The song “He Whispers
Sweet Peace to Me” was written by William M. Ramsey and arranged by William W.
Slater. Ramsey was one of Slater’s music
teachers. Ramsey wrote the words and
music in 1932, but Slater arranged the hymn in 1937. What does “arrangement” mean? It means that the song has been altered in
some way from the original, but the alteration has not significantly deviated
from the substance of the words and music.
William Morgan Ramsey (1872-1939), Lyricist & Composer
William Morgan Ramsey was
born in Bell County, Texas on August 24, 1872.
His family relocated to Arkansas when he was young. He studied music under E. T. Hilderbrand, S.
J. Oslin and B. C. Unseld. William
Ramsey was one of the professors of music who trained William W. Slater at the
Eureka Normal School of Music in Oklahoma. He was the owner of the Central Music Company of
Little Rock, Arkansas and was known as a teacher of shaped note style singing. He is largely credited with publishing shaped
note songbooks in the region, having published over 30 songbooks. He also was a Baptist Minister. He has been recognized by both the Gospel
Music Hall of Fame and the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame. William Ramsey died March 12, 1939 in Little
Rock, Arkansas, and he is buried there in Little Rock at Roselawn Cemetery.
William Washington Slater (1885-1959), Arranger
William Washington Slater
was born February 2, 1885 in Logan County, Arkansas, but when he was young the
family relocated to Oklahoma. He was the
oldest of eleven children, so when his father passed away he had to work to
support the family. His primary
schooling did not go past thirteen years of age. He did study under a local music teacher
while he had opportunity which helped cultivate his interest in music. He and his family obeyed the gospel during a
meeting conducted by W. D. Cecil. He
married Nettie Mae Wetherington in 1910, and they had four children. They were strong proponents of Christian
education as can be seen in their family history. While Slater was too poor to afford a college
education in his youth, he and his wife were able to send all four of their
children to Abilene Christian College (now University). These would go onto influence Christian
education too. For example, his
grandson, William Slater Banowsky, served as President of both what are now
Pepperdine University and Oklahoma Christian University. Slater was also a
gospel preacher among churches of Christ, and he was also prolific in writing
and publishing hymnbooks.
Slater studied music at
Eureka Normal School of Music in Stigler, Oklahoma, where he learned from E. T.
Hildebrand and William M. Ramsey (who wrote the words to this hymn.) He would later work with the Eureka
Publishing Company, also serving on their board of directors; plus he would
teach at the Eureka Normal School and serve as Secretary for its board of
directors too. In 1926 he published his
most popular songbook, Gospel Songs and
Hymns, which sold thousands of copies.
He wrote other popular hymns and published additional songbooks
too. He was well known for conducting
singing schools in the brotherhood right up to his death.
Slater began preaching in
1915 in the Shiloh School House in Oklahoma.
He was known for going to small rural congregations and assisting them with
copies of his songbooks. While holding a
gospel meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas, he became ill and died in route to the
doctor on August 22, 1959. When he died,
the children published a memorial book to him called Glory Land of Song which is rare and hard to find. His wife followed him on February 12, 1965. They are both buried in Blue Bonnet Hills
Cemetery in Colleyville, Texas.
He Whispers Sweet Peace to Me
The words to the song
were written by Slater’s teacher, William Ramsey, who was also a Baptist
preacher and apparently had a misconception of the operation of the Holy Spirit
in revealing God’s will for mankind. An
examination of some of the phrases from the original composition shows that
Ramsey favored the notion that God operates in addition to His word; however,
William Slater modified these lyrics to show that the Holy Spirit operates; but
through the word of God, not separate and apart from it. For example, Ramsey composed “He speaks in a still, small voice we are told, A voice
that dispels all fear; And when I’m in doubt, or troubled in soul, That still
small voice I can hear.” William Slater modified these lyrics to “He speaks thro’ His Word, assurance He gives, I’m His
and I know He’s mine; And safe in the fold my soul He will keep, I’ll rest in
His love divine.” There are other examples of arranging
the hymn to bring its teaching into better conformity with revealed truth. William W. Slater believed, “It is as
wrong to sing unsound sentiment as to preach it.” He was assisted in this endeavor by preachers
such as E. M. Borden, Joe H. Blue and R. A. Robins to keep the content of songs
scriptural.
Some underestimate the
power of the word of God; however, the Scriptures affirm that “Since you have
purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of
the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born
again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which
lives and abides forever,” (1 Peter 1:22-23, NKJV). Some may have the impression that the Spirit
is the word of God; however, the Scriptures show that the Spirit’s instrument
is the word of God—“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God;” (Ephesians 6:17, NKJV). Any view with a consequent of disregarding,
or minimizing, the word of God in converting the lost and directing the lives
of Christians today should be carefully scrutinized according to the divine
standard—God’s word, the Bible.
--------------------------------------------
SOURCES:
Gene C. Finley, Editor, Our Garden of Song: A Book of Biography of Song
Writers of the Church of Christ and Articles and Other Items of Interest of Our
Worship in Song, West Monroe, LA:
Howard Publishing Company, 1980, pp. 427-434.
V. E. Howard, Editor, and
Broadus E. Smith, Associate Editor, Church
Gospel Songs & Hymns, Texarkana, TX:
Central Printers & Publishers, 1983.
http://drhamrick.blogspot.com/2010/12/will-w-slater-1885-1959-as-publisher.html
http://sgma.org/william-morgan-ramsey/
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=55427543
http://www.gmahalloffame.org/speaker-lineup/william-morgan-ramsey/
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/r/a/m/ramsey_wm.htm
http://www.therestorationmovement.com/_states/texas/slater,ww.htm
John P. Wiegand, Editor, Praise for the Lord, Nashville, TN: Praise Press, 1997.
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