IN THE LAND OF FADELESS DAY- Sing Along Music

LYRICS
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In the land of fadeless day
Lies the city four-square;
It shall never pass away,
And there is no night there.

God shall wipe away all tears;
There's no death, no pain, nor fears;
And they count not time by years;
For there is no night there.

All the gates of pearl are made
In the city four-square;
All the streets with gold are laid,
And there is no night there.

And the gates shall never close
To the city four-square;
There life's crystal river flows,
And there is no night there.

There they need no sunshine bright,
In that city four-square;
For the Lamb is all the light,

And there is no night there.
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SONG HISTROY
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The tune for "No Night There" was composed by Hart Pease Danks, who was born at New Haven, CT, on Apr. 6, 1834, but as a boy moved with his family to Saratoga Springs, NY, where he studied music with Dr. E. Whiting. Becoming a carpenter by trade and working in his father’s construction business for a while, he was also a self-taught musician and composer. Known as a good bass singer, he moved to Chicago, IL, where he first began working in music professionally and built a reputation as a church musician, composing, singing, and leading choral groups. In 1864 he moved to New York City, NY, and became a stage conductor. During this time he published many sacred solo and choral pieces, with at least fifteen books of anthems to his credit at his death, including Superior Anthems for Church Choirs in 1892. Also he collaborated in the composition of three operettas which were not very successful. However, his widest reputation was made as the composer of popular ballads.

Probably Danks’s best known melody is the sentimental favorite of days gone by, "Silver Threads Among the Gold," which begins, "Darling, I am growing old," with words by Eben E. Rexford. Published in 1872, it sold more than three million copies, perhaps more than any other song of its day. "No Night There" was probably produced around 1898 and first appeared in Church Hymns and Gospel Songs, published in New York City by Biglow and Main in 1899. The editors of that book were Ira David Sankey (1840-1908) and James McGranahan (1840-1907). Danks eventually went to Philadelphia, PA, where, having sold the rights to "Silver Threads Among the Gold," he died in poverty at a boarding house on Nov. 20, 1903. After his death, a piece of paper was found on his desk with the words, "It is hard to die alone," scribbled on it. The copyright to "No Night There" later passed to the Hope Publishing Co. of Chicago, IL, who renewed it in 1927.

Among hymnbooks published during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the song appeared in the 1921 Great Songs of the Church (No. 1) and the 1937 Great Songs of the Church No. 2 both edited by E. L. Jorgenson; the 1963 Abiding Hymns edited by Robert C. Welch; the 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater; and the 1966 Christian Hymns No. 3 edited by L. O. Sanderson. Today it is found in the 1971 Songs of the Church, the 1990 Songs of the Church 21st C. Ed., and the 1994 Songs of Faith and Praise all edited by Alton H. Howard; the 1986 Great Songs Revised edited by Forrest M. McCann; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand; in addition to Hymns for Worship, Sacred Selections, and the 2007 Sacred Songs of the Church edited by William D. Jeffcoat.



While we understand that the depiction of the eternal state of the redeemed found in the book of Revelation is not to be understood literally, the song uses many figures of speech found there to create in us a desire to go to heaven.