There is nothing in the world so much like prayer as music is.— William P. Merrill

William P. Merrill

William Pierson Merrill was an American Presbyterian clergyman, pacifist, author, and hymn writer. He was acknowledged during his time as one of the most influential ministers in America...

 

Track listing

1. "We Gather Together
   We Gather Together
   "We Gather Together" is a Christian hymn of Dutch origin written in 1597 by Adrianus Valerius as "Wilt Heden Nu Treden" to celebrate the Dutch victory over Spanish forces in the Battle of Turnhout. It was originally set to a Dutch folk tune...
   
   " – 4:55
2. "O Holy Night
   O Holy Night
   "O Holy Night" is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau , a wine merchant and poet, who had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem...
   
   " – 5:39
3. "Amazing Grace
   Amazing Grace
   "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
   
   " – 4:22
4. "Ave Maria
   Ellens dritter Gesang
   Ellens dritter Gesang , in English: "Ellen's Third Song", was composed by Franz Schubert in 1825 as part of his Opus 52, a setting of seven songs from Walter Scott's popular epic poem The Lady of the Lake, loosely translated into German.It has become one of Schubert's most popular works under the...
   
    (Schubert
   Franz Schubert
   Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
   
   ) – 6:02
5. "All Things Bright & Beautiful
   All Things Bright and Beautiful
   All Things Bright and Beautiful is an Anglican hymn, also popular with other Christian denominations.The piece can be sung to several melodies, in particular the 17th-century English melody "Royal Oak", adapted by Martin Shaw, and "Bright and Beautiful" by William Henry Monk...
   
   " – 2:28
6. "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty
   Holy, Holy, Holy
   Holy, Holy, Holy is a Christian hymn written by Reginald Heber . Its lyrics speak specifically on the Trinity, having been written for use on Trinity Sunday. John Bacchus Dykes composed the tune Nicaea for this hymn in 1861. It references the Sanctus, which is often called the "Holy holy holy" in...
   
   " – 3:28
7. "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
   O come, O come, Emmanuel
   O come, O come, Emmanuel is a translation of the Latin text by John Mason Neale and Henry Sloane Coffin in the mid-19th century. It is a metrical version of a collation of various Advent Antiphons , which now serves as a popular Advent hymn...
   
   " – 2:36
8. "Sweet Hour of Prayer" – 4:16
9. "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
   Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
   "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" is a hymn based on Joachim Neander German chorale Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, published in 1680...
   
   " – 3:08
10. "How Great Thou Art
    How Great Thou Art (hymn)
    "How Great Thou Art" is a Christian hymn based on a Swedish poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg in Sweden in 1885. The melody is a Swedish folk song. It was translated into English by British missionary Stuart K. Hine, who also added two original verses of his own composition. It was popularized by...
    
    " – 4:02
11. "Great is Thy Faithfulness
    Great Is Thy Faithfulness
    Great Is Thy Faithfulness is a popular Christian hymn written by Thomas Chisolm with music composed by William M. Runyan in Baldwin, Kansas, USA....
    
    " – 3:42
12. "Rock of Ages" – 3:47
13. "A Mighty Fortress is our God
    A Mighty Fortress is Our God
    "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" is the best known of Martin Luther's hymns. Luther wrote the words and composed the melody sometime between 1527 and 1529. It has been translated into English at least seventy times and also into many other languages...
    
    " – 3:30
14. "Joyful, Joyful (Ode to Joy)
    Ode to Joy
    "Ode to Joy" is an ode written in 1785 by the German poet, playwright and historian Friedrich Schiller, enthusiastically celebrating the brotherhood and unity of all mankind...
    
    " – 2:50

Personnel

• All music arranged and performed by Bradley Joseph
  Bradley Joseph
  Bradley Joseph is an American composer, arranger, and producer of contemporary instrumental music. His compositions include works for orchestra, quartet, and solo piano, while his musical style ranges from "quietly pensive mood music to a rich orchestration of classical depth and breadth".Active...
  
  .

• Portrait photography: J. Dunn
• Art and Design: Tony Horning

External links

• Official Website
• [ Hymns and Spiritual Songs] at Allmusic
• Hymns and Spiritual Songs at Discogs
  Discogs
  Discogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...