Just what particular song was he thinking of when he
composed the words in 1977? Alton Howard must have been thinking of something
when he wrote “He Gave Me a Song”, so could one guess what it was just by
looking at the words he penned at the time? It would be just as likely that
Howard, if he were able to say so today, would respond that he was thinking of
many events and their coalescence that caused his heart to swell with this ode
of thanksgiving. What was it that made Alton feel this way, either in the
specific moments as he wrote the words, or as he looked back on 50 years of his
life?
Without a testimony from Alton Howard to tell us, we cannot
say if there was a unique set of events that made his heart flow with the words
to “He Gave Me a Song”, but maybe the decades that this 52-year old had lived
speak louder than any single story he could remember. His life up to that point
had been a variety of adventures and experiments, one might say, all of which
Alton had grown through while simultaneously putting his strong and deep
Christian faith into action. From a wartime experience in uniform to many
business ventures afterwards, he must have had some pretty profound connections
to make solid his foundation. They came through in the music that this longtime
Louisiana church elder and businessman helped propagate for millions of
believers. Besides writing songs, he turned loose his business acumen in 1969
to produce songbooks through a company he established – Howard Publishing.
Perhaps it was the contact with so many composers and their music over the next
several years that Alton reflected upon, as his enterprise collated,
printed, and delivered God’s musical message to people around the world. Such
an experience may have salved the pain from other times that weren’t so
positive, as he hints in his words that ‘burdens (were taken) away’, while ‘sin
and doubt’ vanished. It was evidently a sensation that continued to grow as the
years accumulated and his songbooks and his life’s purpose – to spread God’s
influence – expanded.
What was the secret of Alton’s life-song? One commentator
suggested the Howard was willing to take a risk, and had a wide assortment of
projects that he attempted. Not all of them succeeded, but he must have felt
that God ‘had his back’, because he kept trying. Perhaps that’s what gave
him the joy, the exuberance that he shares in his song. It was wonderful, because he always knew confidently
where his adventure would ultimately lead. Alton may have reasoned that he
could just enjoy the ride, and point others to Him – through music, a radio
show, a church camp, or books he wrote, or any other multiple ways God might
prompt him to attempt. If one didn’t work out, he’d try something else. Alton sure
sounds like a resilient character. From whom do you think he inherited that spirit?
See following links for information on the composer:
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