I noticed that as well. So there's no way of telling, at least via that route.
BMP

Actually, the surname is Hellriegel, not Hellreigel.

If its copyright was renewed in the 28th year (that is, in 1969), it's still in force, but I can't find any evidence that it happened. So it may be PD now.

The 1900 date probably refers to the tune, ICH GLAUB AN' GOTT, a 19th-century German melody, and not to Msgr. Hellriegel's text, which was copyrighted in 1941. That copyright was renewed by Irene Mueller. Msgr. died in 1981. So, I would assume his text is still under copyright.

On a different note, since Don mentioned Aug. J. Huybrechts--During the 1980's I sang in August Huybrechts's choir at Our Lady of the Assumption in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was a native of Belgium but came the U.S. after WWII. He lived in Michigan for many years before moving to ABQ. He might still be alive, though getting on in years. All of his children have musically talent. The choir performed some of his music, which was published by World Library back in the 50's and early 60's.

Circular 15 rev: 07 ⁄ 2006 seems clear

note: If a copyright originally secured before January 1, 1964, was not renewed at the proper time, copyright protection expired at the end of the 28th calendar year of the copyright and could not be restored.

and the proper time would have been 1969.

Richard Chonak: To be honest, I was basing my information on what I've seen in countless hymnals, and the cautious idea to not assume public domain for anything published after the mid-1920's. But, like you, I did not find any confirmation in the U.S. Office of Copyright's online database, which goes back only to 1978. It seems odd, though, that publishers consistently list Mueller as the copyright holder if the hymn is in the public domain.

The Acknowledgements section in my parish's hymnal (Glory & Praise, OCP, c2015) lists "Melissa Craig, 5044 Blue Meadow, Cincinnati, Ohio 45251-2707" under Mrs. Irene C. Mueller's name. And, in the credits under the hymn (#360), it says, that the copyright was assigned 1978 to Mrs. Irene Mueller. OCP must know something.

Joseph Michael: Thank you for the information about August. I'm sorry to learn of his passing, and amazed that he was almost 100 years old! He was a wonderful man.

Irene C. Mueller (1910-2010) was a Lutheran from Iowa. I haven't been able to find any actual connection with Martin B. Hellriegel other than a citation of her birth-death years.

I've searched the 1969 copyright renewals as well as the 1978 copyright registrations and haven't found anything with respect to Msgr. Hellriegel or Mrs. Mueller.

Andrew

Is it truly fact that it was not renewed properly? I am building a new hymnal and would like to include it, but only PD content is going in it.

@Liam

I am definitely cautious... there are three or four hymns that fit the category of being worthy of a timeless hymnal that are more recent compositions (either in text or music) that I am considering for my project. Another would be the "Lift High The Cross". However, Thaxted is, IMHO, not of that calibre... it is a "novel catchy tune" in many regards.

It we want to get technical, this is not sacred music... it is starship music.

In The Collegeville Hymnal, THAXTED is used for "O Merciful Redeemer", and makes a solid hymn. The original from which this text was adapted appears to be "O Saviour, precious Saviour" HERE, which is public domain.

Okay, and?

Andrew, don't forget the craftiest ones of all: Anonymous and "Attributed to".

Liam, Anonymous is the most prolific composer I have ever seen.

I agree that a beautiful setting of an overtly liturgical text like "Ave Verum" is one thing. But organ music specifically composed for masonic rituals is another. So perhaps the hymn melody Finlandia can stay, however I'd avoid the dedicated organ works.

Johann Christian, not "Bach" as in Johann Sebastian. Father and son.

I sent a query to OneLicnese.net. When I receive a response, I'll share it.

Mattebery, thank you for this!

I received a response from OneLicense.net confirming the text was still under copyright by Irene Miller along with the last known contact information. I don't want to post that here, but I did forward it to the OP in a pm. If anyone else wants it, they can send me a pm.

Update: Unfortunately I no longer have this information available due to a computer/ server update. Simply contact One License directly to inquire, which is what I did.

They are paying royalties, one must assume, and likely have more of an interest in disproving that confirmation than anyone on this thread.

There is no such thing as natural law copyright. If there was, makers in past centuries would have invoked it to protect their interests, and they didn't. Copyright is a "creature of statute".

If the hymn has not yet entered the public domain in the United States, when will it, and how will anyone know? It seems the copyright renewals in official publications are untrusted: what evidence is used instead, down there?

In Canada it will be in the public domain from Jan 1 2032, but the copyright already reverted to the estate, on Jan 1 2007.

There is no such thing as natural law copyright.

Them's fighting words!!

But more seriously, just because an aspect of natural law is non-justiciable, doesn't mean it isn't part of natural law, which pre-exists positive law (such as statutes) and still to some extent binds the consciences of all men (CCC 1954). Of course, the natural law claim of copyright is not absolute, just as there is no absolute right to property, and the statutes exist to regulate and provide clarity between society's countervailing interests.

In the U.S., the natural law claim actually is justiciable in some cases, thanks to our common law heritage. See slide no. 10 of a ppt presentation given to the Library of Congress on the topic, or the Wikipedia article.

(But it is not justiciable in this case, at least not in the U.S. I was merely pointing out the moral claim a creator may have even in the event of a failure to follow procedure.)

Theology is the queen of sciences. The point of a separate discipline of natural law is that it doesn't require theologians to discern it, it is a matter almost entirely of philosophy and of natural justice. And the invention of a term is not particularly telling--trinity and transubstantiation postdate Apostolic Revelation, for example.

In any event, the concepts involved are of ancient origin, but it became more pressing as the technology developed for making cheap copies, and so the idea developed simultaneously in many places.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_copyright#Early_developments

Surely not! The issue was the ownership of the copy. Columba's monastery had obtained and prepared a lot of very expensive vellum, and laboured night and day, apparently, to inscribe the text on it, all the labour was theirs. The ruling was precisely on whether the ownership went with the physical embodiment or the text. The stories are I understand somewhat imprecise, I have read that Finnian had explicitly refused permission to copy, that would certainly colour the judgement. Ownership of liturgical texts!

Party 1 owned the book, and party 2 made a copy without permission. The king ruled against party 2. That is a far cry from the modern notion of copyright, which is that although party 1 may own the book, party 1 may not make a copy of it.