“Jesus Paid It All”: the hymn written on the flyleaf of a hymnal during a sermon
Elvina Hall wrote the words of "Jesus Paid It All" in 1865 on the flyleaf of her hymnal during a sermon at a Methodist church in…
Tag
hymn history
“Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour”: the prison cry behind Fanny Crosby’s hymn
Fanny Crosby wrote "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour" in 1868 after hearing a prisoner cry out, "Good Lord, do not pass me by." Set to…
“Nothing but the Blood”: Robert Lowry’s question-and-answer hymn
"Nothing but the Blood of Jesus" was written by the American Baptist pastor Robert Lowry and published in 1876. Built on a simple question and answer,…
“Standing on the Promises”: the hymn written by a man who expected to die
"Standing on the Promises" was written by Russell Kelso Carter and published in 1886. Carter, a former athlete and teacher, wrote it after a serious heart…
“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”: Charles Wesley’s wedding favourite
Charles Wesley published "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" in 1747. It is now one of the most popular hymns at weddings and is sung to Welsh…
“Be Still, My Soul”: a German hymn, a Scottish translator and Sibelius’s Finlandia
"Be Still, My Soul" was written in German by Katharina von Schlegel in the eighteenth century and translated into English by Jane Borthwick in 1855. It…
Written at a camp meeting in Maryland: “There Is Power in the Blood”
"There Is Power in the Blood" was written in 1899 by Lewis E. Jones while he was attending a camp meeting at Mountain Lake Park, Maryland.…
“Take my silver and my gold”: Frances Ridley Havergal and “Take My Life and Let It Be”
"Take My Life and Let It Be" was written in 1874 by the English hymn writer Frances Ridley Havergal. Each line offers a part of life…
“Crown Him Lord of all”: the story of “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name", written by Edward Perronet, first appeared in the Gospel Magazine in November 1779, edited by Augustus Toplady. It is…
An art teacher’s choice: the story behind “I Surrender All”
"I Surrender All" was written by Judson W. Van DeVenter, an American art teacher and musician who struggled for years between a career in art and…