Praise to the Lord, the Almighty: Joachim Neander’s hymn and the valley that took his name
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty was written in German by Joachim Neander, a young Reformed teacher who died in 1680 at the age of thirty.…
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Gospel Music
New gospel songs, albums and music videos from artists across Nigeria, Ghana, the USA, the UK and beyond.
Walter Hawkins and Love Alive: the Oakland live albums that defined 1970s gospel
Walter Hawkins, brother of Edwin Hawkins, founded the Love Center Church in Oakland and recorded the Love Alive series with its choir from 1975. Songs such…
The Winans: the Detroit family that changed the sound of gospel music
The Winans, four brothers from Detroit, began recording in the late 1970s with help from Andraé Crouch. Their smooth R&B-influenced harmonies helped shape contemporary gospel, and…
“Blest Be the Tie That Binds”: the hymn a pastor wrote after deciding not to leave
John Fawcett, a Baptist pastor in a poor Yorkshire village, accepted a call to a large London church, then changed his mind as his congregation wept.…
“Jesus, Lover of My Soul”: Charles Wesley’s hymn of refuge in the storm
Charles Wesley published "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" in 1740, two years after his conversion. Its images of a storm, a refuge and a fountain of…
The Blind Boys of Alabama: a gospel group that began at a school for the blind in 1939
The Blind Boys of Alabama formed in 1939 at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Deaf and Blind in Talladega. Rooted in the jubilee and hard…
Israel Houghton: the worship leader who blended gospel, rock and Latin sounds
Israel Houghton, leader of the group Israel and New Breed, became one of the most influential worship leaders of the 2000s, mixing gospel, rock, funk and…
“Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling”: Will Thompson’s invitation hymn
Will Lamartine Thompson, an Ohio songwriter, published "Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling" in 1880. It became one of the most famous invitation hymns, sung at…
“Tell Me the Old, Old Story”: the hymn Katherine Hankey wrote while recovering from illness
Katherine Hankey, an English evangelical and Bible teacher, wrote a long poem about the life of Jesus in 1866 while recovering from a serious illness. Two…
William McDowell: the Orlando worship leader behind “I Give Myself Away”
William McDowell, a worship leader and pastor from Orlando, Florida, became known worldwide for "I Give Myself Away", from his 2009 album As We Worship Live.…