It Is Well With My Soul: A Well-Loved Hymn
The hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” is a powerful choral work that is frequently used in worship. As such, a pianist or organist who plays in church services will likely be called upon to accompany the choir on this piece. The hymn has been adapted and performed by Christian rock groups and gospel choirs, and has also been arranged for drum & bugle corps and full wind ensemble.
The words and music are both very moving expressions of the central tenets of the Christian faith. This alone might account for the hymn’s enduring popularity. But perhaps even more powerful is the story behind the hymn.
The man who wrote the words, Horatio G. Spafford, had been a successful lawyer in Chicago in the 1860’s. He and his wife Anna had been associated with the famous preacher D.L. Moody, and Horatio had plowed his savings into real estate investments on the Lake Michigan shoreline. The Spaffords had 5 children, a boy and 4 girls. All seemed well, indeed, with their life in Chicago.
But in 1871, disaster struck. The Spaffords’ little boy, age 4, died of scarlet fever. Then the Great Chicago Fire wiped out all of their real estate holdings. Deciding the family needed a break after these crises in their lives, Horatio and Anna planned to join their friend D.L. Moody on his evangelizing tour of England, and after that to take a European holiday.
At the last minute, Horatio was delayed by pressing business concerns. Rather than spoil the holiday for Anna and their daughters, he told them to go ahead on their scheduled ship, and he would follow after. In the fall of 1873, Anna and the four girls boarded the ship Ville du Havre bound for England.
On November 2, 1873, disaster struck again. An English sailing vessel The Lochearn had collided with the Ville du Havre, which sank in 12 minutes. Out of the 273 people aboard, only 47 survived. Among the survivors was Anna Spafford. But not any of her 4 daughters. All the children were lost. On November 11, 1873, Anna’s telegram reached Horatio with the tragic words, “Saved alone.”
Horatio quickly set sail to join his bereaved wife in England. The captain of his ship called Horatio to the bridge to tell him when the ship was passing nearest to the place where the Spaffords’ 4 daughters had lost their lives. Upon returning to his cabin, Horatio Spafford wrote the words to the now-famous hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul:”
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
The Spaffords eventually had 3 more children, 2 of whom, Bertha and Grace, survived to adulthood. The family moved to Jerusalem to take part in a missionary group called the American Colony, which was founded to serve the poor. It is truly remarkable how the private tragedies in their lives moved Horatio and Anna to create beauty for the lives of others.
Now the next time you hear, or sing, or play this hymn, you’ll know the story behind “It Is Well With My Soul.”
Tags: Anna Spafford, choir, choir accompanist, choral music, Christian, Christian faith, Christian music, Christianity, church music, Horatio G. Spafford, Horatio Spafford, hymn, It Is Well With My Soul, music, music in worship, organ, organ music, organist, pianist, piano, piano music, popular hymn, singing, story behind the hymn
