New
Favorite
Hymn History: Room at the Cross for You & Author: Ira F. Stanphill ‘The basic reason I have written songs is that I love God and Christ has loved me. Most of my songs are the outgrowth of real experiences with Christ. I think they appeal to people because I have had trials, heartaches, and sorrow in my own life, Read more...
New
Favorite
Hymn History: Sheltered in the Arms of God & Author: Dottie Rambo “Hardly any modern hymnal fails to include one or more of her songs … Having written over 2,500 published songs, Dottie ranks with the beloved Fanny Crosby among the women who have had the greatest impact in the field of gospel music.” (Kentucky Music Hall of Fame) Read more...
New
Favorite
Hymn History: How Long Has It Been? & Author: Mosie Lister “Mosie Lister was a study in contrasts. He wrote more happy songs than almost any other writer. He gave our feet songs to dance to when we were ‘feelin’ mighty fine.’ He seemed to feel the happy rhythms of life itself, and how he loved rhythms—intricate, syncopated, grin-making rhythms! Read more...
New
Favorite
Hymn History: I Belong to the King & Author: Ida Lillard Reed “Reed is said to have written 2,000 hymns in her lifetime. … In 1939, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers recognized her ‘substantial contribution to American music’ by awarding her a small weekly “bonus.” (Hymnary) The Origin of the Hymn “I Belong to the King” Read more...
New
Favorite
Hymn History: Nothing Between My Soul and the Savior & Author: Charles Albert Tindley “To this day, Charles Albert Tindley is considered a ‘prince of preachers,’ poet, writer, theologian, social activist, and ‘father of African American Hymnody.’ Scholars C. Eric Lincoln and Lawrence H. Mamiya say that his hymns were ‘not simply other-worldly. [These hymns] are also addressed to helping Read more...
New
Favorite
Hymn History: Take Your Burden to the Lord & Author: William Herbert Brewster Sr. “Combining the fortitude of older black sacred music traditions with the fervor and rhythmic appeal of newer gospel songs, Brewster’s music was, in the words of gospel singing great Willa Ward, ‘as good as it gets.’” (Memphis Music Hall of Fame) The Origin of the Read more...
New
Favorite
Hymn History: Precious Lord, Take My Hand & Author: Thomas Andrew Dorsey “As the Lord gave me these words and melody, He also healed my spirit … I learned that when we are in our deepest grief when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest and when we are most open to His restoring power.” (Thomas Read more...
New
Favorite
The Origin of Andraé Crouch’s Hymn “Through It All” Andraé Crouch’s enduring hymn, “Through It All,” stands as a cornerstone of modern gospel music, a profound and personal declaration of faith that has resonated across denominations, cultures, and generations. Written and copyrighted in 1971, this song is less a simple composition and more a deeply felt, autobiographical testimony born Read more...
New
Favorite
The Mystical Origins of “Ezekiel Saw de Wheel” “Ezekiel Saw de Wheel” is one of the most dynamic and enduring of all African-American spirituals. Like many songs of its genre, it has no single, known author and originated on the plantation complexes of the American South sometime in the early to mid-19th century. Its powerful imagery and message of Read more...
New
Favorite
Exploring the Murals of Pacoima, CA: A Visual Journey Imagine, by sheer coincidence, you’re wandering through the sun-drenched streets of Pacoima, CA, and you’re suddenly enveloped in a vibrant panorama of murals. Each wall you pass tells a different story, a melting pot of cultural narratives, historical timelines, and the undeniable talent of local artists. You’re not just admiring the aesthetics; Read more...
New
Favorite
Thomas A. Dorsey Father of Gospel Music Inscription. Thomas Andrew Dorsey, composer of over 400 blues and gospel songs, lived here following his birth in Villa Rica on July 1, 1899. At Mt. Prospect Baptist Church he was exposed to shape-note singing and at home learned to play a used pump organ, experiences he said “sprang” his career. The young Read more...
New
Favorite
2. Thomas A. Dorsey (Songwriters Hall of Fame). Excerpt: “…A high point for Dorsey’s music came when the legendary Red Foley and the Foggy Mountain Boys, stars of the Grand Ole’ Opry, recorded “Peace in the Valley,” which topped The Lucky Strike Hit Parade in 1948. His songs have been recorded by Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Jimmy Read more...
New
Favorite
Inscription. Born on July 2. 1897, in Somerville, Tenn., to sharecropper parents, the Rev. William H. Brewster was a prolific composer of gospel music, contributing over 200 works to the repertory. Two of his compositions, Move On Up a Little Higher (1946) and Surely, God is Able (1949) were the first black gospel recordings to sell over a million copies. An editor, educator, and poet, Read more...
New
Favorite
Inscription. Always eager to learn Born in 1851 to an enslaved father, Albert Tindley, and a free mother, Hester Miller Tindley, Charles Albert Tindley spent his childhood on a rural farm in Berlin. After marrying Daisy Henry, Tindley moved to Philadelphia, where he found employment as a brick carrier and a janitor at the church he attended. Despite his status Read more...
New
Favorite
Hymn History: A Child of the King & Author: Harriet Eugenia “Hattie” Peck Buell “Harriett E. Buell, a native of New York state, wrote the words for ‘A Child of the King’ as she walked home from church one Sunday.” (Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society, Vol. 12, No. 22 [Spring 1999], p. 27) The Origin of the Hymn Read more...
New
Favorite
Hymn History: A Glorious Church & Author: Ralph Erskine Hudson “He often took old hymns and gave them a new tune, with a jolly, bouncing chorus.” (Robert Cottrill) The Origin of the Hymn “A Glorious Church” The hymn “A Glorious Church” is a stirring declaration of the beauty, purity, and victory of Christ’s redeemed people. With its triumphant refrain—“’Tis Read more...
New
Favorite
Hymn History: All For Jesus & Author: Mary Dagworthy James “It is noted that she ‘strived to live a life as close to Christ as possible.’” (Hymnary.org) The Origin of the Hymn “All for Jesus” The hymn “All for Jesus” is a heartfelt expression of complete consecration to Christ—an anthem of surrender that calls believers to live every moment, Read more...
New
Favorite
Hymn History: All That Thrills My Soul & Author: Thoro Harris “His greatest success was achieved with his favourite song… one contemporary recalled him as ‘a very energetic person, walking about the city almost constantly carrying a little canvas handbag in which he carried copies of his song-books for sale.’” (Praise!) The Origin of the Hymn “All That Thrills Read more...
New
Favorite
Hymn History: Anywhere with Jesus & Author: Jessie Brown Pounds “Her ability to express deep spiritual truths in simple, heartfelt language made her a favourite among churches and Sunday schools.” (referring to her hymn “Anywhere With Jesus”) (Hymnal Library) The Origin of the Hymn “Anywhere with Jesus” The hymn “Anywhere with Jesus” is a beautiful expression of trust, courage, Read more...
New
Favorite
Hymn History: Brethren We Have Met to Worship & Author: George Askins or Atkins “He was a man of small stature, and a cripple, one of his legs being withered up to the hip; yet he was more active on foot than any cripple I ever saw. Notwithstanding his bodily infirmity, he was full of spirit, and a stranger to Read more...