He was a composer, organist, editor and business owner born in Brooklyn, New York, who studied music at the University of Paris and after graduation he returned to Brooklyn to open up a dry goods business.
He held the position of organist at Brooklyn Height’s Reformed Church for 37 years and was involved in the editing of the books Hymns of the Church, Hymns and Prayer and Praise and Hymns and Songs of Praise which were published between 1869 and 1874.
His compositions were many, as were his arrangements and adaptations, and some of the hymns and carols that have become associated with him are “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, “When I Awake From Sleep”, “From Ocean to Ocean” and “Here, Lord, We Offer Thee”, “Pleyel’s Hymn with Variations” and “The Morning Light”. It has also been suggested that he may have re-arranged the words in “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”.
Here his his “Hinchman”…
Sources:
- http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/b/u/r/burnap_uc.htm
- http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Burnap,_Uzziah_Christopher
- https://www.blueletterbible.org/hymns/bios/bio_b_u_burnap_uc.cfm
- https://hymnary.org/person/Burnap_UC?tab=tunes
- https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/Notes_On_Carols/it_came_upon_the_midnight_clear1.htm