(Bold words are included in the vocal version)
1. Day is dying in the west;
Heaven is touching earth with rest;
Wait and worship while the night
Sets the evening lamps alight
Through all the sky.
Refrain
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of Thee!
Heaven and earth are praising Thee,
O Lord most high!
2. Lord of life, beneath the dome
Of the universe, Thy home,
Gather us who seek Thy face
To the fold of Thy embrace,
For Thou art nigh.
Refrain
3. While the deepening shadows fall,
Heart of love enfolding all,
Through the glory and the grace
Of the stars that veil Thy face,
Our hearts ascend.
Refrain
4. When forever from our sight
Pass the stars, the day, the night,
Lord of angels, on our eyes
Let eternal morning rise
And shadows end.
It was the summer of 1959 and I had just graduated from High School. I got a job on the kitchen staff at a summer camp at Lake Chautauqua. This mile wide lake extends about 20 miles northward from Jamestown, New York nearly to Lake Erie.
Directly across the lake from the summer camp was the famous Chautauqua Institute. To this day it remains a summer culture magnet. Music students can spend an entire summer polishing their skills in tiny practice cabins and playing in recitals and concerts along with professional musicians from all over the world. Every day and evening is filled with recitals, dramatic presentations, art exhibits, and lectures. Some people have maintained private cabins at the Institute for generations, and there are rental cottages available as well as an old-fashioned formal hotel. The last I knew, gentlemen without a coat or necktie were turned away from the Hotel dining room. Cars are allowed on the grounds only long enough to unload luggage. This provides a delightful place to stroll on a summer day and soak up a little atmosphere.
In the late 1800’s, the idea of cultural activities such as those found at Chautauqua spread across the country, and “The Chautauqua” became a movement that included concert, dramatic, and lecture series that moved from city to city. Some places, like Boulder, Colorado, still have a local Chautauqua.
The Chautauqua Institution is a not-for-profit, 750-acre educational center beside Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York State, where approximately 7,500 persons are in residence on any day during a nine- week season, and a total of over 142,000 attend scheduled public events. Over 8,000 students enroll annually in the Chautauqua Summer Schools which offer courses in art, music, dance, theater, writing skills and a wide variety of special interests.
The Institution, originally the Chautauqua Lake Sunday School Assembly, was founded in 1874 as an educational experiment in out-of-school, vacation learning. It was successful and broadened almost immediately beyond courses for Sunday school teachers to include academic subjects, music, art and physical education.
While founders Lewis Miller and John Heyl Vincent were Methodists, other Protestant denominations participated from the first year onward, and today Chautauqua continues to be ecumenical in spirit and practice. Chautauqua's Department of Religion presents distinguished religious leaders of many faiths from this country and abroad, both as preachers and teachers.
The oldest continuous book club in America, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle has enrolled at least a half-million readers and at one time sponsored 10,000 reading circles throughout the country. The CLSC introduced learning by correspondence even before the School of Theology and Chautauqua University developed such courses. Its book selections are offered today with continuing education emphases. Chautauqua University functioned for approximately 12 years until other universities began offering summer courses. New York University conducted summer courses at Chautauqua for approximately 30 years, ending in the early 1950s, followed by Syracuse University and SUNY College at Fredonia. Now a wide variety of special studies attract vacationing Chautauquans.
By 1880 the Chautauqua platform had established itself as a national forum for open discussion of public issues, international relations, literature and science. Approximately 100 lecturers appear at Chautauqua during a season.
Music became increasingly important at Chautauqua, especially after the turn of the century. A symphony orchestra season became part of the regular program in 1920. The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra founded in 1929, now performs thrice weekly with leading soloists in the 5,000-seat Amphitheater, Chautauqua's program center. Popular entertainers perform other evenings. The Chautauqua Ballet Company also appears in the Amphitheater, sometimes with guest artists, while the Chautauqua Conservatory Theater presents its season in Bratton Theater. The Chautauqua Opera Company also founded in 1929, performs in English in Norton Hall.
Chautauqua plays a unique educational role today, offering studies on a vacation level, a more serious level and a professional level. In addition, there are enhanced learning opportunities within Chautauqua's other programming. Music, the arts, religion, recreation and the pursuit of knowledge are all available. Younger and older students often share learning experiences in an open, congenial atmosphere. Children and young people are also provided with their own special programs.
So, why all of this stuff about Chautauqua? Well, if you haven’t guessed, Chautauqua was the birthplace of, and inspiration for, the hymn Day is Dying in the West.
More sacred songs and their history can be found in Stories Behind the Music (with a CD of the songs recorded by Len). It is available through the author: <len@lenshamn.com>
