Born: June 14, 1837, Bristol, England.
Died: September 9, 1898, Cheddar, Axbridge, Somerset, England.
Buried: St. Andrew’s Church, Cheddar, Somerset, England.
Don Chapman here, I’m excited to share my latest hymn rewrite, “This Is Christ the King (What Child Is This)” – it’s a modern take on William Chatterton Dix’s timeless lyrics from 1865. I’ve given it that Bethel/Hillsong worship feel with ambient guitars and an explosive bridge, but it’s still simple enough to work with just a piano and vocal. Whether you use it as special music or a congregational power ballad, I hope this fresh melody will help you experience these beautiful words in a new way this Christmas season and for many more to come!
Download sheet music, chord charts, tracks and multitracks at Hymncharts and Worshiphymns.
As I dive into these hymn histories and explore the lives of these incredible hymn writers, something remarkable often happens. I find myself inspired to reimagine these timeless lyrics with modern melodies.
Now, let me be clear – I’m not trying to replace those beautiful traditional tunes we all know and love. Not at all! My new melodies are simply an alternative, a fresh way to experience these profound words.
There’s something powerful about singing those classic lyrics to a new tune. It’s like you’re hearing them for the first time again, even if you’ve sung them a hundred times before. It makes you pause and really think about the words, their meaning, their impact.
That’s what “Timeless Lyrics, Modern Melodies” is all about. It’s my way of connecting our rich musical heritage with contemporary worship styles. So whether you prefer the original or want to try something new, the heart of the hymn – those powerful, timeless lyrics – remains the same.
Let’s keep these beautiful hymns alive and relevant for new generations of worshippers!
Who would have thought that the melody we associate with “What Child Is This?” would find its way into the works of the Bard himself? Yet there it is, nestled in the pages of “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” penned by William Shakespeare around 1597.
In a moment of wit, Shakespeare’s character Falstaff draws a clever comparison between two musical pieces familiar to his audience. He quips that certain words and actions go together about as well as “the Hundredth Psalm to the tune of Green Sleeves.”
This little jest does more than just tickle the funny bone – it gives us a fascinating glimpse into the musical landscape of Elizabethan England. For Shakespeare’s audience to chuckle at this joke, they needed to know both tunes well enough to recognize how ill-fitted they were to each other. This playful reference reveals just how deeply these melodies had woven themselves into the cultural fabric of the time, becoming as familiar to Shakespeare’s audience as the latest pop hits are to us today.
So the next time you hear “Greensleeves,” remember – you’re listening to a tune so popular it earned a cameo in Shakespeare! Now that’s what you call a timeless melody.
Too often do we look at our current situation and think God can’t use us where we are. After all, what impact could we make with our ordinary life? William Chatterton Dix proves that God can work through anyone, anywhere, to create a lasting legacy of faith.
Born in Bristol, England on June 14, 1837, William was the son of a surgeon who instilled in him a love for the written word. Though William followed a different professional path, becoming a marine insurance manager in Glasgow, he shared his father’s passion for poetry and prose.
William’s true calling was revealed during a time of intense personal trial. At age 29, he was struck with a severe illness that left him bedridden for months, plunging him into depression. Yet it was in this valley of darkness that William found renewed purpose, seeking solace in the pages of Scripture.
As he immersed himself in God’s Word, William was inspired to express his faith through verse. Out of his suffering blossomed some of Christendom’s most beloved hymns and carols, including “What Child is This?”, “As with Gladness, Men of Old”, “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus” and “Come Unto Me, Ye Weary.” A gifted writer with a singular talent for hymn-writing, William’s works beautifully capture the hope and comfort found in Christ.
Though he could have pursued fame, William chose to live a quiet, humble life, dedicating his gifts to God’s service. He published two devotional books and a children’s book focused on modeling a Christ-like life. Whether at his desk penning hymns or at his day job serving clients, William’s life was a testament to the truth that God can use us mightily right where He has placed us.
After a lifetime of faithfulness, William Chatterton Dix passed into glory on September 9, 1898 in Cheddar, Somerset, England. He was laid to rest at his parish church, leaving behind a treasure trove of hymns that continue to stir hearts and point people to the Savior.
In a world that celebrates fame and fortune, William’s story reminds us that a life devoted to Christ is the only true path to significance. May we, like him, bloom for God’s glory wherever we are planted.
British illustrator and caricaturist W.J. Wiegand’s engraving in the 1871 edition of “Christmas Carols New and Old” brings Dix’s lyrics to vivid life. It depicts Mary and Joseph with the Christ child, while cleverly incorporating elements of the crucifixion mentioned in the second stanza – a powerful visual representation of Jesus’ birth and ultimate purpose.
In the quiet moments between insurance claims and policy reviews, William Chatterton Dix found himself pondering the greatest mystery of all – the incarnation of Christ. His musings would eventually birth one of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time, “What Child Is This?”
The genesis of this timeless hymn lay not in some grand cathedral or on a missionary journey, but in the everyday life of a Glasgow insurance manager. Dix, recovering from a severe illness that had left him bedridden and battling depression, turned to his Bible for solace. As he immersed himself in Scripture, a spiritual awakening stirred within him, igniting a passion to express his newfound faith through verse.
One can almost picture Dix, sitting at his writing desk, weakly penning the words that would resonate through generations:
What Child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
But Dix was no musician. His words, powerful as they were, needed a melody to carry them into the hearts of worshippers. The genius behind pairing these words with the hauntingly beautiful and historic melody of “Greensleeves” remains a mystery. Some musicologists point to John Stainer as the likely matchmaker. Stainer, already responsible for harmonizing the musical setting, may have recognized the perfect marriage between Dix’s reverent questions and the centuries-old tune. It was as if the ancient strains of “Greensleeves” had been waiting all along for Dix’s words to complete them, to give them their ultimate purpose.
The hymn’s journey from Dix’s desk drawer to the world stage was a gradual one. Like a pebble dropped in a pond, its influence rippled outward slowly but surely. From church to church, the carol spread, its poignant questions and profound declarations touching hearts with each passing Christmas season.
It wasn’t until 1871, six years after Dix penned the lyrics, that “What Child Is This?” found its way into print. The collection “Christmas Carols Old and New” introduced Dix’s creation to a wider audience, setting the stage for its eventual rise to prominence.
Who could have foreseen that this “humble little poem from a humble insurance salesman” would one day stand alongside the greatest Christmas carols in history? Certainly not Dix himself, who continued his work in the insurance industry, never seeking fame or recognition for his contributions to Christian hymnody.
Yet here we are, over a century and a half later, still singing Dix’s words, still pondering the profound questions he posed. “What Child Is This?” has become more than just a carol – it’s a testament to the power of faith expressed through art, and a reminder that God’s work isn’t confined to pulpits and mission fields.
So the next time you hear the familiar strains of “Greensleeves” carrying Dix’s timeless words, remember: great things can come from the most ordinary of lives when they’re lived in devotion to God. William Chatterton Dix, the insurance man with a poet’s heart, proves that beautifully.
