Hark! a Thrilling Voice Is Sounding

Full Name: Edward Caswall
Birth/Death: 1814–1878

Edward Caswall was an English clergyman, poet, and hymn writer, born in Yately, Hampshire, the son of a vicar. He studied at Brasenose College, Oxford, graduating in classics, and was ordained in the Church of England in 1838. After serving as a curate and incumbent, he converted to Roman Catholicism in 1847, joining the Birmingham Oratory under John Henry Newman in 1850. Caswall devoted himself to pastoral work, poetry, and hymnody, especially translations of Latin hymns for congregational use.

His original works and translations are highly regarded for their fidelity to the Latin originals and the purity of their rhythm, which makes them especially suitable for music. His most notable hymn collections include Lyra Catholica (1849), Masque of Mary and Other Poems (1858), and A May Pageant and Other Poems (1865), later compiled in Hymns and Poems (1873). Among his widely sung hymns are See! Amid the Winter’s Snow and Come, Holy Ghost, Thy Grace Inspire. Caswall also contributed original hymns to Roman Catholic hymnals, including the Crown of Jesus Hymn Book, and his works appear in numerous other collections.

He died at Edgbaston, Birmingham, in 1878 and was buried by Cardinal Newman. Caswall’s hymns continue to influence Christian worship for their devotional depth and lyrical beauty.