Recognized as the 'Father of English Hymnody' (1674–1748), Watts revolutionized congregational worship. As a young man, he complained about the dull and awkward metrical psalms sung in church, prompting his father to challenge him: 'Give us something better, then.' Watts did exactly that, writing over 750 hymns. He pioneered the practice of writing 'hymns of human composure' that expressed personal Christian experience, culminating in masterpieces like 'When I Survey the Wondrous Cross' and the triumphant Christmas anthem 'Joy to the World'.