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W. G. Fischer

1835 - 1912 Person Name: William G. Fischer Composer of "FISCHER" in Psalter Hymnal (Blue) William Gustavus Fischer In his youth, William G. Fischer (b. Baltimore, MD, 1835; d. Philadelphia, PA, 1912) developed an interest in music while attending singing schools. His career included working in the book bindery of J. B. Lippencott Publishing Company, teaching music at Girard College, and co-owning a piano business and music store–all in Philadelphia. Fischer eventually became a popular director of music at revival meetings and choral festivals. In 1876 he conducted a thousand-voice choir at the Dwight L. Moody/Ira D. Sankey revival meeting in Philadelphia. Fischer composed some two hundred tunes for Sunday school hymns and gospel songs. Bert Polman

James Nicholson

1828 - 1896 Author of "Whiter than Snow" in Baptist Hymnal 1991 James L Nicholson United Kingdom/USA 1828-1876. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to the United States around age 25. He lived in Philadelphia, PA, worked as a postal clerk, and was a member of the Wharton Street Methodist Episcopal Church there for about 20 years, where he taught Sunday school, led singing in church, and assisted in evangelical work. This was also hymn writer, William J Kirkpatrick’s, church. Around 1871 he moved to Washington, DC, and worked as a postal clerk there. In addition to his hymn writing, he also wrote several books, one on birds and their care, one on forensic medicine. He died in Washington, DC, but was buried in Philadelphia, PA. John Perry =============== Nicholson, James, an American Methodist minister, is the author of (1) "Dear [Lord] Jesus I long to be perfectly whole" (Holiness desired); and (2) "There's a beautiful land on high " (Heaven), both of which are in I. D. Sankey's Sacred Songs and Solos, 1878. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

John R. Sweney

1837 - 1899 Person Name: Jno. R. Sweney Composer of "[Dear Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole]" in Grove Songs No. 2 John R. Sweney (1837-1899) was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and exhibited musical abilities at an early age. At nineteen he was studying with a German music teacher, leading a choir and glee club, and performing at children’s entertainments. By twenty-two he was teaching at a school in Dover, Delaware. Soon thereafter, he was put in charge of the band of the Third Delaware Regiment of the Union Army for the duration of the Civil War. After the war, he became Professor of Music at the Pennsylvania Military Academy, and director of Sweney’s Cornet Band. He eventually earned Bachelor and Doctor of Music degrees at the Academy. Sweney began composing church music in 1871 and became well-known as a leader of large congregations. His appreciators stated “Sweney knows how to make a congregation sing” and “He had great power in arousing multitudes.” He also became director of music for a large Sunday school at the Bethany Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia of which John Wanamaker was superintendent (Wanamaker was the founder of the first major department store in Philadelphia). In addition to his prolific output of hymn melodies and other compositions, Sweney edited or co-edited about sixty song collections, many in collaboration with William J. Kirkpatrick. Sweney died on April 10, 1899, and his memorial was widely attended and included a eulogy by Wanamaker. Joe Hickerson from "Joe's Jottings #9" used by permission

Samuel Webbe

1740 - 1816 Person Name: Webbe Composer of "[Come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish]" in Gospel Praise Book. Samuel Webbe (the elder; b. London, England, 1740; d. London, 1816) Webbe's father died soon after Samuel was born without providing financial security for the family. Thus Webbe received little education and was apprenticed to a cabinetmaker at the age of eleven. However, he was determined to study and taught himself Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, German, and Italian while working on his apprenticeship. He also worked as a music copyist and received musical training from Carl Barbant, organist at the Bavarian Embassy. Restricted at this time in England, Roman Catholic worship was freely permitted in the foreign embassies. Because Webbe was Roman Catholic, he became organist at the Portuguese Chapel and later at the Sardinian and Spanish chapels in their respective embassies. He wrote much music for Roman Catholic services and composed hymn tunes, motets, and madrigals. Webbe is considered an outstanding composer of glees and catches, as is evident in his nine published collections of these smaller choral works. He also published A Collection of Sacred Music (c. 1790), A Collection of Masses for Small Choirs (1792), and, with his son Samuel (the younger), Antiphons in Six Books of Anthems (1818). Bert Polman

