that there would be four weeks' worth of children's hymnbooks to study," Clapp-Itnyre says. "I discovered more than I could have imagined."

According to Mary Blakefield, IU East associate vice chancellor of academic affairs, Clapp-Intyre's research opened up a new field of study. "I never imagined that this area of study would have such depth. It's particularly interesting to gain a perspective into how children were viewed in 19th century society as compared to today, with regard to participation in religious practices," Blakefield says. "I'm sure that we will soon be seeing a wide range of scholars building on facets of her research."

In her now-completed manuscript entitled, "Nineteenth-Century Children's Hymnody: Defining Childhood Amongst Chords and Verses," Clapp-Itnyre reflects on the historical record of the time period and how children were influenced through hymns. Clapp-Itnyre examined 19th century British children's hymns not only as important theological tracts but also as a means to reveal the changing status of children during an age of religious and social reformation. As reforming adults struggled to liberate and control children during this time, they relied in part on the chords and verses of children's hymnody. . In her research, Clapp-Intyre distinguishes three phases that children in the 19th century went through--"rescued child," the "revival child" and the "romantic child." The hymns parallel the history of children in this era-- from high death rates and child labor at the beginning of the century to child reform laws and more awareness of the rights of children by the end of the century.

Clapp-Itnyre has used her research to catalogue 12,000 songs from various children's hymnbooks of the time. "Many of the hymnbooks would have a Christmas section. We can see how grand this tradition is because we still sing these Christmas carols today," Clapp-Itnyre says. Traditional hymns that remain holiday favorites today include "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night".

Clapp-Itnyre has written a 40-page manuscript that is currently under review for Children's Literature, the journal of the Children's Literature Association. She has presented her findings at several conferences and will incorporate the research into her courses at IU East. She hopes to return to England in 2009 to further research the topic of hymns, possibly with an NEA or NEH grant.