Soga, John

SOGA, John Henderson 

d. Southampton, England, March 1941

John Henderson Soga was the second son of Tiyo Soga. Soga studied at the Glasgow University and the United Presbyterian Church Divinity Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland. Upon his arrival in South Africa, he was ordained as a missionary and stationed in the Mount Frere district in the Transkei. Soga retired from this post in 1936. He spent the last years of his life in Southampton, England. It was in that city that he and his family were killed in an air raid during World War 2.

Soga's compositions include light instrumental music and hymns. The latter were published by Lovedale in the Xhosa hymn book Incwadi yama-chulo ase-Rhabe. Soga was also a gifted writer and translator. He completed the Xhosa translation of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, which had been begun by his father. He furthermore translated the Prayer Book into Xhosa and wrote books on the Xhosa's and their customs.

Hymns

1. Abafela eNkosini

2. Iziyolo zelilizwe

3. Kunge cebo Lakho, Yesu

4. Ku-Thixo ongu-Yise

5. Lindani, no-ndele ixesha lom-Yeni

6. Sakungena kulenkudla

7. Yesu, tob' amehlo akho

The works listed above were published by Lovedale Hymn