When long before time

When long before time (The Singer and the Song). Peter Davison* (1936– ). This hymn is known by its title and tune name: THE SINGER AND THE SONG. Peter Davison wrote the text and the tune for an annual convention of the Royal Canadian College of Organists in London, Ontario, in 1981. Harmonized by George Alexander Black* and published in the convention handbook, ‘The Singer and the Song’ travelled across Canada, becoming well known in a short time. It was included in a popular Canadian hymnal supplement Songs for a Gospel People (Winfield, British Columbia: Wood Lake Books, 1987). Paul A. Richardson describes Davison’s hymn as a ballad: ‘In its use of “Singer” and “Song,” it shows an...