Does anyone know if the hymn they sang in church was written for the movie? I couldn't make out all of it because of the voices of Jack asking to see Rose and Lovejoy telling Jack his services are no longer needed. However, you can clearly hear the last line when Rose sings "for those in peril, on the sea". Seems kind of ironic, does it?

-- Donna Sadoway (donakyle@oanet.com), January 25, 1998

Answers

Donna: Although I am not sure of the original composer of this piece, I do know it as the Navy Hymn and it is quite old and was composed under a different name. You would hear it most often at Military (Navy) funerals and the words go something like this: Eternal Father strong to save Whose arm hath bind the restless wave Who bid'st the mighty ocean deep And calm amid it's rage did'st sleep Oh hear us when we cry to thee For those in peril on the sea. There are following verses also and it is indeed a beautiful Hymn. You can also hear it in the movie "Crimson Tide" which came ot a couple of years ago and is also a great film.

Regards, Peter

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), January 26, 1998.

By the way, I believe that Hymn was sung, according to accounts, at the Captain's Sunday Service onboard Titanic on April 14, 1912 and yes, it is ironic!......P.N.

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), January 26, 1998.

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq53-1.htm Did a little research and here is the straight stuff!

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), January 26, 1998.

I was raised Episcopalian; the tune of the hymn from the film was very familiar from my church-going days. I don't think we usually used the words that were in the film, although even they had a vague familiarity. Maybe they are still in occasional use outside the Navy.

-- Thomas Shoebotham (cathytom@ix.netcom.com), January 26, 1998.

I believe that is an Episcopalian hymn named "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," and it **was** sung in the church service conducted by Capt. Smith on Sunday morning 4/14/12.

Cheers

-- Kip Henry (kip-henry@ouhsc.edu), January 26, 1998.

yes, it was sung on April 14. There is also a song in Titanic the musical that was sung on the day the ship sank.

-- Natalie (mlent@erols.com), January 26, 1998.

I just read in the site I posted earlier that the person who wrote the music for this hymn is also credited with writing the hymn "Nearer My God To Thee". Now that is ironic!

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), January 26, 1998.

The original title of the ymn is Eternal Father, however it is commonly known as the Navy Hymn because it is sung at the US Naval Academy as well as many funerals for Naval Personnel. It was also performed while John Kennedy's body was being carried into the White House for it's pre-burial viewing. If you do a Yahoo search on NAVY HYMN you will find many instances of the complete original lyric and lyrics added later, as well as a variety of midi's, wav's, and MP3 versions

-- Rich Lagrand (rmlagrand@cox.net), March 16, 2003.

They have printed many of the versions and verses of the song, but one which I haven't seen is found in some Navy Hymnals. It refers to the guys who fly the Navy's aircraft--Lord guard and guide the men who fly, through the great spaces in the sky, be with them always in the air, in darkening storms and sunlight fair, Oh hear us when we lift our prayer for those in peril in the air.

I would say that the song was adapted for the movie, but it was originally written about 1860, as a poem and put to music a few years later.

-- Jerry W (jwille30@hotmail.com), October 21, 2003.

My wife and children [5] all know that I want the Navy Hymn to be played as my casket is brought into the church I am buried from.

I love the song, I love what it has to say, though only 11 months on "The Sea" and less than 4 years in our [America's] Navy, it is a hymn I've been touched by and have remembered fondly all the days of my life.

John Sweeney, HM-2 454-89-59

-- John L. Sweeney (sweelab@enter.net), June 12, 2004.

Hello,

I've asked myself the same question and here it is what I found (from the Internet): it seems that the verses put by James Cameron in the movie were actually composed in 1937! The original lyrics ("Eternal Father, Strong To Save") is given at http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq53-1.htm

and is used as the Navy Hymn, but you may find the actual verses sang in the movie at:

http://titanic.unliketheworld.com/index.php?p=lyrics

(variant is called "Almighty Father, Strong To Save")

BTW, I am an Orthodox and I live in Romania, so it is pretty difficult for me to check this out... ;-)

Regards, Razvan

-- Razvan Sandu (rsandu@go.ro), October 17, 2004.