Edmund S. Lorenz

1854 - 1942 Person Name: E. S. Lorenz Composer of "[Dear Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole]" in Heavenly Carols Pseudonymns: John D. Cresswell, L. S. Edwards, E. D. Mund, ==================== Lorenz, Edmund Simon. (North Lawrence, Stark County, Ohio, July 13, 1854--July 10, 1942, Dayton, Ohio). Son of Edward Lorenz, a German-born shoemaker who turned preacher, served German immigrants in northwestern Ohio, and was editor of the church paper, Froehliche Botschafter, 1894-1900. Edmund graduated from Toledo High School in 1870, taught German, and was made a school principal at a salary of $20 per week. At age 19, he moved to Dayton to become the music editor for the United Brethren Publishing House. He graduated from Otterbein College (B.A.) in 1880, studied at Union Biblical Seminary, 1878-1881, then went to Yale Divinity School where he graduated (B.D.) in 1883. He then spent a year studying theology in Leipzig, Germany. He was ordained by the Miami [Ohio] Conference of the United Brethren in Christ in 1877. The following year, he married Florence Kumler, with whom he had five children. Upon his return to the United States, he served as pastor of the High Street United Brethren Church in Dayton, 1884-1886, and then as president of Lebanon Valley College, 1887-1889. Ill health led him to resign his presidency. In 1890 he founded the Lorenz Publishing Company of Dayton, to which he devoted the remainder of his life. For their catalog, he wrote hymns, and composed many gospel songs, anthems, and cantatas, occasionally using pseudonyms such as E.D. Mund, Anna Chichester, and G.M. Dodge. He edited three of the Lorenz choir magazines, The Choir Leader, The Choir Herald, and Kirchenchor. Prominent among the many song-books and hymnals which he compiled and edited were those for his church: Hymns for the Sanctuary and Social Worship (1874), Pilgerlieder (1878), Songs of Grace (1879), The Otterbein Hymnal (1890), and The Church Hymnal (1934). For pastors and church musicians, he wrote several books stressing hymnody: Practical Church Music (1909), Church Music (1923), Music in Work and Worship (1925), and The Singing Church (1938). In 1936, Otterbein College awarded him the honorary D.Mus. degree and Lebanon Valley College the honorary LL.D. degree. --Information from granddaughter Ellen Jane Lorenz Porter, DNAH Archives

Asa Hull

1828 - 1907 Composer of "[Dear Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole]" in Gospel Praise Book. Asa Hull USA 1828-1907. Born in Keene, NY, he became a music publisher in New York City. He married Emma F Atherton, and they had a daughter, Harriett. He wrote many tunes and authored temperance rallying songs. He published 33 works, of which 21 were songbooks, between 1863-1895. He died in Philadelphia, PA. John Perry

William E. Fischer

1849 - 1936 Person Name: William G. Fischer Composer of "[Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole]" in Hallowed Hymns, New and Old Born: October 6, 1849, Berlin, Germany. Died: August 10, 1936, Shamokin, Pennsylvania. Fischer was a graduate of Pennsylvania College (BA 1872) and Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (1875). Ordained in 1875, he served at Center Hall until 1893, when he accepted a call to be pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, where he remained the rest of his life. He served as secretary and member of the hymn book committee of the Lutheran General Synod, and member of the hymnbook committee of the United Lutheran Church (1929-31). He also represented the Susquehanna Synod, and was a director at Gettysburg Seminary. His works include: Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 1899) (music editor) --www.hymntime.com/tch/

Anders C. Rutström

1721 - 1772 Person Name: Anders Carl Rutström, 1721-1772 Composer of "RUTSTRÖM" in The Covenant Hymnal Also Andreas Rutström. Rutström, Anders Carl. (Rutvik, Sweden, November 30, 1721--October 27, 1772). Lutheran. University of Uppsala. Ordained 1745. University of Griefswald, Th.D. 1756. Pastorates at Storkyrkan (cathedral church), Stockholm (assistant curate) 1745-1756; Hedvig Eleanora Church, Stockholm, 1758-1765. Arrested for his Calvinistic and Herrnhut tendencies. Died in prison. Wrote many hymn texts which were published after his death by his friends as Sions Nya Sånger, 1778. This collection was widely used among the pietists for almost a century. Author of "Lammets folk och Sions fränder" (Chosen Seed and Zion's Children) and "Kom huldaste förbarmare" (O Savior, Thou Who for Us Died). --J. Irving Erickson, DNAH Archives

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