Author: Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000)
Born in Liverpool, England, Fred Pratt Green was educated in Manchester and later ordained as a Methodist minister in 1928. He served on circuits throughout England from 1927-1969. Though he wrote plays and hymns during his ministry, he was most prolific in his retirement. Hundreds of his hymns were published in British and American Methodist hymnals, and have since been used in hymnals of other denominations. He is recognized as a leader in the ‘hymnic explosion’ in the latter half of the 20th century and is credited as being the most important Methodist hymn writer since Charles Wesley. His intention was to write hymns about subjects that were not already being prayed and sung in services.
Composer: Francis Alan Jackson (b. 1917)
Born in Malton, Yorkshire, Jackson became a church organist at the age of 16. His musical career grew and eventually included conducting, international performances, recordings, and publishing both sacred and secular compositions.
TEXT: The text focuses on thanksgiving on various levels: for the natural harvest, sharing it with others, and rejoicing in the spiritual harvest. It was written specifically to match this hymn tune and in response to a request for a harvest hymn.
TUNE: East Acklam is named for a hamlet near York, where Francis Jackson resides. Originally written in 1957 and performed with a different hymn text, it was later paired with For the Fruit of His Creation.
Companion of The United Methodist Hymnal. Carlton R. Young, Editor. Abingdon Press, Nashville: 1993.