By: A.C. Bridges (Originally printed in the September 1981 ARP Magazine.)
Our Bible Song-of-the-Month is No. 1 in Bible Songs entitled, ”The Blessedness of the Godly,” and begins, ”How blest and happy is the man who walketh not astray.” It is a metrical version of the first three verses of Psalm 1, which is so familiar to all of us and describes the godly man as it contrasts him with the ungodly man.
The tune is by C. Harold Lowden, a composer who was born in New Jersey in 1883 and died there in 1963. As a child Lowden played violin in a church orchestra. He began writing songs at age 12 and sold his first one to Hall-Mack Co. where he was later employed.
Lowden was musical editor for the Reformed Church Board for 12 years, after which he went into business for himself. In addition, he taught music for eight years at the Bible Institute of Pennsylvania, and for 28 years was minister of music at Linden Baptist Church in Camden, N.J. He spent 66 years of his life in church music.
Three of his tunes are found in Bible Songs. He composed the tune for a familiar gospel song, “Living for Jesus.”
(The Psalm can be found in Bible Songs #1 and #151 in the ARP Psalter.)
